© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE

Discussions

Surprising Facts about Male and Female

Differences – 12 The Laughter Gap – 14 Seeing, Not Believing +Your Blind Spot– 15 We’re Glad You Asked – 19

Imaginative Exercises

Imagining Smells – 21

Imagine Words Related to Touch– 22 Imagining Sounds: Music to Our Ears – 23

Acting Up: Bodies Speak Louder than Words – 25

Sidebars – See page 9

Trivia quizzes

What Do You Know about the Human

Body? – 3 Our Bodies by the Numbers – 5 How Our Body Parts Got Their Names – 7 Beyond the Obvious: The Differences between Men and Women – 10

Word games

10 Short Body Parts and Nosy Names – 18

Brainy Words – 26 Oddly Named Body Parts – 28 Missing Body Parts – 30

More Bodily Expressions – 32

If you have exercises, resources, or ideas you

want to add, please feel free to email Kathy@WiserNow.com.

“Our Amazing Bodies” is the theme of this MindPlay Connections.™ The physiology of human beings is amazing and a surprising lot of it is not understood, but here we’ve tried our best to delightfully enlighten you. This title is one of an ever expanding list of dozens that can be accessed at www.WiserNow.com/store.html It makes a great accompaniment to other titles such as:

Love and Marriage, Parts 1 & 2

Brainy Thoughts

The goal of MindPlay Connections™ is always twofold:

1) We want you to make playful new connections in your brain, because learning

new information builds new brain pathways – as opposed to retrieving answers you already

know, which merely deepens ruts.

2) We want you to strengthen your connections with others by sharing the

exercises with a partner or group, because having strong social networks is one of the

most important components of wellbeing at any age.

Feel free to go beyond the suggested uses. For example, many of the exercises are likely to prompt reminiscences that can open up additional discussions.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue

www.WiserNow.com

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 3

Trivia quiz: What Do You Know about the Human Body?

Our bodies are amazing. Let’s get started with a trivia quiz made up of random facts about

our physical substance.

Can you guess which are true?

1. According to German researchers, the risk of heart attack is higher on

Wednesday than any other day of the week.

True ___ False ___

2. Beards are the fastest growing hairs on the human body.

True ___ False ___

3. Every person has a unique tongue print.

True ___

False ___

4. Fingerprints serve the function of providing traction for

the fingers to grasp things.

True ___

False ___

5. If you go blind in one eye, you'll only lose about 35% of

your vision.

True ___ False___

6. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune

system.

True ___ False ___

7. One in every 2000 babies is born with a tooth.

True ___ False ___

8. The average human body contains enough iron to make a 3 inch nail,

sulfur to kill the fleas on an average dog, carbon to make 900 pencils,

potassium to fire a toy cannon, and phosphorous to make 2,200 match

heads.

True ___ False ___

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 4

9. The average human produces enough spit in a

lifetime to fill a swimming pool.

True ___

False ___

10. The left lung is smaller than the right lung to

make room for the heart.

True ___

False ___

11. The most common blood type in the world is Type A.

True ___ False ____

12. The sound of a snore (up to 69 decibels) can be almost as loud as

the noise of a jet plane.

True ___ False ___

Sources: http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/h-triv.html,

http://www.onlineeducation.net/body , and http://www.statisticbrain.com/human-

body-statistics/

Answers:

1. False: Monday – perhaps related to work stress?

2. True: If the average man never trimmed his beard, it would grow

to nearly 30 feet long in his lifetime.

3. True

4. True

5. False: You’ll retain 80% of your vision, but lose your depth

perception.

6. True

7. True

8. True

9. False: Two of them!

10. True

11. False: The most common is Type O.

12. False: But it can be almost as loud as a pneumatic drill.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 5

Trivia quiz: Our Bodies by the Numbers

The numbers related to our bodies are also amazing.

Part 1: Can you fill in the appropriate number?

Choose from the following:

2.5

6

17

25

27

60

100

100 (again)

105

206

50,000

100,000

1. Babies are born with about 300 bones, but by adulthood we have only

______ in our bodies.

2. By the time you turn 70, your heart will have beat some _______ billion

times (figuring on an average of 70 beats per minute.)

3. The largest human organ is the skin, with a surface area of about

______ square feet.

4. Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour. By 70 years

of age, an average person will have lost ______ pounds of skin.

5. Humans shed and re-grow outer skin cells about every _______ days

– almost 1000 new skins in a lifetime.

6. A cough releases an explosive charge of air

that moves at speeds up to _______ mph.

7. A sneeze can exceed the speed of _______

mph.

8. A fingernail takes about ______ months to

grow from base to tip.

