People have a better memory for ‘aha! moments'
Research sheds light on how 'aha!' moments help you remember what you learn. (Envato Elements pic)
PARIS : Sometimes it only takes a moment for everything to fall into place. A flash of inspiration, an idea that springs to mind without warning, and suddenly the answer is self-evident.
These moments of sudden insight, often illustrated by a light bulb above the head, are not just a cartoon image. They cause a real stir in our brains.
So reports a study by researchers at Duke University in the US, and Humboldt and Hamburg Universities in Germany, published in the journal Nature Communications.
They discovered that when a solution comes to one suddenly, almost magically, it imprints itself more durably in the memory than if it had been found by dint of reasoning.
To demonstrate this, the scientists designed an experiment based on visual puzzles. Participants had to interpret black-and-white images with minimal detail until a familiar object emerged.
Once the solution had been identified, they noted their degree of certainty and the way in which they had found it: a sudden flash or more logical deduction. Meanwhile, their brain activity was scanned for signs of that cognitive spark.
A memory boost
The results are illuminating. Not only are flashes of insight better imprinted on the brain, they are also accompanied by striking physiological responses.
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans revealed intense activation of the hippocampus, a key region for memory and learning, as well as changes in the ventral occipito-temporal cortex, involved in visual pattern recognition.
According to Roberto Cabeza, professor at Duke University and senior author of the study, these flashes of sudden insight seemed to increase people's ability to remember what they had learned.
'If you have an 'aha! moment' while learning something, it almost doubles your memory. There are few memory effects that are as powerful as this,' the researcher explains in a news release.
A strong claim, based on solid data: participants who had experienced this kind of epiphany remembered their answers much better, even five days later, than those who had proceeded in a more considered manner.
These breakthrough moments don't just leave an imprint. 'During these moments of insight, the brain reorganises how it sees the image,' says first author, Maxi Becker, a postdoctoral fellow at Humboldt University.
Indeed, the more powerful the flash, the more the brain's neuronal networks are activated. And that's not all.
These moments of clarity are accompanied by improved communication between the different areas of the brain. It's as if, for a moment, internal connections become more fluid, more efficient.
These discoveries could open up promising avenues for rethinking teaching methods. Encouraging environments conducive to the emergence of new ideas could strengthen long-term memory and refine comprehension. This underscores the importance of active learning, in which students themselves construct knowledge.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Warming planet, wheezing people: How climate change is triggering an allergy crisis
PARIS, June 20 — Runny nose, itching eyes, worsening asthma symptoms — the effects of hay fever are nothing to sneeze at, experts say, warning of an 'explosion' of allergies as climate change lengthens and intensifies pollen seasons. The UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has found that a shifting climate has already begun altering the production and distribution of pollen and spores. As winter frost thaws earlier and spring weather gets warmer, plants and trees flower earlier, extending the pollen season, numerous studies have shown. Air pollution can also increase people's sensitivity to allergens, while invasive species are spreading into new regions and causing fresh waves of allergies. More and more people, particularly in industrialised nations, have reported developing allergy symptoms in recent decades. Around a quarter of adults in Europe suffer from airborne allergies, including severe asthma, while the proportion among children is 30 to 40 per cent. That figure is expected to rise to half of Europeans by 2050, according to the World Health Organisation. 'We're in crisis because allergies are exploding,' said Severine Fernandez, president of the French Allergists' Union. Whereas previously an allergic person would endure only what is commonly known as hay fever, albeit sometimes for years, 'now that person can become asthmatic after one or two years', Fernandez said. Climate change affects allergy patients in multiple ways, according to a 2023 report by the WMO. — Picture by Raymond Manuel 'Irritant pollen' Climate change affects allergy patients in multiple ways, according to a 2023 report by the WMO. Rising levels of carbon dioxide, one of the main heat-trapping gases produced by burning fossil fuels, boost plant growth, in turn increasing pollen production. Air pollution not only irritates the airways of people exposed, but it also causes stress to plants, which then produce more 'allergenic and irritant pollen'. Nicolas Visez, an aerobiologist at the University of Lille, said each plant species reacted differently to a variety of factors such as water availability, temperature and CO2 concentrations. Birch trees for example will wither as summers get hotter and drier, while the heat causes a proliferation of ragweed, a highly allergenic invasive plant. 