The Master and His Emissary

The Master and His Emissary: the divided brain and the making of the Western World: by Ian McGilchrist, Yale University Press, 2010 (pbk)
A detailed and challenging read.

This book looks at how the brain works, and in particular the division of activity within the right (RH) and left (LH) hemispheres of the brain. Below are some interesting points I noted.

• Frontal lobes are c. 7% of the total brain in dogs, c. 17% in the lesser apes and c. 35% in both the greater apes and humans. However, humans have more white matter (the myelin sheath which greatly speeds transmission of signals along neurones).
• RH focuses on 'the new' - broad vigilant attention, bonding in social animals, detailed discrimination and topography. LH) has a narrower focus on 'the known' - categorising stimuli and fine control of motor response. In problem solving, RH presents an array of possible solutions, LH takes a single solution that best fits what it already knows.
• RH open to interconnectedness - empathy and self-awareness. This capacity emerges in primates. Children only acquire this capacity fully at age 4, though elements are present from around 12 to 18 months. Autistic children never fully acquire it, and lacking empathy and not understanding social language, irony and metaphor, they lack prosodic skill - the ability to convey meaning and feeling through intonation and voice inflection.
• RH faster and more accurate in discriminating facial expression and emotion. LH reads emotion in mouth (but not eyes where signs of emotion are more subtle). 
• Disturbances in RH lead to body dysmorphia and anorexia nervosa. RH stroke more disabling than LH, despite LH loss of speech; RH stores words in songs. Apraxia - the inability to carry out action, despite no impairment of sensory or motor function is most severe after RH lesions.
• Language - each hemisphere uses language differently. Some great apes show the same R/L brain asymmetry. Homo heidelbergiensis (common ancestor of H.sapiens and H.neanderthalensis) had a large brain and vocal apparatus comparable to modern humans.
• All known spoken language needs brain space, vocal cords, control of tongue and mouth. Monkeys and apes lack such control. Only birds can mimic human voices. 
• Significant similarities in music and language suggest a common origin. Music has a simpler syntax, and is less highly evolved, indicating an earlier origin. Newborns are sensitive to the rhythms of language (the prosody of speech) as seen in infant directed speech (baby talk or 'motherese'). No human culture is without music, in which people join together to dance and sing. Poetry evolved before prose, and early poetry was sung.
• Altruism. Most subjects in Prisoners' Dilemma tests prefer mutual cooperation over unilateral defection, but will punish selfishness by others in following rounds.
• Mutual gaze, especially shared, averted gaze at an object - highly evolved characteristic. Apart from humans, only some apes and monkeys with prolonged contact with humans may be capable of this. But dogs are very sensitive to human attention, especially direction of gaze and expression of eyes (most cats are not).
• The function of the corpus callosum - the band of tissue connection RH and LH - is to inhibit inter-hemispheric nerve impulses. This inhibition is disrupted in strokes and neurological injury, and also fails to develop in up to 1% of the population.
• Schizophrenia - many aspects may be due to this. Condition only noted from 18th century (in contrast to melancholia and bipolar behaviour, which are both recorded in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome). Increased in prevalence with  industrialization, but still relatively rare, steep increase in first half 20th century. More common in urban situations. Same trends in various nations.
• Universal natural music responses at physiological level. Activation of brain areas: harmony slows heart beat, brain areas associated with pleasant experiences, while dissonance stimulates areas dealing with noxious stimuli. Babies as young as 4 months prefer harmony.
• Increases in material well-being have little or nothing to do with human happiness, once basic material needs are met. Happiness is best predicted by the breadth and depth of one's social connections. This also correlates with rates of colds, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, depression and premature death of all sorts.
• In West, religion has declined in 20th century. But when we stop worshiping divinity, we find something else to worship.
• Eastern cultures - self-improvement is less about getting what one wants, and more about confronting one's own shortcomings. While setting higher personal standards, they rarely feel depressed about failure to measure up.
• In West, people tend to over-estimate their abilities, exaggerate their capacity to control essentially uncontrollable events and hold over-optimistic views of the future.

END

Body Clocks and Eating Patterns

Most people eat soon after waking, then graze through the day up to bedtime. This means they may eat over a 16 hour period.

This pattern of eating does not sync with our body clock or circadian rhythms, which some believe may put us at a greater risk of obesity.

Researchers believe that aligning your eating to your body clock could boost your overall health and potentially help you lose weight. The theory is that are bodies are designed to digest and absorb food during a relatively short period of each day, then to repair itself and burn stored fat when we fast. While it is not known whether there is an optimum period during the day or how critical timing is, having less opportunity to eat does seem to lead to less food intake.

A pilot study in 2018 found that by delaying breakfast for 90 minutes, and bringing forward their evening meal by 90 minutes, people lost more body fat than those who kept to no schedule.

If you are new to time-restricted eating, start off eating within a 12 hour window (e.g. 8am to 8pm). If you want to take it further, increase the fasting time to 14 or 16 hours so you eat within a 10 or 8 hour window (e.g. 8am to 6pm, or 10am to 6pm).

Source: Feature in Good Housekeeping, February 2019.

We Don't Need You Anymore: the Myth of UK Integration

We Don't Need You Anymore: the Myth of UK Integration by Kailash Puri with Bob Whittington. Whittles Publishing Limited, 2012.

In her 80s when she wrote this book, she drew on her own experiences as an immigrant to the UK and an agony aunt to successive generations and different nationalities in India, Africa, the USA and the UK. The book focuses on the Indian population, but the issues apply equally to Pakistani, Chinese, Arab, Polish, Bulgarian, Turk, Kurd or any other ethnic group who come to the UK.

Migration has always been the way the world has been settled by humans. Britain was first settled after the Ice Age, and further population groups have settled here in the years since. Equally, the British have been emigrants and settled in other countries - America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa.

