12/12/99 13:08:15   (TonyBuzan)   Good evening
12/12/99 13:08:17   (TonyBuzan)   Welcome everybody
12/12/99 13:08:37   (MSO_Admin)   Yes hello and welcome.
12/12/99 13:08:44   (TonyBuzan)   Welcome to the end of this year, decade, century and millennial discussion on the human brain
12/12/99 13:08:56   (TonyBuzan)   Welcome in advance to the new century and the new millennium
12/12/99 13:09:05   (TonyBuzan)   which have been declared by the Brain Trust charity
12/12/99 13:09:09   (TonyBuzan)   to be the Century of the Brain
12/12/99 13:09:14   (TonyBuzan)   and the Millennium of the Mind.
12/12/99 13:09:33   (TonyBuzan)   I am ready to take questions and looking forward to what you have to say!
12/12/99 13:10:08   (MSO_Admin)   Welcome one and all and especially Tony Buzan!
12/12/99 13:10:36   (MSO_Admin)   We would like to thank Mr. Buzan for taking this time to chat with us.
12/12/99 13:10:57   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 13:11:22   (MSO_Admin)   Go ahead please Book.
12/12/99 13:12:17   (Book)   What has been the most useful mind techinque for you and why?
12/12/99 13:12:37   (TonyBuzan)   Let me answer that question by
12/12/99 13:12:44   (TonyBuzan)   giving a little history of
12/12/99 13:12:50   (TonyBuzan)   my own mental skills development.
12/12/99 13:12:54   (TonyBuzan)   When I was 13,
12/12/99 13:12:59   (TonyBuzan)   I was given a speed reading test
12/12/99 13:13:09   (TonyBuzan)   and scored 213 words per minute
12/12/99 13:13:14   (TonyBuzan)   which was second in my class.
12/12/99 13:13:16   (TonyBuzan)   The top student,
12/12/99 13:13:23   (TonyBuzan)   a girl, scored over 300.
12/12/99 13:13:41   (TonyBuzan)   I immediately, of course,
12/12/99 13:13:49   (TonyBuzan)   asked my teacher how I could improve my own reading speed
12/12/99 13:13:53   (TonyBuzan)   and was told that I could not.
12/12/99 13:14:01   (TonyBuzan)   As I had already
12/12/99 13:14:12   (TonyBuzan)   been able to improve my muscular strength and physical speed
12/12/99 13:14:19   (TonyBuzan)   it seemed to me absurd
12/12/99 13:14:25   (TonyBuzan)   that I was being informed that I could not improve
12/12/99 13:14:30   (TonyBuzan)   a physical/mental skill
12/12/99 13:14:35   (TonyBuzan)   such as speed reading.
12/12/99 13:14:41   (TonyBuzan)   I immediately began training my eyes
12/12/99 13:14:46   (TonyBuzan)   and brain to accelerate
12/12/99 13:14:50   (TonyBuzan)   the rate at which I absorbed
12/12/99 13:14:53   (TonyBuzan)   written informationl
12/12/99 13:14:59   (TonyBuzan)   and within a fairly short
12/12/99 13:15:01   (TonyBuzan)   period of time
12/12/99 13:15:04   (TonyBuzan)   was able to read at
12/12/99 13:15:08   (TonyBuzan)   over 400 words per minute.
12/12/99 13:15:15   (TonyBuzan)   with good comprehension.
12/12/99 13:15:19   (TonyBuzan)   This was my first realisation
12/12/99 13:15:29   (TonyBuzan)   that my brain was indeed somewhat like a muscle,
12/12/99 13:15:35   (TonyBuzan)   and that its strength could be increased.
12/12/99 13:15:40   (TonyBuzan)   Speed reading showed me the way
12/12/99 13:15:51   (TonyBuzan)   and must therefore be considered
12/12/99 13:15:59   (TonyBuzan)   as one of my most important mental developments.
12/12/99 13:16:02   (TonyBuzan)   It enabled me
12/12/99 13:16:06   (TonyBuzan)   to get through all my
12/12/99 13:16:11   (TonyBuzan)   school and university studies
12/12/99 13:16:16   (TonyBuzan)   at over twice the rate
12/12/99 13:16:20   (TonyBuzan)   that I would have taken previously.
12/12/99 13:16:27   (TonyBuzan)   In addition, during my first year
12/12/99 13:16:31   (TonyBuzan)   at university,
12/12/99 13:16:37   (TonyBuzan)   a kindly professor introduced me to the
12/12/99 13:16:45   (TonyBuzan)   tantalising and fascinating world
12/12/99 13:16:47   (TonyBuzan)   of mnemonics
12/12/99 13:17:01   (TonyBuzan)   - the memory systems developed by the Greeks at the height of their renaissance.
12/12/99 13:17:06   (TonyBuzan)   In literally one day,
12/12/99 13:17:10   (TonyBuzan)   I was able to magnify
12/12/99 13:17:19   (TonyBuzan)   the power of my short- , medium- and long-term recall
12/12/99 13:17:24   (TonyBuzan)   by a factor of ten.
12/12/99 13:17:31   (TonyBuzan)   I was staggered
12/12/99 13:17:38   (TonyBuzan)   and immediately began to try this new
12/12/99 13:17:44   (TonyBuzan)   mental skill for the memorisation of all my studies
12/12/99 13:17:48   (TonyBuzan)   enabling me to maintain
12/12/99 13:17:54   (TonyBuzan)   my marks in a fraction of the time
12/12/99 13:18:05   (TonyBuzan)   I was thus able to spend a lot more of my time
12/12/99 13:18:15   (TonyBuzan)   on athletic, social and
12/12/99 13:18:24   (TonyBuzan)   mind sport and other pursuits.
12/12/99 13:18:30   (TonyBuzan)   Over the years,
12/12/99 13:18:36   (TonyBuzan)   my fascination with mnemonics
12/12/99 13:18:43   (TonyBuzan)   led me to the development of my third
12/12/99 13:18:47   (TonyBuzan)   major mental tool,
12/12/99 13:18:49   (TonyBuzan)   the mind map,
12/12/99 13:19:06   (TonyBuzan)   This tool initially invented as a multi-dimensional memory technique,
12/12/99 13:19:08   (TonyBuzan)   I soon discovered,
12/12/99 13:19:13   (TonyBuzan)   with the help of my brother,
12/12/99 13:19:18   (TonyBuzan)   Professor Barry Buzan,
12/12/99 13:19:26   (TonyBuzan)   was like a Swiss Army Knife for the brain
12/12/99 13:19:30   (TonyBuzan)   and could be applied to
12/12/99 13:19:36   (TonyBuzan)   literally any area of mental activity,
12/12/99 13:19:41   (TonyBuzan)   including memory,
12/12/99 13:19:45   (TonyBuzan)   creative thinking,
12/12/99 13:19:47   (TonyBuzan)   planning,
12/12/99 13:19:51   (TonyBuzan)   decision-making,
12/12/99 13:19:54   (TonyBuzan)   communication,
12/12/99 13:19:59   (TonyBuzan)   and writing etc.
12/12/99 13:20:06   (TonyBuzan)   Indeed, the Mind Map Book
12/12/99 13:20:12   (TonyBuzan)   written with my brother
12/12/99 13:20:20   (TonyBuzan)   was entirely planned by Mind Maps.
12/12/99 13:20:33   (TonyBuzan)   In summary, then,
12/12/99 13:20:38   (TonyBuzan)   the main three tools
12/12/99 13:20:53   (TonyBuzan)   are speed reading, memory systems and the Mind Map.
12/12/99 13:21:03   (Janus)   ?
12/12/99 13:21:11   (TonyBuzan)   Next question, please!
12/12/99 13:21:28   (MSO_Admin)   Good question Book.  Go ahead Janus.
12/12/99 13:21:42   (Book)   Thank you for an excellent answer.
12/12/99 13:21:52   (TonyBuzan)   Thank you!
12/12/99 13:21:56   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 13:22:18   (Janus)   How does the mindmapping at Mso work?
12/12/99 13:22:28   (TonyBuzan)   Right!
12/12/99 13:22:34   (TonyBuzan)   In the Mind Mapping competition at MSO,
12/12/99 13:22:46   (TonyBuzan)   and you are encouraged to enter the next event in August 2000,
12/12/99 13:22:53   (TonyBuzan)   the participants are given different tasks,
12/12/99 13:23:02   (TonyBuzan)   that they are asked to Mind Map.
12/12/99 13:23:08   (TonyBuzan)   In one test, they are provided
12/12/99 13:23:10   (TonyBuzan)   with a magazine
12/12/99 13:23:21   (TonyBuzan)   and are asked to Mind Map their summary of the entire periodical.
12/12/99 13:23:31   (TonyBuzan)   They are given adequate time for this,
12/12/99 13:23:34   (TonyBuzan)   to both read and Mind Map,
12/12/99 13:23:41   (TonyBuzan)   although speed reading does help!
