FYSM 260
Your brain is responsible for everything you experience and everything that you will ever be able to do. You probably exercise your body on a regular basis, but do you exercise your brain? We will explore the kinds of activities that improve brain function, and those that do not. We will consider research that suggests ways you might improve your ability to pay attention, to remember things, and to solve problems, including the effects of humor and music. We will read about things that impair brain function and make it harder to think well, such as stress, too much television and multitasking. We will also consider which of these changes are short-lived and which might last a lifetime by looking at the mechanisms responsible for these changes in the brain. There will be time spent in community settings outside of the scheduled class each week and occasional evening events, such as attending theatrical productions.
Sarah Raskin Miriam Zichlin
Life Science Center 210 North Campus 135
Office Hours: M, F 1-3 , T 11-1 Cell: 860-833-9793
Books:
Restak, R. Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot
Howard, P. Owner’s Manual for the Brain. Second Edition.
Sacks, O. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat.
Bremner, Does Stress Damage Your Brain.
Pickover, C. Strange Brains and Genius.
Luria, A. The Mind of a Mnemonist
Restak, R. The New Brain.
Johnson, Everything Bad is Good For You
September 1 Worried Sick is on PBS
September 2 Discussion of Unweaving the Rainbow, plan caffeine experiment
September 7 Meet in library with Jennifer Van Sickle
September 9 Integrity session with Miriam
Attend science symposium 3-5
Write one page summary of one poster at the symposium
Date Topic Reading
Good Brains
September 12 Overview of brain function Howard 1 and 2
September 14 Ways to maximize brain function Howard 5, 7 and 8
September 16 Ways to improve brain function Howard 9, 10
September 19 Learning and IQ Howard 22 and 25
September 21 Library visit Phelan Room Library Level A
September 23 Scientific American: The Mutable Brain
September 26 Restak 1-7
Lab report 1 due
September 28 Restak 8-15
September 30 Restak 16-22
October 3 Restak 23-28
October 5 Scientific American: Brain, Repair Yourself
October 7 Library visit Phelan Room Library Level A
Short paper 1 due
October 12 Sleeper
October 14 Exam
Bad Brains
See Stay at the movies when it comes out
October 17 What is Stress? Bremner Part I
First draft of paper due to your peer
October 19 What are stress disorders? Bremner Part II
October 21 Scientific American: Taming Stress
Peer reviews returned
October 24 Losses and Excesses Sacks Part I and II
Lab report 2 due
October 26 Transports and the Simple Sacks Part III and IV
October 28 Scientific American: Hooked on TV
October 31 Drugs Howard 6
November 2 Disorders Howard 15 and 18
Short paper 2 due
November 4 Injury Howard 16 and 17
November 7 Memento or A Beautiful Mind
November 9 Exam
Great Brains
See Proof at the movies when it comes out
November 11 Pickover Profiles 1-5
Second draft of paper due to Miriam
November 14 Pickover Profiles 6-10
November 16 Pickover Chapters 11-16
November 18 Scientific American: Islands of Genius
Lab report 3 due
November 21 Luria 1-3
November 28 Luria 4-7
December 2 Scientific American: Unleashing Creativity
December 5 Amadeus or Pi, Brainman
Final paper due
December 7 Present to class on projects
December 9 Present to class on projects
Short paper 3 due
Final exam during final exam period
You will take three equally-weighted exams. These exams will be short essay questions. If you are unable to make a scheduled exam time, you must call me 24 hours in advance. There will be one scheduled make-up exam time.
For each section of the class we will do one experiment that you will write up in the form of a lab report.
You will also write one short paper that is a critical review of a reading. For the first section, I will assign the reading. For the second and third sections, you need to pick an appropriate reading. You and I can talk about that as you begin to come up with ideas.
There will also be a service learning component to this class. You will spend two hours per week at a site in the community. You will keep a journal on the class blackboard site. You must make one entry per week. You will perform a final project there that you will present to the class.
You will prepare one final paper on a topic relevant to the class. The first draft will be reviewed by a peer in the class. It is due on October 17.
The second draft will be reviewed by your mentor, Miriam. It is due on November 11. The final draft is due on December 5.
You must keep a copy of all three drafts to turn in with the final draft.
The points assigned are as follows:
Exam 1 15
Exam 2 15
Exam 3 15
Final Paper 15
Short Papers (5 each) 15
Lab Reports (5 each) 15
Class Participation 5
Community Learning 5