If only our brains had a booster switch. A little button we could press that would turn on our super brain power for just a short period of time. We could use that extra brilliance to get us through final exams, job interviews, trivia games at a bar, or any time we were caught playing Pokemon Go in our underpants.

Unfortunately we have yet to evolve into an easy button when it comes to thinking. However, our brains hold a lot more intelligence than we we actually we realize they do. Chances are if you've learned some information it is stored in the folds and  wrinkles that make up our amazing brains. We just can't yank that information out exactly when we need it.

But there are ways that science has proven that we can enhance our ability to actually recall more than we thought we could.

 

 

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Dance: Oh My God! How many times has dancing been a bad idea? You Tube is full of dancing as a bad idea. It's only a bad idea for the observer, not for the dancer. Dancing actually has been scientifically shown to reduce the chances of dementia by 76%. That's even better than doing crossword puzzles or playing internet mind games. It seems that the randomness of dance helps the brain to create neutral pathways for commands to flow through. This randomness makes our brains stronger. That explains why Louisiana people are some of the most ingenious and intuitive people on the planet. We sure love to dance.

 

 

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Get Mad,Develop A Bad Mood: Obviously it is not smart to get mad around a person of authority such as your boss or a member of law enforcement. However, the act of being angry, not livid, but angry or being exposed to depressing subjects such as death and illness sharpen the brain's instincts. An Australian study found that persons who watch videos about death and cancer were far less susceptible to fall for rumor or believe misinformation. Maybe that part of our brain enhances our cynicism.

 

 

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Change Your Clothes: If you're in the middle of a job interview I don't suggest stripping and then putting on a new ensemble but clothes do affect attitude. Your attitude will allow your brain to "open" itself to reveal more information. It's along the lines of "if you believe you can do it, then you probably can".  Here's another odd fact about clothing. If you put on a lab coat,like the kind scientist and doctors wear, your ability to perform on tests actually improves.

 

 

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Smoke A Cigarette: Personally I have a lot of trouble reccomending this one. So do most of the researchers too. The down side to smoking far outweighs the short term benefit of brainpower you might receive. However, studies do show that nicotine can enhance the mind's ability to retain and recall certain facts. The scientist who did the study used nicotine patches and not cigarettes in case you were wondering.

 

I wonder what would happen if you were madly dancing in a lab coat while having a smoke? Chances are you'd be the smartest person on the planet for at least a few minutes. I might have to give that a try the next time the boss asks me a question that I don't know the answer to.

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