Aide Memoire 6 February 2009

Young teens really are shortsighted, but don't blame impulsivity from ScienceDaily shows that teens are shortsighted more due to immaturity in the brain systems that govern sensation seeking than to immaturity in the brain systems responsible for self-control.

It's hard work that fosters responsibility in teen programmes from ScienceDaily shows that it's not the fun and games of these programs but the tough tasks that are most likely to foster responsibility and self-discipline.

Amid rising childhood obesity, preschoolers found to be inactive from ScienceDaily shows that preschoolers (at nursery schools) are inactive for much of their preschool day. The study also finds that teachers very rarely encourage children to be more physically active.

Never ending childhood from MindBlog by Deric Bownds about "... our new scientific understanding of neural plasticity and gene regulation, along with the global spread of schooling, will let us remain children forever — or at least for much longer."

Mental deficiency: Gene mutations that affect learning, memory in children identified from ScienceDaily. A genetic mutation in the most common variety, non-syndromic mental deficiency (NSMD).

Your local police are unscientific from Socratic Gadfly about a report on the lack of an evidence base for forensic science.

Legal chill from LBC 97.3 over Jeni Barnetts MMR scaremongering from BadScience by Ben Goldacre about lawyers trying to silence him.

Colours affect mental performance, with blue boosting creativity from BPS Research Digest about the effect of colour on cognition.

Psychosocial stress inhibits prefrontal function from MindBlog by Deric Bownds.

Forget Sarah Palin, Lorenzo's the real deal from Donald Clark Plan B by Donald Clark about evidence-supported educational reform that (gasp) really works.

$10 laptop - India leads the way, again from Donald Clark Plan B by Donald Clark. Thoughts on a netbook for every child and points out the hopeless implementation of ICT in schools resulting in the wheel being re-invented all the time.

The best time to teach "21st century skills" is after school from Flypaper by Mike Petrilli. Argues that skills in sport and subjects such as mathematics and even history should not be neglected for so-called 21st century skills.

How not to argue from Neurological by Steven Novella. A useful discussion on argument, logical fallacies, etc.

The Ritalin generation from The Frontal Cortex by Jonah Lehrer. A balanced science-based discussion on the use of psychostimulants for ADD.

Olympic athletes reveal their mental strategies from BPS Research Digest. Re. modern pentathlon.