12/12/99 13:23:45   (TonyBuzan)   In another test,
12/12/99 13:23:53   (TonyBuzan)   they are given a 15-minute to 30-minute lecture,
12/12/99 13:23:58   (TonyBuzan)   which they Mind Map "live",
12/12/99 13:24:06   (TonyBuzan)   In the third task,
12/12/99 13:24:12   (TonyBuzan)   they are asked to choose their own topic
12/12/99 13:24:17   (TonyBuzan)   and to produce a particularly
12/12/99 13:24:21   (TonyBuzan)   original mind map.
12/12/99 13:24:26   (TonyBuzan)   The mind map judging panel
12/12/99 13:24:30   (TonyBuzan)   marks on the basis of
12/12/99 13:24:34   (TonyBuzan)   clarity,
12/12/99 13:24:39   (TonyBuzan)   adherence to mind mappping principles,
12/12/99 13:24:42   (TonyBuzan)   originality,
12/12/99 13:24:48   (TonyBuzan)   creativity,
12/12/99 13:24:50   (TonyBuzan)   depth of thought,
12/12/99 13:25:00   (TonyBuzan)   and the global aesthetic value of the Mind Map.
12/12/99 13:25:09   (TonyBuzan)   I look forward to seeing Janus's Mind Maps!
12/12/99 13:25:14   (TonyBuzan)   For further information on Mind Mapping,
12/12/99 13:25:21   (TonyBuzan)   contact the Buzan Centres,
12/12/99 13:25:34   (TonyBuzan)   at +44 1202 674676.
12/12/99 13:25:46   (TonyBuzan)   Or +44 1202 674776.
12/12/99 13:25:50   (TonyBuzan)   Or by e-mail
12/12/99 13:25:59   (TonyBuzan)   to buzan@mind-map.com
12/12/99 13:26:09   (TonyBuzan)   Next question please!
12/12/99 13:26:34   (MSO_Admin)   Thank you for that question, Janus.  Book is next please.
12/12/99 13:27:03   (Book)   Have you ever noticed negative affects in using these techniques?
12/12/99 13:27:20   (TonyBuzan)   No.
12/12/99 13:27:25   (TonyBuzan)   Let me just expand on that a bit;
12/12/99 13:27:30   (TonyBuzan)   People often assume
12/12/99 13:27:34   (TonyBuzan)   that if you read fast
12/12/99 13:27:39   (TonyBuzan)   you lose comprehension.
12/12/99 13:27:42   (TonyBuzan)   The opposite is true.
12/12/99 13:27:49   (TonyBuzan)   The faster you are able to take in material,
12/12/99 13:27:54   (TonyBuzan)   in meaningful groups of words,
12/12/99 13:27:58   (TonyBuzan)   the better your understanding,
12/12/99 13:28:04   (TonyBuzan)   comprehension and concentration become.
12/12/99 13:28:09   (TonyBuzan)   Again, people often think that
12/12/99 13:28:14   (TonyBuzan)   using memory systems
12/12/99 13:28:19   (TonyBuzan)   somehow disconnects the information
12/12/99 13:28:22   (TonyBuzan)   in your memory banks
12/12/99 13:28:25   (TonyBuzan)   and also endangers you
12/12/99 13:28:32   (TonyBuzan)   of "filling up your brain"
12/12/99 13:28:36   (TonyBuzan)   Both of these are
12/12/99 13:28:41   (TonyBuzan)   complete misconceptions
12/12/99 13:28:49   (TonyBuzan)   The memory systems actually help you
12/12/99 13:28:56   (TonyBuzan)   organise, structure and network the information in your brain.
12/12/99 13:29:02   (TonyBuzan)   The capacity of your brain
12/12/99 13:29:04   (TonyBuzan)   is so gigantic
12/12/99 13:29:08   (TonyBuzan)   that if you were to fill it with
12/12/99 13:29:15   (TonyBuzan)   a thousand pieces of information
12/12/99 13:29:17   (TonyBuzan)   every second
12/12/99 13:29:20   (TonyBuzan)   it would not be nearly full
12/12/99 13:29:24   (TonyBuzan)   after a thousand years.
12/12/99 13:29:36   (TonyBuzan)   Mind Mapping involves the use of both the left
12/12/99 13:29:39   (TonyBuzan)   and the right cortex
12/12/99 13:29:45   (TonyBuzan)   and all the major memory principles
12/12/99 13:29:51   (TonyBuzan)   It has no disadvantages
12/12/99 13:29:55   (TonyBuzan)   and only enhances
12/12/99 13:29:56   (TonyBuzan)   the way in which
12/12/99 13:29:58   (TonyBuzan)   the brain can
12/12/99 13:30:00   (TonyBuzan)   think or feel.
12/12/99 13:30:14   (TonyBuzan)   Next question, please!
12/12/99 13:30:27   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks again to Book for another good question!
12/12/99 13:30:53   (MSO_Admin)   If there are no other questions I would like to ask one.
12/12/99 13:31:05   (MSO_Admin)   Professor Steve Jones, leading geneticist at the University College of London has suggested in the Sunday Times today that human physical evolution has come to an end.  Other genetic scientists believe that our brains will go on evolving even if our bodies do not.  What is your view on this?
12/12/99 13:31:05   (TonyBuzan)   Please, go ahead
12/12/99 13:31:37   (TonyBuzan)   My view
12/12/99 13:31:38   (TonyBuzan)   is that evolution
12/12/99 13:31:42   (TonyBuzan)   will continue to evolve!
12/12/99 13:31:53   (TonyBuzan)   If one takes the
12/12/99 13:31:59   (TonyBuzan)   current scientific view
12/12/99 13:32:07   (TonyBuzan)   of the history of evolution and intelligence,
12/12/99 13:32:11   (TonyBuzan)   a fascinating numerical pattern
12/12/99 13:32:14   (TonyBuzan)   becomes apparent
12/12/99 13:32:21   (TonyBuzan)   The life of the universe
12/12/99 13:32:26   (TonyBuzan)   is estimated to be
12/12/99 13:32:30   (TonyBuzan)   12 billion years.
12/12/99 13:32:42   (TonyBuzan)   (12,000,000,000 years)
12/12/99 13:32:51   (TonyBuzan)   Our planet
12/12/99 13:32:59   (TonyBuzan)   is 5,000,000,000 years old.
12/12/99 13:33:03   (TonyBuzan)   Life evolved
12/12/99 13:33:08   (TonyBuzan)   an incredibly short time
12/12/99 13:33:12   (TonyBuzan)   after the formation of the planet -
12/12/99 13:33:18   (TonyBuzan)   4,500,000,000 years ago;
12/12/99 13:33:23   (TonyBuzan)   astoundingly,
12/12/99 13:33:27   (TonyBuzan)   homo sapiens
12/12/99 13:33:35   (TonyBuzan)   appeared only 3,000,000 years ago.
12/12/99 13:33:40   (TonyBuzan)   The modern brain
12/12/99 13:33:47   (TonyBuzan)   , the one with which you are
12/12/99 13:33:50   (TonyBuzan)   engaged in this conversation,
12/12/99 13:34:00   (TonyBuzan)   is a mere 50,000 years old -
12/12/99 13:34:04   (TonyBuzan)   you have the latest model!
12/12/99 13:34:08   (TonyBuzan)   Civilization
12/12/99 13:34:24   (TonyBuzan)   (if you believe civilization has ever existed!)
12/12/99 13:34:30   (TonyBuzan)   has existed for only 10,000 years
12/12/99 13:34:36   (TonyBuzan)   9571425700f the information
12/12/99 13:34:41   (TonyBuzan)   ever discovered about the internal
12/12/99 13:34:45   (TonyBuzan)   workings of the human brain
12/12/99 13:34:48   (TonyBuzan)   has been discovered
12/12/99 13:34:54   (TonyBuzan)   in the last _10_ years!
12/12/99 13:34:58   (TonyBuzan)   That information
12/12/99 13:35:00   (TonyBuzan)   we know
12/12/99 13:35:11   (TonyBuzan)   comprises less than 171425700f what there is to be known.
12/12/99 13:35:14   (TonyBuzan)   In addition to this,
12/12/99 13:35:19   (TonyBuzan)   there is also the fact that in the 1950s,
12/12/99 13:35:25   (TonyBuzan)   it was estimated that we
12/12/99 13:35:35   (TonyBuzan)   use only 5071425700f our brain's capacity.
12/12/99 13:35:38   (TonyBuzan)   By the 1960s,
12/12/99 13:35:44   (TonyBuzan)   it had been reduced to 40;
12/12/99 13:35:48   (TonyBuzan)   by the 1970s, to 30,
12/12/99 13:35:54   (TonyBuzan)   by the 1980s, to between 10 and 20;
12/12/99 13:36:01   (TonyBuzan)   and in the 1990s, to less than 1!
