Peter,

I’m no longer in the game. You are in for a great time. The slow melding of psychology and neuroscience is bringing forth a welter of insights that will have great benefits not only at the clinical level but for the general population.

Be careful with CR, there are studies indicating it can induce cognitive problems over the long term. Additionally it can induce immunosuppression, hypoglycemia, and fatigue. Studies indicate that quick fasts, once or twice a week, can confer most of the benefits without the risks. However recent research has found that it may just be a matter of amino acid balance, the key being very careful moderation of methionine. Not sure yet but I suspect that high levels of this amino acid can act as a methyl donor which can impact on gene transcription. Additionally high methionine loading does appear to increase cancer risk and can potentially elevate homocysteine, typically regarded as a key marker for worry. Maintaining good vitamin B status is very important in modulating homocysteine levels.

By the way, have a look at the work of Prof Bruce Ames (www.juvenon.com). I’ve tried that supplemental regime and there is a very noticeable effect. In particular research released late last year showed this regime slowed and even sometimes reversed a key aging marker: lipofuscin.

Very interesting article. I can’t tell you how much I envy the line of work you are in. I only have the standard two semesters of first year Psych plus the second year Methods and Stats course. Still, I have found that sufficient to pursue my lay interests in neurobehavior, including being able to read the main scholarly journals with not too much effort – Basic first and second year textbooks helps clarify obscure neuroatonomy and neurotransmitter systems, especially as modern textbooks also have interactive CDs included.

You are right, there is much research confirming the benefits of restricted calorie intake on slowing the ageing process, including psychomotor abiities. It must send neurologists, nurses, cognitive psychologists, and gerontologists buts that more older people do not have a regular weight lifting exercise regime as well.

Another solid finding of our 1st year Psych ‘experiment’ was the pronounced decline with age in visuospatial cognition. This decline is well known to those of us who are ever the passenger in cars driven by the elderly! :)

I suspect you’re right, vocab increases with age but of course if you are not reading and thinking as part of your lifestyle that is not going to happen. “Normal cognitive decline” is becoming a very difficult concept to define because various studies now point to a variety of strategies that can mitigate against the the so-called normal cognitive decline that occurs with aging. A recent study even found that in some people there is no shrinkage of the grey matter. I suspect that the baby boomers are the first generation to have at their disposal an array of scientific data that while still preliminary is clearly highly suggestive of the idea that one can instigate lifestyle, dietary, and even judicious supplementary strategies which will, in some individual cases at least, prevail against the dreaded decline of grey matter. My former collaborator and myself have looked at this closely over the years and I am convinced that this is now possible but at present it requires a great deal of hard work going through the data, having various physiological markers monitored, until the individual finds a strategy consistent with their lifestyle and physiology. To provide one example, and I’ve seen other studies like this on mice that show similiar results, have a look at this link. You can download the full article. Of particular interest note the imaging of NPY in the brains. Very interesting. Of course this is only an animal study but this type of study, combined with many others, clearly point towards strategies that can help not only in preserving the grey matter but maintaining vigor and health in advancing years.

Yeah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-LkeJzXak

And I’m being quite sincere..here

You think Gummo and I are nasty and arrogant? Wait till you meet some of the other Old Ones who’ll now be coming out of the woodwork – from strange aeons where even death may die.

..I am transfixed..

Why not go the whole hog, then, and set up your own blog. For a co-blogger whose obsessions match yours perfectly, I propose John Greenfield (unless you’re the same person).

Wait until Foydor and Liam also discover Club Troppo has awakened from its menopausal slumber (Good to have you back again Ken. Did someone mention cool head prefect? Not me.) to return as the leather chaired stoush club – with a well stocked wine cellar – for the real ladies and gentlemen members of the classic local blogoarama.

Now if only we could get young Nick to release his inner glam rocker.

And of course get Jen again bursting into threads like a sexy out of control firework.

And then Sophie Masson, her silky little French number well on fire from a passing cigar, running very fast away from certain inflammable threads.

The kids these days, they just don’t get it,

No, only at those who courageously lead with their jaw …

So first time in the Australian blogosphere Peter?

Between Gummo, Ken, Nick, Jimmy Farrell, Tony T, Geoff H and possibly m’self, you’re dealing with some serious veteran thread gladiators. Surprise, challenge or entertain us. As we did to eachother.

You’re lookin good so far. But need to work on the funny.

Damn! There’s that pull of immaturity again.

