Comments on: Juggle me this!

Juggle me this!

soyjoy — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:35:13 -0800

Learning to Juggle Causes Changes in the Brain. In a possible twist for the "nature vs. nurture" debate, this study proves "what was not thought possible -- that new stimuli can alter the brain's structure." The head researcher from the University of Regensburg in Germany says "Our results challenge our view of the human central nervous system. Human brains probably must be viewed as dynamic, changing with development and normal learning."

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:46:16 -0800

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:49:33 -0800

Cool post, Soyjoy. I love this sort of research. Juggling changes (and presumeably improves) the brain. Television watching is associated with early onset Alzheimer's.... Become overweight and senile on the couch in front of the tube, or juggle !

By: digaman

digaman — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:55:46 -0800

Fun story, but that researcher's statement was overblown. It has been known for some years now that brain structure is changed by training, learning, and practice -- a phenomenon known as "neuroplasticity." Neuroplasticity is also behind the ability of stroke patients to recover some of their lost functions. Sorry for the self-post, but I talked about some fascinating uses of neuroplasticity in an article I wrote for Wired a couple of months ago called The Key to Genius. In other words, yes, this study might prove what was not thought possible... 20 years ago. But brain science has changed radically around this issue.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 13:57:22 -0800

Man, homunculus, you had me convinced this was a double post for a second. But yes, it's certainly related. For me one of the most fascinating implications of this is in the "born gay" dispute. If it's possible for someone's living a gay lifestyle, say, throughout their adolescence/early adulthood to result in some alteration to the physical brain, is it even possible to prove the "born gay" thesis without carefully measuring brain regions at birth and then checking back a couple decades later?

By: digaman

digaman — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:08:26 -0800

Well, where on Earth is there research that claims that living a gay "lifestyle" during the teen years causes measurable changes in brain structure? And forgive me for asking, but what does "living a gay lifestyle" mean? Like, dressing up like the guys on Queer Eye? Sitting at home and reading Whitman's Leaves of Grass? Were the straight guys I had sex with at Oberlin (and there were several) "living a gay lifestyle"?

By: The God Complex

The God Complex — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:15:20 -0800

It's all those damned gameshows, troutfishing. They need more Shark Week.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:17:59 -0800

Were the straight guys I had sex with at Oberlin (and there were several) "living a gay lifestyle"? Whoa, settle down there, Obie-Man Kenobi. "Lifestyle" was probably a poor choice. There's no research that I know of that says that consistently having gay sex (which is what I was implying with "lifestyle") changes anything in the brain. My point is that if that is possible, it means any research based on measuring the brain regions of gay adults may be fundamentally flawed. And please, you don't need to tell me about the "straight" guys at Oberlin. But that's a conversation for another time.

By: digaman

digaman — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:21:59 -0800

Sorry for the testy post, Soyjoy. I was in a bad mood all day after Bush's "sanctity of marriage" hogwash last night, and I just couldn't bear hearing another truth-obscuring agenda-laden buzzphrase today. "Gay sex" suits me fine. > Obie-Man Kenobi Hilarious. :)

By: malphigian

malphigian — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:34:03 -0800

Soyjoy points out a very big flaw in many of the nature vs. nurture research, many studies assume the brain is essentially immutable after early childhood. Which I find strange, because with nothing more than a few courses in college (I was a neuro major undergrad), I can tell they are ignoring a fundemental flaw in their research. There are more dramatic examples than juggling, e.g. the "locked in" patient who had electrodes that allowed him to have minimal control of a computer cursor via his brain -- it appeared he started to develop a "cursor cortex" in his brain over time.

By: inpHilltr8r

inpHilltr8r — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:46:06 -0800

Hmm, I wonder if video games are as good as juggling in this regard. I mean they're both hand-eye coordination...

By: themadjuggler

themadjuggler — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:51:14 -0800

Now will my friends stop making fun of me?