12/12/99 13:36:06   (TonyBuzan)   This looks like a
12/12/99 13:36:09   (TonyBuzan)   very depressing statistic
12/12/99 13:36:13   (TonyBuzan)   when in fact it is the
12/12/99 13:36:18   (TonyBuzan)   opposite; it shows that
12/12/99 13:36:23   (TonyBuzan)   although our "use" has been constant,
12/12/99 13:36:26   (TonyBuzan)   our awareness of
12/12/99 13:36:29   (TonyBuzan)   the potential has grown to
12/12/99 13:36:33   (TonyBuzan)   gigantic proportions.
12/12/99 13:36:37   (TonyBuzan)   We realise that the
12/12/99 13:36:42   (TonyBuzan)   equipment between our ears
12/12/99 13:36:46   (TonyBuzan)   is many, many, many
12/12/99 13:36:50   (TonyBuzan)   times greater than we had
12/12/99 13:36:54   (TonyBuzan)   previously thought.
12/12/99 13:36:57   (TonyBuzan)   Coincidentally,
12/12/99 13:37:03   (TonyBuzan)   we are aware at the turn of
12/12/99 13:37:07   (TonyBuzan)   the century and millennium
12/12/99 13:37:16   (TonyBuzan)   that an evolutionary
12/12/99 13:37:25   (TonyBuzan)   turning-point in the development of intelligence.
12/12/99 13:37:29   (TonyBuzan)   The instrument (the brain)
12/12/99 13:37:36   (TonyBuzan)   which for tens of thousands of years
12/12/99 13:37:48   (TonyBuzan)   had focused on the external environment
12/12/99 13:37:50   (TonyBuzan)   splitting the atom
12/12/99 13:37:55   (TonyBuzan)   learning to fly,
12/12/99 13:38:05   (TonyBuzan)   building the world's great edifices,
12/12/99 13:38:07   (TonyBuzan)   inventing the engine,
12/12/99 13:38:15   (TonyBuzan)   medicine, the sciences and the arts,
12/12/99 13:38:21   (TonyBuzan)   and exploring to the ends of the universe
12/12/99 13:38:24   (TonyBuzan)   with both vehicles
12/12/99 13:38:29   (TonyBuzan)   and eyes that can see
12/12/99 13:38:35   (TonyBuzan)   15,000,000,000 light years
12/12/99 13:38:39   (TonyBuzan)   has suddenly began
12/12/99 13:38:43   (TonyBuzan)   to focus attention
12/12/99 13:38:45   (TonyBuzan)   upon itself,
12/12/99 13:38:49   (TonyBuzan)   The consequences
12/12/99 13:38:53   (TonyBuzan)   will be inevitably
12/12/99 13:38:56   (TonyBuzan)   dramatic and amazing
12/12/99 13:39:00   (TonyBuzan)   and will dwarf anything that
12/12/99 13:39:07   (TonyBuzan)   the human race has accomplished so far.
12/12/99 13:39:09   (TonyBuzan)   We are literally
12/12/99 13:39:16   (TonyBuzan)   at the beginning of the dawn
12/12/99 13:39:20   (TonyBuzan)   of intelligence
12/12/99 13:39:22   (TonyBuzan)   and the evolution
12/12/99 13:39:25   (TonyBuzan)   of that intelligence
12/12/99 13:39:29   (TonyBuzan)   will accelerate
12/12/99 13:39:34   (TonyBuzan)   at a rate
12/12/99 13:39:35   (TonyBuzan)   far greater than that of the
12/12/99 13:39:55   (TonyBuzan)   ...than it has ever done before,
12/12/99 13:39:59   (TonyBuzan)   taking the inverse pyramid
12/12/99 13:40:05   (TonyBuzan)   of the previous numbers,
12/12/99 13:40:12   (TonyBuzan)   the funnel of the
12/12/99 13:40:14   (TonyBuzan)   final second of
12/12/99 13:40:19   (TonyBuzan)   this century and millennium
12/12/99 13:40:27   (TonyBuzan)   will lead us through a great "wormhole"
12/12/99 13:40:29   (TonyBuzan)   of evolution
12/12/99 13:40:35   (TonyBuzan)   into an explosive new renaissance
12/12/99 13:40:53   (TonyBuzan)   the size which the flames of the Greek and Italian renaissances
12/12/99 13:41:00   (TonyBuzan)   will look like the flames of a candle
12/12/99 13:41:06   (TonyBuzan)   compared to the plasma loops of our own sun.
12/12/99 13:41:09   (TonyBuzan)   That is why
12/12/99 13:41:14   (TonyBuzan)   the Brain Trust charity
12/12/99 13:41:19   (TonyBuzan)   has declared the next century
12/12/99 13:41:24   (TonyBuzan)   to be the Century of the Brain
12/12/99 13:41:28   (TonyBuzan)   and the next millennium
12/12/99 13:41:33   (TonyBuzan)   to be the Millennium of the Mind.
12/12/99 13:41:35   (TonyBuzan)   Because of this,
12/12/99 13:42:33   (TonyBuzan)   from midnight on New Century and Millennium Day,
12/12/99 13:42:39   (TonyBuzan)   we will be welcoming around the world
12/12/99 13:42:43   (TonyBuzan)   all those who wish to launch
12/12/99 13:42:50   (TonyBuzan)   with us this major new initiative.
12/12/99 13:42:57   (TonyBuzan)   in the development
12/12/99 13:43:06   (TonyBuzan)   of and promulgation of information about
12/12/99 13:43:10   (TonyBuzan)   intelligence.
12/12/99 13:43:12   (TonyBuzan)   Come and join us!
12/12/99 13:43:24   (TonyBuzan)   Next question, please!
12/12/99 13:43:28   (MSO_Admin)   Thank you for that answer.  If anyone has a question please type "?"
12/12/99 13:43:35   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 13:43:51   (MSO_Admin)   Please go ahead Book.
12/12/99 13:44:23   (Book)   I'm interested in learning new languages, like Esperanto.
12/12/99 13:44:40   (Book)   What techniques are most usefule for that?
12/12/99 13:44:55   (TonyBuzan)   I'm delighted
12/12/99 13:44:58   (TonyBuzan)   you asked that question
12/12/99 13:45:02   (TonyBuzan)   as the learning
12/12/99 13:45:04   (TonyBuzan)   of new languages
12/12/99 13:45:09   (TonyBuzan)   has become a recent passion of mine
12/12/99 13:45:13   (TonyBuzan)   and in the New Year
12/12/99 13:45:15   (TonyBuzan)   I shall be applying
12/12/99 13:45:20   (TonyBuzan)   all my knowledge
12/12/99 13:45:24   (TonyBuzan)   of the brain and its workings
12/12/99 13:45:35   (TonyBuzan)   to the acquisition of Spanish.
12/12/99 13:45:44   (TonyBuzan)   Current feeling is that once a person is over forty years old,
12/12/99 13:45:51   (TonyBuzan)   that person's language-learning days are over!
12/12/99 13:45:55   (TonyBuzan)   It is also generally held
12/12/99 13:46:04   (TonyBuzan)   that a three-year-old infant
12/12/99 13:46:07   (TonyBuzan)   can learn a new language
12/12/99 13:46:11   (TonyBuzan)   at a much more rapid rate
12/12/99 13:46:15   (TonyBuzan)   than any adult.
12/12/99 13:46:19   (TonyBuzan)   I'm going to attempt
12/12/99 13:46:22   (TonyBuzan)   to disprove all this!
12/12/99 13:46:29   (TonyBuzan)   My recommended approach
12/12/99 13:46:35   (TonyBuzan)   and do please follow me
12/12/99 13:46:37   (TonyBuzan)   on this web site
12/12/99 13:46:40   (TonyBuzan)   in the coming year
12/12/99 13:46:42   (TonyBuzan)   as I conduct this
12/12/99 13:46:52   (TonyBuzan)   experiment on myself,
12/12/99 13:46:56   (TonyBuzan)   is the following:
12/12/99 13:47:05   (TonyBuzan)   1) Realise that all languages
12/12/99 13:47:09   (TonyBuzan)   in their spoken form
12/12/99 13:47:14   (TonyBuzan)   involve people in the use
12/12/99 13:47:22   (TonyBuzan)   of only between 1,000 to 2,000 words
12/12/99 13:47:26   (TonyBuzan)   This is far less
12/12/99 13:47:34   (TonyBuzan)   than the tens of thousands of words
12/12/99 13:47:39   (TonyBuzan)   people *think* they have to learn.
12/12/99 13:47:44   (TonyBuzan)   2) In view of the above,
12/12/99 13:47:47   (TonyBuzan)   apply memory systems
12/12/99 13:47:54   (TonyBuzan)   to the acquisition of this new vocabulary
12/12/99 13:47:59   (TonyBuzan)   and the task already begins to seem
12/12/99 13:48:07   (TonyBuzan)   surprisingly easy and simple.
