Researchers Restore Youthful Memory In Aging Mice 145
An anonymous reader writes "German neuroscientists made a breakthrough in 'age-related cognitive decline', a common condition that often begins in one's late 40s (especially declarative memory — the ability to recall facts and experiences). Their new study identifies a genetic 'switch' for the cluster of learning and memory genes that cause memory impairment in aging mice. By injecting an enzyme, the team 'flipped' the switch to its on position for older mice, giving them the memory and learning performance they'd enjoyed when they were young. Now the team ultimately hopes to recover seemingly lost long-term memory in human patients." The video, which explains the gene flipping mechanism, is worth a watch (2:18).
Restore Youthful Memory In Aging Mice (Score:2)
So they remember everything, but they don't know anything?
Re:Restore Youthful Memory In Aging Mice (Score:5, Funny)
Silence, Pinky, or I shall have to hurt you.
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Mod -1 PETA
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If this gets on the market, we'll never forget any cheese anymore.
Hmmmm (Score:2)
Re:Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
A lot of people, for example, don't eat enough vegetables. They'll eat a salad once a week or an apple every few days or something and hope that's good enough. It's not. You may not notice the effects right away, but over time they will add up as your body uses up its stored nutrients.
Same thing with sleep. When you are in college you can get away with binge drinking on the weekends and never sleeping (actually you'll notice the effects of that right away, but they might not be overwhelming), but after a few years you're going to need to take a break and rebuild your energy. A lot of people hit 28 and think they are getting old and tired, but the truth is old-age doesn't set in that early, they're just seeing the effects of not treating their body right. Do what you need to do to rebuild your energy (personally I suggest distance running, and this book is really great motivation [google.com], but do what works for you).
Re:Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
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Everything sounds great, except the bit about distance running. Running isn't really good for your body; it's really hard on your joints, especially if you run on concrete or asphalt (which just about everything in a metro area is covered with these days).
I recommend cycling instead. It's better exercise, uses at least as many calories (as long as you don't ride lazily), and doesn't cause joint injuries. It's also a lot better if you're flat-footed like me. It also gets you around a whole lot faster, a
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After a few years of running moderate distances, I ran a marathon in 2001. That day, after running 26 miles, I drank for 12 hours. Then I ate a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. I refer to it as my triathlon. I was fine the next day and for a few weeks, then my knees started really complaining about the running addiction. My knees were fine with the beer and donuts.
I've slept four to six hours a night for nearly 20 years now. I drink three to six beers a day, but rarely at a rate greater than one per hour. I have
cycling! (Score:2)
seconded.
And if like me you're living in a place which is not flat, go for an electric bike.
Flattens all climbs (if you choose >=400W), same effort when flat if you just flip a switch... and indeed you can commute with it for distances up to 15-20 Km.
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I recommend cycling instead.
I've seen plenty of fat bicyclists in my time. You don't see nearly as many fat runners.
It's better exercise, uses at least as many calories (as long as you don't ride lazily), and doesn't cause joint injuries.
It's an easier exercise because you're not subjecting your body to nearly as much stress. If I wanted my exercise to be easy, I'd drive a car everywhere.
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It's an easier exercise because you're not subjecting your body to nearly as much stress.
Wrong. The loads you put on your muscles are significantly higher, especially if you ride in higher gears. The difference is that you don't have any impacts; all the motions are smooth.
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The loads it puts on your leg muscles are significantly higher. The loads on your arms, your mid-section, your skeletal structure, muscle stabilizers, etc., are next-to-none.
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That's what the gym is for. There's lots of machines there for exercising specific muscle groups with configurable resistances, without causing impact injuries.
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Running isn't really good for your body; it's really hard on your joints, especially if you run on concrete or asphalt (which just about everything in a metro area is covered with these days).
