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What is Mind Mapping?

Mind Mapping is a visual tool that is excellent for making notes for study purposes that are fun, quick and easy to remember.   This article outlines the key principles of a Mind Map for study purposes, describes the benefits and gives links to further resources.

Mind Maps were created by Tony Buzan, who is an international speaker and best-selling author.  Tony Buzan invented Mind Maps while he was a university professor, lecturing in the subject of memory.  Buzan found that the usual way of note-taking was that students would write down, in full sentences and in one colour (usually blue or black) everything that the lecturer was saying.  Through a series of experiments, Buzan discovered that this way of note-taking was not helpful.  He defined a number of characteristics of note-taking that led to good exam results.

Here are the four characteristics that Buzan discovered that helped to make memorable notes:

Key Words Connections (for example, arrows or lines linking words together) Pictures Colour

Tony Buzan created Mind Maps as a way of bringing all of these useful characteristics together.

How to Mind Map

Select the subject of your Mind Map, for example it may be a chapter of a text book that you are studying, a historical figure or a particular theory.

Draw a picture in the centre of the piece of paper to represent your main topic.  You may like to use some words as well.  Using a picture for each new Mind Map is a great way to distinguish one Mind Map from another.

Creating Branches

The set of branches that connect directly to the central image show the main concepts relating to your topic.

Draw main branches that connect to the central image and write key words on those branches that help to organize the main points or concepts relating to your topic. The first few times that you make a Mind Map it can be a little difficult to identify these key words.  It gets much easier after your first few maps so be patient with yourself.

The first set of branches showing the main concepts are drawn with thicker lines to show their importance to the topic.  Further branches are drawn with progressively thinner lines to show that they represent the detail of the map.   Select key words to help you to remember the main points regarding your study topic.  As you practise, you will find that your ability to select key words that help you to recall entire  passages or areas of study.

Branches are drawn with a curve that, as well as looking visually pleasing, helps to make the most efficient use of space on the paper.

The branches are connected to each other, which help the brain make associations between the concepts and make the map look tidy.  The length of each branch should be the same as the word or image sitting on the branch.

Using Colours and Pictures

Use different colours for the Mind Map branches.  This creates visual interest and order, stimulates the right side of the brain and aids memory.  You can use colour as a code, for example by allocating a special colour to items on your map that require review.

“A picture paints a thousand words” as the saying goes.  Pictures make your Mind Map easy to remember, stimulate your creativity and instantly remind you of the topic or point that the picture represents.   Many people feel they can’t draw – this doesn’t matter as you’re not being judged on your artistic abilities!   As long as YOU know what the picture is, it will help you to remember your notes.

Benefits

Memory – Mind Mapping is created to work with the natural memory principals of your brain, as the brain works by linking and associating things together.

Time – Creating a Mind Map is a very time-efficient way to study, make plans or solve problems, instead of writing long sentences.

Clarity – Mind Mapping helps you to cut through the clutter of your current to do list or study resources and see what’s important

Fun – because using colour and making Mind Maps is fun, it’s easier to get engaged with your studying and therefore accomplish more.

Brain cancer is a disease of the brain where cancer cells (malignant) grow in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumor) that interferes with brain tissue functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. Tumors composed of cancer cells are called malignant tumors, and those composed of noncancerous cells are called benign tumors. Cancer cells that develop from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Statistics suggest that brain cancer is not rare and is likely to develop in about 20,000 people per year.

There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly.

Primary brain cancer rarely spreads beyond the central nervous system, and death results from uncontrolled tumor growth within the limited space of the skull. Metastatic brain cancer indicates advanced disease and has a poor prognosis.

Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells from a tumor elsewhere in the body. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. About 25% of tumors elsewhere in the body metastasize to the brain.

Symptoms of Brain Cancer

Brain tumors can damage vital neurological pathways and invade and compress brain tissue. Symptoms usually develop over time and their characteristics depend on the location and size of the tumor.

Cancers are typically painless at first. As they grow, the first symptom is often a mild discomfort, which may steadily worsen into increasingly severe pain as the cancer enlarges. The pain may result from the cancer compressing or eroding into nerves or other structures.

The symptoms are caused by the tumor pressing on or encroaching on other parts of your brain and keeping them from functioning normally.

A sign is also an indication that something is not right in the body. But signs are defined as things that can be seen by a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional. Fever, rapid breathing rate, and abnormal breathing sounds heard through a stethoscope may be signs of pneumonia.

As the skull is made of bone, there is a fixed amount of space for the brain to take up. The growing tumour increases the pressure inside this fixed space. This is called ‘raised intracranial pressure’.

Motion sickness is a very common disturbance of the inner ear that is caused by repeated motion such as from the swell of the sea, the movement of a car, the motion of a plane in turbulent air, etc. In the inner ear (which is also called the labyrinth), motion sickness affects the sense of balance and equilibrium and, hence, the sense of spatial orientation.

