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October 28, 2005
Nerve Endings and Neuroscience on the Chess Board
In a recent "neuroscientific" conversation my dear neurologist friend states that "alterations in attentional processing of conditioned stimuli following a reduction in neurotoxic damage to the posterior parietal cortex can be achieve through the physical disciplinary aversions of chess."
OK, English please: "well, it means that the nerve growth factor in our brain can be directly affected by a continuous exercise of the brain by engaging in chess activity."
Hmmm....
Then I asked if there's a drug that one could take to improve or at least stimulate brain power. Or perhaps there's a stimulant to enhance brain and brawn? "Even if a drug makes you bigger and stronger, it won't help you think better," was the answer I got. "You need logic, planning, concentration. To my knowledge, there is no drug that would help us play better chess."
Rats!
"But, but, the idea of cognitive enhancement is starting to take hold on a larger and larger scale," and adding "lots of people are still kind of unaware. But that's only temporary."
Well, in the mean time — during my long hours of study and concentration — I’ll stick to coffee. That seems to work...a little.
Posted by rene on October 28, 2005 7:27 AM
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