By Karen Kaplan 5:30 PM EST, December 12, 2012 Go take a hike –
it’s good for your brain. So says a new study that supports
something called Attention Restoration Theory, which holds that
exposure to nature can replenish our cognitive reserves when
they are worn out by overuse. And if you live a modern urban or
suburban life, your cognitive reserves are surely depleted: A
typical teenager spends more than 7.5 hours per day juggling a
computer, cellphone, TV and other media, and the number is
surely higher for a typical adult, according to the study: “Our
modern society is filled with sudden events (sirens, horns,
ringing phones, alarms, televisions, etc.) that hijack
attention. By contrast, natural environments are associated with
a gentle, soft fascination, allowing the executive attentional
system to replenish.” If that sounds like a far-fetched ad for
the Sierra Club, consider that studies have found that taking a
hike or otherwise spending some time in nature has been shown to
help people do better on lab