The big problem with running is the lousy shoes that all but force you to use a heel strike. It's the heel strike that trashes your knees and hips, and leads to fatigue very quickly. Take the shoes off and run barefoot, landing flat-footed or on the balls of your feet. At first you'll discover muscles you haven't been using, then you'll find yourself wondering why you wasted all that money on expensive running shoes.
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Yes, that'll work great on hot concrete and asphalt...
We don't live in wild grasslands any more.
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I eat, on average, 3 pieces of fruit a day (not sure if that is insufficient or not). Normally an apple, banana or two and a mandarin.
Broccoli? Not so much... Vegies? Yeah, normally when I have tea (evening meal).
Exercise? Two-hour BJJ sessions twice a week and also Futsal once a week (45 min fast paced game).
Sleep? Never enough.
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The catch-phrase slogan is five-a-day for fruits and veggies, so if you make sure to get some vegetables with your evening meal you're probably "ok".
We just joined a CSA (community supported agriculture). While I like the idea of eating food produced locally, organically, in season, I really like the concept of being given large batches of food and having to cook with it. In one session it's broken us out of our usual dining ruts; over the past week we've had several vegetables I'd never eaten before...
Fi
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As a chronic insomniac I can attest to the damage caused by the lack of sleep. I used to be nice, logical, and even had good grammar and spelling. Now, not so much
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Why is it always vegetables and pain? I don't know if you'll live longer eating broccoli and distance running, but it'll sure feel longer. Especially if you really do improve your memory...
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Hi phantomfive,
I'm guessing that you're a runner and you're lucky to have the necessary dopamine production in your brain to motivate you to do so. The people here who are criticizing the benefits of exercise have probably never tried it and are probably talking out of their asses. Unfortunately for them, it's very difficult to get started because ironically, dopamine production is dependent on good nutrition and exercise.
I've done both, run and not run and when I don't run, I feel like shit and I'm
Re:Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
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Also stopping being a douche is good for you. Here is an evidence: after college days, I.......
Non-sequitur; since you sir, are clearly a douche.
Re:Hmmmm (Score:4, Informative)
And then there's this one [medicalnewstoday.com], a study of over 100,000 people that basically found the more you run each week, the less likely you are to develop high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, although the study author thinks (for whatever it's worth) that a similar effect would be found for swimming or cycling or any other aerobic exercise.
So yeah, there's tons to back up what I said. You may disagree with those studies, and no science is perfect, but there's a good bunch of evidence.
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There's no doubt that the easiest way to be healthy is to stay healthy, they're running because they're in good shape and they're in good shape because they run. Obviously runners are more healthy than the general population because you've excluded everyone with hip/knee/foot injuries, heart conditions, lung conditions and whatnot that says they can't, shouldn't be or will have trouble running.
Many people choose the same circle in reverse, they're not exercising because they're in bad shape and they're in b
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Y'know, I'm really trying to see where you are coming from on your post (that's apparently already been modded as flamebait), but I don't know if I'm seeing it from your point of view.
Are you actually suggesting that recommending eating vegetables, not depriving oneself of sleep, and regular exercise is actually pushing some sort of agenda that not only does not benefit the individual but is actually harmful? If so, please cite sources... this could be interesting.
If it's not that, I'm at a loss... y
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Well if those actions did nothing then it would be a waste of time and money (which equals time). There is alot of advice out there that I think qualifies as that but usually its some sort of obfuscation of the more fruits/vegetables, sleep more, and get exercise holy trinity that somehow gets your money transferred to someone else's pocket. As to whether buying fish oil supplements matter if you are already eating healthy (as goes for most people who buy it)... I'd say thats still up for debate.
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Fuck me!
I'd rather not.
He may have a medical condition like early onset Alzheimers.
Indeed, I specifically excluded people in that type of category.
Try excercising if you're overweight and have some kind of physical injury. The trouble with unhealthy is that a couple of issues can then lead to a spiral. This idea that someone can click their fingers and excercise some will power to get healthy is a luxurious dellusion only healthy people with too much spare time can afford.