12/12/99 13:48:14   (TonyBuzan)   3) Mind Map all new vocabulary words
12/12/99 13:48:27   (TonyBuzan)   combining these with the images appropriate to them.
12/12/99 13:48:29   (TonyBuzan)   In this way,
12/12/99 13:48:31   (TonyBuzan)   you will be linking
12/12/99 13:48:35   (TonyBuzan)   this language to itself
12/12/99 13:48:38   (TonyBuzan)   and to its images
12/12/99 13:48:43   (TonyBuzan)   rather than using
12/12/99 13:48:47   (TonyBuzan)   the more cumbersome method
12/12/99 13:48:53   (TonyBuzan)   of linking every foreign word
12/12/99 13:48:59   (TonyBuzan)   to a word in your own language
12/12/99 13:49:04   (TonyBuzan)   and then having to translate them
12/12/99 13:49:10   (TonyBuzan)   into their own semantic and language form.
12/12/99 13:49:21   (TonyBuzan)   4) Learn the accent!
12/12/99 13:49:24   (TonyBuzan)   Most people are afraid
12/12/99 13:49:29   (TonyBuzan)   to make fools of themself.
12/12/99 13:49:38   (TonyBuzan)   This is a dangerous impediment to good language learning!
12/12/99 13:49:42   (TonyBuzan)   When learning a new language,
12/12/99 13:49:50   (TonyBuzan)   _whatever_ language it is,
12/12/99 13:49:52   (TonyBuzan)   study the
12/12/99 13:49:54   (TonyBuzan)   accent
12/12/99 13:49:58   (TonyBuzan)   and in your own learning
12/12/99 13:50:01   (TonyBuzan)   accentuate it
12/12/99 13:50:04   (TonyBuzan)   as a mimic would
12/12/99 13:50:08   (TonyBuzan)   This will allow you
12/12/99 13:50:13   (TonyBuzan)   to become deeply sonically
12/12/99 13:50:19   (TonyBuzan)   familiar with the music of the new language.
12/12/99 13:50:27   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 13:50:30   (TonyBuzan)   5) Read books in the language.
12/12/99 13:50:39   (TonyBuzan)   Do *not* immediately try to read
12/12/99 13:50:44   (TonyBuzan)   encyclopaedic tomes;
12/12/99 13:50:52   (TonyBuzan)   buy very young children's books
12/12/99 13:50:56   (TonyBuzan)   in the new language.
12/12/99 13:51:02   (TonyBuzan)   These books will contain the basic key words
12/12/99 13:51:04   (TonyBuzan)   you need
12/12/99 13:51:08   (TonyBuzan)   and will be liberally
12/12/99 13:51:11   (TonyBuzan)   sprinkled with images
12/12/99 13:51:16   (TonyBuzan)   which will again enhance
12/12/99 13:51:20   (TonyBuzan)   your learning ability.
12/12/99 13:51:24   (TonyBuzan)   A picture really is worth
12/12/99 13:51:26   (TonyBuzan)   a thousand words
12/12/99 13:51:29   (TonyBuzan)   in these instances!
12/12/99 13:51:37   (TonyBuzan)   6) I've hinted at before
12/12/99 13:51:44   (TonyBuzan)   feel free to make mistakes.
12/12/99 13:51:49   (TonyBuzan)   Mistakes are fun
12/12/99 13:51:54   (TonyBuzan)   natural and a wonderful way to learn anything.
12/12/99 13:52:02   (TonyBuzan)   7) Find good teachers in the language
12/12/99 13:52:08   (TonyBuzan)   and make sure you study with them
12/12/99 13:52:20   (TonyBuzan)   in a serious *and* playful way.
12/12/99 13:52:23   (TonyBuzan)   Very often the best teachers
12/12/99 13:52:27   (TonyBuzan)   are children under the age of 10!
12/12/99 13:52:32   (TonyBuzan)   8) If possible,
12/12/99 13:52:35   (TonyBuzan)   go to the country
12/12/99 13:52:39   (TonyBuzan)   where the language is spoken
12/12/99 13:52:42   (TonyBuzan)   and totally absorb yourself
12/12/99 13:52:48   (TonyBuzan)   both in the language itself
12/12/99 13:52:57   (TonyBuzan)   and in *all* aspects of the culture.
12/12/99 13:53:08   (TonyBuzan)   9) Study the way in which a baby learns language.
12/12/99 13:53:13   (TonyBuzan)   Babies are by far the best
12/12/99 13:53:18   (TonyBuzan)   language learners on the planet,
12/12/99 13:53:24   (TonyBuzan)   not because they have better brains than us,
12/12/99 13:53:28   (TonyBuzan)   but because they have not been taught
12/12/99 13:53:34   (TonyBuzan)   to use their brains
12/12/99 13:53:36   (TonyBuzan)   in ways that are
12/12/99 13:53:41   (TonyBuzan)   counter-productive. We have!
12/12/99 13:53:47   (TonyBuzan)   Therefore, mimic everything you
12/12/99 13:53:53   (TonyBuzan)   see babies doing in learning languages
12/12/99 13:53:58   (TonyBuzan)   including happily making mistakes
12/12/99 13:54:11   (TonyBuzan)   observing intently with *all* their senses
12/12/99 13:54:15   (TonyBuzan)   the language figures around them
12/12/99 13:54:21   (TonyBuzan)   and persisting
12/12/99 13:54:27   (TonyBuzan)   in the way that great geniuses do.
12/12/99 13:54:42   (TonyBuzan)   Book, keep me posted of your own progress
12/12/99 13:54:51   (TonyBuzan)   and any useful techniques that
12/12/99 13:54:59   (TonyBuzan)   you develop while pursuing Esperanto
12/12/99 13:55:03   (TonyBuzan)   or any other language;
12/12/99 13:55:05   (TonyBuzan)   I will similarly
12/12/99 13:55:07   (TonyBuzan)   keep you posted
12/12/99 13:55:09   (TonyBuzan)   of my own
12/12/99 13:55:16   (TonyBuzan)   Pilgrim's Progress!
12/12/99 13:55:21   (TonyBuzan)   It is my firm belief
12/12/99 13:55:26   (TonyBuzan)   that with appropriate techniques
12/12/99 13:55:32   (TonyBuzan)   applied to the process of learning any language
12/12/99 13:55:37   (TonyBuzan)   a new language can be acquired
12/12/99 13:55:40   (TonyBuzan)   comfortably
12/12/99 13:55:43   (TonyBuzan)   within three months.
12/12/99 13:55:48   (TonyBuzan)   Let the games begin!
12/12/99 13:55:52   (TonyBuzan)   Ready for the next one!
12/12/99 13:56:00   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks for another good question. Book, you are welcome to ask the next.
12/12/99 13:56:23   (Book)   Thank you for an excellent answer again! I have followed many of the
12/12/99 13:56:50   (Book)   pieces of advice in my studies. But how to choose the 1000 words?
12/12/99 13:57:13   (Book)   You already touched that a bit, with children books.
12/12/99 13:57:28   (TonyBuzan)   In any language,
12/12/99 13:57:33   (TonyBuzan)   the one thousand words that I mentioned
12/12/99 13:57:37   (TonyBuzan)   will make up 90
12/12/99 13:57:43   (TonyBuzan)   or even nearly 100
12/12/99 13:57:47   (TonyBuzan)   of any standard conversation
12/12/99 13:57:52   (TonyBuzan)   Amazingly,
12/12/99 13:57:56   (TonyBuzan)   the first 100 of that 1000
12/12/99 13:58:03   (TonyBuzan)   make up *50 of all conversation
12/12/99 13:58:13   (TonyBuzan)   The basic question-words
12/12/99 13:58:22   (TonyBuzan)   and fundamental pronouns are obviously included
12/12/99 13:58:31   (TonyBuzan)   In my book, "Master Your Memory",
12/12/99 13:58:37   (TonyBuzan)   I give you the first 100.
12/12/99 13:58:51   (TonyBuzan)   (Those which make up 5071425700f conversation.)
12/12/99 13:58:55   (TonyBuzan)   The remaining 900
12/12/99 13:59:04   (TonyBuzan)   you can fairly easily make up yourself
12/12/99 13:59:09   (TonyBuzan)   by scanning common nouns
12/12/99 13:59:14   (TonyBuzan)   such as house,
12/12/99 13:59:21   (TonyBuzan)   hat and sky etc.
12/12/99 13:59:40   (TonyBuzan)   by including primary scientific information
12/12/99 13:59:45   (TonyBuzan)   such as the colours of the rainbow
12/12/99 13:59:51   (TonyBuzan)   by getting down such basics as
12/12/99 14:00:01   (TonyBuzan)   numbers, days of the week and months of the year
12/12/99 14:00:05   (TonyBuzan)   and by including
12/12/99 14:00:06   (TonyBuzan)   the major foods
12/12/99 14:00:10   (TonyBuzan)   that are important to you.
