Many websites like Lumosity.com claim to improve cognitive function and memory with a science based understanding of "brain plasticity". This however, is not true. Brain plasticity is a true quality that the human brain posses, there have even been studies showing that new brain cells form after death. This is only an effect of a cause however. The source of why brain plasticity is occurring is never addressed on the website.
The theory I have of late is based around the idea that attention is the source of action.
What sites like Lumosity seems to try to accomplish is training the ability to concentrate on novel problems. This may seem like you would become better at paying attention to novel problems. However, In reality your just becoming better at solving those specific individual pre-encountered problems with less of a load on your own cognition, but creating more of a load on solving broad, novel, un-encountered problems.
For example, When first learning to drive a vehicle or ride a bike, It can be difficult in the beginning, but after repetition it becomes so easy that it is like breathing. This is because you have put brain power into creating a fatty sleeve over each synapses that is connected to the neurons responsible for driving, therefore the neuron becomes much more conductive.
Eventually though, you will reach the point of not having to be cognitively aware while still performing said action. When this moment occurs for the first time, you experience it in the form of a distraction. When this occurs, you stop forming a sheath around the neurons responsible for driving. You also have a small feeling of boredom which is what induces the distraction. This feeling of boredom is induced by the ability to no longer need cognitive awareness to perform the current focus of attention.
If this feeling is acted upon, then the attention shifts. This is caused by the myelin sheath around the synapses connecting the neurons responsible for driving and motor function, together, being more conductive than the myelin sheath around the synapses connecting the neuron that is responsible for attention to the one responsible for driving which happens to sit higher in the cognitive hierarchy.
When this happens, you start trying to form a fatty sheath over a synapses that is connecting the neuron responsible for attention to neuron that is responsible for the new thing your paying attention to. In the mean time, each instance this happens, the myelin sheath around the synapses providing energy to the neuron responsible for the direction of attention degrades and causes the said synapses to become more insulative.
If you wanted to work on being able to solve novel problems before ever encountering them then you probably want to work on the fatty sheath that supplies energy to the neurons that are responsible for direction of attention.
This is possible by holding attention on said task, driving in this case, even when boredom occurs. It forces the brain to form a fatty sheath around the synapses next up in the hierarchy of energy flow.
This is why attention to the breath and bodily sensations is the best form of meditation for creativity and preparing for any unforeseeable cognitive demands. Because it very quickly induces sustained cognition to have a higher energy demands higher up levels of the cognitive hierarchy, which also puts a demand on the synapses to have a higher conductivity up the cognitive hierarchy.
Basically, to bring this whole article together in somewhat layman's terms, sites like Lumosity keep you in a state of creating myelin sheaths around lower level forms of specified cognition by constantly attending to novel problems which makes it easier to solve those many specific novelties but worse at solving actual novelty. While the ability pay attention to highly expected and predictable cognitive tasks creates myelin sheaths around the synapses of higher and broader forms of cognition to actually ease the cognitive demand of performing novel or broadly understood tasks and solving novel or broadly understood problems.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The Ambiant Arts list of top 42 most influential Artists/ Songs!
Most Influential list of Artists/ Songs
1. http://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/ - Lynyrd Skynyrd
They are one of my first and favorite influences, I remember coming home from school each day walking in to the sound of "whats that smell" and my dad working away on computers or book keeping.
They are one of my first and favorite influences, I remember coming home from school each day walking in to the sound of "whats that smell" and my dad working away on computers or book keeping.
2. Baha Men - Who let the dogs out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkuu0Lwb5EM
I don't like it much now, but when I was a kid my parents bought me there album for Christmas one year, just because I sang it around the house so much, every other song was questionable to me at the time, but who let the dogs out always held true with sending shivers down my back lol
3. http://www.blacksabbath.com/ - Black Sabbath
I think everyone needs this building block of musical genius in there repertoire! The og heavy metal band, and you can't get that catchy song iron man out of your head, especially while the billdozer is playing foot ball to it on king of the hill! -http://youtu.be/9gbXD-ngvzI?t=2m8s
4. http://www.bassnectar.net/ - Bassnectar
Specifically Timestretch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M-jOZRe0-8
I don't like it much now, but when I was a kid my parents bought me there album for Christmas one year, just because I sang it around the house so much, every other song was questionable to me at the time, but who let the dogs out always held true with sending shivers down my back lol
3. http://www.blacksabbath.com/ - Black Sabbath
I think everyone needs this building block of musical genius in there repertoire! The og heavy metal band, and you can't get that catchy song iron man out of your head, especially while the billdozer is playing foot ball to it on king of the hill! -http://youtu.be/9gbXD-ngvzI?t=2m8s
4. http://www.bassnectar.net/ - Bassnectar
Specifically Timestretch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M-jOZRe0-8
, I heard Eddie Bravo talk about it on the Joe Rogan Experience with Deadmau5 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjbEWvtsNcI very awesome stuff!