Brain tumors can often present different symptoms depending on the location of the tumor. There are general brain tumor symptoms that need to be checked out by a doctor if they are experienced.

Fits are one of the commonest symptoms of brain tumours. About 1 in 4 people with a brain tumour first go to their doctor because they have had a fit. A fit can just be jerking or twitching of a hand, arm or leg.

At the late stages of the disorder, dramatic changes in blood pressure may occur. Seizures are a common symptom of benign brain tumors and slow-growing cancers. Tumors can cause a part of the body to weaken or feel paralyzed. Hearing, sight and the sense of smell can be affected.

A look back at World War One through the music of the patriotic anthem, “Over There”, sung by early 20th Century pop sensation Billy Murray

Indian Hospital are providing comprehensive medical and surgical care for patients with disorders of the brain, brain tumor surgery is routinely carried out with results at par with the best centers globally. As we all know that India is now becoming a medical hub and a growing destination for Brain Tumor surgery. Hospitals of brain tumor surgery India at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai provides international quality of medical healthcare services by the best brain surgeons in India who are equipped with the most advanced medical treatment and brain tumor healing techniques. Brain tumor is one an abnormal mass of tissue in which cells grows and multiply, seemingly unchecked by the mechanisms that control normal cells. Indian Neurologists and Neurosurgeons are supported by the most extensive neuro-diagnostic and imaging facilities including Asia’s most advanced MRI and CT technology. Along with providing general diagnostic X-ray imaging, Hospitals of brain tumor surgery in India offers you a magnitude of imaging services like EEG, EMG, Sensation 10 CT Scanner, Functional MRI with Spectro-scopy, OPMI Multivision etc.

Surgical Methods

Craniotomy: A procedure in which a trapdoor in the skull is opened. This allows the surgeon to find and remove a brain tumor. Typically, these operations are done under general anesthesia. In some cases craniotomies are done under local anesthesia when it is necessary to map important functional regions of the brain by stimulating its surface with an electric current in order to study the effects in an awake patient. In general the scalp incisions, bone openings and exposures of the brain in traditional craniotomy tend to be larger than necessary to ensure that the surgeon can actually find the brain tumor within the craniotomy opening. The incorporation of stereotactic methods into brain tumor surgery has significantly reduced the invasiveness of surgical procedures to biopsy and removes brain tumors.

Computer-assisted volumetric stereotaxis: This is a method for gathering, storing and reformatting imaging-derived, three-dimensional volumetric information defining an intracranial lesion with respect to the surgical field. With this technique a surgeon can plan and simulate the surgical procedure beforehand, in order to reach deep-seated or centrally located brain tumors employing the safest and least invasive route possible.

Many tumors can be cured by complete surgical removal. These include meningiomas, acoustic neurinomas, craniopharyngiomas, pilocytic astrocytomas, some oligodendrogliomas and gangliogliomas, colloid cysts, choroid plexus papillomas, hemangioblastomas and some pineal region tumors such as teratomas, pinealocytomas. The consistent feature with all of these tumors is the fact that they are all histologically circumscribed

Medical tourism in India is a boon for abroad patients who are searching for cost effective brain tumor surgery in India operated by the best Brain surgeons. Medical tourism companies has been providing valuable information and guidance regarding neurosurgery or brain tumor surgery in India to international patients as the number of patients having brain disorders have started coming to the neuro surgeons of India for brain tumor surgery at an affordable price. When it comes to price, abroad patients consider India as the best place for this surgery. Medical tourism has broad appeal as it is providing best medical healthcare facilities during this brain tumor surgery in India at very low cost as compare to western countries. International patients are looking forward to India just because of first class medical facilities at third class rates. Many of India’s surgery hospitals and clinics offer international-standard brain tumor surgery in India at local prices, no waiting list and a high quality holiday. India is a land of art and culture and it is always seemed that abroad people are always attracted to it because of its variety.  For more details on brain tumor surgery in India visit http://www.tour2india4health.com or mail at enquiry@tour2india4health.com

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Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

Many people have been asking us recently about whether we all have a “Brain Age” and how we can reduce our “brain ages”. This concept is a myth, fueled by the (very fun) Nintendo game and a recent PBS campaign promoting a program produced by Posit Science.

The concept of having a “brain age” is, itself, profoundly unscientific, despite the radio ads for the PBS program titled Brain Fitness Program, where listeners of all ages get the impression (as many friends and colleagues have reported) that, should they buy the Posit Science Brain Fitness Program, they can expect their brains “rejuvenated” by 10 years. This, I hear often, must be true, coming from PBS.

Unfortunately, it isn’t. And it isn’t because the claim is founded on the same faulty premise of having a “brain age”.