12/12/99 14:00:38   (TonyBuzan)   Another additional and delightful piece of information
12/12/99 14:00:45   (TonyBuzan)   is the fact that many European languages
12/12/99 14:00:52   (TonyBuzan)   one could easily argue,
12/12/99 14:00:58   (TonyBuzan)   are in fact not different languages at all
12/12/99 14:01:03   (TonyBuzan)   but pretty much the same language
12/12/99 14:01:10   (TonyBuzan)   spoken with a different accent.
12/12/99 14:01:20   (TonyBuzan)   For example, in English, French, Spanish and German,
12/12/99 14:01:26   (TonyBuzan)   well over 200 of the basic 1,000 words
12/12/99 14:01:31   (TonyBuzan)   are virtually identical
12/12/99 14:01:38   (TonyBuzan)   and simply pronounced differently.
12/12/99 14:01:44   (TonyBuzan)   One easy example of this
12/12/99 14:01:50   (TonyBuzan)   is the word "excellent";
12/12/99 14:02:03   (TonyBuzan)   and all the modern computer and electronic vocabularies
12/12/99 14:02:11   (TonyBuzan)   which are global
12/12/99 14:02:16   (TonyBuzan)   and are incorporated into the language
12/12/99 14:02:21   (TonyBuzan)   with the particular accent
12/12/99 14:02:25   (TonyBuzan)   of that particular language.
12/12/99 14:02:27   (TonyBuzan)   In fact,
12/12/99 14:02:32   (TonyBuzan)   I am getting so encouraged
12/12/99 14:02:37   (TonyBuzan)   by my own answers
12/12/99 14:02:37   (TonyBuzan)   that I think
12/12/99 14:02:41   (TonyBuzan)   I may have to reduce
12/12/99 14:02:45   (TonyBuzan)   that period of learning
12/12/99 14:02:46   (TonyBuzan)   a new language
12/12/99 14:02:50   (TonyBuzan)   from three months to two!
12/12/99 14:02:58   (TonyBuzan)   Finished; ready for the next!
12/12/99 14:03:11   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks again for that question Book, all the best in your studies.
12/12/99 14:03:17   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 14:03:31   (MSO_Admin)   Feel free, Book
12/12/99 14:04:06   (Book)   Thanks for the encouragment! We are emphasizing the human brain
12/12/99 14:04:40   (Book)   here. What value has a computer in enhancing the learning process?
12/12/99 14:05:04   (TonyBuzan)   Consider the computer
12/12/99 14:05:10   (TonyBuzan)   to be like a loved pet
12/12/99 14:05:20   (TonyBuzan)   In comparison to the human brain,
12/12/99 14:05:25   (TonyBuzan)   the following comparison can be made:
12/12/99 14:05:36   (TonyBuzan)   if we take the world's most powerful computer
12/12/99 14:05:46   (TonyBuzan)   and say, for the purposes of the metaphor,
12/12/99 14:05:51   (TonyBuzan)   that its power is represented
12/12/99 14:05:54   (TonyBuzan)   by a normal house
12/12/99 14:06:02   (TonyBuzan)   what size building would we need
12/12/99 14:06:05   (TonyBuzan)   to construct in order to
12/12/99 14:06:09   (TonyBuzan)   compare the capacity of
12/12/99 14:06:13   (TonyBuzan)   that most powerful computer
12/12/99 14:06:15   (TonyBuzan)   to the capacity
12/12/99 14:06:17   (TonyBuzan)   of the human brain?
12/12/99 14:06:23   (TonyBuzan)   Would it be a doll's house?
12/12/99 14:06:29   (TonyBuzan)   A single room?
12/12/99 14:06:37   (TonyBuzan)   A house the same size as the computer house/
12/12/99 14:06:40   (TonyBuzan)   Or something bigger?
12/12/99 14:06:46   (TonyBuzan)   In fact, it would be a building
12/12/99 14:06:59   (TonyBuzan)   a skyscraper ten blocks square at the base
12/12/99 14:07:04   (TonyBuzan)   and reaching to the moon!
12/12/99 14:07:19   (TonyBuzan)   So when learning a new language
12/12/99 14:07:28   (TonyBuzan)   primarily use your own
12/12/99 14:07:31   (TonyBuzan)   super bio-computer
12/12/99 14:07:36   (TonyBuzan)   and its massive powers
12/12/99 14:07:42   (TonyBuzan)   to take in information
12/12/99 14:07:52   (TonyBuzan)   store it, retrieve it,
12/12/99 14:07:56   (TonyBuzan)   use it and create from it.
12/12/99 14:08:03   (TonyBuzan)   Use the computer and the Web
12/12/99 14:08:08   (TonyBuzan)   to research and store data
12/12/99 14:08:12   (TonyBuzan)   about the language itself
12/12/99 14:08:18   (TonyBuzan)   and about the culture from which
12/12/99 14:08:23   (TonyBuzan)   that language emerges.
12/12/99 14:08:26   (TonyBuzan)   Also use the computer
12/12/99 14:08:29   (TonyBuzan)   as a testing agent
12/12/99 14:08:36   (TonyBuzan)   much like a good coach.
12/12/99 14:08:43   (TonyBuzan)   You can devise your own memory and other games
12/12/99 14:08:50   (TonyBuzan)   to your own satisfaction.
12/12/99 14:08:57   (TonyBuzan)   That's that! I'm ready for the next one!
12/12/99 14:09:05   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks for another good question Book.
12/12/99 14:09:24   (MSO_Admin)   Any more from Book, or anyone?
12/12/99 14:14:54      Server Started
12/12/99 14:17:51   (TonyBuzan)   Sorry about this!
12/12/99 14:18:48   (MSO_Admin)   A bit of a technical glitch there.
12/12/99 14:19:15   (MSO_Admin)   Are we all back and functioning?
12/12/99 14:19:20   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 14:19:54   (MSO_Admin)   Is Tony ready and working?
12/12/99 14:20:05   (TonyBuzan)   I'm here!
12/12/99 14:20:23   (MSO_Admin)   Book please go ahead then.
12/12/99 14:21:05   (Book)   You have coached the British Chess Team. How have people who
12/12/99 14:21:42   (Book)   haveused their 'own' tehcniques to reach Grand Master level been able
12/12/99 14:22:04   (Book)   to benefit from new techniques, and how have they accepted them?
12/12/99 14:22:22   (TonyBuzan)   The popular conception of mind sports
12/12/99 14:22:27   (TonyBuzan)   especially chess
12/12/99 14:22:37   (TonyBuzan)   is that they are entirely
12/12/99 14:22:41   (TonyBuzan)   left-brained pursuits
12/12/99 14:22:45   (TonyBuzan)   involving the use of logic,
12/12/99 14:22:52   (TonyBuzan)   linear thinking, logical thinking
12/12/99 14:22:56   (TonyBuzan)   and numerical analysis.
12/12/99 14:23:02   (TonyBuzan)   Indeed, this belief is
12/12/99 14:23:07   (TonyBuzan)   so pervasive that when
12/12/99 14:23:12   (TonyBuzan)   Raymond Keene was in school
12/12/99 14:23:19   (TonyBuzan)   and was already manifesting
12/12/99 14:23:24   (TonyBuzan)   a prodigious chess talent
12/12/99 14:23:35   (TonyBuzan)   that he would necessarily be
12/12/99 14:23:38   (TonyBuzan)   top of the class in
12/12/99 14:23:43   (TonyBuzan)   mathematics and physics
12/12/99 14:23:46   (TonyBuzan)   and not so skilled
12/12/99 14:23:51   (TonyBuzan)   in the other subjects.
12/12/99 14:23:57   (TonyBuzan)   In fact, exactly the opposite was true
12/12/99 14:24:03   (TonyBuzan)   Ray being top in all other subjects
12/12/99 14:24:11   (TonyBuzan)   and not at that stage of his life
12/12/99 14:24:12   (MArkL)   ?
12/12/99 14:24:15   (TonyBuzan)   particularly inspired
12/12/99 14:24:24   (TonyBuzan)   by mathematics and physics.
12/12/99 14:24:28   (TonyBuzan)   The truth, of course,
12/12/99 14:24:33   (TonyBuzan)   is that chess and all other mind sports
12/12/99 14:24:40   (TonyBuzan)   are "whole-brain" activities
12/12/99 14:24:46   (TonyBuzan)   involving, as they must,
12/12/99 14:24:56   (TonyBuzan)   logic and numerical and calculative thinking
12/12/99 14:25:06   (TonyBuzan)   and also the "right-brain activities"
12/12/99 14:25:13   (TonyBuzan)   of imagination, rhythm,
12/12/99 14:25:15   (TonyBuzan)   colour
12/12/99 14:25:19   (TonyBuzan)   and spatial awareness
12/12/99 14:25:22   (TonyBuzan)   etc.
