December 27, 2021

Since it was warm last week, I thought it might be a good time to do some cleanup in my garden and refill the bird feeders.  As I suspected, all five of my feeders were empty, although there was a bit of corn log left that I had attach to the side of the squirrel feeder box.  As I approached the box to refill it, I noticed a flash of white on a small black spider.  The spider had just come out of the entrance hole in the side of the box and was working its way around toward the back.  I had seen these spiders previously but thought they had all gone into hibernation for the winter.  Apparently, the warmer weather had brought this one back into the open and it was hunting for a meal.

When I looked online, I found there are a variety of species of black and white jumping spiders of the family Salticidae.  The Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax) is the most common species and is found around the house or in gardens.   As of 2019, the Salticidae family contained over 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders at 13% of all species.  Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation.  Although they normally move slow and unobtrusively, most species are capable of very agile jumps.  These jumps are usually when hunting but can also occur in response to sudden threats or when crossing long gaps.  Jumping spiders have both book lungs and a developed tracheal system and they use both (bimodal breathing).  Jumping spiders are easily recognized by their eye pattern, as all have four pairs of eyes with the anterior median pair being particularly large.  Jumping spiders are generally carnivorous but many species include nectar in their diets.  They are not venomous to humans.

Jumping spiders use their excellent vision to stalk their prey.  The eyes cannot move which causes the spider to move (sideways hop) its entire body to look at what it wants to see.  However, it can move the retinas of its two main eyes on the inside of the eye, so the center of the eye’s picture can be moved.  This trait gives the jumping spider binocular vision.  Very few species of jumping spider make a web, and instead use their silk for a safety rope while hunting.   The silk is also used to make a kind of tent where they sleep at night, shed their skins (molt), lay their eggs, and hibernate during winter.  This one was awake.

Thoughts:  Jumping spiders can climb glass and other smooth surfaces using the sticky hairs (scopulae) on each foot that hold onto the surface.  The ends on each hair are held to the glass by Van der Waals forces.  The van der Waals force is named after Dutch physicist Johannes Diderik van der Waals and is a distance-dependent interaction between atoms or molecules.  This adhesive force is also used by geckos who have microscopic projections (spatulae) which cover the hair-like setae found on their footpads.  In May 2014, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DAPRA) demonstrated the latest iteration of its “Geckskin” technology by having a 220-pound (100 kg) researcher with 44 pounds (20 kg) of recording equipment scale a 26-foot (8-metre) glass wall using only two climbing paddles. Tests are ongoing, but DARPA hopes one day to make the technology available for military use, giving soldiers Spider-Man-like abilities in urban combat.  Now if we could only develop those cool shooting webs.   Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 25, 2021

I have spoken several times about trying to nurture a Christmas Cactus without success.  While I have given up, Melissa has picked up the gauntlet and began sustaining them as part of her succulents.  She had several good blooms during the 2020 holiday, but a variety of maladies took several of the plants and then the cold got the stems of a few more.  Still, Melissa was determined to try and resuscitate the plants.  We had solo stems lying around the kitchen most of the early year trying to create epiphytic roots (air roots).  When these sprouted, the stems were transplanted into small pots, and as the stems grew, they were moved into larger pots.  This fall they were strong enough to be transferred into larger hanging pots and they are on the back porch greenhouse.  Now that the holiday is again upon us, they have decided to burst into blooms.

I previously reported that there are three types of holiday cacti: the Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri), Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata), and Christmas cactus (S. x buckleyi).  Each is named as they typically bloom closest to a particular holiday.  While the time of flowering is a clue to which of the holiday cactus you possess, there are other features that distinguish between the varieties.  The stem segments (phylloclades) on the Thanksgiving cactus have distinctly pointed edges, while stem segments of the Christmas cactus are more rounded.  The Easter cactus has sharp leaves like the Thanksgiving cactus, but also has flowers that have pointed tips as opposed to the rounder petals of the Christmas cactus.  Another marker is the anther (part of a stamen that contains pollen) is yellow on a Thanksgiving cactus but purplish brown on the Christmas cactus.  These differences are quite minute, but I found if I just call them a holiday cactus, I am always right.