5. http://www.deadmau5.com/ - Deadmau5
And this brings me to Deadmau5, very awesome music, He was the first to get me into electronic, with the same song from the previous video, Ghosts n Stuff! originally Ghosts n Shit! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs
6. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/ - Led Zeppelin
And this brings me to Deadmau5, very awesome music, He was the first to get me into electronic, with the same song from the previous video, Ghosts n Stuff! originally Ghosts n Shit! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs
6. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/ - Led Zeppelin
Stair way to heaven is another building block that artists should have in there listening experience, great song, simplistic yet awesome! This is one of my dad's favorites, I played it at his funeral as well, no one else really wanted to, but I wasn't backing down, and it's what he would have wanted!
7. http://www.kidcudi.com/ - Kid Cudi
A lot of my friends use to put on different rap artists while we were hanging or partying, my tastes usually never fell in line with there's but it did with this one!
8. http://www.primusville.com/ - Primus
Primus sucks! That's what fans of them tend to say, I watched a youtube video of them one day and some one commented saying they sucked, then I replied to that comment saying that they were in fact good, something to the effect of les claypool being a musical genius, but then he replied and said that's there thing, I researched just incase, there seems to be a general consensus though lol
9. http://www.wizkhalifa.com/ - Wiz Khalifa
I think I heard him on the radio, not sure. When I first started tokin though, On My Level was my favorite song to listen to during! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmP7TYtDVUU
10. http://www.drakeofficial.com/ - Drake
His best song was "Started From the Bottom" in my opinion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA My friend Avante listened to him a lot, kinda grew on me, but started from the bottom was good the first time listening. I feel like some songs you can come back to later, and they sound better, I think songs just have time to seem to gain context, when it has been sitting in the back of your mind for a while.
11. http://myfunkvolume.com/artist/hopsin/ - Hopsin
I think he sounds a lil like Eminem, I like that he creates his own beats as well, he has a few videos of during the making http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlrcuIiHNOs that is straight up talent! He inspires me more than anything!
12. http://www.sbtrkt.com/ - Sbtrkt
Another great artist, opened my view on electronic music some, another band that grew on my after a couple listens, this one was odd though, I liked it from the beginning, but I came back to it a while later after forgetting about it, Ill!
13. http://www.therealtechn9ne.com/ - Techn9ne
All the KMK SRH friends that I have bumped this, another band that I agree sounds decent!
14. http://www.dreamtheater.net/- Dream Theatre
Recommended by my friend Chris, this band is to good, especially the pianist!
15. http://www.toolband.com/ - ToolRecommended by Chris as well, I like them even more now that Maynard James Keenan had a couple podcasts on JRE 246 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pib3EYT9yc, and JRE 412 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFbws0IIqqg
16. The Diablo 2 Theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XheJnmLAwhk
7. http://www.kidcudi.com/ - Kid Cudi
A lot of my friends use to put on different rap artists while we were hanging or partying, my tastes usually never fell in line with there's but it did with this one!
8. http://www.primusville.com/ - Primus
Primus sucks! That's what fans of them tend to say, I watched a youtube video of them one day and some one commented saying they sucked, then I replied to that comment saying that they were in fact good, something to the effect of les claypool being a musical genius, but then he replied and said that's there thing, I researched just incase, there seems to be a general consensus though lol
9. http://www.wizkhalifa.com/ - Wiz Khalifa
I think I heard him on the radio, not sure. When I first started tokin though, On My Level was my favorite song to listen to during! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmP7TYtDVUU
10. http://www.drakeofficial.com/ - Drake
His best song was "Started From the Bottom" in my opinion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA My friend Avante listened to him a lot, kinda grew on me, but started from the bottom was good the first time listening. I feel like some songs you can come back to later, and they sound better, I think songs just have time to seem to gain context, when it has been sitting in the back of your mind for a while.
11. http://myfunkvolume.com/artist/hopsin/ - Hopsin
I think he sounds a lil like Eminem, I like that he creates his own beats as well, he has a few videos of during the making http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlrcuIiHNOs that is straight up talent! He inspires me more than anything!
12. http://www.sbtrkt.com/ - Sbtrkt
Another great artist, opened my view on electronic music some, another band that grew on my after a couple listens, this one was odd though, I liked it from the beginning, but I came back to it a while later after forgetting about it, Ill!
13. http://www.therealtechn9ne.com/ - Techn9ne
All the KMK SRH friends that I have bumped this, another band that I agree sounds decent!
14. http://www.dreamtheater.net/- Dream Theatre
Recommended by my friend Chris, this band is to good, especially the pianist!