12/12/99 14:25:27   (TonyBuzan)   In addition to these
12/12/99 14:25:32   (TonyBuzan)   necessary skills,
12/12/99 14:25:37   (TonyBuzan)   it is also important
12/12/99 14:25:39   (TonyBuzan)   for the mind sports player
12/12/99 14:25:42   (TonyBuzan)   to realise that
12/12/99 14:25:46   (TonyBuzan)   as his or her brain gets older
12/12/99 14:25:49   (TonyBuzan)   it will get better
12/12/99 14:25:54   (TonyBuzan)   if it is trained appropriately
12/12/99 14:25:58   (TonyBuzan)   and only worse if it is
12/12/99 14:26:02   (TonyBuzan)   trained inappropriately.
12/12/99 14:26:10   (TonyBuzan)   Another brain principle I emphasise
12/12/99 14:26:15   (TonyBuzan)   when coaching chess players
12/12/99 14:26:19   (TonyBuzan)   is that of persistence and
12/12/99 14:26:24   (TonyBuzan)   the ability to learn from mistakes.
12/12/99 14:26:30   (TonyBuzan)   All great champions
12/12/99 14:26:42   (TonyBuzan)   exhibited phenomenal "stickability"
12/12/99 14:26:54   (TonyBuzan)   and always moved on from lost or ruined games.
12/12/99 14:27:02   (TonyBuzan)   Yet another point to emphasise
12/12/99 14:27:08   (TonyBuzan)   is that the Mind Sports Olympiad
12/12/99 14:27:17   (TonyBuzan)   motto "mens sana in corpore sano" -
12/12/99 14:27:25   (TonyBuzan)   a healthy mind in a healthy body,
12/12/99 14:27:32   (TonyBuzan)   or a healthy body in a healthy mind.
12/12/99 14:27:41   (TonyBuzan)   Garry Kasparov, the World Chess Champion,
12/12/99 14:27:48   (TonyBuzan)   realised this early in his career
12/12/99 14:27:53   (TonyBuzan)   and as a result,
12/12/99 14:28:00   (TonyBuzan)   when preparing for a World Championship match,
12/12/99 14:28:10   (TonyBuzan)   devotes nearly as much attention
12/12/99 14:28:13   (TonyBuzan)   to his physical  health
12/12/99 14:28:18   (TonyBuzan)   as to his mental preparation.
12/12/99 14:28:26   (TonyBuzan)   The six-times World Memory Champion,
12/12/99 14:28:30   (TonyBuzan)   Dominic O'Brien,
12/12/99 14:28:37   (TonyBuzan)   trains physically for two hours a day
12/12/99 14:28:43   (TonyBuzan)   before any major memory championship.
12/12/99 14:28:49   (TonyBuzan)   Ron King, the world draughts champion,
12/12/99 14:28:53   (TonyBuzan)   is a superb athlete
12/12/99 14:28:59   (TonyBuzan)   and runs ultra-marathons
12/12/99 14:29:08   (TonyBuzan)   plays marathon tennis and table-tennis matches
12/12/99 14:29:15   (TonyBuzan)   and deep-sea dives,
12/12/99 14:29:18   (TonyBuzan)   all for the purpose of
12/12/99 14:29:23   (TonyBuzan)   honing his mental sharpness.
12/12/99 14:29:36   (TonyBuzan)   He claims that it is
12/12/99 14:29:39   (TonyBuzan)   his supreme physical fitness
12/12/99 14:29:43   (TonyBuzan)   that is a primary cause
12/12/99 14:29:47   (TonyBuzan)   of his dominance in the field.
12/12/99 14:29:56   (TonyBuzan)   The reason why physical fitness
12/12/99 14:30:00   (TonyBuzan)   helps so much in mental sport
12/12/99 14:30:10   (TonyBuzan)   is that it produces one pint more
12/12/99 14:30:13   (TonyBuzan)   of blood in the body
12/12/99 14:30:18   (TonyBuzan)   and that each pint of blood
12/12/99 14:30:25   (TonyBuzan)   carries a far greater volume of oxygen
12/12/99 14:30:31   (TonyBuzan)   to the brain than does unfit blood.
12/12/99 14:30:39   (TonyBuzan)   All the mental athletes I have coached
12/12/99 14:30:48   (TonyBuzan)   found that the points
12/12/99 14:30:53   (TonyBuzan)   I have mentioned in this answer
12/12/99 14:30:58   (TonyBuzan)   have been of great benefit to them.
12/12/99 14:31:05   (TonyBuzan)   Expanding your question a little,
12/12/99 14:31:10   (TonyBuzan)   the same has been true
12/12/99 14:31:13   (TonyBuzan)   in reverse;
12/12/99 14:31:18   (TonyBuzan)   the physcial athletes
12/12/99 14:31:21   (TonyBuzan)   I have trained
12/12/99 14:31:23   (TonyBuzan)   have found that
12/12/99 14:31:26   (TonyBuzan)   mental training,
12/12/99 14:31:28   (TonyBuzan)   including mind sports,
12/12/99 14:31:33   (TonyBuzan)   helps in their physical performance.
12/12/99 14:31:39   (TonyBuzan)   It is interesting
12/12/99 14:31:44   (TonyBuzan)   that tonight Lennox Lewis
12/12/99 14:31:46   (TonyBuzan)   easily won the
12/12/99 14:31:52   (TonyBuzan)   BBC Sportsman of the Year award
12/12/99 14:32:01   (TonyBuzan)   Lennox is renowned for his
12/12/99 14:32:05   (TonyBuzan)   playing of chess
12/12/99 14:32:10   (TonyBuzan)   as a method for helping him
12/12/99 14:32:19   (TonyBuzan)   strengthen his strategic thinking capabilities
12/12/99 14:32:24   (TonyBuzan)   for his next championship bout.
12/12/99 14:32:31   (TonyBuzan)   He credits chess for enabling him to
12/12/99 14:32:38   (TonyBuzan)   be a far better thinker than other boxers
12/12/99 14:32:40   (TonyBuzan)   and in the ring
12/12/99 14:32:45   (TonyBuzan)   to literally outthink them
12/12/99 14:32:50   (TonyBuzan)   in the heat of combat.
12/12/99 14:33:03   (TonyBuzan)   Who would like to ask the next question, please?
12/12/99 14:33:15   (MArkL)   ?
12/12/99 14:33:21   (TonyBuzan)   Mark, please go ahead
12/12/99 14:33:44   (MArkL)   How do you explain idiot savants?
12/12/99 14:34:01   (MArkL)   and is MArylnvos Savant one of them! :-)
12/12/99 14:34:14   (TonyBuzan)   Clever!
12/12/99 14:34:18   (MArkL)   Maryln vos Savant, that is!
12/12/99 14:34:23   (TonyBuzan)   A clever question!
12/12/99 14:34:30   (TonyBuzan)   Idiot savants are those people
12/12/99 14:34:38   (TonyBuzan)   who have one extraordinary ability
12/12/99 14:34:49   (TonyBuzan)   with an apparent lack of ability in other areas.
12/12/99 14:34:56   (TonyBuzan)   Two of the most common examples of this
12/12/99 14:35:04   (TonyBuzan)   are in specific memory
12/12/99 14:35:07   (TonyBuzan)   and in calculation.
12/12/99 14:35:12   (TonyBuzan)   One of the most famous
12/12/99 14:35:18   (TonyBuzan)   neo-idiot savants
12/12/99 14:35:30   (TonyBuzan)   was the Russian Shereshevsky
12/12/99 14:35:43   (TonyBuzan)   known as "S"
12/12/99 14:35:48   (TonyBuzan)   who was able to remember literally
12/12/99 14:35:54   (TonyBuzan)   anything that he had seen or heard
12/12/99 14:36:07   (TonyBuzan)   but was not considered a success in other areas.
12/12/99 14:36:13   (TonyBuzan)   From my own study of this area,
12/12/99 14:36:16   (TonyBuzan)   I would suggest that
12/12/99 14:36:23   (TonyBuzan)   psychology has often misunderstood
12/12/99 14:36:26   (TonyBuzan)   the idiot savant
12/12/99 14:36:28   (TonyBuzan)   and because of their
12/12/99 14:36:34   (TonyBuzan)   extraordinary capacity
12/12/99 14:36:36   (TonyBuzan)   in the known area
12/12/99 14:36:44   (TonyBuzan)   has tended to let their amazement
12/12/99 14:36:51   (TonyBuzan)   at this specific "shining star"
12/12/99 14:37:01   (TonyBuzan)   blind them to other skills that
12/12/99 14:37:06   (TonyBuzan)   the idiot savant actually has.
12/12/99 14:37:15   (TonyBuzan)   Shereshevsky, for example,
12/12/99 14:37:19   (TonyBuzan)   was actually able to use
12/12/99 14:37:35   (TonyBuzan)   the phenomenal powers
12/12/99 14:37:40   (TonyBuzan)   that drove his memory to solve
12/12/99 14:37:44   (TonyBuzan)   very complex essential problems
12/12/99 14:37:49   (TonyBuzan)   simply by visualising them.
