Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Wild Fragaria on March 13, 2007, 08:28:14 am
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Cool finding! Maybe that's why girls have better memory :P (just kidding)
Published online: 8 March 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070305-10
Rose-scented sleep improves memory
It's often said that optimistic people look at the world through rose-tinted spectacles. Now it seems that rose-tinted smells can have benefits too.
Taking a whiff of rose scent while learning a task and then being exposed to the same smell during sleep helps memories to set, researchers have found. The discovery could see students frantically spraying themselves with perfume before exams — although the effect is tricky to replicate at home.
Jan Born of the University of Lübeck and his colleagues exposed people to the smell of roses one evening while they learned the locations of various picture cards laid in a square. Half of them were then given the same odour to smell as they slept, while the other half had an odour-free night. When they were tested the next day, those who'd had a rosy sleep remembered 97% of the locations — without the roses this figure was 86%.
The team's findings, published in Science1, supports theories about how memories are solidified in the brain during sleep.
Researchers think that a part of the brain called the hippocampus is like the scratch-pad of memory, where we put new things that have been experienced or learned until they can be filed for long-term storage. During sleep, these memories are 'reactivated' and transferred to the cortex.
Odours are known to have a potent effect on the hippocampus. Born and his team speculated that an odour could thus help to trigger the 'reactivation' process during sleep, making permanent memory storage more efficient. Their tests support this theory. "By experimentally inducing it, we can show that reactivation enhances memory," says Born.
But simply sleeping in a rose-scented room won't necessarily do the trick, because the timing of odour exposure is crucial.
Volunteers in the study had to be exposed during so-called slow-wave sleep, when the hippocampus is triggered into replaying memories. Passing roses under the nose during lighter, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when most dreams occur, had no effect on memory.
But because people get used to odours very quickly, the odour had to be turned on and off at the right times to get the memory effect.
You might think that a whiff of roses the following day, while being tested, would help the volunteers remember the card locations. But the researchers found that this didn't improve the volunteers' scores — though Born doesn't rule it out. The same mechanisms are involved in securing memory during sleep and when awake, he says — the difference is that the hippocampus is more sensitive when its owner is sleeping.
It's hard to tell the difference between slow-wave and other types of sleep without being hooked up to a brain scanner, making it a difficult technique to perfect at home. "It's difficult to imagine that we can create a machine that can improve memory during sleep," says Philippe Peigneux, a sleep researcher at the Brussels Free University in Belgium. For students, simply revising what you have to learn and then getting a good night's shut-eye might prove infinitely more practical.
The smell trick is useful only for certain types of learning. It won't be useful for remembering the skills needed for playing the piano or riding a bike, for example, because these activity-related memories don't rely on the hippocampus.
But the finding might provide a friendlier way to improve memory than other suggested techniques, says Born.
Born's group published a study in Nature last year that showed an increase in memory when people's brains were stimulated with a mild electric current2. "Everyone's afraid of shocking the brain," he says. "Odour presentation is a much 'softer' method."
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Don't?!
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maybe it would be better to strategically time it with our doing of good things.
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Doesn't work, they always remember the screw ups ;)
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well this way maybe they will remember some positive things as well.
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well this way maybe they will remember some positive things as well.
False hope. I buy my girlfriend roses all the time. What does she remember? Everything else. =)
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I bought my girlfriend orchids for Valentines day, but the deliveryman mushed them up :(
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well this way maybe they will remember some positive things as well.
False hope. I buy my girlfriend roses all the time. What does she remember? Everything else. =)
Lol.
The thought of masses of men spraying themselves with rose perfume...does not alarm anyone but me?
And this is rapidly becomeing a 'my gf' topic which IIRC is frowned upon.
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well this way maybe they will remember some positive things as well.
False hope. I buy my girlfriend roses all the time. What does she remember? Everything else. =)
Lol.
The thought of masses of men spraying themselves with rose perfume...does not alarm anyone but me?
And this is rapidly becomeing a 'my gf' topic which IIRC is frowned upon.
Only by the hopelessly single.......
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Bah-dum, tish!
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Or the cheated upon.
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My girlfriend gave me roses, I'm not sure what she means...