9. A human nose can remember _______ scents.

10. A healthy individual releases 3.5 oz. of gas in

a single flatulent emission, or about ______

oz. in a day.

11. An average human scalp has _______ hairs.

12. A human being loses an average of 40 to _______ strands of hair a

day.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 6

Part 2: Can you fill in the appropriate number?

3

4

20

25

40

50

200

300

2000

100,000

1. Our hearts beat _______ times a day.

2. Our 6 quarts (5.6 liters) of blood circulates through our entire body _______

times every minute.

3. Though it makes up only 2 percent of our total body weight, the brain demands

_______ percent of the body's oxygen and calories.

4. The energy used by the brain is enough to light a _______ watt bulb.

5. _______million cells die in the human body every minute.

6. The human body has over 600 muscles, _____ percent of the body's weight.

7. Jaw muscles can provide about _______ pounds of force to bring the back teeth

together for chewing.

8. We get a new stomach lining at least once every _______ days. If we didn’t, the

strong acids used to digest food would also digest our stomachs.

9. Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about ______ calories a

day.

10. On average women say 7,000 words per day. Men manage just over _______.

Sources: http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/h-triv.html, http://www.onlineeducation.net/body ,

http://www.statisticbrain.com/human-body-statistics/ and

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/heart/heartfacts.html

Answers, Part 1:

1. 206

2. 2.5

3. 25

4. 105

5. 1000

6. 60

7. 100

8. 6

9. 50,000

10. 17

11. 100,000

12. 100

Answers, Part 2:

1. 100,000

2. 3

3. 20

4. 25

5. 300

6. 40

7. 200

8. 4

9. 50

10. 2000

~ Re: Part 1: 4. Don’t worry about the loss of 300 million cells a day – they are replaced in equal

numbers. But you might want to dust more often.

~ Re 11. on hair: Red heads have an average of 86,000 follicles (the fewest), and blondes, with

146,000 follicles have the most.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 7

Trivia quiz: How Our Body Parts Got Their Names

Every body part has an origin story. We suspect that most will surprise you.

Following are 10 stories about the origins of body parts. Which are true?

1. Coccyx is derived from coxswain, the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. This body part is also known as our tailbone, and since tails are used by animals for balance, it fits well with steering.

True ___ False ___

2. Artery means “air holder” because ancient Greek anatomists thought

arteries were actually air ducts, since they didn’t hold any blood after death.

True ___ False ___

3. Adam’s Apple, referring to the lump in the neck,

formed by thyroid cartilage related to the larynx refers

to the idea that when the biblical Adam ate the

forbidden apple, it got stuck in his throat.

True ___ False ____

4. Pancreas, from the Greek pan, meaning all, and kreas, meaning

creation, because ancient Greeks believed the organ to be as essential to

life as the heart.

True ___ False ___

5. Lunula refers to the white, crescent-shaped area of at the tip of your

nails. “Lun” is the Latin root for moon.

True ___ False ___

6. Ankle comes from the Latin angulus meaning little

corner or angle; for the bend between the foot and the leg.

True ___ False ___

7. Larynx, or our voice box, is derived from a Greek word,

larungao, which means to scream or bellow.

True ___ False ___

8. Uvula is that dangly pink object in the back of your throat. Its name is

Latin for “little grape,” which is kind of what it looks like.

True ___ False ___

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 8

9. Glabella is the stretchy piece of skin between your thumb and forefinger.

The name is from the Latin word glabellus, which means hairless.

True ___ False ___

10. Iris, the colorful part of our eye, is named

for the beautiful flower because all human

babies are born with blue eyes.

True ___ False ___

This trivia quiz was inspired by and adapted from information found at http://www.rd.com/slideshows/fun-trivia-body-parts-

got-names/. That source claimed these sources: Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Amazing Body Facts and Trivia, Anatomy & Physiology for Dummies, Franklin Institute, Mental Floss. I found additional words at: http://anatomyalmanac.blogspot.com

Answers:

1. Coccyx – False: Coccyx is derived from the Greek word for cuckoo—“kokkux”—

because the curved shape of the bone resembles the bird’s beak. 2. Artery - True

3. Adam’s Apple – False: The phrase comes from a very early mistranslation of the

Hebrew words for “male bump.” There is no mention of “apple” in Genesis, and in fact,

both men and women have this cartilage; it is simply more visible in men.

4. Pancreas- False: It’s from the Greek pan, all, and kreas, flesh. The original use of

the term referred to any edible meat or meat-like substance. The early Greek physician

Herophilus was the first to use the word for the organ.

5. Lunula - True: The area is white because there are no blood vessels beneath it, as

there are under the rest of the nail bed.

6. Ankle – True

7. Larynx – True: The earliest recorded use of the term was by Aristotle in the 4th

century BC.

