Internet search good for the brain than books If you think
reading a book stimulates your brain, think again. Researchers
at the University of California Los Angeles found that searching
the web is a better activity than reading as it triggers the
centers of the brain that control decision-making and complex
reasoning. But before you go and start doing those Google and
Yahoo searching, this study is good only to middle-aged and
older adults. The research team worked with volunteers with ages
between 55 to 76, with half having experience with the web and
the rest as Internet newbies. With functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) machines scanning their noggins, participants
were asked to search the web and read books. Both activities
showed significant brain activities but those who used the web
users registered activities in the frontal, temporal, and
cingulate areas of the brain, controlling decision-making and
complex reasoning. The study is set to see publication in the
upcoming issue of the American J