In the 1950s Britain was short of people to work in the factories and foundries, and both Asians and Caribbeans were recruited. Initially it was young men, wanting to earn enough to send home to families. They brought with them their own languages, religions and cultures, and later began families here with wives from 'back home'. For any immigrant, of whatever background, it is normal to interact with people who share your life experience, so immigrants tend to cluster together. As the ratio of immigrant to 'native' increases, areas become single community instead of mixed. As more generations are born, there are tensions between the old ways and new freedoms, and judging the host nation as deficient in morals, standards and discipline, simply because they are different.

The book goes into some detail about Asian, particularly Indian life, and how it differs from British. Asians are by nature hospitable, and believe it is lucky to invite guests into their homes. Indian society is based on family and tradition. The honour of the family is paramount, so divorce brings shame, as does marrying out of the community, or unmarried pregnancy. Family structure is still multi-generational and businesses are also linked to the family. Businesses run by Indians are most often serving their own community. This means that close family are often preferred marriage partners (though this has resulted in inbreeding and a higher proportion of genetic disorders). There is an expectation by parents that daughters and daughters-in-law will be submissive, though this can result in some (not all) being treated as servants. The focus is on sons, and they are often indulged, as there is the expectation that they will look after the parents in their old age. It is common for Asian men have one standard for themselves, and subject their wives to suspicion, jealousy and violent behaviour. For Indian parents, the challenge is to learn to let go.

Arranged marriages are the norm still, though some parents allow the son or daughter to refuse a potential partner. There are issues over the dowry system, and crimes associated with it. In India, evermore extravagant wedding celebrations can go on for days, in a bid to impress. If both partners to an arranged marriage are happy with the situation, their relationship can grow. Both arranged and non-arranged marriages can be a disaster.

"Britain has its own traditional values and it should be proud of them and resist changes to these traditions, particularly when they are attacked for being non-inclusive for people of a different origin. They are British traditions and if immigrants do not like them, they should not seek to persuade a government to change them so the country becomes all things to all men."

Both sides must show a willingness to find a way to co-exist, and that has to be through education. Where schools are truly mixed, immigrant children often develop a dual persona - home and school. But if the immigrant community is large enough, they may be the majority ethnicity in a school. Typically British schools follow a standard curriculum, and faith studies are comparative. But encouraging faith schools to stand alone and promote themselves as different leads to deeper division and not integration. Governments must root out extreme views and divisive teaching, and ensure that teaching does not promote some cause.

• Racism comes from the fear of the unknown, whether food, dress, music, or customs.
• Culture is not 'pure' and unchanging. Some change is consensual and some can be forced on people.
• Traditions are just that, a repeated ritual and all evolve over time.
• Language - having a language in common helps understanding, but some natives command of English can be poor.
• Religion - the only certainty is that we all die and no-one knows what happens after death. Faith at its best provides moral guidelines for a just society.
• Education - humans are naturally inquisitive.
• Commerce - for many people, the acquisition of wealth becomes paramount. Asians are prone to this.
• Isolation - you can be alone at home, or in a crowded room, town or country.
• Envy - put envy and greed together and you get anger.

So how can we foster integration?

• Don't deliberately try to integrate. Accept distinctions and different dress, but accept British rules and laws. 
• All peoples eventually adapt and evolve and the following will happen: incomers will (a) conform, (b) leave or (c) influence their hosts in customs and traditions.
• Explore and enjoy the difference. Some incomers may choose British clothing styles, while some natives may choose to follow another religion, or even none.
• Some immigrants come to abuse and milk the welfare system, and they should be dealt with swiftly and forcefully.
• There is no point in apportioning blame as the damage has already been done, instead focus on recovery.
• Share where possible. Music and the arts are good areas for this.
• Accept it will take time and effort on both sides.
• Stop thinking about each other as groups, communities or races and start treating each other as individuals.

END

Nail Care Tips

To keep your nails in the best condition, follow these tips.

• Unless due to a health issue such as iron deficiency, slow growth can just be part of the ageing process. Brittleness can be countered with a nail oil, applied several times a day. Lack of water intake can also also be associated with peeling and breaking nails, so don't forget to drink enough.
• A powdery finish on nails might be a sign of dehydration. Massage in a cuticle oil, moisturise after washing hands and use a heavy-duty night balm. Products that contain alcohol cause dryness, so reserve hand sanitisers for emergencies.
• Incorrect removal of gels can damage nails, so never pick off the colour as you will take off a layer of the natural nail plate. Acetone remover is also very drying. Having regular gels weakens nails over time, no matter how carefully removed. 
• Ridged nails are caused by several things, including age and nail damage. Use cuticle oil regularly at base of nail to revive the nail plate, and help protect from further ridges developing.
• Over-exposure to water (e.g. frequent hand washing) can cause nails to peel. Ask for a soak-free manicure. Always wear gloves when washing up.
• If you are not a polish wearer: massage a cuticle oil in a backwards motion; never cut the cuticles, as it only makes the cuticle grow back thicker; then use a three-way buffer for natural shine, but don't overbuff as this will make nails thinner.
• File it right. The goal is to shape the nail rather than trim it down (always use a clipper for that). Apply gently pressure when filing; don't use a see-saw motion as this cause all the layers of the nail to lift and peel. For the same reason, always bevel down in one direction.
• Use an emery board. Glass files are softer but you risk overdoing it as it takes longer to see results.
• When trimming nails, use the sides of the clipper to nibble across the nails as this puts less pressure on them.
• A 'squoval' shape (round at the sides and straight at the top) gives the most natural strength to your nails. Round nails tend to have a weaker tip, while perfectly square nails can catch at the sides.

Source: Feature in Good Housekeeping, October 2019