A Knowledge Journey Worth Taking: The Aging Brain
The brain is a three pound mass you can hold in your hand that can conceive of a universe a hundred-billion light years across.
-Dr. Marian Diamond
Some years ago I developed a theory about gender differences and the aging brain, which I won’t burden you with here. Confident in the “fact” that I was onto a scientific breakthrough; I decided to contact some leaders in the field of aging and neuroscience.
Top on my list as was the distinguished professor of anatomy at U.C. Berkeley, Dr. Marian C. Diamond. So, I organized my thoughts in a pithy email and cast it out to the cyber gods like a message in a bottle hoping to reach some distant shore.
The next day I’m going through the usual suspects of email and I see a reply from Marian Diamond…THE MARAIAN C. DIAMOND! My pulse quickened as I fumbled to open this email:
Dear Patrick,
I think you have caught the essence of aging in every sense of the word…the constant flow of new experiences. I don’t know if you have come in contact with my Five Basic “Ingredients” for a healthy brain at ANY age. These particular five items were confirmed by experiments in our laboratory.
I. Diet
II. Exercise
III. Challenge
IV. Newness
V. Love
She graciously went on to briefly elaborate on gender differences in the aging brains of rats in her studies. She ended with:
“Just continue to grow your dendrites until well over your 100 years. Warm regards, Marian Diamond.”
Five years later I still have that email and cherish it…
Dr. Diamond has contributed greatly to our understanding how the brain works and in turn debunked culturally constructed myths about aging.
She is now in her 80’s and continues to lead by example every day incorporating her five ingredients for a healthy aging brain. I encourage you to look into her work; it’s a knowledge journey worth taking.
See
Bio Dr. Diamond
Dr. Marian Diamond video
5 Ingredients of a Healthy Aging Brain
My Love Affair With the Brain: Luna Productions
catherine ryan
Hi Patrick, the article with Marian’s photo looks great! one request, would you put the photo credit with our url on the photo? i see you list the documentary at the bottom of your article, and thank you for that. i would like the link on the photo because currently when one finds the photo, it links to you, not us. and we need to reach all the eyes we can to complete this project! and it is our photo. thank you, catherine