| Doctor
Marian Diamond, a researcher in ageing, found that deliberately induced
challenges are required to keep our brains healthy and functioning. In
one experiment a group of lab rats was given food, while another group
had obstacles placed in front of their dishes. The rats that had to
overcome challenges learned to solve problems more proficiently than the
comfortable rats. The fewer problems a rat experienced, the faster its
brain went downhill. They also discovered that if you put twelve rats
together in a cage and gave them challenges, their brains developed
better than when they had to face the same obstacles in isolation. And
when researchers ran the same experiment with rats that were 600 days or
older (the equivalent of 60 human years), the results were the same.
The rats actually lived to be 800 days old. Then researchers decided to
show them love. The rodents had the same challenges as before, but
afterwards researchers would pick them up, hold them against their lab
coats, pet them, and speak kindly. They'd say, 'You're one sweet rat,'
or whatever it is you say to a rat! And when they did, those creatures
did more than break the 800-day barrier. At 904 days, not only were they
alive-they were continuing to develop. The fact is they developed more
mental resilience under challenging conditions because they were part of
a community, whereas isolation caused their brain power to diminish.
The basic fact is: to age well you need a God-given challenge, love, and
good relationships. |
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