By: Greater Good Magazine
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When writing a song or a piece of prose, I often choose to let my mind wander, hoping the muse will strike. If it does, it not only moves my work along but feels great, too!
That’s why I was troubled by studies that found an association between mind-wandering and problems like unhappiness and depression—and even a shorter life expectancy. This research suggests that focusing one’s thoughts on the present moment is linked to well-being, while spacing out—which I personally love to do—is not.
Now, new studies are bringing nuance to this science. Read the rest of this entry »
By: SharpBrains
Top Brainnovation to boost Workplace Productivity and Resilience (recording requires registration; view slidedeck Here). The three Finalists were:
- Beam Riders – pitch by Jafar Sabbah, Founder & CEO
- MyCognition – pitch by Martina Ratto, Cognitive Scientist
- The Touchpoint Solution (WINNER) – pitch by Dr. Amy Serin, Neuropsychologist & Co-Founder
- Judged by: Ariel Garten, Founder and Chief Evangelism Officer at InteraXon; Charlie Hartwell, Operating Partner at Bridge Builders Collaborative; Kathleen Herath, Associate Vice President Health & Productivity at Nationwide Insurance; Lisa Neuberger, Managing Director of Strategy + Innovation at Accenture Corporate Citizenship
Slidedeck supporting session held during the 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: Brain Health & Enhancement in the Digital Age (December 5–7th). All session recordings available for purchase (50+ Speakers, 15+ Hours, $150).
By: Alvaro Fernandez

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Quick heads-up: The 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit starting tomorrow Tuesday, December 5th will host a Brainnovations Pitch Contest to discuss the latest technologies for Brain Health & Enhancement, and 12 selected startups will get to pitch their innovative approach and solutions to our distinguished Judges –our very own “Sharp Tank”– and to all Summit participants. Read the rest of this entry »
By: Luc P. Beaudoin
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In 2009, Winifred Gallagher published his excellent Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life, persuasively arguing that productivity, enjoyment and human development require extended periods of focusing.
The next year, Nicholas Carr published his fascinating The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains in which he argued that the Internet is ‘rewiring’ our brains. While his claim was exaggerated, information technology and the Internet certainly provide challenges to Read the rest of this entry »
By: SharpBrains

[Photo: Flickr user_DJ_, Brian Snelson via Wikimedia Commons]
This Outdated Approach To Productivity Is Bad For Your Brain (Fast Company):
“Your car has parts that perform specific tasks. The radiator cools the engine. The spark plugs ignite the gas. The intake manifold distributes air and gas evenly to the cylinders. We think of a car this way because a car is a machine.
For most of the 20th century, scientists mapped the brain in the same way Read the rest of this entry »