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No...no...ok...so you give her roses and insist she sleep in the same room as the roses and then in the morning it will be burned in her long term memory that you gave her roses. So thats a +1. Except that it may mean that more roses will be expected at frequent intervals...do I have that right? :)
So ultimately it'll be a -1 for not following up on that so...we're back at 0 and thats where we'll always be :D
Mind you...some girls seem to reject the gift of flowers all together. I know thats a minority...but yeah. Then this plan would have to be a whole lot more covert :D
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Well I don`t have a girlfriend, but my wife loves it when I buy her roses..
And the occasional card for b-day and special dates makes her cry, tears of joy of corse..
I might mention i`ve been married 21 years to Patty. Awh, time, it goes so fast, but the memories... :D
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My girl likes carnations instead. Dunno why.
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I love plants and flowers. I buy fresh cut flowers quite often because of their scent and look brighten my days :D I am told I have a pretty good memory, so I guess it's not just the roses ;)
I bought my girlfriend orchids for Valentines day, but the deliveryman mushed them up :(
Poor you :( Did you chase after the delivery guy??
No...no...ok...so you give her roses and insist she sleep in the same room as the roses and then in the morning it will be burned in her long term memory that you gave her roses. So thats a +1. Except that it may mean that more roses will be expected at frequent intervals...do I have that right? :)
So ultimately it'll be a -1 for not following up on that so...we're back at 0 and thats where we'll always be :D
Mind you...some girls seem to reject the gift of flowers all together. I know thats a minority...but yeah. Then this plan would have to be a whole lot more covert :D
Wow, that's tres complicated! Maybe I should send you some flowers to make things a bit simple :D
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I love plants and flowers. I buy fresh cut flowers quite often because of their scent and look brighten my days :D I am told I have a pretty good memory, so I guess it's not just the roses ;)
I bought my girlfriend orchids for Valentines day, but the deliveryman mushed them up :(
Poor you :( Did you chase after the delivery guy??
Poor her :)
Yes, but he had a truck so I couldn't catch up :(
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*pff* that just shows you weren't serious enough. You should have chased the truck untill you catch up with it.
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Ah, you should bike after the truck! It's faster than running after it!
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Ah, you should bike after the truck! It's faster than running after it!
*slaps head*
D'oh!
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Doesn't work, they always remember the screw ups ;)
the smart thing is to remember their screw-ups in return
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I love plants and flowers. I buy fresh cut flowers quite often because of their scent and look brighten my days :D I am told I have a pretty good memory, so I guess it's not just the roses ;)
I bought my girlfriend orchids for Valentines day, but the deliveryman mushed them up :(
Poor you :( Did you chase after the delivery guy??
Poor her :)
Yes, but he had a truck so I couldn't catch up :(
:lol:
Sorry for laughing but that last qoute was damn funny...
I haven't bought roses for my girlfriend but i plan on buying her a necklace or a bracelet.
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I haven't bought roses for my girlfriend but i plan on buying her a necklace or a bracelet.
Necklace is the far more romantic (and serious) choice.
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I haven't bought roses for my girlfriend but i plan on buying her a necklace or a bracelet.
Necklace is the far more romantic (and serious) choice.
Unless it's one made of wee sweeties with elastic.
That'd lead to a slapping.
Unless you're 8 years old.
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Actually, Sharon quite likes them :nervous:
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Actually, Sharon quite likes them :nervous:
Ok, 8-year olds and Glasweigans.... (is there a difference? ;) )
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I tend to go for the necklace made out of human noses. It has that homemade, personal touch, but it still shows her that you didn't just throw it together at the last minute.
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I tend to go for the necklace made out of human noses. It has that homemade, personal touch, but it still shows her that you didn't just throw it together at the last minute.
Smells a bit, though.
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Actually, Sharon quite likes them :nervous:
Good for you. You must have saved a fortune over the years :P
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I've recently learnt that the threat of physical violence from your significant other is a good reason for listening to them.
My significant other is a lovely, beautiful woman with infinite compassion who does not read this forum and threaten me with slappings.
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I've found that in the case of women (or at least a certain Glasweigan one), it is 'Hit or don't Hit, there is no threaten....' ;)
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I've found that in the case of women (or at least a certain Glasweigan one), it is 'Hit or don't Hit, there is no threaten....' ;)
That'd be all Glasweigan woman, I think you'll find ;) :D
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I've recently learnt that the threat of physical violence from your significant other is a good reason for listening to them.
My significant other is a lovely, beautiful woman with infinite compassion who does not read this forum and threaten me with slappings.
She sounds like Xena!!!
