science — Infographics

Sometimes it’s hard to understand why scientists do what they do. Why spend a career studying cells, fungus, or flies? Other than being nerdy and wanting to learn about our world, what’s the point?

Last month I had the opportunity to attend Sunposium, a neuroscience research conference hosted by the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience in West Palm Beach, Florida. I love everything brain-related, so every talk was captivating for me, but through the jargon, methods, and neon images, an incredibly important message shone through: fundamental or basic research, research that asks fundamental questions about our world is critical to our society. The scientists who presented their research, including two Nobel prize winners and many other young researchers with promising careers, study everything from bacteria to birds to humans. The questions they ask aren’t about how to cure illnesses or treat disease. But the breakthroughs they have made will impact human health in the near future. Fundamental research is critical to science because it allows for unexpected and unpredictable breakthroughs.

Check out the infographic below to explore what I learned at this incredible conference.

I created this infographic as part of my team's submission to a contest to redesign high school: http://xqsuperschool.org/challenge

One of the goals of our project is to create students who are passionate about learning and can do so independently. So these techniques can be used by anyone to take control of their own learning.

References

1. Blakemore, S., & Choudhury, S. (2006). Development of the adolescent brain: Implications for executive function and social cognition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(3-4), 296-312.

2. Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., Romero, C., Smith, E. N., Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2015). Mind-Set Interventions Are a Scalable Treatment for Academic Underachievement. Psychological Science, 26(6), 784-793.

3. Ramsden, S., Richardson, F. M., Josse, G., Thomas, M. S., Ellis, C., Shakeshaft, C., Seghier, M. L., Price, C. J. (2011). Verbal and non-verbal intelligence changes in the teenage brain. Nature, 479(7371), 113-116.

4. Firestein, S. (2013, February). The pursuit of ignorance. https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_firestein_the_pursuit_of_ignorance?language=en.

5. D’Mello, S., Lehman, B., Pekrun, R., & Graesser, A. (2014). Confusion can be beneficial for learning. Learning and Instruction, 29, 153-170.

6. Briceño, E. (2015, November 23). Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn.http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/23/why-understanding-these-four-types-of-mistakes-can-help-us-learn/.

7. Carskadon, M. A. (2011). Sleep’s effects on cognition and learning in adolescence. Progress in Brain Research: Human Sleep and Cognition Part II - Clinical and Applied Research, 190, 137-143.

8. Owens, J. (2014). Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents and Young Adults: An Update on Causes and Consequences. Pediatrics, 134(3).

9. Gomez-Pinilla, F., & Tyagi, E. (2013). Diet and cognition. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 16(6), 726-733.

10. Gómez-Pinilla, F. (2008). Brain foods: The effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(7), 568-578.

11. Gomez-Pinilla, F., & Hillman, C. (2013). The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities. Comprehensive Physiology.

12. Voss, M. W., Carr, L. J., Clark, R., & Weng, T. (2014). Revenge of the “sit” II: Does lifestyle impact neuronal and cognitive health through distinct mechanisms associated with sedentary behavior and physical activity? Mental Health and Physical Activity, 7(1), 9-24.

13. Dalton, M. (2008, October/November). Beyond the chair: It's time to rethink ergonomics. Portland Spaces, 103-108.

14. Scherf, K. S., Smyth, J. M., & Delgado, M. R. (2013). The amygdala: An agent of change in adolescent neural networks. Hormones and Behavior, 64(2), 298-313.

15. Mcewen, B. S., Bowles, N. P., Gray, J. D., Hill, M. N., Hunter, R. G., Karatsoreos, I. N., & Nasca, C. (2015). Mechanisms of stress in the brain. Nature Neuroscience, 18(10), 1353-1363.

16. Kraag, G., Zeegers, M. P., Kok, G., Hosman, C., & Abu-Saad, H. H. (2006). School programs targeting stress management in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Journal of School Psychology, 44(6), 449-472.

17. Core, L. (2015). Dutch teen's ocean-cleaning invention to launch next year. http://grist.org/business-technology/dutch-teens-ocean-cleaning-invention-to-launch-next-year.

18. Gambino, M. (2014). Google Thinks These 18 Teenagers Will Change the World. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/google-thinks-these-18-teenagers-will-change-the-world.