What is going on?

First, the good news. Today we know today that the brain retains lifelong plasticity (the ability to change itself through experience). Aging does not mean automatic decline.

Furthermore, we know that a variety of lifestyle factors, including physical and mental exercise, can influence how our mental abilities evolve as we age. We can delay or slow down age-related decline. Not only that, we can improve our abilities, and a number of computer-based programs have shown how they can help specific groups of people train and enhance specific cognitive skills.

Now, what is important to recognize is that there is not one overall “brain age”. We can view our brain functions or cognitive abilities as a variety of skills, some more perception-related, some more memory-related, some more language-related, some more visual, some more abstract-thinking and planning oriented. All science-based brain fitness products in the market today target specific cognitive skills. The research that has been published shows how specific brain functions can be improved. But there is no general “brain age” that can be measured or trained in a meaningful way.

Let’s analyze the PBS Posit Science-related message: you can rejuvenate your brain by 10 years. What would this mean, were it to be true? perhaps that ALL cognitive abilities would go back to where they were 10 years before. and that this would happen for individuals of all ages: in our 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and so on. It would also mean that, given that rejuvenated “brain age”, our risk of developing Alzheimer’s symptoms would be adjusted to reflect our “new” brain age. And that the evolution of our cognitive abilities over the rest of our lives would reflect our new-found “brain age”.

Has this been shown?

Unfortunately, not. The “10 years” claim seems based on one published study, and several unpublished ones, where individuals with an average age of around 70 years take on a very intense auditory processing training program that enables them to improve related auditory cognitive skills by a significant percentage. Whereby, on average, and on those specific skills, they reach a level comparable to people 60 years old.

But this doesn’t say anything about other cognitive skills. Or Alzheimer’s related risks. Or the cognitive trajectories that will follow.

Just think about this: if, by attending an intensive tennis camp, you were able to serve at a level comparable to people 10 years younger than your age…would you say that your body is now 10 years younger? Probably not. You’d say that now you play tennis better. Which is a significant benefit in itself if that’s what you are after.

Recent studies have shown a tremendous variability in how well people age and how, to a large extent, our actions influence our rate of brain improvement and/or decline. The earlier we begin the better. And it is never too late.

What can we do to maintain our brain? Focus on four pillars of brain health: physical exercise, a balanced diet, stress management, and brain exercise. Stress management is important since stress has been shown to actually kill neurons and reduce the rate of creation of new ones. Brain exercises range from low-tech (i.e. meditation, mastering new complex skills, lifelong learning and engagement) to high-tech (i.e. using the growing number of brain fitness software programs).

In summary, the great news is that there are more tools available than ever before to assess and train a variety of cognitive skills, in what is still today a very small, but growing market. Nintendo, Posit Science, and others are offering valuable products and services.

The bad news (is this really news?) is that we shouldn’t be expecting magic pills and that “brain age” is a fiction.

In case you wonder…I do have and enjoy my copy Nintendo Brain Age, and appreciate it as a stimulating game. I simply don’t outsource my brain fitness to Dr. Kawashima…

Writing a eulogy isn?t a skill that everyone can possess. You just can?t stand in front of a lot of people and tell something about the one who had passed away without having to prepare any speech. Others may find you disrespectful especially if you were informed days before for you to prepare. A good preparation is a must in writing a eulogy.

If you think preparing a good eulogy can happen in just one day. I doubt it. There are a lot of things to consider such as the gathering of information; biological, personalities and traits, special events that happened in that person?s life, personal experiences you had with that person, and a lot more. Also, you cannot just write anything that pops out of your mind without having to arrange them. Organization of thoughts plays a big role in writing a eulogy. Remember that what you?re making is a funeral speech. You are giving tribute to the one who had passed away, so make the best out of it.

A eulogy should be simple. If you think you are having a hard time remembering the experiences you had with the one who had passed away, I advice you to write a draft first on what your heart wants to say. It?s not bad to be emotional when it comes to writing a eulogy; it makes the tribute more meaningful and touching. You do not have to write words that will make that person seem like perfect, you just need to be honest with you way of words. If you think that all you have to discuss in your eulogy are the positive traits about that person, you also must consider even the negative qualities of that person with compassion. For example, ?At times she lets her anger control her and it gets the best of her.? People would understand that especially because a person isn?t perfect and a eulogy shouldn?t only be describing perfection.

Remember that respect should always be there in eulogy. If you?ve been asked by a relative to make eulogy for the one who had passed away, that only means that they respect you and value what you have to say, so make your eulogy a worthy tribute.

Remembering the dead shouldn?t always be sad. I?m sure there are also fun moments too that you can share to others about that person. Like your adventures together, or the events and parties you went to, even the prank jokes you did on other people. Writing a eulogy could be a fun and memorable experience. It?s also good since you keep that person alive in your hearts when you try to remember things like that.