I didn't say it was easy, but if they can't find a way to exercise and lose weight, they are going to suffer the consequences. I mean, this is nature: nature doesn't care if it's hard. Hopefully for them they will be one of the lucky people who doesn't see any negative health effects even though they are overweight and treat their body badly. But it's not likely.
Incidentally, regarding the people who treat their bodies badly a
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Fuck me!
I'd rather not.
Figure of speech. I'd rather you didn't either.
He may have a medical condition like early onset Alzheimers.
Indeed, I specifically excluded people in that type of category.
No you didn't. Even so it's the vast majority of people in that category. How many 40 year olds do you know that don't have any medical conditions at all?
Try excercising if you're overweight and have some kind of physical injury. The trouble with unhealthy is that a couple of issues can then lead to a spiral. This idea that someone can click their fingers and excercise some will power to get healthy is a luxurious dellusion only healthy people with too much spare time can afford.
I didn't say it was easy, but if they can't find a way to exercise and lose weight, they are going to suffer the consequences. I mean, this is nature: nature doesn't care if it's hard. Hopefully for them they will be one of the lucky people who doesn't see any negative health effects even though they are overweight and treat their body badly. But it's not likely.
Not easy? Try not possible for many. Yes you suffer the consequences but requiring that some people make a superhuman effort to meet your standards is ridiculous.
Incidentally, regarding the people who treat their bodies badly and still end up healthy, they usually have something else going on that balances it out. Like maybe they eat bacon every day, but they also eat spinach and get lots of exercise. Or maybe they party all night, but then balance it out by sleeping until the afternoon. It's rare to find people who truly abuse their bodies and don't end up paying for it.
What a complete load of BS. How many Hollywood drug addled boze ridden idiots only suffer the medical consequences of their stupidity when they accid
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How many Hollywood drug addled boze ridden idiots only suffer the medical consequences of their stupidity when they accidentally overdose and end up "tragically" dead? I don't think a lot of those kinds of people do much to balance it out.
Very clearly they don't balance it out. That's why they end up dead.
Try not possible for many. Yes you suffer the consequences but requiring that some people make a superhuman effort to meet your standards is ridiculous.
OK, it sucks for those people that it's not possible for. But it's not like they are going to escape the consequences of being inactive just because they are stuck in the wheelchair. Obviously if someone is only limited because they have low willpower, the thing they need to work on is getting more willpower.
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OK, it sucks for those people that it's not possible for. But it's not like they are going to escape the consequences of being inactive just because they are stuck in the wheelchair. Obviously if someone is only limited because they have low willpower, the thing they need to work on is getting more willpower.
Interesting that you should mention people in wheelchairs. Not too many of them actually have weight issues. Hauling your weight around in one of those things probably does burn energy, but still they can't do anything you'd call excercise. Not too many of them have to look after children and work 12+ hour days either. Stil if a sedentary lifestyle was all that it took you'd expect them to almost all be fat and dead at 30.
There are very real differences in makeup, metabolism, apetite and circumstance betwee
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Stil if a sedentary lifestyle was all that it took you'd expect them to almost all be fat and dead at 30.
There aren't very many people who die from a sedentary lifestyle by age 30.
There are very real differences in makeup, metabolism, apetite and circumstance between people. Insisting that you're right to just blame it on a weak will is indefensible. You just don't get how lucky you are.
I didn't blame it on a weak will. In fact I didn't blame it on anything. I don't even care about blame. You don't know how lucky I am either, how I've had to personally build up will-power.
But it doesn't matter. If you are sedentary, eat poorly, and don't sleep right, there are scientific studies that show bad things will happen. It's not a matter of opinion, and it doesn't matter why. Nature doesn't care.
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I didn't blame it on a weak will. In fact I didn't blame it on anything. I don't even care about blame. You don't know how lucky I am either, how I've had to personally build up will-power.
But it doesn't matter. If you are sedentary, eat poorly, and don't sleep right, there are scientific studies that show bad things will happen. It's not a matter of opinion, and it doesn't matter why. Nature doesn't care.
