exercise, brain cells and more interviews

i read in an article in newsweek that vigorous excercise promotes neurogenesis (the growth of new brain cells). upon reading the title of the article - "can exercise make you smarter?" i thought that perhaps the studies were looking at factors other than physiological. for example - an athlete can test smarter because they are used to discipline. many athletes who are of olympic caliber go on to study at really good colleges. my theory is because they understood the rigors of competing and they are able to make personal sacrifices to attain their goals. eg - don't go out to party when you know you have a huge exam to study for and study many months before the exam. i have also read elsewhere that about 30-40% of all CEO's run marathons - which is as much of a mental race as it is a physical race. exercise can improve mental strength - overcome the impulse to sit and be lazy to go out there and run a few miles.

anyways, i digress. the newsweek article actually discussed some studies of students who were subjected to a few weeks of rigorous exercise and then tested and compared to students who didn't exercise. also with today's technology, we can measure the amount of neuron growth in a subject. interestingly enough, the exercise actually showed increased neuron growth. however the effects are not long lasting. meaning - you can't just exercise a few weeks and thing you will be smarter. all the effects are lost after a month of inactivity. so what does that mean? you'll have to keep going to that gym. but hey, you'll get a lot of positive effects. you'll feel happier (higher levels or seratonin), you are smarter (new brain cells) and you are healthier.

on that note - off running i go...

oh yeah one more thing. interviews! i am moving ahead in the process with another phone interview with that BD job i really liked. woo hoo! i really really hope i get that job. it's really cool! wish me luck. i've also applied to a number of other jobs through my network and online. hopefully i'll be hearing more about further interviews soon. one of them would be at google. you guys know how much a science geek i am. (evident above). but if i were to work at tech companies, i would only work for apple or google. i've always been a huge fan of their technology.