Bye bye Vista™

 After four months of frustration with Microsoft’s new operating system Vista, on a new and well specified computer, I have given up and bought a Mac. I’m loving it and I challenge Microsoft to win me back.

It became clear from various help forums that there is plenty to go wrong with Vista and that confusion exists in the fixes. On top of this, Vista veils its flaws with a nanny mentality that constantly cautions you about touching anything you may be too stupid to fix. ‘Are you sure you want to continue?’

Well I was, but I’m not now.  Crucially, the confidence I had that I could fix most PC (XP) problems was eroded to a point where I felt a failure every time I tried to do something on the machine. Thanks, but that’s not why I use computers.

I list the problems for cathartic reasons: installed drivers vanishing, and the fact that the sound system clicks which MS knows about, knows why, and for which they don’t have a timetable to fix. Oh, and the fact that it wouldn’t connect to the intranet – the one thing you really need a computer to do for you easily.

So sayonara Vista. I’m not stupid – you really are fundamentally flawed, and your own worst PR. Pity I had to pay for the experience. Hello Mac.

patrick v

Mind games and mental illness

 My previous post on mind games – computer games designed to improve brain functions such as memory – was a bit light on serious applications. Here is the antidote.

An article in (the excellent) New Scientist magazine (12 January 2008) has information about the use of mind games in the treatment of mental illness, especially schizophrenia. Research showing that mind exercise techniques can help the mind to cure itself, without drugs, is promising. 

Commercial companies Cogmed (www.cogmed.com) and Posit Science (www.positscience.com) both contributed to the article.  I am sure there are others, but these would be a good starting point to explore. ‘Caveat emptor’ as the Romans said (Buyer beware) – these are commercial sites. You can read the article on the New Scientist website (www.newscientist.com) but you pay for full online access.

patrick v

Work/life balance: stress at home

 I organise the annual staff survey where I work, and this year we are particularly interested in capturing data around stress in the workplace. One of the questions for consideration was ‘Do your home circumstances contribute to stress at work?’.

Whereas most of the questions are about causes of stress ‘at’ work, this one stood out as different because of the idea that stressful home situations should be taken into account when considering staff members’ work performance. The further idea is that an employer then has an obligation to take this into account when dealing with an individual. This strikes me as a slippery slope for the employer. Heartless or practical?

What do you think?

patrick v

Mind games – the jury is mainly in…

  Can a cheerful digitised Japanese professor help you maintain and even improve your memory?

I’d like to think so of course, and I have my shiny little DS lite to show where my money is. Motivation came in the form of Prof K helping to lower my ‘brain age’ by about 14 years over the course of a few weeks with his gentle chiding and hot tips. 

Can Nintendo’s electronic games – and others, in what must be a rapidly growing and competitive market given the active aging population worldwide - do more profound things for your mind?

There is a fair amount of mainstream research in the area of exercise for the brain, primarily to discover what factors throughout your life put you at greater or lower risk of developing the dreaded Alzheimer’s or dementia. Briefly, research suggests that while people from richer families, with good education, active mid- and later lifes seem to be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, it is never too late to do something to improve your odds. Mental stimulation in later life can be just as effective in lowering your risk of developing these afflictions as these other life factors.

Research summary (mostly from British Medical Journal article, vol. 336): whatever your age and background, exercises to improve, say, your memory can be effective, but don’t count on a memory exercise to improve another brain function such as reasoning, for example. You would need to exercise reasoning separately. Research scientists, who are professionally cautious, say that in those (typically elderly people) whose brain is only just coping, that developing one brain function may be at the expense of other perhaps more critical functions. 

It seems, however, that most physicians and scientists alike support a ‘use it or lose it’ approach.  

I draw two layman’s conclusions from this:

1) it’s never too late to start exercising your brain functions, and such exercises could help to reduce your risk of developing brain problems as you get older; and

2) take a holistic approach – exercise as many different facets of your mind (and body) as you can for good measure.

Me, I’m going to stick with Prof K. I’m also going to record an album, learn to speak Spanish, perfect my paragliding, try to have one lunch date in my diary every week and do a sudoku every day.

And write a blog.

patrick v

BrainBlab – quick intro

  When I was 12, I forgot something.

I forgot it completely, then I remembered that I’d forgotten it.  Since then I’ve forgotten things on a daily basis. Basically I have a very poor memory, but it has affected my career much less than I expected. There are workarounds. I did well at school and have two good degrees, a career and I’ve made decent progress up a few other learning ladders like languages, flying and music (still not great with lyrics though!).

 So I thought I’d share. This blog is about getting over the dread of saying, ‘you know, I completely forgot’,  and the fear of forgetting something you have to do –  my constant  demons.

I believe in practical magic, so if you’re interested in the memory thing, bookmark this link now <<NOW!>>, then email the link to yourself so you have a reference. Even better – get involved. You’ll see where this is going from the next few posts. Let me know your tips and thoughts about memory, and please comment on the posts.

patrick v