A Brave New World For Our Brave New Brains with Judith Horstman

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Not too long ago neuroscientists believed we were born with an assigned number of brain cells, and as they died they were never replaced - we were doomed to get along with ever decreasing cognitive abilities. But as Judith Horstman tells us, more current research tells us that our brains are constantly adapting to our experiences, and new neuronal pathways are being forged every minute. "The brain is very plastic," she says. "It changes in response to just about anything that affects our lives. The information is not so much stored in the neurons, but in the circuits, and those circuits are affected by what we eat, what we drink, what we feel, what we think." In this fascinating interview, Ms. Horstman shares the latest findings in brain research, and the exciting new developments just ahead. Best of all, because she's not a scientist, but a journalist, she makes it easy for any of us to discover ways to make the most of our brain power. (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Judith Horstman is an award winning journalist who writes about health and medicine for doctors and the general public. She has been a Washington correspondent, a journalism professor, a Fulbright scholar, and has written and edited in diverse media including USA Today, Gannett News Service in Washington, D.C., and publications for Stanford, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins universities.

She is the author of several books including:

• The Arthritis Foundation's Guide to Alternative Therapies (Arthritis Foundation 1999)
• The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain (Jossey-Bass 2009)

To learn more about the work of Judith Horstman go to JudithHorstman.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• How you can get that caffeine boost without spending money on a latte
• Why our species is losing our sense of smell
• How you can improve your memory in six minutes a day
• Why you can become addicted to grief or the internet
• Why you often wake up at 3 a.m.