Part 2: Extraordinary Brain and Process (Genius)

Speaking of intelligent from part 1 of this post (click HERE), in science, we have Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. In music, we have Glenn Gauld. Too many geniuses in this world, and therefore, I really wanted to understand how different is their brain compared to ours. I have decided to read on some articles related to Einstein's brain and I found some really interesting facts of his brain.


Caption: a portrait of Albert Einstein

Back around a decade ago, in 1999, I have read an article in the readers digest, stating that the usage of brain cells are recognised in % basis. These % usage of the brain will determine the intelligent level of a person. An example was given: a high-school student's brain should normally contain 5%. However, it was stated that Einstein's brain contained 44%. If so, in mathematical calculation, Einstein is 8.8 times more intelligent than an average high-school student.



Caption: Einstein agreed that his brain to be analysed after death

Harvey Thomas (a pathologist in Princeton) splitted Einstein's brain in 240 pieces and kept it in a few jars in his car. According to Thomas, his brain looks a little shrunken, probably due to aging and therefore, it is slightly smaller than average. But anyway, as stated in a previous post (click HERE), the size of a person's brain will not determine his intelligent level. In other word, the size of a brain will not affect their intelligence. Later in 1980, a neurologist from California University (US) analysed some section of Einstein's brain, partly from the prefrontal and parietal lobes. What amazing is that the scientist found that Einstein's brain contained more glial cells (glial cells: non-neuronal cells that serve as support cells in the nervous system and help to protect neurons) to neurons (also known as nerve cell: a cell that is specialized to conduct nerve impulses). Glial cells are originally thought to only provide energy and resources for human. After the experiment, we now understand that glial cells are involved in neural processing and signal transmission. It is surprising that the amount of glial cells in Einstein's left parietal region were doubled compared to normal human. Some research indicated that damaging the left parietal of our brain will cause Gerstmann's Syndrome (difficulties with mathematical calculations/ writting formulae). Therefore, eminent neuro scientists believe that this region of the brain is important for visuo-spatial cognition.


Caption: brain stucture and regions

Einstein claimed to be dyslexic (a symptom of impairment in the ability to recognise words or difficulties in learning to read), with poor memory for words. There are possibilities that damaging the left parietal region in the brain may cause dyslexia, proven in many neurosciences research. Therefore, the low neuron-to-glial in this region may result in verbal difficulties rather than reasoning skills. Parietal lobe of the brain is responsible for processing sensory input (i.e. what we see, taste, smell, listen) and sensory discrimination. It is also called the ‘association area’. It is also responsible to receive and utilize from the lower levels of the brain (human brain has upper and lower level, and will be explained in the next few posts), any information of temperature, taste, touch, and movement from the rest of the body such as distance and position of objects. It is also responsible for reading and arithmetic (mathematics).


Caption: in-depth brain structure (cortex)

Another study in mid 1990 was conducted to look at the cortical tissues from Einstein's right prefrontal lobe. This lobe of our brain deals with working memory (short term and long term memory), planning, decision-making and motor coordination (communication between the brain and limbs). The scientist from Alabama University reported that the number and size of neurons in this region of the brain remained normal, but the cortex size was thinner than average. Supposely the cortex size of a person is 2.6 millimetres. Einstein's cortex size was reported to be thinner by 0.5 millimetres. This means that the cortical neurons (nerve cells that make up the cortex of the brain) in his brain were more densely packed than other people's brain. In general, the thinner size of the cortex may result in closer and speed-up communication between neurons.


Caption: a picture of Einstein's Brain (by National Geographic)

By the end of 1990's, Witelson (a neurologist) studied Einstein's brain again. He found that Einstein's brain are normal, except for his parietal lobes. He explained that the size of Einstein's parietal lobe is approximately 15% wider than average, producing a more spherical shape. He also found that a person's brain are asymetrical (parts in a brain is not similar in shape/size), but Einstein's parietal lobes were symmetrical (same in shape/size).


Caption: upper view of Einstein's Brain


Caption: left and right view of Einstein's Brain

The combination of the three different findings in the above have proven the differences of intelligence of a person. Though John Sweller (a famous cognitive scientist) suggests the distinction between expert and novice in learning will mainly rely on the aspects related to memory configuration: (1) how a person solve a problem, and (2) features used in categorising different problems, I assume there are much more areas for analyses although the key factors appointed by Sweller (memory region) seemed to have some interrelation to different lobes of the brain. For me, this areas (combination of cognitive and neuro psychology) are worth looking by researcher if you are planning for a PhD research.

