Northwestern University researchers have discovered men with an unusual form of dementia have a higher rate of vasectomy than men the same age who are cognitively normal. Certain organs including the testes and the brain exist in what is the equivalent of a gated community in the body. Tiny tubes within the testes (in which sperm are produced) are protected by a physical barrier of Sertoli cells. The tight connections between these cells prevent blood-borne infections and poisonous molecules from entering the semen. After a vasectomy, however, the protective barrier is broken and semen mixes into the blood. The immune system recognizes the sperm as invading foreign agents and produces anti-sperm antibodies in 60 to 70 percent of men. The researchers said these antibodies might cross the blood-brain-barrier and cause damage resulting in dementia. "There are other neurological models of disease which you can use as a parallel," Weintraub said. Certain malignant tumors produce antibodies that reach the brain and cause an illness similar to encephalitis, she noted.

In honor of Firefox 2.0 here's the 1st Firefox brain sharpener....version 1.0 let's say

From controlling computers (typing) with just your brain...to something really interesting: adsense powered spaceflight. Solving the problem of manned spaceflight. Imagine, passengers recline on their launch seats while on screens above, they survey textlinks, pix, and video ads. The longer the voyage, the more impressions they receive. To activate a link, they simply think about it, and the advertiser is billed. but seriously, this method of support becomes interesting in looking at discount air travel. The passenger pays a 'fuel fee' and then above that, advertisers pay on a CPM basis. A console in front of each passenger becomes the outlet for commerce while the walls and ceiling becomes the canvas for advertising. You could definitely make a dent in air travel, for awhile, with this model....from the mind of cognitivelabs

I was wondering How fast Bill Gates' brain is. What do you think? If you could time some of the tech titans in an exercise you could come up with a ranking of who has the fastest brain. Some people think this is linked to IQ. Others that it is linked to lifespan. It might make an interesting TV show and demonstrate really, who is the smartest guy in the room Plus, the Internet forms the perfect channel to collect the information. For example, is it a) 100 milliseconds b) 200 milliseconds c) 300 milliseconds or d) 400 milliseconds there's a quick way to find out Throw out the credit score, what's your brain score? So you think this kind of social engineering is even possible? Maybe it is possible to combine entertainment and testing, consider the Blade Runner test

Just published in the journal Neuroimage. UC Irvine researchers have asserted the existence of differential wiring in the brains of men and women, impacting perception and reaction. A cluster of neurons processing input such as fear and aggression links to separate cognitive functions. In men, the cluster integrates with brain regions connected to responsiveness to external stimuli, such as the visual cortex and an area that coordinates motor actions. In women, the neurons communicates with brain regions linked to internal regulators, such as the insular cortex and hypothalamus. These areas tune in to and regulate women's hormones, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and respiration. "Throughout evolution, women have had to deal with a number of internal stressors, such as childbirth, that men haven't had to experience," said study co-author Larry Cahill of the University of California Irvine. "What is fascinating about this is the brain seems to have evolved to be in tune with those different stressors." The finding, published in the recent issue of the journal NeuroImage, could help researchers learn more about sex-related differences in anxiety, autism, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder. The scans also showed that men's and women's amygdalas are polar opposites in terms of connections with other parts of the brain. In men, the right amygdala is more active and shows more connections with other brain regions. In women, the same is true of the left amygdala. Scientists still have to find out if one's sex also affects the wiring of other regions of the brain. It could be that while men and women have basically the same hardware, it's the software instructions and how they are put to use that makes the sexes seem different.original post