15. http://www.toolband.com/ - ToolRecommended by Chris as well, I like them even more now that Maynard James Keenan had a couple podcasts on JRE 246 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pib3EYT9yc, and JRE 412 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFbws0IIqqg
16. The Diablo 2 Theme - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XheJnmLAwhk
17. The Starcraft Them - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V9wMRuJuYw
This is a twofer lol, I listenened to these songs while I played the game, a lot! so there in the back of my head like no other im sure, but, I do like these songs as well!
18. http://www.whitechapelband.com/ - Whitechapel
My cousin is friends with the singer, I liked them b4 I new that, my friend Kieth showed them to me, but all I have to say is this is just about the only screamo type music that is as heavy as this that I like so far!
19. http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/ - Tommy Emmanuel
Just a genius finger picker you should listen to, Introduced to me y my friend Andrew, who is also an amazing guitarist lol
20. http://www.cagetheelephant.com/home/ - Cage The Elephant
Heard them off the game boarderlands http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/ heres the intro featuring a song of theirs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai7pMPCDHpo aint no rest for the wicked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5kbBxv9XPo Great song, I heard it all the time because I played it all the time, another big influence probably, especially since I love it!
21. http://prostheticrecords.com/?p=499 - The Animals As Leaders
Another band from Andrew, he said there the best composers of today, so I took a listen, I pretty much agree with this, except I don't think you can confidently call anyone the best, in almost anything lol let alone something subjective as music.
22. Sleep Party People - I'm not human at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFUzvbkEvRk&list=FLiCVZKo-Y9bpvQ6SS6qW1tg&index=9
I hate sad song, this is a great one though!
23. http://www.drukqs.net/ - Aphex Twin
I heard one of his songs in Grandma's Boy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456554/ , the part where cane tells jp a new ides for the game about the elves and dwarfs being to similar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHLR3faI7lU the song is called widowlicker, and the video is quite odd I might add! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J639xIdgzQU you wouldn't think that if you had robot ears though! lol
24. http://www.eminem.com/ - Eminem
Who isn't impacted by him, wanting or not!
25. https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHeightsLive - Natural Heights
Cousins band! there awesome! Also a great source of inspiration!
26. http://www.disturbed1.com/ - Disturbed
Can't remember where I heard them, awesome though!
27. http://www.slipknot1.com/ - Slipknot
Another good band, I started liking them when my other cousin, separate from the other two cousins, which are also separate from each other Duality is one of there best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVE8kSM43I
28. http://pauloakenfold.com/ - Paul Oakenfold - Ready Steady Go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSv3Oez4O-4&list=FLiCVZKo-Y9bpvQ6SS6qW1tg&index=5
I first remember hearing it in the movie collateral http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369339/ in the bar scene where the cops spot the wrong man while trying to make the arrest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGlUduG2OJc
29. http://www.modeselektor.com/ - Modeslektor
30. https://soundcloud.com/jaipaul - Jai Paul
31. http://www.theglitchmob.com/ - The Glitch Mob
I don't have much to say about these three except there just good!
32. http://www.knowntobelethal.com/ - Known To Be Lethal
Great source o inspiration!
33. https://www.facebook.com/volumesband - Volumes
Another good screamo esque band
34. http://www.apollo440.com/ - Apollo 440
some more good electronic, which also inspires!
35. http://roadkillghostchoir.com/ - Roadkill Ghost Choir
Closest band to country that I like lol
30. https://soundcloud.com/jaipaul - Jai Paul
31. http://www.theglitchmob.com/ - The Glitch Mob
I don't have much to say about these three except there just good!
32. http://www.knowntobelethal.com/ - Known To Be Lethal
Great source o inspiration!
33. https://www.facebook.com/volumesband - Volumes
Another good screamo esque band
34. http://www.apollo440.com/ - Apollo 440
some more good electronic, which also inspires!
35. http://roadkillghostchoir.com/ - Roadkill Ghost Choir
Closest band to country that I like lol
36. http://gungormusic.com/ - Gungor
Genius! I put him at Tommy Emmanuel level of music!
37. http://awolnationmusic.com/ - Awolnation
More great electronic!
38. http://prettylightsmusic.com/ - Pretty Lights
One of the OG's in "good" electronic lol
39. http://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/home - Imagine Dragons
mainstreamy but good their song Radioactive is Ill, and so is the vid! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktvTqknDobU&list=FLiCVZKo-Y9bpvQ6SS6qW1tg&index=1
40. http://www.qotsa.com/ - Queens Of The Stone Age
Recommended by chris, also good
41. http://www.floater.com/ - Floater
also by chris, also good lol
42. http://justintimberlake.com/ - Justin Timberlake
And yes I like him as well but only in the second part of What comes around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOrnUquxtwA&list=FLiCVZKo-Y9bpvQ6SS6qW1tg, that, him being mainstream, and the combination of the two is why he's at the bottom of this list.
Thanks for the read!
-Thomas Elliott
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