High-Blood Pressure and Solutions

This post is relatively important for people who has high blood pressure since this may significantly destruct your health. High blood pressure comes from the medical term, referring to hyper tension. The high blood pressure is one of the several risk factor that may result in developing heart attack, stroke, and some greater risk effects.


Caption: high blood pressure

The understanding of blood pressure is important. Blood pressure is also measured in mililitres of mercury (or mmHg), as two figures (the two normal figure of pressure is usually 150/95 mmHg). 150 is referred as the sytolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart contract). On the other hand, 95 is referred to diastolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between each heartbeat).


Caption: a Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure measuring machine)


Caption: measuring blood pressure manually

The development of high blood pressure happens when the pressure in our arteries (we also called that as blood vessel) increased significantly over a period of time. This could refer to two possibility: either the blood pressure sustained or exceeded the 2 measurements of pressure of 150/95 mmHg (sytolic and diastolic pressure), let says 170/70 mmHg or 120/104 mmHg. The first example (170/70) shows that 170 has exceed the normal pressure unit of 150 whilst the second example (120/104) shows that 104 has exceeded the normal pressure of 95. This usually only happen when we have high blood pressure.

Some friends have asked: "what happen if our blood pressure exceeded 160/100 mmHg?". If so, the blood pressure is relatively high, and the person will usually be asked by his/her doctor to reduce it through medication. If your blood pressure is between 140/90 and 160/100 mmHg, you are usually infected by various disease / problems such as (1) high rish of developing cardiovascular disease (2) diabetes or (3) damage to the heart and / or kidney. Therefore, high blood pressure is a relatively serious health problem.


Caption: blood vessel

High blood pressure is commonly diagnosed by various symptoms: frequently anxious, stressed, people with diabetes, genetically inherited by family members and some other conditions, such as kidney or hormone problems that may also cause high blood pressure. However, the high blood pressure could be reduced through the reduction of overweight, execising regularly, healthy diet, reducing alcohol consumption, reduce/stop smoking, and low salt/caffein consumption. This risk may also be reduced when a person consume plenty of fruits and vegetables. Since high blood pressure is a risk that causes no symptoms, you are then adviced to regularly attend medical checkup (once every 3-5 years).


Caption: a picture of psychological capture for high blood pressure

There are also some solutions to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, with suppliments found from some medical articles.

Co-Q10. This nutrient is also known as Coenzyme Q10, a gem when it comes to cardiovascular problems and managing heart risk factors. People usually consume Co-Q10 when they have heart related problems. Co-Q10 is an essential ingredient for cellular energy production, but it’s also a potent antioxidant (antioxidant is potentially useful to also help reducing the risk of cancer). This ability to limit oxidative stress reduces inflammation and also enhances blood circulation. Co-Q10 is one of the supplements discovered to have shown to lower high blood pressure by up to 15 systolic points and 10 diastolic points. Nutritionist suggest to consume 100–225 mg of Co-Q10 daily in divided doses.

Magnesium. This mineral is known as remedies for high blood pressure. Magnesium has a direct impact on the ability of arteries to expand and contract, and deficiencies can cause arteries to spasm and constrict of potentially blocking blood flow. To control high blood pressure, consume 500 - 1,000 mg of magnesium daily.

Nattokinase. This supplement would help to prevent abnormal thickening of the blood, one of the main cause of high blood pressure. Nattokinase would have the potential of lowering blood pressure by 10–20 systolic points and 5–10 diastolic points. Start with 50 mg a day and increase the dose to 100 mg after a week. (Note: If you’re taking any kind of blood thinning drug (i.e. Coumadin), then try avoid consuming nattokinase. The combination of both could cause your blood to become too thin.

Fish oil. The omega-3 fats in fish oil have shown to be able to reduce blood viscosity. It was suggested by nutritionist to consume 2–3 grams daily.