'There's no doubt that climate change is having an effect,' Visez said. In a study published in 2017, researchers projected that ragweed allergies would more than double in Europe by 2041-2060 as a result of climate change, raising the number of people affected from 33 million to 77 million. The authors suggested that higher pollen concentrations as well as longer pollen seasons could make symptoms more severe. A bee feeds on the nectar and pollen of a scarlet powder-puff wildflower at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena, California June 3, 2023. A Europe-wide 'AutoPollen' programme under development aims to provide real-time data on the distribution of pollen and fungal spores. — AFP pic Allergy action A Europe-wide 'AutoPollen' programme under development aims to provide real-time data on the distribution of pollen and fungal spores. In Switzerland, a tie-up with MeteoSwiss allows patients and doctors to match personal allergy profiles with maps of specific allergens throughout the country. In parts of France, authorities have planted 'pollinariums', gardens packed with the main local allergen species. These provide information on the very first pollen released into the air so that people can start taking antihistamines and other protective measures in a timely manner. 'Hazelnuts have started to bloom as early as mid-December, which wasn't the case before,' said Salome Pasquet, a botanist with the association behind the pollen gardens. 'That's really because we've had very mild winters, so flowering has come earlier,' she said. Some countries are taking an interventionist approach — cutting off the pollen at the source. In Japan, the government announced a plan in 2023 to combat allergies caused by the archipelago's many cedar trees, which includes felling cedars to replace them with species that produce less pollen. Countries in Europe are also more mindful of species in the environment, both native ones that have been planted and invasive newcomers like ragweed. Preference is given to species with a lower allergenic potential, such as maple or fruit trees. 'The idea is not to stop planting allergenic species,' Pasquet said, but to be mindful of creating diversity and avoiding having 'places where there are rows of birch trees, as was the case a few years ago'. It was birch trees in a client's garden that originally set off symptoms for Simon Barthelemy, an architect who lives near Paris. 'I had a major eye allergy, and it's been a recurring problem every year since,' he said. 'I'm on antihistamines, but if I don't take them I get itchy eyes, I'm very tired, I cough... I can't sleep at night.' — AFP
Malay Mail
19 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘I told them I was allergic': Passenger sues Singapore Airlines after shrimp meal triggers emergency landing
SINGAPORE, June 20 — A Singapore Airlines flight from Germany to the United States was forced to make an emergency landing in France last October after a business class passenger suffered a severe allergic reaction to shrimp — a food she had warned cabin crew she could not consume. The passenger, Doreen Benary, 41, has since filed a negligence lawsuit against Singapore Airlines in a US federal court, according to court documents dated June 17, as reported by Mothership. Benary boarded Flight SQ026 from Frankfurt to New York on October 8, 2024. In her complaint, she alleged that she had informed flight attendants of her 'specific' allergy to shrimp at the start of the flight. 'Despite the aforesaid warnings,' a crew member allegedly served her a meal containing shrimp, the lawsuit stated. Benary reportedly began to feel unwell 'nearly immediately' after consuming part of the meal. When she alerted the crew, the flight attendant admitted to the mistake and apologised, according to the complaint. The aircraft was then diverted to Paris, where Benary received emergency medical care at two separate facilities. The lawsuit described the treatment as 'painful', and claimed the incident left Benary with 'great pain, agony, and mental anguish' as well as financial losses. It was not stated whether Benary was carrying an epinephrine injector, commonly used to treat severe allergic reactions. The lawsuit accuses Singapore Airlines of breaching its duty of care and failing to follow its own safety protocols. The airline has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. This is not the first time the airline has faced scrutiny over allergy incidents. In 2017, a toddler with a severe peanut allergy began vomiting on board a Singapore Airlines flight after peanut snacks were opened nearby. In response, the airline stopped serving peanuts as snacks across all cabin classes in April 2018. These were replaced with alternatives such as peas and crackers. While Singapore Airlines offers passengers the option to request non-strict nut-free meals at least 48 hours before departure, it does not guarantee an allergy-free environment on board. On its website, the airline advises travellers with severe allergies to consult their doctor prior to flying and to take necessary precautions. 'We request that you take every necessary precaution, bearing in mind the risk of exposure,' the advisory reads.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Longer exposure, more pollen: climate change worsens allergies