If you are still unsure about how you will present your eulogy, you can go to one of the many eulogy sites on the internet. They will help you plan a eulogy by knowing what to incorporate in a eulogy, how you will deliver your eulogy, and a lot more!

I?m sure if the one who had passed away is a friend, a relative, or someone who is close to your heart, he/she is worthy of your praise.

Product Description
10 ways to tap into your spiritual genius Over three billion people — half the world’s population — are actively pursuing Spiritual Intelligence and Knowledge. Spiritual intelligence is concerned with being part of the bigger scheme of things. It involves seeing the “Big picture”. With Tony Buzan’s Spiritual Intelligence, you can: Learn to truly know yourself and those around you / Develop a compassionate, rather than an aggressive attitude / Relate more deeply … More >>

The Power of Spiritual Intelligence

This article will focus on why you need detailed project plans and how to develop them effectively using a simple yet surprisingly successful communication tool. A disclaimer up front: this article will discuss this in terms of technical projects like application development, but it is applicable to all types of projects like fund-launches, barbeques, bah-mitzvahs, or whatever goal you seek to achieve.

WHY DO I CARE?
I bet you have a routine. One you follow every day. Get up, brush your teeth, pack your lunch, grab your cell phone off the charger, kiss the spouse good-bye, etc. Now how often do you arrive at work and realize you missed something?  “Shoot… I forgot my socks again”.  Well that may be extreme, but you get the point.   

And I am sure it doesn’t happen every day. But, maybe once every few months? Keep in mind this is your routine 5 days a week 48 weeks a year (I know YOU don’t take vacations, but others do.).  So now imagine what might happen if you are trying to remember all the steps you need to deploy your application into production. You do this maybe once every 3 months…6 months?  What are the odds you might forget some critical step? Maybe slightly higher than forgetting some part of your daily routine?

What is the consequence of forgetting to restart one of the web application servers after the release? Well I suspect your boss would be far angrier than he would be looking at your bare, hairy ankles.

Bottom line is people forget things, even routine stuff.  And the risk that someone overlooks a step that is crucial but unique to some project is high likelihood and high impact. When that happens you need look no further than the closest mirror to place the blame. Lord knows your boss has all your numbers on speed dial and will use them when he finds out customers are occasionally getting “Server Down” messages.

There is another type of problem lurking in the dark. You may remember your routine, but because Joe doesn’t know what you plan to do, he may not realize he has a role to play.  Example. You are going to update the database tables during deployment. Well the DBA doesn’t know this, so that Friday night he will be bowling. When, in reality, he should be at home executing and verifying a full backup of the database.   

WHAT DO I DO TO AVOID THIS?
The question remains how do you avoid taking the blame for someone else’s brain spasm.  Well I like to fall back to a simple but highly effective approach to help the whole team out.  It is called Mind Mapping.  Don’t think Vulcan Mind Meld… think more whiteboards and those delightfully scented markers. These work best because the fumes free the mind, but online collaboration software will do the trick too.

I assure you, no matter what media you choose, this tool alone will allow you to substantially reduce the number of “oopsies”.  It also avoids “gotchas” and totally eliminates the “who’d a thunk its”.

What is a Mind Map?  It is a simple diagramming method that focuses the team on a single topic.  Mind you (no pun intended) that “The Project” is not a topic. That is too large. But, depending on the size of your initiative “Deployment” might be a topic. Or for larger projects “The Database” might be a topic. There is some judgment to be used here but you’ll do fine.

The basics are as follows:

You get the relevant parties together and have them focus on “the topic” Each person calls out ideas or tasks related to “the topic” For each task or idea called out the team is asked to consider that task and call out items related to that task, etc until the ideas are exhausted

Again, this is the basic idea. You can do more with these and I am sure there are variations on the theme. But you get the idea.

WHY DOES THIS WORK?
That is simple enough. It opens communication channels, and makes the team talk things out and play off of each other.  “Oh hey, you are going to update tables in the database? Whew, good to know. I will skip bowling and backup the database.” Wow. 10 seconds of talk just avoided a huge risk.  

The fact is, no matter how many times you do something, no matter how much of an expert you are, you cannot remember everything every time. It just isn’t human.

And you certainly cannot know every aspect of the impacts you have on other team members. That is why communication tools are some important. I have worked with amazing developers who are so confident of what they do that they think other experts are unnecessary. And they might never think to have the database backed up because they were sure their updates would be flawless.

RECAP
People aren’t perfect. We forget our socks. We don’t think that Joe would want to skip bowling to backup a database. Unfair as it may seem your job is to ensure that we all remember our socks and ensure that Joe misses bowling occasionally. Mind Maps are a simple, effective tool to do that.