B-complex. B-complex is useful to help in relaxation (i.e. stress and pressure, read more about B-complex HERE). This is why it is useful to reduce high blood pressure. First, it helps to replace the B vitamins lost in your urine if you’re taking a diuretic to control your blood pressure (all B vitamins are water soluble). Second, specific members of the B-complex family, such as vitamin B6, have antihypertensive effects. Folic acid contained in the B-complex is also helpful, particularly for women. You should always consume B complex vitamins, either in a stand-alone product or as part of a high-quality multivitamin. Just be sure consume at least 100 mg of B6 and 800 mcg of folic acid daily.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for building and maintaining healthy blood vessels. It is also a potent supporter of the body’s antioxidant system. This is why people consume vitamin C daily to help reducing the risk of flu and cough. It’s especially important for increasing levels of glutathione, a free-radical scavenger. Both of these effects support healthy blood pressure. It was suggested to consume 1,000 mg daily.

L-arginine. This amino acid is the main ingredient that your blood vessels need to make nitric acid, a substance that helps keep them properly dilated. Eating foods or taking supplements that provide 4–10 grams daily has helped lower blood pressure by 6 systolic points and up to 7 diastolic points. Foods rich in L-arginine include peanuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, soy, coconut, diary, meat, and variety of seafoods.

Quercetin. Similar to nattokinase, quercetin is usually found naturally in onions. It helps to break down blood clots and keep blood flowing properly. In many studies, people with high blood pressure who took 730 mg of quercetin daily for a month experienced a drop of 7 systolic points and 5 diastolic points.


IMPORTANT: Please follow the direction or prescription on the bottle, or get consultation from nutritionist if necessary. It is important to ensure that the nutritions you consume is appropriate and will not have any stimulant property. If they do, it may worsen the illness.

Chim, Chiminea . . .

Last Friday, we learned that we would be hosting our nephew from El Salvador for twelve days until his dormitory opens. We planned to meet up with his father and brothers on Saturday and take him home--a five-hour round trip. When I let Pamela know about her cousin's visit, she bolted and Snoopy danced her way through the house. Later, she came up to me and said, "Tomorrow's an exciting day!"

Yesterday morning, Steve was sitting in bed with his laptop, and I was just beginning to wake up at about seven. Pamela walked in the room, moved to Steve's side of the bed, looked at him, and said, "Good morning." Then, she walked around to my side of the bed and greeted me good morning, too!

These two stories illustrate a point: Pamela knows how to share sweet moments without having a hidden agenda. She did not share her excitement as means to worm her way into a trip to the mall or her favorite restaurant. In fact, they ended up shopping for golf clubs and eating at Outback, a restaurant we have never tried (yes, I know they feature a gluten-free menu and yummy food). She did not greet us with good morning and then hit us up with questions like "What's for breakfast?" or "When are we leaving?" Sometimes, people talk simply to share what they are thinking!

Those who endorse teaching through positive reinforcements often point out that we all work for money, and, if left unpaid, we would quit our jobs. Abraham Lincoln made a great point about work, "My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it." If offered two jobs with the same pay, one boring and the other fulfilling, most people would choose the latter. If all of our income needs were met, would we still work? It depends upon the nature of the job. Work that has intrinsic meaning and fulfillment would still be worth pursuing for its own sake.

Why do people volunteer? Once or twice a month, rain, stifling heat, or freezing cold, the kids and I deliver meals on wheels. We are not paid for it. The weather makes it unpleasant sometimes. The people we are serving will probably never be able to return the favor for they are poor and elderly. We serve them out of gratitude for our blessings in hopes of brightening their day with food and a friendly face.

What motivates people to feed the birds or exceed expectations in lawn care like Mr. Pearl Fryar in Bishopville? Why do we read books like The Lord of the Rings that teach us nothing practical but touch the soul? Why do we drive to a special spot to watch the sunrise? Why do folks cook a delicious meal when something easy like a peanut butter and jelly on wheat sandwiches with carrot sticks and an apple will do?

For some inexplicable reason that has to do with the sacredness of personality, we find it irresistable. Charlotte Mason believed we could teach children without toying with their desires. She wrote, "But knowledge is delectable. We have all the 'satiable curtiosity' of Mr. Kipling's Elephant even when we content ourselves with the broken meats flung by the daily press. Knowledge is to us as our mother's milk, we grow thereby and in the act of sucking are admirably content" (Volume 6, page 89).

