Brain research question

Okay, this is a topic I am sincerely interested in. Not long ago, a friend told me about an episode of Nova (I think) on PBS. Basically Alen Alda was hosting the show, and it was about some brain research. During the course of the experiments, researchers figured out that mice that spent (I want to say) eight or more hours per day on a treadmill were able to get to the food in a maze significantly faster than mice that were just running around in a cage without a treadmill.
So they decided to see if it would work on humans. The put a group of people on a treadmill for 8 hours a day 5 days a week for something like 3 months or so (if I remember the details correctly). The participants were instructed to daydream while they ran on the treadmill. The basic results of this were that you could double your intelligence within that period of time, just by doing that.

I guess I just wanted to ask if anyone had any further information on this, and also if anyone has heard of other interesting research similar to this?

-P

sounds cool but how can you be sure that they were ordinary mice and not genetically modified? i might try to do that though but i think that i'd get bored after an hour

-Neutrino-

HOw can you be sure of anything that came from a television show with Alan Alda?

I don't think this has anything to do with intelligence. You must read books, go to classes, and apply yourself in order to have intelligence; not run around on a treadmill 8 hours a day.

Books? Classes? What are those? I don't understand these things you speak of.

In all seriousness Frosty this thread wasn't meant to start a debate about the legitimacy of the research, or Alan Alda. Although what you said came off somewhat rude and presumptuous, I am sure you didn't mean it that way.

Also what you are referring to is knowledge, not intelligence IMHO. Reading books, and going to class fills you up with knowledge. You (the hypthetical you) may know every fact there is out there, but that doesn't make you intelligent. You just know facts. Intelligence is, (in part) the ability to figure out complicated stuff quickly.

-P

Originally posted by Frosty
HOw can you be sure of anything that came from a television show with Alan Alda?

I don't think this has anything to do with intelligence. You must read books, go to classes, and apply yourself in order to have intelligence; not run around on a treadmill 8 hours a day.

Alan Alda hosts a show on PBS called Scientific American Frontiers.
Can you find out which show it was so we can refer to it to compare?
I find it hard to believe that volunteers would run on a treadmill for 8 hours without reaching a state of exhaustion. Exercise should probably help brain function by increasing bloodflow to the brain. To the extent that you mention though, I don't think so.

Originally posted by Sparkie the Wondersnail
find it hard to believe that volunteers would run on a treadmill for 8 hours without reaching a state of exhaustion.

I'm sure that they wouldn't do it solid. I'd say that they let them take breaks frequently to keep them from getting exhausted. Otherwise, it would just be cruel.

Originally posted by postings
Books? Classes? What are those? I don't understand these things you speak of.

In all seriousness Frosty this thread wasn't meant to start a debate about the legitimacy of the research, or Alan Alda. Although what you said came off somewhat rude and presumptuous, I am sure you didn't mean it that way.

This is what you posted " guess I just wanted to ask if anyone had any further information on this". You did ask for the legitness of this research. So do not be rude if what you seek is not what you like, otherwise do not post again until you are ready.

Also what you are referring to is knowledge, not intelligence IMHO. Reading books, and going to class fills you up with knowledge. You (the hypthetical you) may know every fact there is out there, but that doesn't make you intelligent. You just know facts. Intelligence is, (in part) the ability to figure out complicated stuff quickly.

NO, you said running on a treadmil 8 hours out of 5 days doubles intelligence. Then you preceed to give no evidence to show of this. What you need to do is give something to substantiated the claims to this research.

Going to classes won't fill you up with information, it gives you the chance. Retaining this information is then called knowledge. Applyinig yourself is the biggest constituent of intelligence, not cardivascular exercise IMHO.

Well here it is:

www.pbs.org...

I took some advice from a friend that helped me find it.

-P

I considered replying to your post point-by-point, but I am honestly not here to get people upset, or cause any issues. So I give up. You win k?

-P

Originally posted by Frosty
This is what you posted " guess I just wanted to ask if anyone had any further information on this". You did ask for the legitness of this research. So do not be rude if what you seek is not what you like, otherwise do not post again until you are ready.

Been reading the transcript. Haven't read it all, but my memory of it was obviously off on quite a few details.

-P

Originally posted by postings
Well here it is:

www.pbs.org...

I took some advice from a friend that helped me find it.

-P