Memories: Joy Unending

Cover of Humphrey Bogart

Watching old movies is a nostalgic adventure. Tonight I watched Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart never gets old, but I remember other people when I watch the movie besides the stars of a bygone era. I remember my mother and father taking me to the movies and even though I didn't understand the political intrigue depicted, I recognized their admiration of the of the stars and the story. 

The movie came out in 1942 which made it very timely for what was going on. In 1942 the United States had entered the Second World War but Europe had been embroiled in it since 1939. The story is a tragic love affair that is torn apart by the war. Casa Blanca was ar risk of becoming German territory. Rick's bar was a refuge for American and European ex patriots.




When I was first exposed to the movie, I did not appreciate it's very political and patriotic theme. Now I do, but I'm still struck by the many old stars in it. Ingrid Bergman, Louie Armstrong, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.Z. Sakall, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains make me realize the vast talent present in the old movies. They don't have the graphics and technical advances or more modern movies, but they had some extraordinary actors who used emotion, expression, and delivery.  Even in black and white I was impressed with their delivery and skill.

This screenshot shows Sydney Greenstreet and Humphrey Bogart in a discussion about whether Sam (Dooley Wilson) will come to work for Greenstreet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This movie also had some memorable lines: "Here's looking at you, kid;" "Play it again, Sam;" "Of all the gin joints in all the cities in all the world, why did she have to walk into mine?" "Round up the usual suspects."

Old movies bring back lots of memories of lots of people, and not all of them are actors.

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• This week's film: Casablanca

Take Care of Your Hippocampus

Biological neuron schema (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I got my MS degree, the prevailing wisdom said we should not be foolish about doing things that damaged brain neurons because they are not replaced. We had all the neurons we were ever going to have in early childhood, and by the time we were 18 or 20 we would begin to lose them by the thousands every day. Some activities cause more loss that is necessary: alcohol, drug use, toxic substances in food or air.  For this reason it makes sense to preserve your brain cells if you can. You will lose lots of them anyway, but don't be careless with them.  

Current research tells us that we can guard against loss by using them. We should be doing things that put a demand on brain cells because the more they are used the less chance they have to atrophy. It's the same message we get for using our muscles: use it or lose it. When we use the transmitters in the cell, it is stimulated to replace it. This keeps the cell active and vital. Doing crossword puzzles is stimulating to the brain cells and replenishes the transmitters in them. 

It also makes new connections. It is the number of connections, not the number of cells that makes you smarter. The message you need to hear about your brain is: keep it active and use it a lot. 

A newer finding on the care and training of you brain says that, contrary to the former information , you really can form new neurons in the brain. This is called neurogenesis. It happens in the hippocampus where new memories are made. The hippocampus is a structure in the Limbic system associated with emotion. The new cells won't replace your old cells that have died. The old cells still die and their information is gone, but the new cells can and must be trained to make new memories and learn new information. The neurogenesis is stimulated by demand on the brain. Learning a new language or doing difficult math problems is a possibility. Reading physics papers and playing music that requires concentrated study might accomplish the goal.

Use your brain. Use it a lot. You will benefit from the effort of learning and you might even grow some new cells. It's up to you!