8. Uvula - True

9. Glabella – False: The derivation from hairless is true, but the area referred to is the

flat area above your nose and between your eyebrows, that in some people is hairless

only if they are handy with a tweezers.

10. Iris – False: It comes from the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The

flower has the same root.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 9

Sidebar 1: More Body Part Word Origins:

Palm – The name for the underside of your hand derives from the Roman tradition of placing a palm leaf in the hands of the winner of a contest during ancient times. Fibula – This comes directly from the Latin

fibula, a Roman clothing clasp or brooch: in

essence, an ancient safety pin. The fibula and

the tibia of the leg, when taken together,

represent the clasp with the much thinner

fibula representing the clasp's pin.

Thyroid – This butterfly-shaped gland, located in the neck, is named for the Greek word qyreoeidh, (easy for you to say!) which means “large, oblong shield.” You have your thyroid to thank—or curse—for your metabolism: it produces hormones that affect how your body uses energy (calories).

Sidebar 2: Do we need these body parts?

The June 2013 issue of Mental Floss contained an article by Judy Dutton on what

seem to be useless body parts – that is, body parts which seem to be unnecessary

based on what we currently know about the human body. They included

appendix

male nipples

pinky toes (4 are enough)

spare ribs (in .5% of humans and all chimps and gorillas)

tailbone (formally the coccyx)

tonsils

wisdom teeth

Sidebar 3: Touch’s Unusual Influence on Actions

We often think our mood is affected by the sights and sounds in our environment, but a brief article in the AARP Magazine by Holly St. Lifer pointed out a research study that touch – specifically whether we are hot or cold – is also an influence. Hold “a warm cup and you’re more likely to view others as caring and generous. Sit in a comfy chair (rather than a hard one) and you might be more open to compromise.” Hmmmm. How can we use that with Congress?

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 10

Trivia quiz: Beyond the Obvious: Differences Between Men & Women

It’s no surprise that men’s and women’s bodies are different, but some of the ways they are different may surprise you.

Check whether each statement is true for men or women

1. Has generally greater height and weight. Men ___ Women ___

2. On average, lives several years longer Men ___ Women ___

3. Have larger stomach, liver, and appendix Men ___ Women ___

4. Have larger heart and lungs (and more lung capacity)

Men ___ Women ___

5. Have greater upper body and overall brute strength Men ___ Women ___

6. Reaches puberty first Men ___ Women ___

7. Have more red blood cells, thicker blood Men ___ Women ___

8. Generally have less oxygen in the blood, and therefore less long range stamina Men ___ Women ___

9. Hearts beat more rapidly Men ___ Women ___

10. More sensitive to sound and smells Men ___ Women ___

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 11

11. Better night vision, better visual memory Men ___ Women ___

12. Better distance vision and depth perception Men ___ Women ___

Odd facts:

13. The first finger of a woman's hand is usually longer than the third; with men the reverse is true.

True ___ False ___

14. Some differences between the sexes are extremely subtle. Young men tend to carry their books at their sides with their arms looped over the top. Women and girls, by contrast, usually cradle their books at their breasts.

True ___ False ___

Sources:

http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Difference_Between_Male_And_Female_Structures__Mental_And_Physical__a613.html

http://drjamesdobson.org/Solid-Answers/Answers?a=ff773023-2693-410d-b9e1-662f6985be4e

Answers:

1. Men 2. Women 3. Women

4. Men 5. Men 6. Women

7. Men 8. Women 9. Women

10. Women 11. Women 12. Men

13. True 14. True

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's

birthday but never remembers her age. ~ Robert Frost

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 12

Discussion: Surprising Facts about Male/Female Differences

In her book, The Ladies’ Room Reader, The Ultimate Women’s Trivia Book, Alicia Alvrez covers a broad (pun intended) range of topics from Nobel scientists to superstitions and shopping. One chapter is devoted to women’s bodies. While she does not quote her sources, here is a sampling of her facts for you to ponder.

Twice as many women than men can touch their tongues to their noses, and nearly twice as many are double-jointed. Women’s estrogen levels apparently contribute to their much better sense of smell than men, but no one knows why fewer women are able to whistle than men. On the other hand, women are better able to do splits than men. We each have our talents!

Can you do any of the things listed or could you once?

What other unusual talents do you possess? Women are known for being more nurturing than men, but perhaps not as many men have been called upon for that role. On the other

hand, women are more likely than men to stop for a yellow light than men – 30 percent to 9 percent. They are more likely to buckle up as well and are involved in fewer car accidents..

Would you say these statistics make women more cautious/protective of themselves and others or more obedient to the rules?