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I've recently learnt that the threat of physical violence from your significant other is a good reason for listening to them.
My significant other is a lovely, beautiful woman with infinite compassion who does not read this forum and threaten me with slappings.
She sounds like Zena!!!
Nah, Xena was a lesbian :)
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Gee, lucky you :P
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Gee, lucky you :P
Yes *slap* I *slap* am *thwack* very *biff* lucky *thump* to *slap* have *boff* her
;)
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I hope she's reading this ;)
(what do you think her reaction will be?)
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I hope she's reading this ;)
(what do you think her reaction will be?)
Perhaps light slapping the next time I see her, followed by squelchy noises? ;7
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Who are the neighbors? I hope they aren't complaining about the noises... :nervous:
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Who are the neighbors? I hope they aren't complaining about the noises... :nervous:
I don't know. We can be quite noisy & excited during our frantic, sweaty sessions of grapes-for-wine-treading.
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Is red sauce on pasta the same thing?? ::)
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Is red sauce on pasta the same thing?? ::)
Saucy!
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Well you mentioned wine, so I thought it might go well with pasta.
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Well you mentioned wine, so I thought it might go well with pasta.
Normally squelchy is too tiring for pasta afterwards :)
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Well you mentioned wine, so I thought it might go well with pasta.
Normally squelchy is too tiring for pasta afterwards :)
Gatorade, I think it's probably a better choice in that case :nod:
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Gatorade, I think it's probably a better choice in that case :nod:
Aaaah, the energy drink! Goes well with sandwiches or apple pie :)
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Unless you're 8 years old.
Actually, Sharon quite likes them :nervous:
I think we know where this is headed. :p
:p
I'm 6ft, Sharon is just under 5ft, we actually got stopped by Police once :/
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For you being a foot taller than your wife??!! :eek2:
:P
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I'm 6ft, Sharon is just under 5ft, we actually got stopped by Police once :/
Crap. I'm 6'4". Where the heck am I gonna find a woman who's 5'11"??
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For you being a foot taller than your wife??!! :eek2:
:P
Well, the problem is, I wasn't joking about Sharon's fondness for penny sweets, and she still gets charged child fares on the Bus on occasion, despite being 31 years old. She's actually had to take her Birth Certificate to the cinema to prove she was over 18, so God alone knows what they thought of her hanging round with an old half-bald computer-geek :/
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Crap. I'm 6'4". Where the heck am I gonna find a woman who's 5'11"??
A lot of my friends are tall women (5'10" - 6'). They often date guys who are about their height (or an inch or two taller), so I'm always the smallest and the shortest when I hang out with them.
Well, the problem is, I wasn't joking about Sharon's fondness for penny sweets, and she still gets charged child fares on the Bus on occasion, despite being 31 years old. She's actually had to take her Birth Certificate to the cinema to prove she was over 18, so God alone knows what they thought of her hanging round with an old half-bald computer-geek :/
Ah sweet!! I am sure she will be pleased by that in a few more years :D Speaking about that, I got "id" last week at a bar when I was out with a few people from the lab for happy hour. The bartender wouldn't serve me alcohol unless I showed my id to prove that I was over 21. I didn't have my id with me that day so I didn't get a drink :blah:
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Ah sweet!! I am sure she will be pleased by that in a few more years :D Speaking about that, I got "id" last week at a bar when I was out with a few people from the lab for happy hour. The bartender wouldn't serve me alcohol unless I showed my id to prove that I was over 21. I didn't have my id with me that day so I didn't get a drink :blah:
Tsch, you shouldn't be going to bars when you're too young anyways........
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I haven't bought roses for my girlfriend but i plan on buying her a necklace or a bracelet.
Necklace is the far more romantic (and serious) choice.
Yeah i think so too. I am serious about our relationship and I want to show her that.
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I haven't bought roses for my girlfriend but i plan on buying her a necklace or a bracelet.
Necklace is the far more romantic (and serious) choice.
Yeah i think so too. I am serious about our relationship and I want to show her that.
There are, of course, certain other articles of jewellry that are even more serious..........;)
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Ah yes... smaller with shiny stone and very pricey...
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Ah yes... smaller with shiny stone and very pricey...
Very shiny, indeed. :D
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Oh yes, the 4Cs :D
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Ah yes... smaller with shiny stone and very pricey...
Very shinypricey, indeed. :D
Fixed. :P
And you only find out how pricey when you start looking :S