Word: normalization
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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...connections between neurons--the synapses--are formed on branchlike structures called dendrites. In a normal, healthy person, these can gradually shrink over time, slowing the process of recalling information and leading to those familiar lapses called "senior moments." Memory gridlock is bothersome, but, says Johns Hopkins neurologist Barry Gordon, "what most people complain about is not that serious at all. They're probably not going to get Alzheimer's; they just care more about forgetfulness as they get older...
...brain never stops learning, and forcing it to absorb new information or figure out a different way of doing a routine task stimulates it to make new dendritic connections that help offset some of the normal, age-related loss. The brain is essentially lazy, and when asked to do something over and over, it invariably finds the easiest way. Doing things differently challenges the brain. Brush your teeth with the nondominant hand or take a shower with your eyes closed, and suddenly you're not on automatic pilot...
...experience in a way that sounds humble--anyone in his position would have done the same thing, doesn't take a lot of talent to get shot down. And though many in the crowd conclude that he is made of different stuff, the suggestion that he's completely normal somehow lifts them up, lets them share some of that glory. McCain's many critics in Washington watch this and feel sick to their stomach because to them, he is a sanctimonious hypocrite who acts as though he is both personally and politically better and braver than other people, even...
...IIIc, which comes with 8 megs of memory, doesn't come cheap (asking price: a hefty $449). At 6.8 oz., it is supposedly the lightest color handheld computer on the market. Its rechargeable batteries promise to run, with "normal use," for a few weeks without a recharge; the cradle that you use to synchronize the Palm with your desktop doubles as a recharger...
...circulatory system. "This was controversial for years," says the study's lead author, George Kelley, associate professor of exercise science at Northern Illinois University. "People thought weight training could actually increase blood pressure. Not so." Kelley found that after three months of moderate weight training by people with normal and slightly elevated readings, systolic blood pressure (the bigger number) decreased 2% and diastolic levels dropped 4%. While these changes may not sound dramatic, past research confirms that even such modest reductions lower the risk for stroke and coronary heart disease...