mmalabanan
For normal people, reading and understanding 100 pages of lecture for a midterm exam the next day is like a death sentence. Now, scientists may have found a way to make learning easier and faster.
A team of cognitive psychologists from Vanderbilt University discovered a unique device that can make a person learn faster.
It’s called an “electric thinking cap”. The strange-looking device sends very weak electric currents through the brain that enhances a person’s learning speed, as reported by NBC.
Led by Robert Reinhart, the team conducted a study last March that used two electrodes which they attached to their subjects’ cheek and crown. These wires were secured by an elastic cap.
Two types of very light currents were sent through the brain for 20 minutes. One moved from the cheek to the scalp, while the other current travelled in the opposite direction.
Afterwards, the subjects were asked to play a video game to test their learning speed. They had to press buttons on the controller which were symbolised by colours flashed on the screen.
The results of the experiment showed that when subjects experienced current moving from the scalp to the cheek, they pressed the buttons 4% faster. On the other hand, the current travelling from the opposite direction had a reverse effect. In fact, the scientists found out that the current decreased the subject’s learning ability by the same rate.
A report by Yahoo News revealed that 75% of the subjects experienced changes in their learning ability. Moreover, the changes they experienced lasted for more than five hours.
According to the team, the currents released by the device made the functions of the brain’s frontal cortex to operate quickly. This part of the brain is responsible for a person’s ability to recognise and avoid mistakes. Thus, the process enhances a person’s learning ability.
Although further research is needed to prove this study’s claim, this device raises hope for us particularly for medical and law students.
