Babies Ready to Rock at Birth

Activity may fend off the start of memory loss

(NEWSER) - Doing crossword puzzles may delay the slide into forgetfulness associated with dementia, a study shows. Researchers monitored the frequency with which a group of elderly subjects engaged in reading, writing, group discussions, playing music, playing cards, and doing crossword puzzles, and found that those who developed dementia took part in just one of the activities per day on average, Reuters reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Regular doses of Omega 3, found in fish oil, can help reduce memory loss, reports the Telegraph. Healthy 70-year-old subjects taking capsules containing 900 mg of the fatty acid docosahexaenoic slashed errors on a test that measured learning and memory, according to researchers. The improvement, exhibited over a six-month period, is the equivalent of turning back the clock of the brain by three years, say scientists. More»

A generation of adults will suffer hearing loss well ahead of its time

(NEWSER) - The popularity of iPods and similar devices may leave a generation of adults with impaired hearing decades ahead of their time, the Boston Globe reports. Sensory cells in the ear can only take so much bombardment, and frequent, pulsing music causes irreparable damage. New research also shows that boys often listen louder and that peer pressure influences volume. More»

Bilingual kids may talk later but excel at 'executive functions'

(NEWSER) - Some teachers complain that children raised in bilingual households tend to lag behind their peers in school, but a new study suggests multilingual kids' brains may be better organized, the Economist reports. Polyglot babies have stronger "executive function": processes in the brain that help humans plan, prioritize, and switch attention among various tasks and stimuli. More»

Baby's sex not yet public

(NEWSER) - MIA is now an M-O-M, reports Hitfix. The 31-year-old Sri Lankan singer and hip-hop artist delivered a healthy baby boy on Wednesday, notes People. It's her first child, and there's no word on the name yet. Now the big question: Can MIA—who performed at the Grammys on her due date—make her scheduled Oscars appearance next Sunday? She’s nominated for Best Original Song for “O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire. More»