Neuroscience, once only of interest to scientists, is now a subject of high interest to business because there is a strong correlation between building a better brain and building a better business. “Prospecting for better brains may be the new gold rush,” notes Professor of Neurology, Anjan Chatterjee.
Table of Contents
Advances in Neurotechnology
Neuroscience is getting increasing acceptance by the public because of advances in neurotechnology. Examples of applied neurotechnology include online software, audio devices, and video games. In addition, there is a proliferation of services to promote cognitive enhancement. Franchises are emerging where participants are hooked to electronic equipment that improves brain functioning.
Ultimately, despite the diversity of brain-building electronic tools, all these forms of neurotechnology do one thing: they drop participants’ brain waves from Beta waves (13 to 38 Hz) to Alpha waves (8 to 12 Hz) and even Theta waves (4-7 Hz). While Beta waves form our habitual waking state, the lower brain waves can process more information in a more intuitive and holistic way. Consequently, by lowering brain wave frequency, more brainpower is tapped.
Brain Plasticity- How Brains Get Smarter
Brain plasticity, the ability of the brain to change when given a new stimulus is one way the brain gets smarter, processing information more efficiently. Essentially, neuroplasticity means an ability for new neurons to form because of some form of brain enrichment. This stimulation can be in the form of sounds of lower frequency, such as used in brain-stimulating audio and visual machines, or it can be more information and problem-solving stimuli, like a crossword puzzle, Sudoko, or some interesting reading or lecture material.
It follows to reason that business people who have better memories, more mental alertness, and prolonged attention will do better than those who are mentally sluggish. In addition, with an expansion of new neurosynaptic links, a person is better able to access memories, analyze complex data, and apply sound logic and cogent reasoning.
Those who have tapped into the power of brain plasticity are better at thinking, intuiting, organizing negotiating, marketing, selling, and inventing new business strategies.
Brain Pathway of Super-Learners
Since business is evolving at the pace of technology, those business people who are able to keep pace with advances in technological information will have a competitive edge over those who prefer to think and learn in an old-fashioned way.
Those who are better learners, more easily able to decode and decipher symbols, can keep pace with technological training because they can learn more information in an easier way.
Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), neuroscientists found that information processing ability is related to how information is transferred from the brain regions in the front to the brain regions in the back. They discovered that good reader are those who are able to process new information and organize it into a coherent inner picture.
The brains of good readers showed under-activity in the front region of the brain and over-activity in the back region of the brain. Conversely, poor readers have over-active regions in the front brain and under-active regions in the back brain. Neuroscientists concluded that those who think too much while reading can’t remember as much. Since they can’t remember as much, they don’t discern themes and perceive clear patterns.
Accelerating Business Innovation
As the relationship between neuroscience and business continues to develop, we can expect business as a field to become more innovative, benefiting consumers with better products and services. In addition, with smarter business people, those who use their brains more efficiently, we can also expect more sophisticated business models to emerge.…