Robots are coming… or are they here?
University of Central Florida’s Dr. Fernando Montalvo will discuss his research on human-robot interaction in his presentation “Robots are Here! How Robots are Nothing Like We Expect Them To Be” on Friday, July 26th at 10:00 AM at One Senior Place.
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LLRN Teaches Seniors About Hot Topics in Aging Research
University of Central Florida’s Dr. Fernando Montalvo from the Technology and Aging lab will be doing a series of four seminars this summer at One Senior Place. The seminars include: “Myths About Psychology and the Brain That Even Your Therapist Believes,” “Robots are here! How robots are nothing like we expected them to be,” “A Relaxed Talk on Stress,” and “Psychology as a Political Tool.”
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The way we make decisions changes at every stage of life. But why, and what can we do about it?
Seymour Benzer Lecture for the National Academy of Sciences
Nichole Lighthall, University of Central Florida
For many, the phrase “brain aging” is accompanied by thoughts of cognitive decline or even dementia. In reality, brain aging is far more complex – involving both gains and losses with a high degree of variability from person to person. Changes to the brain in healthy aging can best be understood as a lifelong process of adaptation to biological, psychological, and environmental factors. This talk will focus on what has been learned from studying seniors with high levels of cognitive function. It will tackle questions such as, how do “optimally aging” brains respond to challenges like stress and memory demand? And, how do the the brains of optimally-aging seniors compensate for decline in important cognitive functions like learning and memory? In addressing these questions, this presentation will highlight discoveries in the neuroscience of aging and provide a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the aging brain.
Understanding and Leveraging the Power of the Adaptive Brain
Indonesian-American Frontiers of Science Symposium
Nichole Lighthall, University of Central Florida
New scientific initiatives seek to map the human brain in a similar manner to the mapping of the human genome. Yet, the more we learn about the brain, the more we realize that we have a moving target. Scientists have observed change in the number, function, structure, and connections of neurons from birth to death. These changes occur naturally in response to development, experience, trauma, and disease. This introductory talk will provide an overview of neuroplasticity – highlighting the dynamic nature of the brain as it responds to biological, psychological, and environmental factors. The audience will learn about how neuroplasticity plays out across the lifespan and what the science of today says about possibilities and limitations of growth and reorganization in the brain. Finally, this talk will consider how advancements in science and technology should be directed to promote optimal brain health and discuss current controversy about the effectiveness of “brain training”.