Canny Minds Blog

The Stone Philosophy

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with stones of about 2” in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was…however…

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The Welsh daffs that defy Alzheimer’s

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Their decorative value has long been appreciated.

Now Daffodils are being farmed high on remote Welsh mountains – to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. The flowers are the source of galantamine, one of only a handful of drugs known to help delay symptoms of the conditions.

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Ain’t Life Puzzling!

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Laurie Brokenshire is standing in the middle of his driveway on an enormous piece of white sheeting surrounded by thousands of puzzles. Beautifully carved wooden puzzles, garish plastic puzzles, puzzles called Tormentor, Folding Frenzy or The Challenge, and about ten dozen variations on the Rubik’s Cube – pointy cubes, hexagonal cubes, double cubes, cubes shaped like houses…

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Learning languages ‘boosts brain’

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Learning a second language “boosts” brain-power, scientists believe…

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Interesting Facts or Random Trivia?

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

A few fun facts – may be useful at your next pub quiz…

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Children who eat porridge for breakfast ‘get better exam results

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Feeding children high energy breakfast foods such as porridge at a young age boosts their exams results at school, new research suggests.

Children who followed such a diet before their third birthday had improved scores in reading and problem-solving tests compared to their peers, it was revealed.

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Brain training games boost IQ, study shows

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Brain training puzzles really can boost intelligence, a study shows for the first time today.

The exercises are an increasingly popular way for people of all ages to keep their minds alert. It has been suggested before that Sudoku number puzzles improve memory, while crosswords expand the vocabulary. The elderly are also said to benefit from a new generation of computer exercises played on video consoles to improve recall. However, for the first time, scientists have proven that mental exercise really does limber up the brain and make it more quick-witted.

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Alzheimer’s’ eye test

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

A quick and fun exercise – ‘Find the F’s’

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‘I loved the choice and ritual of picking a book’

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

The library was a lifeline for young Sophie Dahl I was seven when my sister Clover was born. Until then I lived in the indulged solitary bubble of the only child. My stepfather was American, and we had been living in Boston since I was three. My first laboured reading, at the side of my [...]

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Gateway to worlds of mystery and imagination

Posted on11. May, 2009 by Mark.

Smart schools have already claimed free books, but it’s not too late to join There’s little doubt that Blurb the Book Monster would attract attention wherever he went: when you are seven feet tall and covered in bright blue fur, you expect some stares. But when Blurb enters Horniman primary school in Forest Hill, southeast [...]

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