JS Mill didn’t have any contemporaries. He was homeschooled, starting Greek and Latin at age 3, Maths at age 8, Economics at 13, and Science at 14. He very rarely had time, or was even allowed, to hang with his homies. :)

OTOH, having said that, the Cambridge broadsheet shows but one geographical space, hardly sufficient to draw such bold conclusions as “more likely”.

A few brave souls proferred a small following paragraph citing examples of regions studied in class both for an against the statement, thus confirming that the “is more likely” claim is even less likely to be the case.

See, it was not all that easy. ;)

However I think my overall point does stand. That is the 70s question asks you to use the data and nothing but the given data to come to a conclusion whereas the later question is suggesting you use, and also think about the data, and then come to a conclusion.

But let’s face it, what we all really learnt from school was not really what they were trying to officially teach us at school.

Q. The evolution over time of a regions settlement pattern is more likely to be haphazard or reflect a path dependence immune to planning. Critically evaluate this statement as it applies to the Cambridge broadsheet.

A – ‘ere, this broadsheet screams Cristallers Central Place Theory. Statement is plainly wrong! Waffly intro, rabbit, rabbit rabbit, features of the broadsheet, say nicely statemtn piece of crap.

vs:

Q. How has the settlement pattern shown in the Nubia broadsheet been determined by the regions topography and water systems? What evidence is there of change over time in this relationship?

A. Don’t look like Cristaller’s to me so it’s what was the alternative called again – oh bugger there’s 3 of them. Which one fits best. Aargh, I hafta analyse this stuff in terms of some theories I only half remember. Pick the one I know best – bullshit, bullshit, bullshit – I’m toast!

Moral – never believe the older generation when they tell you they had it tougher in their day. Especially the stuff about eating gravel for breakfast and licking roads clean wi’ tongue.

Sorry, but in both questions, the students have the broadsheets given to them in the exam, and they have never seen them before.

Q. “How has the settlement pattern shown in the Nubia broadsheet been determined by the regions topography and water systems? What evidence is there of change over time in this relationship?”

A. Half remembered stats – evidence – ineffectual segue – half remembered stats – bleedingly obvious conclusion based on half-remembered stats.

Q. “The evolution over time of a regions settlement pattern is more likely to be haphazard or reflect a path dependence immune to planning. Critically evaluate this statement as it applies to the Cambridge broadsheet.”

A. I half remember some stats about this shit but evaluate? Fuck I hafta have an informed opinion here – and justify it by using logic, inference and induction -work brain work -ineffectual segue – bleedingly obvious conclusion based on half-remembered stats. Hey my brain hurts. Must have been working it hard.

I remember very little of the data shoved into me at school but I do keenly remember the teachers that encouraged, stimulated and exercised our critical evaluation muscles.

I’d say the average has certainly increased significantly. After all, as ‘recently’ as 1967, only about 20% stayed on for the Leaving Certificate. Today, about 75% stay on for the HSC, with – correct me if I am wrong – well over 50% earning an ATAR, which entitles them to apply to university.

I think where there might have been decline is at the top. In the 1980s, our 3 Unit HSC Geography teacher brought in a copy of her early 1970s Level I Geography Leaving Certificate exam, and we all thought her paper was very much harder than ours. Not just the subject matter, but the sophistication in the rhetoric of the questions.

Like us, she had to write 5 essays in 3 hours. But whereas we were used to questions like:

How has the settlement pattern shown in the Nubia broadsheet been determined by the regions topography and water systems? What evidence is there of change over time in this relationship?

Whereas our teachers said:

“The evolution over time of a region’s settlement pattern is more likely to be haphazard or reflect a path dependence immune to planning”. Critically evaluate this statement as it applies to the Cambridge broadsheet

The 1970s question was must much harder as it required you to “critical evaluate” a statement that insisted on one of the three -e haphazard, path dependence, and planning. But of course the statement could be ‘criticized’ for omitting other possibilities, such as Cristaller’s Central Place Theory, which the Cambridge broadsheet just screamed at you.

I suppose even though kids today are supposedly so much more sophisticated because their English teachers teach them to be “critical’ in the face of rhetoric, it seems it was always that way.

Meursault On The Beach

To be fair Gummo, the key moment in Ltranger probably tugged at a few neo-con heartstrings.

And looking back to my undergrad days, through a haze of pot, Stone’s Green Ginger Wine and Imperial Leather cologne, we did have one lecturer who introduced Camus in a tute as one footballer who could really write. He then went on to ruthlessly disparage Satre’s claims to be a useful member of the French Resistance.

Then we all adjourned to the pub.