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Famous Daniel J. Levitin Quotes

“The Greek physicians Herophilus and Erasistratus discovered the nervous system in 322 BC, placing the seat of thought in the brain. It might be fair to say that they were the first neuroscientists. Previously, Aristotle and others thought the brain's function was simply to cool the blood, due to it's many folds and creases.”

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Book:The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Ageing Well
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“Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke, studies health among hunter-gatherer societies whose lifestyles are similar to those of our ancestors. He found that they generally exhibit excellent health in spite of following a wide range of diets. It doesn't matter if they get 80% of their calories from carbohydrates, or from animal fat, or from nuts and berries - almost all eat more fiber than the average American, but that is about the only difference. (This takes the wind out of the paleo diet.) Interestingly, they don't shun sugar, consuming it in the form of honey. Notably they don't have access to processed foods of or deep-fried foods.”

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Book:The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Ageing Well
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“The prefrontal cortex is what we use to se goals, make plans, divide a large project up into smaller pieces, exercise impulse control, and decide what we're going to pay attention to. As I mentioned earlier, the prefrontal cortex is the last region to develop in childhood and doesn't fully mature until well after puberty - into the late twenties. Because of it's involvement in impulse control, there have been several cases in which defense attorneys argued that eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds shouldn't be held responsible for law-breaking acts because they lack an adult like, mature prefrontal cortex that would allow them to exercise adult-like impulse control. The prefrontal cortex is also the first cortical region to show wear and tear as we get older. "That is why one of the most significant problems in older adults is the ability to keep track of thoughts and prevent stray ones from interfering," says Art Shimamura. "Brain fitness as we age depends significantly on maintaining a healthy and active prefrontal cortex. The more we engage this brain region during daily activities, the better we will be able to control our thoughts and think flexibly.”

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Book:The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Ageing Well
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