You have been able to do it. Hence you are lucky. Others have not been able to despite their best efforts and fools like you just put them down as weak willed. Nature may not care but that doesn't mean we should be assholes to people who find it hard or even assume that just because we can do it others aren't trying hard enough.
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You have been able to do it.
Unless a person has a broken leg, or cancer or some other physical deformity, they are able to do it. Maybe they haven't figured out how to do it yet, or maybe they are lazy (heck, who isn't?), or maybe they just don't want to, but it isn't a question of ability. It's not like it's fun for anyone starting out, in fact, it's fairly miserable for everyone, I think. Once you get the hang of it though, once you feel the joy of pushing yourself, and seeing yourself grow stronger, it becomes worth the effort. I
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Try excercising if you're overweight and have some kind of physical injury. The trouble with unhealthy is that a couple of issues can then lead to a spiral. This idea that someone can click their fingers and excercise some will power to get healthy is a luxurious dellusion only healthy people with too much spare time can afford.
I didn't say it was easy, but if they can't find a way to exercise and lose weight, they are going to suffer the consequences. I mean, this is nature: nature doesn't care if it's hard. Hopefully for them they will be one of the lucky people who doesn't see any negative health effects even though they are overweight and treat their body badly. But it's not likely.
Not easy? Try not possible for many. Yes you suffer the consequences but requiring that some people make a superhuman effort to meet your standards is ridiculous.
For the past year I've started going 3 times a week to a nearby county gym at lunchtime. The county gives free membership to seniors, so 80% of the other people in there are old. Some of them are overweight, a lot of them seem to have health problems; often they're just slowly pedaling a stationary bike, slowly walking the treadmill, or sitting on an exercise ball. The important thing is, though, they're doing *something*, and over time that's better than doing nothing. It's not a superhuman effort, and it'
No joke... (Score:3, Interesting)
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I'm not in my 40's yet and I already need this done to me...
Need what done to you?
This research is phenomal! (Score:5, Informative)
The toll of Alzheimer's on America is estimated at about $100 billion per year. If only we could convince Congress of the simple truth, that this sort of basic research will completely pay for itself in the long run and do wonders for humanity. Unfortunately, we can't depend on someone else to pay for this knowledge and progress. We must all pitch in what we can and help keep this sort of research as well funded as possible.
www.alz.org is a great organization if you have money to donate. Or you can easily start a "Memory Walk" team to go out for a charity walk to raise money and awareness. Plus, can't we all use a good excuse to enjoy a nice day in the sun and have fun with friends and family?
Your missing the benefits (Score:2)
Re:This research is phenomal! (Score:5, Interesting)
Article is Also Phenomenal (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd just like to point out that this is a good article:
1. It's news for nerds.
2. It goes into some technical detail (molecules named)
3. It mentions both possible advantages and disadvantages of the approach.
4. It has both reasonable amounts of text and a decent video. (read:content)
Really, this is probably the kind of article people refer to when they're whining about other ones.
I'd love some feedback from the people who go on about kdawson only posting crap, too. Is this crap? Or maybe you prefer to cherry-pick the bad articles instead to hate on the hated editor of the month/year?
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I'd love some feedback from the people who go on about kdawson only posting crap, too. Is this crap? Or maybe you prefer to cherry-pick the bad articles instead to hate on the hated editor of the month/year?
Clearly they have Alzheimer's :D.
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I'll link to your post here next time I see someone bitching about kdawson.
Now, I need to go read the article you've successfully hyped..
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Hey, I get laid once out of every 12,000 tries too ... no one is going to sit around pointing at me like I'm a stud for it. Its just what happens when you do something over and over again, eventually the pattern breaks just out of randomness.
I have excellent karma, not because I'm great at posting comments but because most people don't vote down, so the fact that I regularly run into the max posts per day limit means my karma goes up because one out of a hundred is thought to be good, which means I get a
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Cherry picking bad kdawson articles is a non sequitur. A better analogy would be that his good articles are like needles in a haystack. A haystack made of raw sewage. With hand grenades in it.