Some criticize RDI because it ignores "proven" behavior principles like reinforcement and motivation. Can children with autism learn for the sake of learning without these principles? In Pamela's case, yes! I snicker because one board-certified behavior therapist admits that RDI may help "some advanced and naturally vocal children"--a person with lifelong aphasia who is still mastering English as a first language at age twenty is not what I call naturally vocal.

How do we teach children with autism without behavior principles? The other day Pamela ran into the house to tell me the chiminea had fallen. The news was not all that surprising for the thing was cracked in several spots. I asked Pamela if she wanted to help me clean up and she agreed. First, I pulled over the big trash can, opened it up, and looked at the mess, acting as if I were thinking about what to do first. Pamela looked at the mess too, grabbed a piece of the pot, and tossed it into the can. Then, I did the same. We took turns picking up big pieces, sticks, and trash we had intented to burn.

At one point, Pamela stopped and said, "Wash your hands." I noted, "My hands are dirty too. I'm going to wait until I'm finished." Then, I kept working and she did the same. We got to the point in which the only thing left was ash and small bits of debris. I said, "I don't think we can pick that up with our hands," and walked over to the shed. We found two shovels, a snow shovel and a digging shovel. Pamela had never used a big shovel before so I demonstrated how to use it and then we took turns trying out both shovels as long as it seemed worth while.

Ash was all over that corner of the brick patio, so we grabbed the big broom from the garage. Pamela held the snow shovel on the grass, while I swept ash onto the shovel. When finished, she dumped it into the trash can. To remove all of the fine ash, we walked over to the hose. Pamela secured the spray nozzle to the hose, and I turned it on. Then, she sprayed the brick until she thought it looked good enough. When finished, we put everything away and washed our hands.

Collaborating to figure out a new task is an example of guided participation. I structured the activity through familiar interaction patterns: alternating and simultaneous. When Pamela was unsure of a step, she looked at me and I nodded to let her know she was on track. She struggled to stick the snow shovel under the debris, and I scaffolded with my hands over her hands. I guided the movement of the shovel to the trashcan and held my hands underneath the handle in case Pamela found it too heavy. She did so well the first time dumping ash into the can, I backed out and let her be. The only time I stepped back into assist on her turn was when she asked for help. When I made declarative comments, I was just making talk. The goal of narrating is to describe what we are doing, not to tell Pamela what to do. Directing her verbally would rob her of the opportunity to think.

Behaviorists do somthing similar with "a heavy emphasis on making learning enjoyable, and on engaging the learner in positive social interactions" (Dr. Gina Green). Why must they make learning more palatable? Once Pamela learned to embrace change and novelty, she began to feel competent about the constant variations and unexpected events of life, which increased her motivation to learn. Dr. Steve Gustein's description fits Pamela well, "Apprentices who routinely experience challenges as safe and successful develop a strong motivation to explore and expand their world, as well as a sense of general well being, competence and trust in themselves and their guides." Even though she had never cleaned up a broken chiminea nor handled a shovel, she felt competent enough to try something new.

"These principles are limited by the respect due to the personality of children, which must not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or love, suggestion or influence, or by undue play upon any one natural desire." Charlotte Mason's Fourth Principle of Education.

Meteor Shower in the UK

I think I have missed the Perseid Meteor shower in Britain a couple of days ago. It was believed that the Earth passes through a stream debris by comet, when it began to shower heavily on Thursday morning.


Caption: a picture of meteor taken in north of Geneva, Switzeland

People staying in the north of England and Scotland should have a clearer view of the meteor. Southern area such as Wales or Birmingham etc. could have a little chance seeing the meteor.


Caption: a picture of meteor somewhere near Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas


Caption: a picture of meteor taken in the north of Britain, Scotland


Caption: a picture of meteor flying passes Mont-Tendre in Switzeland


Caption: a glimpsed of meteor in Florida

Sometimes, I was wondering myself, is it true that we will be granted a wish when we see meteor flying pass us?