One characteristic of holiday cacti is ease of propagation.  To start new plants, just pinch off a three-leaf segment during the growing season and place it in 1 inch of a similar potting mixture as that of the parent plant.  The cutting should develop roots within two to three weeks of planting.  The cutting should be planted in a container no larger than 3 inches in diameter at this stage.  To get the holiday cactus to bloom and rebloom, you need to place them into similar conditions as the Poinsettia.  The main difference being, Poinsettias prefer temperatures of 65F to 75F (18C to 24C), and the cacti prefer temperatures closer to 50F (10C).  The holiday plants are triggered into bloom stage by the daylight hours and temperatures and prefer 12 hours of darkness per day for at least 30 days to set flower buds.  Once the buds set, they can be placed back into a cool well-lit location to enjoy the blooms for up to six weeks.

Thoughts:  As with many things we have around us throughout the year, the holiday cactus seem boring most of the time.  When they come into season, they transform from what we have taken for granted into an amazing display of color.  The same can happen with friends or members of our family.  Since we are always around them, we forget how special they really are.  If the pandemic did provide a positive, it may be the gift we have been given to appreciate the mundane and commonplace that we once took for granted.  Enjoy those who surround you and have a Merry Christmas!  Do the work.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 24, 2021

While I used to do elaborate displays when I was director of a camp in Kansas, we have yet to put up lights in Arkansas.  Still, Melissa and I have enjoyed the light displays set up in the communities around us.  In Kansas we would walk the displays at the local zoo and botanical gardens.  The gardens were especially extravagant, with lights timed and set to music as the central feature.  In recent years individuals have created computer synchronized displays in their family yards or have coordinated efforts with the other houses on a block or cul-de-sac.  Now we usually walk or drive the community displays near us since we moved to Arkansas.  One even features a miniature train ride that winds you among the lighted displays that stretch throughout the park.  On cold and brisk nights, they offer hot cocoa and other treats for sale at the concession stand.

Hidden in what I call the fluff section of my local newspaper was an article on the resurgence of light displays.  Communities and individuals across America have launched displays during the pandemic, and they have become more elaborate each year.   A wholesale light distributor in Wisconsin said the reason was that people were looking for something to do, and the displays let them get out of the house.  Some of the displays require tickets but more are free to the public and are available first come first served.  These displays have been set up for both foot traffic and drive through events.  The drive throughs have the advantage of never leaving your car and staying safe (and warm) while enjoying the displays.

The large drive through event is on the rise this year.  An Indiana-based distributer estimates there is a 42% increase in popup events hoping to draw on the success of last season.  The displays are becoming increasingly intricate and technical.  Many of the operators started with lavish shows for their homes and decided to get into the business of creating displays for others.  A Texas based firm said the average budget for holiday light displays synced with music has grown to around $500,000.  “Everybody continues to try to outdo each other in terms of size, scope and technological complexity.”  These events are beyond the capacity of individual families and are run by corporations and municipalities.

Thoughts:  Churches have continued to create displays that try to emphasize the “reason for the season” rather than the technical commercialization of lights.  When I looked online, I found displays listed from across America.  These ran the gamut from a living creche like the one where I work to lavish 12 stage events depicting the story of Jesus’ life, from birth to resurrection.  Friends of ours know I collect creche sets and gave one they had found to Melissa for me.  It now sits on a table in the foyer as our only Christmas display.  Sometimes simple is the true meaning of Christmas.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 23, 2021

For those of you in the northern climes this may not seem like a big deal, but when I came out to start my vehicle yesterday there was ice on the windshield.  This was an almost daily experience during the winters of Kansas, but it is only the second or third time I can remember needing to scrape ice since we moved to Arkansas.  Some of this might be since I get up later and even then, I tend to stay inside on frosty mornings rather than venture out.  Today I had an early meeting, so I gathered my things and rushed out to the car.  Although surprised by the ice I was not dismayed.  Being from Kansas I keep an ice scraper in the car “just in case”, and cotton gloves in the pockets of my jacket to protect my hands from the cold.  I turned on the defroster and the ice had nearly melted by the time I worked my way around the vehicle and back to the front windshield.

When I checked online, I found that while October brings the changing leaves and fall colors, it rarely brings more than one or two mornings of ice or frost.  By November light frost begins to become common and the trees will drop their leaves.  December signals the beginning of the winter chills, and a heavy ice frost becomes more common.  This is the preferred month for cold weather Arkansans, as January and February temperatures often fall below the average minimum and occasionally drop into the 0F (-10C) range and snowfall may occur.  Conditions are generally good during the day, but ice patches are common during early morning and late evening hours.  That said, there has not been much “normal” frost since we moved here three and a half years ago.

