Activity: LATERAL THINKING PUZZLES
1. You are driving down the road in your car on a
wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop
and you see three people waiting for the bus:
a. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die
b. An old friend who once saved your life
c. The perfect partner you have been dreaming
about
Knowing that there can only be one passenger in
your car, whom would you choose?
The brain has three major parts -- the
cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain
stem. The brain stem connects the spinal
cord and the brain. It controls functions
that keep people alive such as breathing,
heart rate, blood pressure and food
digestion. Those activities occur without
any thought. You aren't telling yourself,
"Inhale. Exhale. Inhale."
Things are different in the cerebellum.
That region controls voluntary movement.
When you want to lift your fork, wave your
hand, brush your hair, you form the
thought and then an area in the
cerebellum translates your will into action.
It happens so quickly.
A critical age
During the first three years of life, the brain
experiences most of its growth and develops
most of its potential for learning.
Drug damage
Doctors know what inhalants, steroids, marijuana, cocaine and alcohol do
to
the brain when people use them. “
Inhalants, such as glue, paint, gasoline and aerosols, destroy the outer
lining
of nerve cells and make them unable to communicate with one another.
In 1993,
more than 60 young people died from sniffing inhalants, according to
National
Families in Action, a drug education center based in Atlanta.
Studies have found that marijuana use hinders memory, learning,
judgment
and reaction times, while steroids cause aggression and violent mood
swings.
THE DOMINANT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
Researchers believed that brain dominance
determines a person’s preferences, problem-
solving style, personality characteristics, and even
career choices. For example, a right-brain individual
will quickly get a feeling for a situation, while a left-
brain person will usually ask a lot of questions first.
The following chart reflects additional difference
between left and right-brain dominance.
