How does Bill Gates Brain Work?

How does Bill Gates Brain Work? by Alvaro Fernandez

You may have heard about the wonderful speech that Bill Gates delivered in Harvard on June 7th. The full Remarks are worthy of reading and reflecting on. His message may be summarized in this sentence:

"And I hope you will come back here to Harvard 30 years from now and reflect on what you have done with your talent and your energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world's deepest inequities … on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity."

A noteworthy aspect of the speech was the display of what neuroscientists call Executive Functions, which are located in our Frontal Lobes-the part of our brains that enable us to learn and adapt to new environments. The brain region that makes a "sharp brain".

See here Bill Gates' advice on how to find solutions in complex environments-and how he applies a learned pattern to guide his actions in the field of AIDS prevention. A great example of those Executive Funcions in action:

- "Cutting through complexity to find a solution runs through four predictable stages: determine a goal, find the highest-leverage approach, discover the ideal technology for that approach, and in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology that you already have - whether it's something sophisticated, like a drug, or something simpler, like a bednet."

- "The AIDS epidemic offers an example. The broad goal, of course, is to end the disease. The highest-leverage approach is prevention. The ideal technology would be a vaccine that gives lifetime immunity with a single dose. So governments, drug companies, and foundations fund vaccine research. But their work is likely to take more than a decade, so in the meantime, we have to work with what we have in hand – and the best prevention approach we have now is getting people to avoid risky behavior."

- "The final step – after seeing the problem and finding an approach – is to measure the impact of your work and share your successes and failures so that others learn from your efforts."

Incredibly insightful. What helped him have such capacity to analyze and make complex decisions? what kind of brain is helping him? how did his lifelong experiences help in shaping his brain? Certainly, good advice for us all.

Here you have a relevant fragment of my recent interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg (EG), renowned neuroscientist and author of The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind.

Alvaro Fernandez: "Please tell us more about what the Frontal Lobes are"

EG: "We researchers typically call them the Executive Brain. The prefrontal cortex is young by evolutionary terms, and is the brain area critical to adapt to new situations, plan for the future, and self-regulate our actions in order to achieve long-term objectives. We could say that that part of the brain, right behind our forehead, acts as the conductor of an orchestra, directing and integrating the work of other parts of the brain."

EG: "I provide a good example in The Executive Brain book, where I explain how I was able to organize my escape from Russia into the US."

EG: "Significantly, the pathways that connect the frontal lobes with the rest of the brain are slow to mature, reaching full operational state between ages 18 and 30, or maybe even later. And, since they are not as hard-wired as other regions of the brain, they are usually the first areas to decline."

Well, I'd say Mr. Gates has pretty mature and solid pathways and frontal lobes, as shown by his quotes above and hos track record!

Now you may be wondering, "Can you please give us a bit more detail on what those Executive Functions are?". OK, here you have a quick overview:

- Planning: foresight in devising multi-step strategies.

- Flexibility: ability for quickly moving from one to other mental attitude as appropriate.

- Inhibition: the ability to withstand distraction, and internal urges.

- Anticipation: prediction based on pattern recognition.

- Critical evaluation: logical analysis.

- Working memory: capacity to hold and manipulate information "on-line" in our minds in real time.

- Fuzzy logic: capacity to choose with incomplete information.

- Divided attention: ability to pay attention to more than one thing at a time.

- Decision-making: both quality and speed.

A highly recommended book, if you are interested in learning more about Executive Functions and Frontal Lobes, is The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind , by Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg.

Now you know many things to impress your colleagues with :-) Good luck with exercising those Frontal Lobes!


Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains, which provides the latest science-based information for Brain Health and Brain Fitness, and reviews programs such as MindFit, Posit Science, emWave, IntelliGym, Cogmed, and more. Dozens of publications, such as Scientific American Mind, CBS, Forbes, MSNBC, Seattle Times, New York Post, have highlighted SharpBrains website and information. Check our leading blog for latest information.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger - History of One Bodybuilder's American Dream

Arnold Schwarzenegger - History of One Bodybuilder's American Dream by Donovan Baldwin

By the way, as I write this in June, 2007, the Terminator...er...Mr. Governor of California, erstwhile "Conan the Barbarian", is going to turn 60 in one month. I've never really looked into Arnold Schwarzenegger's history before, but it fascinates me. Not so much because of WHAT has happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger over the years, as THE WAY it happened. You see, to me, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the kid from Austria, exemplifies what the term "American Dream" can mean. He also demonstrates in a living way all those things the motivational specialists talk about. He's almost a walking, talking textbook on goal setting, motivation, and achievement. Despite the title of this article, however, I don't really intend to go into the history of Arnold Schwarzenegger as much as his dream. The way things turned out, the history of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the history of America are now tied together...and it all started with a dream...and part of it was an American dream.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947, in the small Austrian town of Thal. Had he not had a dream, he might have followed in his father's footsteps and eventually become the chief of police in Graz, Austria. Fortunately, he was encouraged by his father, Gustav, to participate in sports, and his older brother, Meinhard, gave him a playmate and role model. When you consider that his brother, Meinhard, was more gifted athletically than Arnold, things could have turned out differently. What made everything else fall into place, however, was that it was Arnold who had the dream.

Had you seen him in back then, the six foot tall, 150 pound Austrian teenager would not have seemed likely to become the future "Commando", John Matrix. On the other hand, his commando raid on the gym at Graz's soccer stadium, where he and his friends broke windows so that they could get in and work out, might have been a clue. In movies like Predator and Commando, he endured suffering and hardship, but he started getting his taste of that when he had to exercise in a gym sometimes so cold that he still recalls his hands sticking to the chinning bar.