The ice and frost are probably the worst thing Melissa found about living in Kansas.  She had grown up in Arkansas and was not used to the colder weather.  We were married in December, and I took her dad to see the Arkansas River that wound through our city.  During the summer you could walk across without ever getting above your waist.  During his visit the winter ice had frozen the river over and the frosty ice cacked the trees and bank.  It was the only time he had seen the Arkansas River in either condition.  This is part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, and the river is a tad bigger (deep and wide) in Fort Smith and never freezes.

Thoughts:  When I attended school in the Bay Area (Berkeley), I had a friend who planned on returning to his home state of Minnesota after graduation.  His girlfriend was from Southern California and not accustomed to either ice or snow.  As they prepared the car to leave, she kept coming across these small plastic handles with acrylic triangles attached to them and finally asked him what they were.  His response was, “That is an ice scraper, you will become intimately familiar with those this winter.”  As I can attest, when the cold sets in it is good to have several scrapers of different sizes to remove the ice from your windshield.  Despite the one day of ice on my windshield, temperatures have been near record highs for much of December and we are expecting mid 70’sF (24C) over Christmas weekend.  We are going north where it will drop all the way to the low 60’sF (16.5C).  So much for a white Christmas.  Do the work.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 21, 2021

Today saw the annual occurrence of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.  This year the winter solstice happened on Tuesday, December 21 at 10:59 am EST.  Contrary to popular belief, this is marked by only a moment, and is not a complete day.  Our northern winter solstice can vary in time from December 21 to December 22, and occurs when the Earth’s pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.  A little before 10:59 am, and the tilt away from the sun is not yet at its maximum.  A little after 10:59 am, and the earth’s tilt has already begun shifting away from its maximum.  While the event ranges across these two days in December, the traditional celebration occurs at sundown on the 21^st.  It is on this day and time that the ancients believed the sun “officially” died and was resurrected with the dawn of the 22^nd.

When I looked online, I found the winter solstice is also called the hiemal solstice, hibernal solstice, and brumal solstice (all mean relating to or occurring in the winter), and occurs with either of Earth’s poles reaching maximum tilt away from the Sun.  For each respective hemisphere (Northern and Southern), the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, as the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.  Either pole experiences continuous darkness or twilight around its winter solstice.  The opposite event is the summer solstice where the respective poles experience continuous daylight or dawn.  Depending on which of the hemisphere’s is in winter solstice, at the Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn the Sun reaches 90° below the observer’s horizon at solar midnight, or to the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer (called nadir).

The winter solstice occurs during each hemisphere’s winter.  In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the December solstice (usually December 21 or 22) and in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the June solstice (usually June 20 or 21).  Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term often refers to the day on which it occurs.  Other names are the “extreme of winter” (Dongzhi), or the “shortest day”.  Since the 18th century, the term “midwinter” has sometimes been used synonymously with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well.  Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter, but today in some countries and calendars, it is seen as the beginning of winter.

Thoughts:  Although the instant of the winter solstice can be calculated, direct observation by amateurs is impossible, but through use of astronomical tracking the precise timing of the solstice is available to the public.  Since we cannot directly detect the precise instant of the solstice, we have marked the observance at a point within the general timeframe (i.e., sundown of the 21^st and dawn of the 22^nd).  Humans have always found ways to track what is important.  Whether it is the rebirth of the sun for the ancients or number of days until Christmas for a child, and we use this information to make changes in our lifestyle.  With nearly 5.4 million covid deaths in the world and over 800,000 in the US, you would think it might be time to change lifestyles.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 20, 2021

One of my news feeds today reported the story of two monkeys who had been captured by authorities in India after they killed over 200 dogs in “revenge” attacks after the death of a baby monkey.  Officials with the forest department from the Beed district of Maharashtra state said the monkeys were trapped on Sunday and transported to a forest near Nagpur where they were released in their natural habitat.  A spokesperson from Lavool village said the attacks had been happening for three months, with the two monkeys taking puppies and placing them on roofs or other high places.  The puppies had either died from lack of food or water or had fallen from the height.  

