Brain Hack: 6 secrets to learning faster, backed by neuroscience | Lila Landowski | TEDxHobart

Summary

Neuroscientist and lecturer Anna Kalynchuk shares six science-backed ingredients to enhance learning: attention through reduced phone usage, alertness via exercise and stress, sleep for memory consolidation, repetition to reinforce neural pathways, breaks so the brain can replay information, and mistakes which trigger helpful anxiety and attention. By understanding how the brain works biologically during learning, we can optimize our study habits.

Takeaways

• 😀 Neuroplasticity allows our brains to physically change and form new connections in response to experiences and information.
• 👂 Paying full attention when learning helps us retain information longer term.
• 🚴‍♀️ Exercise for even just 20 minutes can boost attention and cognition for around 2 hours afterwards.
• 🚨 Being alert and activating the body's fight-or-flight response can enhance learning.
• 💤 Sleep allows short-term memories to be consolidated into long-term memories.
• ⏯️ Repetition reinforces connections in the brain, making information easier to recall.
• ☕ Ingesting caffeine has been shown to enhance learning and memory.
• 🕙 Taking short breaks allows the brain to replay and solidify recently learned information.
• ❌ Making mistakes triggers greater focus and opens up neuroplasticity to learn from errors.
• 🧠 Understanding how the brain learns allows us to unlock our potential and learn faster.

Q & A

What is neuroplasticity and why is it important for learning?

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to physically change and form new connections between neurons in response to experiences and information. It allows us to learn new things by creating robust neural pathways associated with skills and knowledge. Neuroplasticity is critical for learning.

How does focused attention meditation help with learning?

Focused attention meditation helps train our brains to pay attention to one thing at a time without getting distracted. This improves our overall attention span, allowing us to focus better on learning tasks and retain more information.

Why is exercise beneficial for learning?

Exercise increases blood flow and releases growth factors in the brain, enhancing neuroplasticity. It increases alertness and improves attention and memory, providing short-term and long-term benefits for learning.

Why is sleep important for long-term memory?

During sleep, short-term memories are transferred from the hippocampus to the cortex where they get consolidated into more stable long-term memories. Without adequate sleep, our brains are unable to make this transfer, causing memory issues.

How does repetition aid in the learning process?

Repetition strengthens and reinforces the neural connections associated with a specific skill or piece of information. Each repetition signals to the brain that this is something important to learn. Spaced repetition over multiple days is even more powerful for long-term retention.

Why is it important to take breaks when learning?

Breaks allow the brain to replay and consolidate memories without interference. New memories are unstable for at least an hour, so breaks prevent that newly learned info from getting disrupted by additional learning.

Why should we make mistakes during the learning process?

Making mistakes causes feelings of anxiety and stress that increase alertness and attention. This facilitates neuroplasticity, allowing our brains to update and strengthen connections for better, more efficient future learning.

How does early childhood learning ability compare to adulthood?

Children's brains have very high neuroplasticity, allowing them to easily and quickly pick up new skills and information. Learning capacity declines significantly from age 5 onwards into adulthood, when focused effort is required to change the brain's wiring.

How do adrenaline and noradrenaline enhance learning?

These fight-or-flight hormones increase alertness and arousal, activating our sympathetic nervous system. This state of heightened focus and attention allows us to better encode memories during the learning process for stronger recall later.

What is the ultradian rhythm and how does it impact learning ability?

The ultradian rhythm refers to natural 90-minute cycles of peak performance and fatigue. We experience 8-30 minutes of maximum alertness followed by reduced attention. Understanding this rhythm allows us to time intense learning for periods of heightened focus.