Sure, sometimes Uncle Fester looking freaks get to groom Felicia Day [youtube.com], but it's not a pattern.
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Who reads TFA anyway? I didn’t even read TFS, the title or your comment. Slashdot is write-only. Didn’t you know?
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How would this research pay for itself in the long run? These are generally older people that are afflicted with the disease. The types of people that are either done with their working careers or nearly so, and contribute little or nothing to the tax base. In fact, they either are drawing or are soon to draw on the social programs like Social Security and Medicare. By reducing the number of geriatr
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If it's all about economics we'd be happy to let the smokers smoke. After all in countries like the UK they pay more in tobacco tax than they cost the health system every year. So basically smokers are subsidizing the nonsmokers.
Fact is, eventually you are going to die. Once you're no longer producing $$$ for the country you're starting to cost it $$$.
Sure it could be your own money, but most people if they retired would eventua
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If you can prevent Alzheimer's and other age related decay these folks can keep working.
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The point of civilization is knowledge. Knowledge allows us to predict and adapt to sudden catastrophic environmental change, hence it improves our survival fitness. Economics is just a way to increase knowledge.
If economics is a science, how well does the current model predict economic downturns, or Japan's having a 200% debt-to-gdp ratio but no inflation, low unemployment, and a strong currency?
The current model of economics appears to include an axiom: the creation of money should be in private hands. Ca
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Without any specific knowledge of the situations you mentioned, I will say that all of that came back to bite everyone on the ass later and what was going on is that the people in control of the money were also reporting/controlling the nations state of affairs. Also I agree the federal reserve is bad. I'd be interested to know how the yen works... I'd look it up but I would just Wikipedia it (not do it correctly) right now anyway.
Wow...... (Score:3, Funny)
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Oh great (Score:3, Funny)
I was looking forward to an old age filled with pleasant memories of my many moon landings, that time I helped a young Jewish girl hide from the Spaniards, my service in the Gulf of Afgiraq, and my sexual exploits with Morgan Fairchild. And now you're going to take that away from me?
Re:Oh great (Score:5, Funny)
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Declarative memory in general declines, but... (Score:5, Informative)
While declarative memory does decline as one ages, only recall memory is affected while the ability to recognize does not significantly decline.
That is, people over 40 tend to decline in scores on fill-in-the-blank tests without a word bank (that require the taker to recall a specific answer) while staying about the same on multiple choice tests, where the answer must be recognized.
I've said this before... (Score:5, Funny)
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but I'll say it again: never before in our history has there been such a good time as now to be a mouse!
Except that being a mouse has been proven to cause cancer in laboratory mice.
Re:I've said this before... (Score:5, Funny)
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Correlation != Causation. You might as well say "Injecting mice with carcinogens is scientifically proven to cause cancer". As if!
42 (Score:5, Interesting)
That's my age. I do notice tt takes just a wee bit more effort to cram more stuff in my head than it used to. Other than that, I still enjoy my ability to recall ridicules bits of obscure minutia that when viewed in total aren't enough to get me a good job, but are just enough to be annoying.
Seriously, though. My ability to commit stuff to memory and recall it *IS* one of my marketable skills. And anything that can help prolong the decline is welcome news.
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remembering passwords/phases from '85 (Score:1, Funny)
Actually, it's pretty easy for me to remember, I just used the same passwords/phrases/pin-numbers since 1985... ;^)
Posting anon for obvious reasons
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Don't tell me it's the same as the combination on my luggage!
Rosebud... (Score:2)
it was his FTP password. There. I spoiled the movie.
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That's because you haven't changed them since 1995.
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That's my age. I do notice it takes just a wee bit more effort to cram more stuff in my head than it used to. Other than that, I still enjoy my ability to recall ridiculous bits of obscure minutia that when viewed in total aren't enough to get me a good job, but are just enough to be annoying.
