This hat is able to make us smarter
The possibility of improving our mental abilities, developing them to the limit and overcoming any barrier is something that has always attracted the attention of the human being, being a frequent topic of science fiction.
Recently, a team of researchers has created a hat that seems to contribute to this end. But ... what are we? A hat that makes us smarter?
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What is intelligence?
We understand by intelligence the faculty or set of faculties that allow us understand, analyze and interact with the environment in an adaptive way .
Having a greater intellectual capacity therefore means an increase in the possibility of being more adaptable regardless of whether it is understood as general capacity or different specific abilities, giving the individual more easily account of the relationships between phenomena and how to manage situations.
This does not mean that it has to make us more adaptive directly (this would require other mental abilities besides the mere intellectual capacity), only that it increases the possibilities of it.
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Modify intelligence with a hat: is this possible?
Intelligence is a useful quality, and many people would like to be able to empower it . But is this possible?
If we consider that cognitive abilities are mediated by the functioning of the brain, synapses and neuronal connections and the transmission of information from neurons, it could be possible stimulate and train our cognitive resources .
In fact, there are numerous ways to improve the efficiency of our neural network, create new connections and strengthen existing ones. Examples of this are the practice of mental exercises, learning and ongoing training throughout the life cycle, Mindfulness and proper physical and mental self-care.
Regarding possible that an artifact can cause such an enhancement of intelligence , it could be considered possible to stimulate the brain areas appropriate to certain tasks. And that's what the team of researchers at Vanderbilt University seems to have achieved, through a cap-shaped device that stimulates different regions and locations.
The device: how it works
The artifact in question acts by applying gentle electric currents in certain areas of the brain. This stimulation is not invasive or harmful, being similar to transcranial magnetic stimulation. The effects are temporary.
Specifically, a series of electrodes is placed on the front of the skull between which the current passes, causing activation of the frontal lobe (specifically in its medial part). This area participates among other functions in learning, attention and executive functions. It also participates in the management of errors, producing brain reactions every time we make mistakes.
When emitting electrical currents in this area, it is intended to omit the negative responses and errors, helping us to be more efficient.
Results obtained with your application
The reflected experiments show that after being stimulated by the device in question, the volunteers they tended to commit fewer errors . The learning capacity is also apparently stimulated, taking less time to acquire and consolidate new information.
However, the effects of this device are limited and temporary. The emission of electrical pulses causes some areas of the brain to activate and facilitate learning in this sense, but brain activity does not become long enough to produce a lasting change that is integrated into the psychic structure of the brain. user. Also, if you manipulate the reactions that make us make mistakes we are in turn modifying aspects that contribute to learning , how to learn from your own mistakes.
The results obtained by the team of researchers seem to indicate that a stimulation of around twenty minutes can produce effects that are going to fade around the next five hours .
This device can have multiple uses in the treatment of various disorders such as ADHD or schizophrenia, stimulating for example the nerve centers that control the inhibition of behavior and / or care for it.
Thus, this device made to improve intelligence can have a large number of applications and be very useful, being a very interesting field of research for the treatment of various problems.And even so, a higher level of research is necessary in order to have more reliable results.
Bibliographic references:
- Reinhart, R.M.G; Woodman, G.F. (2014). Causal Control of Medial-Frontal Cortex Governs Electrophysiological and Behavioral Indices of Performance Monitoring and Learning. Journal of Neuroscience 19, 34 (12) 4214-4227.