When I check online, I found some monkey species are known to practice revenge, either directly or indirectly.  In 2017, researchers published a study that looked at the social interactions of macaques.  They analyzed 500 hours of video, including 15,000 episodes of aggression, and found monkeys tracked their associates’ behavior and would carry out revenge.  Whether the monkeys in Beed district were killing dogs for revenge is unclear.  Range Forest Officer Amol Munde said he was aware of three to four cases of puppies dying after being taken by two monkeys in Lavool.  He said he was not aware of dogs killing a baby monkey in the village and does not believe the deaths were retaliatory in nature. “They take care of puppies.  They used to keep puppies on roofs or tall trees.  The puppies couldn’t survive at such places as they couldn’t get food or water.  If a puppy escaped from the two monkeys it used to die after falling from a height.”

When I researched the story online, it became more bizarre.  I found a different version of the story which spoke of a troop of monkeys who threw over 250 dogs off rooftops for revenge.  Villagers who tried to save the puppies had been attacked and injured.  The authorities had finally been called because most of the dogs (puppies and adults?) were gone and the monkeys had begun to attack small children on their way to school.  Other people had been injured while fleeing from the marauding troop.  All the stories were filled with facts and quotes from local villagers and government officials and were all said to be reported by the local media.  I found this was a viral story spreading across the internet.  As the story continued to grow, I realized I needed to do a fact check.

Thoughts:  The facts were there is no confirmation that the dogs attacked or killed any infant monkey, and the evidence is based on hearsay.  Local officials confirmed two monkeys have been taking pups to the rooftops of a building in the area, but no one can confirm they threw the puppies from the height.  It is believed the monkeys left the pups on the rooftop and they might have died of hunger or fallen on their own.  The locals said they are terrorized by the monkeys, so they do not go on the rooftops.  The two monkeys (not troop) who were involved have been relocated to another part of the forest.  Many of the facts that cross my path daily need to be checked for accuracy.  Just because a story is online, or even in print, does not mean it is true.  Government officials and influencers constantly spread lies and innuendos hoping they will be picked up and go viral.  If you get enough likes, it must be true.  Do the work.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 18, 2021

When we first purchased our Jeep three years ago the salesperson warned us about the automatic shutoff system that was installed on the vehicle.  The 3.6L Pentastar V6 in the 2018 Wrangler JL utilizes an Electronic Start Stop System (ESS).  Once the Jeep’s engine and the interior is warmed up the engine enables ESS, and a signal light comes on letting you know it is active.  If ESS is enabled when the Jeep comes to a stop and the brake is pushed the engine will shut off, but the lights, HVAC, radio, and any accessories will remain on.  As soon as the brake pedal is released the engine starts and you are on your way.  I was warned because drivers new to ESS tend to experience a moment of panic the first few times the engine automatically shuts off.

The reason for the ESS is to achieve a higher fuel rating.  The estimated fuel consumption of an idling engine is 0.16 gallons/hour per liter of engine displacement.  This means an idling 3.6-liter engine consumes .57 gallons of gas per hour.  The average jeep driver will average 4.5 minutes per day in idle, and over a 5-day work week 22.5 minutes of idle time.  Pushed out over a year that is 1170 minutes or 19.5 hours of idling, or just over 11 gallons (around $30) of fuel burned.  Jeep produced over 200,000 Wranglers in 2018 and if we assume an average idle time for those 200,000 2018 JL Wranglers ESS could collectively save 2.2 million gallons of fuel per year.  The ESS is automatically disabled in 4wd lo and on max A/C.  You can also press the A switch signal on the dash to turn off ESS, but ESS will turn on the next time the Jeep is started.  Jeep continues to use ESS on their Wranglers in an effort to save fuel.

While the fuel savings is a great feature, ESS itself is maddening.  Melissa and I both worry about running the A/C with the engine off.  We also worry about the constant starting and stopping, as these are times of maximum wear and fuel consumption.  Jeep’s website says they thought of that and have safeguards built into the system.  The real problem is it drives us crazy.  Whatever the advantage, it seems to be a race to see who can disable the feature the first time it shuts off.  One suggestion I found concerning the annoyance was, “It’s a new concept for most and . . . like anything else in life, it takes getting used to.”  Essentially, I was told to deal with it.