For a kid from a small Austrian town in the middle of nowhere to stay with the dream of beding the world's best bodybuilder takes a lot of dedication and courage...and an actor...and the Governor of California...but he did.

As with many successful lives, a lot of luck figured into Arnold's success, but through it all runs a common thread. He knew what he wanted, and he was willing to do what was necessary to get it. In another commando-like move, the 20 year-old tank driver even deserted from the Austrian army for a few days and slipped into Germany so that he could compete in, and win, the Junior Mr. Europe event in Stuttgart. Oh, by the way; upon his return to Austria, he was caught and spent 7 days in jail, but when the word of his win got around, he became a hero to the Austrian army and was held up as a model of courage and tenacity.

In an interview in 2006, Tom Venuto, natural bodybuilder, fitness coach, author of "Burn the Fat. Feed the Muscle", and co-author of "Fit Over 40", was asked what he thought was "the one thing most needed to change a person's lifestyle and improve their health."

His response?

"A committed decision to reach a predetermined specific goal, combined with burning desire, followed by immediate, massive action repeated consistently for as long as it takes until your goal is reached."

Wow!

Looks like the mantra that Arnold Schwarzenegger might have chanted on his way to becoming Mr. Olympia (7 times), a Hollywood actor (43 movies), the husband of Maria Shriver (Kennedys - lots of 'em), and current occupant of the California Governor's mansion, doesn't it?

Well, if you could look at the Arnold Schwarzenegger history story with glasses that allowed you to see behind the scenes, you would regularly see one "predetermined specific goal, combined with a burning desire" after another. You would see a man who realized that to reach each goal, he would have to take "immediate, massive action repeated consistently for as long as it takes" to reach each goal.

It sounds a little as if the ability to stick with a plan once you have a clear picture of your goal is a major factor for success!

Even good ol' P. T. Barnum, another, slightly different proponent of the American Dream, and perhaps best known for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus, had this to say in his classic essay, "The Art of Money Getting or Golden Rules for Making Money":

"How many have almost reached the goal of their ambition, but, losing faith in themselves, have relaxed their energies, and the golden prize has been lost forever."

Time and again, people like Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich", have extolled the virtue of being willing to stick to the path through thick and thin, once you know what the goal is.

What you could call the Arnold Schwarzenegger history is not just events and dates, or his vision of the American dream. It has been the willingness and fortitude of the man to pursue his personal dreams and goals despite a range of obstacles, and in spite of many who were willing to tell him it couldn't be done, that has taken him to the spot in history that Arnold Schwarzenegger occupies today. It is this willingness to pursue the American dream wholeheartedly that in earlier eras was the subject of so many fictional and non-fictional books alike.

Today, there is a vast market in self-help and self-improvement products. All sorts of programs and processes are offered for consideration of those wanting a piece of the American Dream. Having stripped away the overlay of word and technique, however, the setting of a goal and the unrelenting effort to achieve that goal, is the factor of most true success stories.

Maybe it takes a one-time hick from a small town in Austria to remind us of what we keep saying we have, or want, or wish was still available to an ordinary person in America. Maybe, as at least one article has stated, "Arnold Schwarzenegger is the definition of the American Dream."

Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in Copperas Cove, Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired from the U. S. Army after serving for 21 years. His interests include art, nature, animals, the environment, health, fitness, yoga, and weight loss. You may learn a little more about fitness after 40 at http://fit-over-40.ws .

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14 Funny Robin Williams Quotes To Celebrate His Birthday

14 Funny Robin Williams Quotes To Celebrate His Birthday by Noel Jameson

If there is one man in the world of entertainment who can define comedy, it's Robin Williams. What better way to celebrate his birthday than with some funny and humorous Robin Williams quotes? While many have tried to imitate Mr. William's humor, none can quite match his charisma and charm. These 14 Robin Williams quotes are just a small example of the fun and humor that Robin Williams has provided us with.

1. "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

2. "The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying, 'Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and yelling, 'You want a piece of me?'"

3. "I'm a very tolerant man, except when it comes to holding a grudge."

4. "Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself."

5. "Sometimes you've got to specifically go out of your way to get into trouble. It's called fun."

6. "The first time I tried organic wheat bread, I thought I was chewing on roofing material."

7. "When I find out a hotel doesn't have a DSL, it's like 'What? There's no toilet?' Once you get used to high speed you ain't going back."

8. "Carpe per diem - seize the check."

9. "If that man in the PTL is such a healer, why can't he make his wife's hairdo go down?"

10. "Time is the best teacher, but unfortunately, it kills all of its students."

11. "Every now and then, Rumsfeld will come out and say, ‘I don't know where. I don't know when. But something awful's going to happen. Thank you, that's all for today, no further questions.' Well, could you give us a clue? What is this, the Central *Intuitive* Agency now? Are you working with Miss Cleo?"

12. "You have to remember, John Ashcroft is a man who LOST to a dead man in Missouri."

13. "This is brought to you by HBO, which is a subsidiary of Time Warner, also owned by America Online. You've got mail! I hope you don't have stocks."

14. "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."

While Robin's humor may, at times, be controversial, his jokes are always funny -- it's an undeniable fact. No one can get the crowds rolling and even the most uptight of people laughing like Mr. Williams can. This July let's celebrate his birthday with these 14 hilarious Robin Williams quotes enjoy some good old-fashioned laughter.

For more funny Robin Williams quotes, check out the popular Robin Williams quotes section of Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations.com, a website that specializes in 'Top 10' lists of quotations in dozens of categories.

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