Relationship between the Developing Brain and External Influences Assignment | Top Universities
Question: What did you learn about the relationship between the developing brain and external influences (environment)? Why do you think this is important?
Brain Development
UCSD Cognitive scientist Joan Stiles reveals the latest understandings about the intricate relationship between biology and external influences in the development of the brain.
Brain & Physical Development
Directions: Click on link at the bottom of the description to watch video or listen to audio.
Myelin Development of the Brain
ABC Nightlife (2009) with several scientists, cover myelination and how practice increases myelination, which increases “talent.”
Brain Plasticity
A young girl undergoes removal of one hemisphere of her brain and shows remarkable recovery as the rest of her brain accommodates and changes.
Mirror Neurons
Why do sports fans feel so emotionally invested in the game, reacting almost as if they were part of the game themselves? According to provocative discoveries in brain imaging, inside our heads we constantly “act out” and imitate whatever activity we’re observing. As this video reveals, our so-called “mirror neurons” help us understand the actions of others and prime us to imitate what we see.
Autism Genes
Rudy Tanzi, a pioneer in discovering genes for Alzheimer’s disease, is turning his attention to autism. Using gene chips that can scan up to a million genetic markers across the entire human genome, Tanzi and others are on the hunt for the genetic key to a heartbreaking disorder that seems to come out of nowhere and yet affects millions of children and their families.
The World Needs all Kinds of Minds
Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works — sharing her ability to “think in pictures,” which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.
The Adolescent Brain
NPR: Puberty Comes Earlier For Today’s Girls AUDIO ONLY – NO VIDEO
Studies show that very young girls are now starting to enter puberty. This longitudinal study is discussed, including the impact of obesity, environment and genetics.
Childhood Obesity: Set Before the Age of Five
BBC News covers childhood obesity and healthy eating.
Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child About Food
Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, West Virginia — and a shocking image of the sugar we eat — TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food. Get English homework help today