A Work in Progress

"The human brain is a work-in-progress that reflects your experiences and your relationships" writes Dr. Jeanne Segal. Three years ago, I might have added, "Except for autism," but now I know differently! I would not have believed this nugget ("Scientists studying people over age ninety have found that their subjects' brains can continue to produce new neural pathways even though older pathways are dying") to be true because of all of the neural plasticity blather until I saw Pamela learn to do things children with autism are not supposed to do at the ripe age of eighteen-plus. Three years ago, a statement like this would have made no sense, "The human brain is highly social." Now, I have seen that even the brain of my autistic teenager is highly social when I work within her zone of proximal development (where she is developmentally, even if that means working on preschooler skills).

The following quote fills me up with hope that Pamela will continue to blossom in her ability to make connections and relate to others:

Because the brain remains flexible throughout life, it is capable of continual change. This constant development is influenced by the people with whom we are emotionally attached. As we grow older, this inter-dependence continues to change the way our brains function.

The key factor in shaping the function of the brain is . . . relationship!

Ya, think?

Too many times, I read that RDI is nothing more than a kinder, gentler way of shaping behavior. Okay, I do end up changing behavior, but I do not do it by reinforcing targeted responses because half of the time I am not sure how Pamela will respond. The thought of punishment or reward does not even occur to me when we are interacting with one another. The other day Pamela cried out and acted a bit rude toward me when I did something unexpected. Because I realized right away that she misunderstood what I was doing, I worked on guiding her thinking first.

We have the Netflix option of having three DVDs checked out at a time. Pamela has one, David has one, and Steve and I "share" ours. Right now, we have four out because, when a movie is not stocked, they send the next item on the list plus order the unstocked item. So, we have four DVDs in our possession right now.

I noticed we had FIVE return envelopes because the last time I mailed two DVDs in the same envelope. The return envelopes were on the desk right next to Pamela where she was sitting. Since we only needed four, I threw one away. Pamela got worried and said in a high pitched voice, "We need it! Take it back!"

I paused and, when she grew quiet and shifted attention to me, I explained that we already have four envelopes. That still did not satisfy her because she said, "This one!" and pointed to the trash. Then I picked up the envelopes and counted them out, "We have four envelopes. One" I paused, and Pamela joined in on the count. We counted the rest together, "Two, Three, Four."

Then, I said, "We have four DVDs." We counted them out. Then, Pamela said, "Good."

I did not have to tell her how to change her behavior nor did I have to shape it. Once we shared the same understanding of the situation, my unexpected action made sense to Pamela and she calmed down. The episode added to Pamela's memory bank of situations in which her mother will stop and explain things that she does not understand. I become more trustworthy in her eyes.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I am becoming less reliable to teach Pamela the importance of monitoring other people. On one shopping trip, I did not go through the door if she did not hold it for me or I forgot to get a cart. If I did that every time, Pamela would develop a mindless habit of keeping the door open or getting the cart. Some days, I act like my old self and remain completely reliable to avoid getting into a rut.

Other days, I am more of a ditz. Yesterday, I took my socks off in the car because my feet were hot and one fell out of the car onto the asphalt. After Pamela got out of the car to go to the store, she spotted the sock immediately. She said, "Oops," picked it up, and put it back in the car. I do things like grab the wrong cereal even though she told me which one she wanted or drop the shopping list (she picked it up and said, "You dropped it."). I have forgotten to take the cart when leaving the store or left a bag at the self-checkout. In both cases, Pamela acted appropriately in repairing the situation.

Sometimes, I let Pamela learn through natural consequences. She was at the passenger door of the car and called out, "Open the door." I was busy putting bags in the storage compartment before I returned the cart. She repeated her request two or three times but did not come to make sure I was paying attention. So, I pretended that I hadn't heard her! I put away the cart and, when I turned around, I saw Pamela standing behind the car watching me. She did come to see why I wasn't paying attention, but not fast enough to catch me before I walked away with the cart. Then, I apologized for not unlocking the doors and we went home.

I guess you could say I am shaping Pamela's ability to monitor me, but not with clear, direct reinforcements. My goal is not for her to acquire language, knowledge, and the procedures of life in a static, scripted way, but to apply what she is learning in situations that are unique, spontaneous, and unpredictable. Dr. Segal's gestalt nails it here,

To learn in a manner that produces change (and not merely a glut of information), you need to engage the emotional centers of the brain. There is a difference between learning, taking in new information--and changing, consistently applying what you have learned to the varying circumstances in your life.

Wordless Wednesday: 18 Meals on Wheels Delivered

QR code in the sand

Via Picturephoning