12/12/99 14:37:53   (TonyBuzan)   He was also
12/12/99 14:37:59   (TonyBuzan)   an extremely interesting conversationalist
12/12/99 14:38:06   (TonyBuzan)   and visionary.
12/12/99 14:38:10   (TonyBuzan)   Vos Savant
12/12/99 14:38:16   (TonyBuzan)   is not an idiot savant!
12/12/99 14:38:23   (TonyBuzan)   Simply an unfortunate name
12/12/99 14:38:29   (TonyBuzan)   in the context of her own particular skill
12/12/99 14:38:37   (TonyBuzan)   which is IQ.
12/12/99 14:38:40   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 14:38:42   (TonyBuzan)   Marilyn took an IQ test
12/12/99 14:38:46   (TonyBuzan)   at a very early age
12/12/99 14:38:51   (TonyBuzan)   where distortion of the scores
12/12/99 14:38:54   (TonyBuzan)   is much more common
12/12/99 14:39:00   (TonyBuzan)   and emerged with an IQ of over 200
12/12/99 14:39:08   (TonyBuzan)   one of the highest ever recorded.
12/12/99 14:39:11   (TonyBuzan)   She is now a journalist
12/12/99 14:39:19   (TonyBuzan)   and agony aunt in American newspapers
12/12/99 14:39:26   (TonyBuzan)   and is, in addition to all this,
12/12/99 14:39:33   (TonyBuzan)   an attractive individual
12/12/99 14:39:38   (TonyBuzan)   with a witty and charming personality.
12/12/99 14:39:47   (TonyBuzan)   Ready for the next one!
12/12/99 14:40:35   (Book)   Was he the same Shereshevsky who wrote chess endgame books?
12/12/99 14:40:47   (TonyBuzan)   No.
12/12/99 14:41:01   (TonyBuzan)   I didn't know there was a Shereshevsky who wrote chess endgame books
12/12/99 14:41:10   (TonyBuzan)   and wonder whether Book is referring to Reshevsky?
12/12/99 14:41:19   (TonyBuzan)   Let me know, Book!
12/12/99 14:41:25   (Book)   M.I. Sheresevsky
12/12/99 14:41:33   (TonyBuzan)   Just to check on that, Reshevsky was the American chess champion.
12/12/99 14:41:53   (Book)   He is not the same as S.Reshevsky
12/12/99 14:41:54   (TonyBuzan)   I do not know that author and will refer
12/12/99 14:42:01   (TonyBuzan)   the question to Grandmaster Raymond Keene
12/12/99 14:42:05   (TonyBuzan)   who definitely will know.
12/12/99 14:42:13   (TonyBuzan)   Perhaps they are related!
12/12/99 14:42:22   (Book)   Thank you!
12/12/99 14:42:29   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 14:42:45   (TonyBuzan)   I would like to be asked another question!
12/12/99 14:43:21   (Book)   How much have the idiots von savants been useful in developing
12/12/99 14:43:50   (Book)   mental mapping and other similar theories?
12/12/99 14:44:27   (TonyBuzan)   Idiot savants
12/12/99 14:44:33   (TonyBuzan)   have helped enormously
12/12/99 14:44:36   (TonyBuzan)   in our understanding
12/12/99 14:44:38   (TonyBuzan)   of the potential
12/12/99 14:44:40   (TonyBuzan)   of the human brain
12/12/99 14:44:43   (TonyBuzan)   and they have shown
12/12/99 14:44:46   (TonyBuzan)   that in certain areas
12/12/99 14:44:49   (TonyBuzan)   such as memory
12/12/99 14:44:53   (TonyBuzan)   the brain has a vast
12/12/99 14:44:58   (TonyBuzan)   approaching infinite, potential.
12/12/99 14:45:04   (TonyBuzan)   The work that
12/12/99 14:45:15   (TonyBuzan)   Professor Alexander Luria did
12/12/99 14:45:20   (TonyBuzan)   with Shereshevsky
12/12/99 14:45:25   (TonyBuzan)   was part of the background work
12/12/99 14:45:29   (TonyBuzan)   that helped me realise
12/12/99 14:45:36   (TonyBuzan)   the potency of mnemonic and memory techniques
12/12/99 14:45:41   (TonyBuzan)   and the incredible significance
12/12/99 14:45:47   (TonyBuzan)   of imagination and association
12/12/99 14:45:57   (TonyBuzan)   in all learning, thinking, memory and creative skills.
12/12/99 14:46:05   (TonyBuzan)   It was imagination and association
12/12/99 14:46:09   (TonyBuzan)   that formed the basic
12/12/99 14:46:22   (TonyBuzan)   foundation stones
12/12/99 14:46:29   (TonyBuzan)   of Mind Mapping theory.
12/12/99 14:46:37   (TonyBuzan)   The Mind Map can be seen from one perspecitve
12/12/99 14:46:45   (TonyBuzan)   to be an associative network of multi-senosry images
12/12/99 14:46:49   (TonyBuzan)   including words.
12/12/99 14:46:55   (TonyBuzan)   It is my recommendation that
12/12/99 14:46:57   (TonyBuzan)   everyone in the room
12/12/99 14:47:15   (TonyBuzan)   studies _all_ "brain stories"
12/12/99 14:47:21   (TonyBuzan)   as there are an increasing number
12/12/99 14:47:30   (TonyBuzan)   reported in the popular press these days -
12/12/99 14:47:37   (TonyBuzan)   that is, well over 10,000,000 so far this year (!)
12/12/99 14:47:43   (TonyBuzan)   and each one of them tends to contain
12/12/99 14:47:45   (TonyBuzan)   at least one gem
12/12/99 14:47:49   (TonyBuzan)   that can be applied
12/12/99 14:47:59   (TonyBuzan)   to the brain of the individual who is reading the story.
12/12/99 14:48:04   (TonyBuzan)   I'm ready for the next question!
12/12/99 14:48:13   (Book)   Sorry about the incorrect term, I meant idiot savants.
12/12/99 14:48:34   (MSO_Admin)   Thank you Book.  Who is next?
12/12/99 14:50:09   (MSO_Admin)   I believe before the server crashed I started to ask if either Aging, or alcohol killed brain cells?
12/12/99 14:50:36   (TonyBuzan)   The popular assumption
12/12/99 14:50:40   (TonyBuzan)   is that both do!
12/12/99 14:50:46   (TonyBuzan)   The average estimate of
12/12/99 14:50:50   (TonyBuzan)   the number of brain cells
12/12/99 14:50:53   (TonyBuzan)   lost per day is
12/12/99 14:50:58   (TonyBuzan)   between 10,000 and 1,000,000
12/12/99 14:51:05   (TonyBuzan)   and the number lost per intake of
12/12/99 14:51:09   (TonyBuzan)   alcoholic beverage
12/12/99 14:51:15   (TonyBuzan)   similarly 10,000 to 1,000,000.
12/12/99 14:51:26   (TonyBuzan)   I have three pieces of good news for you!
12/12/99 14:51:34   (TonyBuzan)   First, the scientific community is increasingly reporting
12/12/99 14:51:43   (TonyBuzan)   evidence to the effect that continuing mental activity
12/12/99 14:51:55   (TonyBuzan)   (in other words, an active mental life)
12/12/99 14:52:03   (TonyBuzan)   especially mental activity which includes mind sports
12/12/99 14:52:12   (TonyBuzan)   produces an aging brain
12/12/99 14:52:18   (TonyBuzan)   that both retains all its brain cells
12/12/99 14:52:33   (TonyBuzan)   *and* increases the interconnectivity
12/12/99 14:52:37   (TonyBuzan)   between those cells.
12/12/99 14:52:45   (TonyBuzan)   Second, it now appears that
12/12/99 14:52:49   (TonyBuzan)   individual brain cells
12/12/99 14:53:03   (TonyBuzan)   when alcohol is deluging the brain,
12/12/99 14:53:13   (TonyBuzan)   act very much like attacked octopuses
12/12/99 14:53:16   (TonyBuzan)   and "draw in"
12/12/99 14:53:28   (TonyBuzan)   In the cases of severely
12/12/99 14:53:34   (TonyBuzan)   alcoholic individuals
12/12/99 14:53:37   (TonyBuzan)   who have been brain scanned
12/12/99 14:53:43   (TonyBuzan)   with "small brains" at the
12/12/99 14:53:46   (TonyBuzan)   height of their addiction,
12/12/99 14:53:57   (TonyBuzan)   later scans, after rehabilitation,
12/12/99 14:54:02   (TonyBuzan)   show their brains back to normal size.
12/12/99 14:54:16   (TonyBuzan)   It appears therefore that even in severe cases
12/12/99 14:54:19   (TonyBuzan)   the brain survives.
