Innovative Brain Food from New & Improved: Are You Curious About How You Can Grow a Better Brain?

One of Einstein’s most commonly quoted statements is “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Could this be true?

Most folks think Einstein simply had a better brain than most. Perhaps this is also true, and maybe, just maybe, the reason he had that better brain was because of his curiosity. What if his intense curiosity actually built that better brain?

We think there is every likelihood that this is the case. Our new & improved ability to visualize what is happening in the brain in real time through fMRI, along with our understanding of neuroplasticity (the ability to grow new neurons and new connections) energizes an interesting hypothesis. We know that when the mind’s curious nature is sparked, the basal ganglia (part of the brain’s reward centers) becomes active. We also know we tend to reseek rewarding experiences. In other words, once some positive reward comes from piqued curiosity, we’re likely to seek other things that might pique our curiosity. As an example, many of New & Improved's partners read Popular Science and Popular Mechanics when flying. They do so, because there are always interesting stories about human inventiveness in each. These magazines are great aggregators of “cool stuff”. Most of us have also been rewarded for subscribing to DailyGood.org receiving interesting stories about unusual, positive things that our fellow humans have been doing for their communities and for the world. Curiosity is fun - and optimism-producing!

**Bonus**: Curiosity helps us grow better brains, make more connections, and be more effectively helpful to those around us as needs arise. To ponder for a moment, your reading this blog is a symptom of your own curiosity. Good for you. You’re building a better brain.

How might you help others to do the same? Share! Take the “hey, this is cool” moment and share with your colleagues and social networks. Avoid the “hey this sucks” sharing that creates stronger pessimism. Pessimists are not terribly inventive. Instead, feed the optimist. Feed your curiosity and that of others. Feed a positive future. Find and share something interesting today.

Here are a few links to get you going:

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