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You Really Are What You Know

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-am-a-kung-fu dept.

jd writes "There has been research for some time showing that London cab driver brains differ from other people's, with considerable enlargement of those areas dealing with spacial relationships and navigation. Follow-up work showed it wasn't simply a product of driving a lot (PDF). However, up until now it has been disputed as to whether the brain structure led people to become London cabbies or whether the brain structure changed as a result of their intensive training (which requires rote memorization of essentially the entire street map of one of the largest and least-organized cities in the world). Well, this latest study answers that. MRI scans before and after the training show that the regions of the brain substantially grow as a result of the training, and they're quite normal beforehand. The practical upshot of this research is that — even for adult brains, which aren't supposed to change much — what you learn structurally changes your brain. Significantly."

10 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. You would have to be differently abled by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    To navigate a city looks like it was planned by throwing spaghetti at a wall and calling it a map.

    1. Re:You would have to be differently abled by UnoriginalBoringNick · · Score: 2, Funny

      Mornington Crescent

  2. Changes your brain? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

    The practical upshot of this research is that — even for adult brains, which aren't supposed to change much — what you learn structurally changes your brain. Significantly.

    Okay. Now I *really* feel sorry for Windows programmers/admins :-)

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    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:Changes your brain? by TWX · · Score: 5, Funny

      I used to blame Bill for all of the ills in the profession I work in, but I've recently had a change of heart...

      In the years I've worked I've made about $500,000 in salary. 90% of the time I've worked on Windows machines, and frequently the same Windows machines, year after year, as the problems can't truly be fixed.

      I've made half-a-million bucks because of Microsoft! Woohoo!

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      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  3. Why did I waste my cranium space?! by TWX · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great... I wasted my space in my head on Star Trek...

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    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:Why did I waste my cranium space?! by poena.dare · · Score: 5, Funny

      Waste?

      If you have been a real Star Trek fan then there have been significant changes in your brain that allow you to better understand social justice, equality, currency-less societal structures, diplomacy, human-alien sexual congress, and the advisability of wearing red apparel.

      Not a waste at all!

  4. Re:" Even for adult brains, which aren't supposed by TWX · · Score: 3, Funny

    How is it that this is still passed around as fact. This idea is incredibly outdated.

    Really? I watched several Republican Primary Debates, and I have to disagree with you...

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    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  5. But? by M0j0_j0j0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The question is: How is the Brain of the people that study the Brain?

  6. Re:Oh no by sedman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your vision center has shrunk. Careful or it will disappear all together.

  7. Re:pr0n? by BMOC · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Sir your visual cortex is extremely complex. At these percentages of activity and size, you should be able to spot perfect-10 curves from 5000 feet in the air. Of course someday you'll just magically go blind, with no medical explanation, so there's that."

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    I swear they give me mod points to shut me up.