12/12/99 14:54:28   (TonyBuzan)   Normal intake of alcohol
12/12/99 14:54:35   (TonyBuzan)   apparently kills *no* brain cells.
12/12/99 14:54:45   (TonyBuzan)   It just feels
12/12/99 14:54:49   (TonyBuzan)   the morning after,
12/12/99 14:54:56   (TonyBuzan)   as if you've lost a few hundred million!
12/12/99 14:55:05   (TonyBuzan)   Third, and this is revolutionary news,
12/12/99 14:55:10   (TonyBuzan)   recent research has
12/12/99 14:55:14   (TonyBuzan)   confirmed the
12/12/99 14:55:21   (TonyBuzan)   destruction of another global misconception.
12/12/99 14:55:32   (TonyBuzan)   that the human brain cannot generate new brain cells.
12/12/99 14:55:38   (TonyBuzan)   The new evidence suggests
12/12/99 14:55:41   (TonyBuzan)   not only that it can
12/12/99 14:55:44   (TonyBuzan)   but that it does
12/12/99 14:55:50   (TonyBuzan)   and does so every day of your life.
12/12/99 14:55:59   (TonyBuzan)   Floreant dentriti!
12/12/99 14:56:07   (TonyBuzan)   (May your brain cells flourish!)
12/12/99 14:56:20   (TonyBuzan)   Ready for the next one!
12/12/99 14:56:52   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks for that answer.  Any takers on another question?
12/12/99 14:56:57   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 14:57:17   (MSO_Admin)   Fire away Book.
12/12/99 14:57:53   (Book)   What is your favourite pastime?
12/12/99 14:58:06   (TonyBuzan)   Many!
12/12/99 14:58:34   (TonyBuzan)   Mind sports are, obviously, one of my favourites.
12/12/99 14:58:44   (TonyBuzan)   I am particularly passionate about chess, Go and
12/12/99 14:59:01   (TonyBuzan)   the newly-discovered Arabian game of Dama / Sheikh.
12/12/99 14:59:19   (TonyBuzan)   I also enjoy puzzles and any of the mental skills games
12/12/99 14:59:30   (TonyBuzan)   such as memory, creative thinking, IQ, speed reading and
12/12/99 14:59:35   (TonyBuzan)   of course mind mapping.
12/12/99 14:59:43   (TonyBuzan)   In the physical field, my "sport hobbies"
12/12/99 14:59:53   (TonyBuzan)   include competitive sculling/rowing,
12/12/99 15:00:02   (TonyBuzan)   the Japanese martial arts of karate and aikido,
12/12/99 15:00:08   (TonyBuzan)   long-distance ocean swimming,
12/12/99 15:00:12   (TonyBuzan)   running/walking,
12/12/99 15:00:18   (TonyBuzan)   general gymnasium workouts
12/12/99 15:00:23   (TonyBuzan)   and dancing.
12/12/99 15:00:30   (TonyBuzan)   My cultural interests include theatre,
12/12/99 15:00:34   (TonyBuzan)   music, art,
12/12/99 15:00:46   (TonyBuzan)   and reading. In this fieldf
12/12/99 15:00:53   (TonyBuzan)   I am particularly involved in my own personal
12/12/99 15:01:03   (TonyBuzan)   writing, both of fiction and poetry,
12/12/99 15:01:12   (TonyBuzan)   and am in the early stages of my musical composing career!
12/12/99 15:01:29   (TonyBuzan)   One of my favourite of all activities
12/12/99 15:01:38   (TonyBuzan)   is being with my close friends.
12/12/99 15:01:38   (Book)   ?
12/12/99 15:01:55   (TonyBuzan)   Brain-to-brain communication, to me, is ecstasy!
12/12/99 15:02:15   (TonyBuzan)   This will be the last question, I imagine!
12/12/99 15:02:52   (MSO_Admin)   Thanks again Book.  Speaking of past times, we are close to the end of our session.  I think that is the signal for one last one from Book.
12/12/99 15:03:03   (Book)   Well that's impressive! Do you think that it is important to let the brains
12/12/99 15:03:40   (Book)   take a rest like in the physical athlete's world to reach for better results?
12/12/99 15:03:56   (TonyBuzan)   Absolutely!
12/12/99 15:04:01   (TonyBuzan)   Although the brain has
12/12/99 15:04:09   (TonyBuzan)   an infinite capacity to learn, remember and create
12/12/99 15:04:16   (TonyBuzan)   it is, in the final equation,
12/12/99 15:04:21   (TonyBuzan)   a physical organ
12/12/99 15:04:26   (TonyBuzan)   Astoundingly,
12/12/99 15:04:31   (TonyBuzan)   even when it is at rest,
12/12/99 15:04:36   (TonyBuzan)   it is working in "another gear"
12/12/99 15:04:45   (TonyBuzan)   Even when you are in deep sleep,
12/12/99 15:04:49   (TonyBuzan)   your brain
12/12/99 15:04:55   (TonyBuzan)   is a minimum 80 0.000000ully active
12/12/99 15:05:07   (TonyBuzan)   To approach this question from another angle,
12/12/99 15:05:15   (TonyBuzan)   consider, Book, where you are when you
12/12/99 15:05:22   (TonyBuzan)   come up with those wonderful bursts of creative ideas
12/12/99 15:05:28   (TonyBuzan)   and retrieved memories.
12/12/99 15:05:34   (TonyBuzan)   Most people report that they are in the bath,
12/12/99 15:05:43   (TonyBuzan)   in the shower, on the loo, in bed, long-distance driving,
12/12/99 15:05:53   (TonyBuzan)   long-distance ski-ing, cycling or running,
12/12/99 15:05:58   (TonyBuzan)   swimming,
12/12/99 15:06:05   (TonyBuzan)   or wandering around in nature.
12/12/99 15:06:51   (TonyBuzan)   if you examine what all thosesituattions
12/12/99 15:06:54   (TonyBuzan)   have in common,
12/12/99 15:06:56   (TonyBuzan)   you will realise that
12/12/99 15:06:59   (TonyBuzan)   in each case
12/12/99 15:07:02   (TonyBuzan)   the individual is in some way
12/12/99 15:07:09   (TonyBuzan)   alone and relaxed.
12/12/99 15:07:19   (TonyBuzan)   As top athletes put it, "in the zone".
12/12/99 15:07:34   (TonyBuzan)   It is during rest that the brain slips into another "lower" and gigantic gear
12/12/99 15:07:45   (TonyBuzan)   often working out with ease the answers to questions
12/12/99 15:07:52   (TonyBuzan)   that the normally-conscious brain
12/12/99 15:07:56   (TonyBuzan)   was unable to fathom.
12/12/99 15:08:05   (TonyBuzan)   One comes up with the interesting conclusion
12/12/99 15:08:13   (TonyBuzan)   that when "you" are resting,
12/12/99 15:08:17   (TonyBuzan)   your brain is actually
12/12/99 15:08:23   (TonyBuzan)   working harder!
12/12/99 15:08:30   (TonyBuzan)   And speaking of rest,
12/12/99 15:08:34   (TonyBuzan)   it is probably time for many of us
12/12/99 15:08:44   (TonyBuzan)   to slip into the world of dreams.
12/12/99 15:08:51   (TonyBuzan)   Another realm where the brain
12/12/99 15:09:01   (TonyBuzan)   works with amazing skill and vibrancy,
12/12/99 15:09:08   (TonyBuzan)   producing masterpieces which,
12/12/99 15:09:16   (TonyBuzan)   if they could immediately be translated to the screen,
12/12/99 15:09:36   (TonyBuzan)   would out-Oscar Spielberg, Kubrick, Kurasawa, Hitchcock and all!
12/12/99 15:09:45   (TonyBuzan)   Thank you all for a delightful chat
12/12/99 15:09:54   (TonyBuzan)   and may I wish you in momentary conclusion
12/12/99 15:10:00   (TonyBuzan)   a most wonderful Century of the Brain
12/12/99 15:10:09   (TonyBuzan)   and a Millennium of the Mind.
12/12/99 15:10:14   (TonyBuzan)   Floreant Dentriti!
12/12/99 15:10:18   (TonyBuzan)   Tony Buzan.
12/12/99 15:10:35   (MSO_Admin)   Thank you all for your questions, your patience, and your time.  Special thanks to Mr. Tony Buzan for your answers and your time.  A very interesting and encouraging time.  Don't forget to check back for future chats.
12/12/99 15:10:53   (TonyBuzan)   Thank you!
12/12/99 15:11:01   (TonyBuzan)   I will be back in the early part of next year!
12/12/99 15:11:29   (MSO_Admin)   You are more than welcome any time.
12/12/99 15:12:22   (MSO_Admin)   With that I must say thanks again to all of you. This chat is pretty much done.
12/12/99 15:13:28   (MSO_Admin)   Good bye all.
12/12/99 15:13:38   (Janus)   goodbye