Thoughts:  There is another signal on the jeep they did not tell me about.  This automatically engages when you leave the blinker on too long.  This usually happens when you make a turn that is not sharp enough to engage the automatic turnoff.  Then you drive down the road with your blinker signal on and others shaking their heads when they pass.  I never have this problem when Melissa is in the car as she will tell me to turn it off.  Several times while by myself I have not seen the flashing blinker or heard the beeping signal, and my gauge indicator screen will flash a picture of a white Jeep Wrangler with a yellow flashing signal indicator.  I have wondered if the color of the picture changes if you have a different color Jeep.  During the pandemic there have been many new concepts we have been forced to get used to.  Rather than ignore them or their benefits, we also need to learn to deal with it.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 17, 2021

Two years ago, a friend of ours started a new tradition for our group.  He announced several weeks in advance we would hold a “craziest sock” contest and challenged everyone to wear their wildest pair of socks.  I was not interested as I wear two colors of socks.  I have white crew athletic socks and black crew dress socks.  I used to have different colors that I pinned together so I would never lose a “left sock”, but after years of questions and ribbing I stopped pinning my socks.  Instead, if they are all the same color even if I lose one, they will still match.  Melissa thought I should enter the contest and bought me a crazy pair of socks to wear to the meeting.  I won, and the prize was our friend’s Mr. Burns doll.  This was a prized possession so he must have thought he would win.

When I worked for the state, our office had a tradition of a White Elephant Christmas gift exchange.  Everyone would place their gift under the tree, and we would draw numbers for the order to choose a gift.  Then you could either choose a wrapped package or take a gift already selected by someone earlier.  While some brought nice or at least practical gifts, others of us tried to find outrageous gifts that would then be regifted.  These gifts set the bar and were disguised in packaging the following year so they would again be a surprise.  While sulking through the basement of my college building, I found a discarded plaster cardinal.  The velveteen red surface had worn down and the beak had chipped off after someone dropped it.  I knew this was my next gift the moment I saw it. 

Even though I never wear crazy socks, I wore the pair melissa had purchased to our meeting.  It was a tight contest with seven of us vying for the title Craziest Socks.  I took my Mr. Burns doll home and proudly displayed it in my office.  The next year I was prepared to bring it back when covid closed the meetings.  By next year I had moved on to another group but knew I should return the doll to allow the tradition to continue.  Since we had missed a year, I thought I would spruce up the trophy.  I found a small wooden box with a sliding lid that was just large enough to hold the doll.  I polished the box and then ceremoniously returned the trophy to our friend.  His first reaction was, “Why are you giving me an urn?”  When he opened the box, he also thought this was the perfect look to continue the tradition.

Thoughts:  The recipient of the worn cardinal proudly displayed the statue in their office to be regifted for several months, then it disappeared.  No one would confess to who took the cardinal or why.  Six months later a post card showed up at work with the worn cardinal standing next to the Tower of Pisa in Italy.  The caption on the back said, “Having a great time.  Wish you were here!”  The postcards continued over the year, with one postmarked from the Gobi Desert in China and another from the Philippines.  Alas, the cardinal must have been having too much fun, as it did not return for our White Elephant tradition.  Still, a new tradition of craziness had been born.  As we approach Christmas, we relish it as a time of tradition.  Some tradition may extend over the last 1000 years, while others are a recent family tradition.  Like the box and the cardinal, tradition may change along with circumstances.  The purpose of tradition is always the same, to connect us to the past, to bring joy for the present, and to provide hope for the future.  Do the work.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 16, 2021

When I checked out the trout stocking of our local city lakes, I found that one of the three had been stocked last weekend.  I previously wrote about how most stocked fish are gone within a week even on wild rivers.  When it comes to fishing, I am an eternal optimist and thought there may still be a chance to catch one.  When I arrived, it was windy, and I knew it would be difficult to cast.  I tied on a trout magnet and walked to the other side of the small dam so I could cast with the wind, rather than against it.  I fished near the bridge for a while, somehow managing to get caught twice on the only tree (3 foot/1 meter tall) in sight, and then the windy conditions fouled my line.  I moved down to the shore and as I approached, I saw a trout swish off to deeper water.  I fished for nearly an hour without getting a bite in either location.  I have fished this lake several times in the past and have never gotten a bite.  Maybe this time it was just too windy to catch fish.

When I looked online, I found that while it is trickier to flyfish for trout in windy conditions, there are also advantages.  Depending on its strength, duration, and location, wind can either be a blessing or a curse.  When a steady wind blows in one direction in a certain area it creates a surface current in the water.  Most baitfish species and insects will be pushed around by these wind-generated currents and concentrate them in one area where trout will be more likely to bite.  Wind also increases the oxygen levels in the water which makes both the trout and the bait fish more active.  However, fishing for trout when it is windy has a downside as there will be more disturbance on the water surface, making casting and controlling your line trickier.  We had a steady 20 mph (32 kph) wind yesterday.

