Using the Internet to find information can stimulate key areas of the brain associated with memory and decision-making.
UCLA scientists found that for middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience, benefits could be attained in just one week of Web surfing. In the future, the scientists hope to also study the impact of Internet use on younger adults.
Scientists studied adults ages 55 to 78, comparing people with very little prior Internet experience with participants who used the Internet daily. Participants performed Internet searches while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, which track brain activity by measuring cerebral blood flow.
After …read more

Has the ol’ brain been feeling rather weak, lately? You may want to read up on how researchers now think we can improve our fluid intelligence.
Researchers conducted a study to determine whether or not increasing working memory would help increase fluid intelligence, because the two are so closely related.
The results?
Yes.
According to Susanne M. Jaeggi, a University of Michigan postdoctoral fellow in psychology and one of the paper’s co-authors, the “results show you can increase your intelligence with appropriate training” (Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower).
However, no one knows yet how long your intelligence will remain “increased” after you stop …read more