Article posted Thursday, June 24, 2010 3:18pm

• New learning first involves an increase in connections between nerve cells in the hippocampus, a special region deep in the brain. Without the hippocampus, we could not form new memories. But to be retained, a newly formed memory must be sent to the cortex of the brain for long-term storage. The hippocampus is then relieved of the task of retaining that new memory and their nerve cells become available to record subsequent new memories. When we were students, we went over and over a statement in a book so we could retrieve it on a test. This repetition primed the hippocampus to move the information to the cortex for future recall.

• Daniel Lieberman, a researcher at Harvard University, is convinced that the use of running shoes alters our natural gait. Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, the fastest marathoner in the world, claimed that it is more difficult for him to run in shoes than barefoot. Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist and runner, traveled to Kenya and examined 200 runners running barefoot or in shoes. Barefooted runners landed on the ball of the foot or with a flat foot, which provided more flex in the arch, ankle, and knee, and utilized more foot and calf muscles. This greatly lessened the impact on the body and made for a smoother gait. Runners with shoes tended to land on the heel, which greatly increased impact-induced shock to the body. Barefoot runners showed a shock of 0.5 to 0.7 times their body weight, while those in shoes experienced 1.5 to 2.0 times their body weight. No doubt learning to run barefoot would reduce running injuries (shin splints, plantar fasciitis, etc.) but it would not protect runners from small rocks, glass, asphalt, and other hazards associated with urban running. (Gisela Tellis in ScienceNOW, Feb. 21, 2010)

• Are dolphins the second smartest animals on the planet? They have bigger brains than humans and they have a complex neocortex, the part of the brain involved in problem solving, self-awareness, and other traits we associate with intelligence. Further, dolphin brains have neurons linked to emotions, social cognition, and the ability to sense what others are thinking. At recent meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), experts on dolphin neuroanatomy and behavior compared these marine mammals to humans. They noted that dolphins have the same attributes as humans: they are keenly aware of their environment, they have emotions, they have personalities, exhibit self-control, and treat others of their kind in an appropriate manner. At the dolphin meetings, Thomas White, a philosopher at Loyola Marymount University, suggested that dolphins aren’t merely like people – they should be considered “nonhuman persons.” (Science Magazine, Feb. 26, 2010)

• There is evidence that after-lunch naps, or siestas, may enhance memory and improve motor performance in humans. According to Matthew Walker and his colleagues at the University of California, Berkley, a nap after lunch “sets the brain up for learning,” which translates to clearing brain circuits that enhance memory following the nap. Walker believes that a good nap can equal a whole night’s sleep, but that it must not be done too late in the day or it will interfere with night-time sleep. (The Economist, Feb. 27, 2010)