I decided to move to another small city lake where I have had consistent luck.  The web page said this lake had not been stoked in over a month, and I had tried fishing there last week with no action.  Still, I was not ready to admit defeat.  When I approached the hole where trout tend to hand out, a young man was already fishing.   He said he had been fishing for a while, and although they were jumping, he had not gotten any bites.  He was casting with a spoon, so I thought my magnet might be what was needed.  Over the next 1 ½ hours I tried everything that had worked in the past.  I started with the magnet, switched to a black wooly with an elk hair drop, changed colors to a white wooly with a caddis drop, then replaced the caddis with a grey sowbug.  Nothing worked.  On the bright side, I got a complement on my ability to cast on such a windy day.  In lieu of fish, I will take what I can get.

Thoughts:  While I fished in vain, I watched dozens of fish surfacing and jumping a foot out of the water.  While the warmer days probably did not produce an insect hatch, I have noticed a lot of insects that have reemerged.  Trout are known to jump to catch insects flying close to the water surface.  Even as windy as it was, the fish were feasting on something.  As I thought about it later, I should have tried a dry fly on the surface.  Learning to fly fish is a life-long task.  You need to be willing to fish in a variety of conditions; windy, calm, rainy, sunny, cold, and hot.  Each condition changes how you need to connect with the fish.  The same can be said of connecting with people.  You need to be willing to try and communicate with others in a variety of settings.  If you do not try, you will not succeed.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.

December 15, 2021

I received a repost today discussing an article that was originally posted on Aug. 19, 2021, in Health Day News.  This said some key brain functions can improve in people as they age, challenging the notion that our mental abilities decline as we grow old.  Researchers found that as we age many appear to get better at focusing on critical brain functions like memory, decision making, and self-control.  Lead researcher João Veríssimo, assistant professor at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, and his team looked at three components of mental ability in a group of more than 700 Taiwanese people between 58 and 98 years of age.  The brain components were, alerting (enhanced vigilance to incoming information), orienting (ability to shift brain resources to a particular location), and executive inhibition (ability to ignore distractions to focus).  These three components are constant processes that allow us to navigate daily life.

The groups testing showed only alerting declined with age among study participants, while orienting and executive function improved into a person’s mid-to-late 70’s.  Veríssimo’s team thinks the improvement might come with experience.  We use orienting and executive inhibition skills our whole life, and it makes sense they would improve with lifelong practice.  It may also be that the brain is very good at shifting its resources to support the more crucial mental abilities as we age.  However, Michael Ullman, of Georgetown’s Brain and Language Lab, in Washington, D.C., said we must also acknowledge that all good things come to an end.  No matter how strong our experience, eventually age will win out.  Staying cognizant longer seems to be more of a choice than an exception.

While the original study was published August, the repost was dated today and took a different spin on the data presented.  This stated while the brain is no longer as fast, it is more flexible.  As we age, we make slower decisions, but more right decisions.  The peak of human intellectual activity occurs at 70 years old.  As we age, the myelin in the brain increases, and this substance facilitates the rapid passage of signals between neurons.  This results in an average 300% increase in intellectual abilities between 60 to 80 years old.  Further, after 60 a person can use both hemispheres of the brain at the same time, allowing you to solve more complex problems.  Professor Monchi Uri of the University of Montreal believes elderly people chose the least energy-intensive path and cuts right to the options to solve problems.  Young people were confused by possible options in testing, while those over 60 made the right decisions.

Thoughts:  As I read through the various articles it stuck me how Boomers are reluctant to grow old.  Boomers believed we were smarter and more able to adapt to the changing technological innovations than our elders when we were young.  As we age, researchers (Boomers?) are finding our brain is  still smarter than our younger co-workers.  One proof offered was the number of Noble winning scientists in their 70’s and Corporate business leaders in their 60’s.  When Boomers were in their 40’s, this was what was called the glass ceiling.  What the research seems to imply is that innovation is afforded to those who are willing to risk innovating, regardless of age.  We all bring different strengths and weaknesses to the community table and when faced with challenges, the more diverse our network of associates is (ethnic, age, sex), the more likely we will arrive at the best conclusion.  Do the work.  Follow the science.  Change is coming and it starts with you.