RUNNY nose, itching eyes, worsening asthma symptoms – the effects of hay fever are nothing to sneeze at, experts say, warning of an "explosion" of allergies as climate change lengthens and intensifies pollen seasons. The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has found that a shifting climate has already begun altering the production and distribution of pollen and spores. As winter frost thaws earlier and spring weather gets warmer, plants and trees flower earlier, extending the pollen season, numerous studies have shown. Air pollution can also increase people's sensitivity to allergens, while invasive species are spreading into new regions and causing fresh waves of allergies. More and more people, particularly in industrialised nations, have reported developing allergy symptoms in recent decades. Around a quarter of adults in Europe suffer from airborne allergies, including severe asthma, while the proportion among children is 30 to 40 per cent. That figure is expected to rise to half of Europeans by 2050, according to the World Health Organization. "We're in crisis because allergies are exploding," said Severine Fernandez, president of the French Allergists' Union. Whereas previously an allergic person would endure only what is commonly known as hay fever, albeit sometimes for years, "now that person can become asthmatic after one or two years", Fernandez said. Climate change affects allergy patients in multiple ways, according to a 2023 report by the WMO. Rising levels of carbon dioxide, one of the main heat-trapping gases produced by burning fossil fuels, boost plant growth, in turn increasing pollen production. Air pollution not only irritates the airways of people exposed, but it also causes stress to plants, which then produce more "allergenic and irritant pollen." Nicolas Visez, an aerobiologist at the University of Lille, said each plant species reacted differently to a variety of factors such as water availability, temperature and CO2 concentrations. Birch trees for example will wither as summers get hotter and drier, while the heat causes a proliferation of ragweed, a highly allergenic invasive plant. "There's no doubt that climate change is having an effect," Visez said. In a study published in 2017, researchers projected that ragweed allergies would more than double in Europe by 2041-2060 as a result of climate change, raising the number of people affected from 33 million to 77 million. The authors suggested that higher pollen concentrations as well as longer pollen seasons could make symptoms more severe. A Europe-wide "AutoPollen" programme under development aims to provide real-time data on the distribution of pollen and fungal spores. In Switzerland, a tie-up with MeteoSwiss allows patients and doctors to match personal allergy profiles with maps of specific allergens throughout the country. In parts of France, authorities have planted "pollinariums", gardens packed with the main local allergen species. These provide information on the very first pollen released into the air so that people can start taking antihistamines and other protective measures in a timely manner. "Hazelnuts have started to bloom as early as mid-December, which wasn't the case before," said Salome Pasquet, a botanist with the association behind the pollen gardens. "That's really because we've had very mild winters, so flowering has come earlier," she said. Some countries are taking an interventionist approach – cutting off the pollen at the source. In Japan, the government announced a plan in 2023 to combat allergies caused by the archipelago's many cedar trees, which includes felling cedars to replace them with species that produce less pollen. Countries in Europe are also more mindful of species in the environment, both native ones that have been planted and invasive newcomers like ragweed. Preference is given to species with a lower allergenic potential, such as maple or fruit trees. "The idea is not to stop planting allergenic species," Pasquet said, but to be mindful of creating diversity and avoiding having "places where there are rows of birch trees, as was the case a few years ago." It was birch trees in a client's garden that originally set off symptoms for Simon Barthelemy, an architect who lives near Paris. "I had a major eye allergy, and it's been a recurring problem every year since," he said. "I'm on antihistamines, but if I don't take them I get itchy eyes, I'm very tired, I cough... I can't sleep at night."
