Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cognitive-fitness]

9 questions
137
votes
4 answers

Is the Ballmer Peak real?

There is a myth saying that having a BAC in the 0.129% - 0.138% range can improve your cognitive abilities. This effect is called the Ballmer Peak (a reference to Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft) and is pictured nicely in this xkcd. Is there any…
Alexandru
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30
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1 answer

Is learning more difficult for older people?

My parents always say to me that they can't learn as well as me because it's more difficult and they forget things faster etc.. Maybe it seems logical, but for me it would be much more logical that, if you exercised your mind, you would learn as…
Adam Halasz
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26
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1 answer

Does Lumosity increase your intelligence?

Lumosity is a popular website that claims to help you become a more intellectually capable individual. Harness your brain's neuroplasticity and train your way to a brighter life" Is it truly possible to improve your IQ? Is IQ a good measure of…
The Rouge
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24
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2 answers

Are programmers likely to be musicians?

It's a common belief in the coder world: many programmers are also (talented) musicians. It was certainly true in the places I've worked as a programmer, and I have been a professional musician and a professional coder for many years. I've met…
Sklivvz
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18
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1 answer

Do Imperial units make United States children worse at maths?

It is claimed on Cracked.com: There's also some evidence that our jalopy measurement system [imperial, ndr] is part of what's making U.S. students bad at math. In Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, he suggests that Asian students may have a built-in…
Sklivvz
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1 answer

Is it harder for adults to learn new skills?

We all have learned our mother's tongue with much more ease than we learn any additional language, and I am always amazed at how effortlessly little kids seem to pick up sports and skills. Has there ever been a scientific study to verify that grown…
Lagerbaer
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13
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1 answer

Does sleeping an average of 11 hours or more raise one's risk of brain-related disorders?

I am familiar with the effects of sleep deprivation and some of the harmful effects of oversleeping. However, I have also heard more than once that sleeping more than 10 hours on average, even for a non-sedentary person, can lower overall brain…
EuropaDust
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Is spelling (orthography) correlated with adult intelligence?

I been told that spelling ability (good orthography) is correlated with intelligence (which is a nice way to say: if you are bad with orthography, you are stupid). So far I have been unable to find a conclusive evidence based answer I found this…
Luxspes
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2 answers

Do romantic relationships have a negative impact on academic performance?

So, there are two groups of boys at school. One group has one or more girl friends and the other has no girlfriends due to lack of charm or maybe just because they don't want any. However, the group with girlfriends always seem to score lower in…
Thursagen
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