Seriously, though. My ability to commit stuff to memory and recall it *IS* one of my marketable skills. And anything that can help postpone the decline is welcome news.
Fixed that for you. Lemme guess... grammar and spelling aren't something you like committing to memory?
Re:42 (Score:5, Funny)
I would say "way to be a jerk to the guy", but I figure he won't remember you doing it in 10 minutes anyway. ;-P
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Fail, "postpone the decline" is not a correction of "prolong the decline".
If you previously lost some memory from 40 to 70 but with treatment lose the same memory from 40 to 90 you have prolonged the decline by 20 years. If you instead lose it from 60 to 90 you have postponed the decline by 20 years. In total given all the effects of aging, there will probably be some form of decline so the grandparent is likely more right than you too. Damn, I love zinging a grammar and spelling Nazi.
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Well played. I always love when someone tries being pedantic and fails, then gets burned for it. Well done, sir. Well done.
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You're assuming the starting and end points of memory are the same and just stretched out further, and that this treatment doesn't stop the decline in its tracks.
The assumptions I made with my word choice are more in line with what the article showed as the effects of this treatment.
Bazinga.
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That's my age.
Don't panic.
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Heh... I remember the phone numbers of friends I had when I was 7-12 years old. But I can't remember their names... Go figure.
Illegal alternative (Score:2, Informative)
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memory? learning? (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, now I know what switch instantly gets flipped to off when you first read slashdot...
That explains a lot...
Do I really want to be aware of everything? (Score:1)
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So said someone who hasn't seen both options in person.
Do I want to live my last twenty years with diving bell syndrome? No. But I'd rather live them bad eyesight and an inability to walk than live them knowing my mental performance was degraded.
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But I'd rather live them bad eyesight and an inability to walk than live them knowing my mental performance was degraded.
Living them with the ability to words out of sentences, though, I'm perfectly comfortable with.
I'm in my late 40s... (Score:4, Interesting)
Languages have always interested me (it's what I do for a living these days), and every couple years I try to learn the basics of another language. I find that as long as I exercise the newly learned skill/material, I'm OK (such as reading newspapers in the other language, listening to broadcasts in that language, and finally speaking the language whenever I get the chance. I would imagine I'm using a different part of the brain for these activities, though.
I'm certainly no expert, nor do I claim to know anything of how the mind works for that matter, but I can't help but think that actually using skills learned later in life helps.
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I'm American, through and through (living in the midwest, no less), but enjoy as much of the world as I'm able. Believe it or not, there are plenty of us in the US. We just don't get the airplay that the nutjobs do.
Some things are best left forgotten. (Score:3, Insightful)
Some things are best left forgotten.
Unless they can do this selectively, I'll pass. One gets to a certain age...well, the baggage seems to fade away yet the really good stuff remains clear.
I think this is a good thing, and in my opinion quite possibly a natural function of the human mind--a defense mechanism, perhaps.
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So all we need is technology which can selectively erase memories, like in the movie "Paycheck". Combined with this new memory enhancer, older people can enjoy youthful memories without all the painful ones!
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(Disclaimer: I'm not a conspiracy theorist nut.)
Well of course, that is what you want me to think!
*flees down the corridor twitching at his tin foil suit with matching cumberbund*
WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? (Score:4, Funny)
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I remember how it started. I can't remember yesterday, I just remember doing what they told me.
Silly humans (Score:2)
If we develop a method to create super intelligence and test it on mice first, then they will recognise that fact and play dumb.
This can only have positive results. (Score:5, Interesting)
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Lie A Lot (Score:2)
Great (Score:2)
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Look up the memory elixer their giving to the bomb sniffing bees
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Actually it's co-orelation. Orelation is the raw material from which irony is made. That is, it's something which isn't quite irony, but out of which one could make irony. Co-orelation is when several people orelate together. :-)
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They forgot it. It's the age, you know?