It’s something that we all encounter. No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to think straight. Our thoughts get jumbled and before we know it, we’re lost. We tend to call it being scatterbrained and for the most part, that’s considered a bad thing. On this week’s show, we’re going to look at the science behind this apparent flaw in our mental machinery and why it may be good for us when it comes to learning and understanding. Our guest for the entire show is Henning Beck, a neuroscientist, science slammer, consultant, and the author of the new book, Scatterbrain.

We first explore why this problem occurs in the first place. It turns out that our brains can only do so much especially when it is learning and committing thoughts to memory. It’s impossible to collect a large number of individual pieces and so our brains tend to forget almost as fast as we learn. But as Beck explains, there is a better approach in the form of understanding. Putting items into context can help us develop links and that improves both memory and our actions in the future.

We next discuss the issue of distractions. In our modern world, we are surrounded by them and this can quickly take us off any mental path. Beck reveals the reasons behind our inability to stay focused due to boredom, fear, and the ever present reality of fake news. We also find out whether isolation is the best option to ensure mental success.  

In our SASS Class, Beck offers us ideas on how we can improve our brain function through a variety of different tactics he discusses in his book. We learn about curiosity, creativity, framing, and focusing mechanisms such as meditation and mindfulness. Some work, others don’t but in the end, Beck reveals that information for the brain is like food for our stomach. As long as we take the time to learn and digest the information, we can achieve great things.  If you enjoy The Super Awesome Science Show, please take a minute to rate it on Apple Podcasts and be sure to tell a friend about the show. Thanks to you, we won the Canadian Podcast Award for Outstanding Science and Medicine Series. Let’s keep the awesome momentum going together!  We have just completed our first year and we look forward to bringing you even more awesome science in the year ahead.

Twitter: @JATetroEmail: [email protected] Guests:

Henning BeckWeb: https://www.henning-beck.com/english/ Twitter: @HenningBeck1

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