Women blink twice as often as men and sleep less than men. They are more likely to lie awake at night because they are three times more sensitive to noise while sleeping than men – perhaps listening for sounds of stirring children? But while they are more likely to be awakened by a man’s snoring in their younger years, they tend to snore just as much as men after menopause.

Many people, both men and women, are subject to hearing losses as they age, but have you found these statements to be true for you?

Women can distinguish more colors than men (as any couple arguing over paint samples knows), and are far less likely to be colorblind – 1 woman in 1000 (.1%) to 7 in 100 men (7%) But men can see objects moving in the distance better than women (perhaps a leftover from their ancient hunting days?) Many studies show men have a stronger visual-spatial sense, but women have a better memory for

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 13

finding the objects their spouses have lost. James Thurber famously said, “I hate women because they always know where things are.”

What has been your experience with these facts?

Women do indeed have annoying habits. They are far less likely to squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom, for example. On the other hand, they are more likely to floss.

What habits do you find annoying in others – or yourself?

Did you know that humans are the only mammals whose breasts are prominent throughout their lives? In all other mammals, breasts are flat except during pregnancy and lactation. And apparently obsession with these globes is longstanding. The

Victorian cure for flabby breasts was a bath in fresh strawberries. (What was that supposed to do???) Talking about pregnancy and childbirth brings out lots of superstitions and folklore. Ms. Alvrez notes, for example, that in many cultures, “When a woman goes into labor, the rest of the family loosen their hair, set their animals free and uncover their pots as symbols of unobstructed birth.” She also notes that, “According to Korean folklore, if you dream about the sun, dragons, snakes, tigers, horses, or pigs while pregnant, your child will be a boy. If it’s a girl, you will dream of flower, apples, butterflies, cherries, owls, rabbits, or jewels.”

Furthermore, she quotes a 1969 Iowa State University study that found that children tended to be the gender of the parent under less stress at the time of conception. (Was there any follow-up?)

What superstitions and folklore do you know of related to gender and childbirth?

Did you have any good luck secrets of your own for determining the gender of your child or easing childbirth?

Additional resources: Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Puzzle Book #1, Wikipedia and

http://socyberty.com/psychology/20-statistical-differences-between-men-and-women/

http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/but-seriously-why-is-there-a-gender-gap-in-laughter/

http://www.insomnia.net/sleep-health/women/

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/ulcers/hic_peptic_ulcer_disease.aspx

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 14

Discussion: The Laughter Gap

As I have often preached over the years, keeping your brain active and keeping your sense of humor primed are closely related exercises, and both are good for body, mind

and spirit. Yet there is a laughter gap between men and women – women laugh more than men. That fact is all the more interesting because more men than women (by far) are stand-up comics, likely to be the class clown, and in general, take more risks to be funny. The reason? (Or at least one answer) Because men who are funny attract women. That is one of the conclusions of John Tierney in an article he wrote for the New York Times (http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/the-laugh-gap-explained/). As back-up, he used a study conducted by Robert Provine, a University of Maryland laughter researcher. According to Mr. Tierney, Professor Provine analyzed “more than 3,000 personal ads in newspapers in eight American cities, keeping track of how often people sought someone with a sense of humor, and how often they advertised themselves as being funny. He found that women sought laughter more than they promised it, whereas for men it was the reverse: they were more likely to advertise their own sense of humor.” Professor Provine wrote in Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, “The evidence is clear. Women seek men who make them laugh, and men are anxious to comply with this request.” A second reason women laugh more than men, according to Mr. Tierney may be that “women are kinder and more empathetic.” He quotes a woman named Jackie who said, “I often laugh not because someone is especially funny, but because I sense that the person/speaker wishes to be found funny, and I want to be kind to that person.” Perhaps motivation isn’t important. Whether you are trying to attract a mate or trying to be kind, laughter brings oxygen to your brain and freshens your thinking.

Talk about it

In your view, who has the better sense of humor: men or women? Why do you think so?

Do you laugh more with people of your own gender or with people of the opposite sex? Do you know why?

Do you think people often laugh to “fit in” even when they don’t think something is funny?

Do you think women laugh more out of kindness – to make the person who was trying to be funny feel good – as the woman suggested?

Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades,

but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day,

ah, now that’s a real treat!

~ Joanne Woodward, married to Paul Newman for 50 years

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 15

Discussion: Seeing, Not Believing

Author, humorist, and cartoonist James Thurber described these hallucinations:

I saw bridges rise lazily into the air, like balloons.

I saw a cat roll across a street in a striped barrel.

I saw [an] old lady with a gray parasol walk right through the side of a truck.

He had these spontaneous visions – and many more – after he had gone blind. The engaging neurologist V.S. Ramachandran, M.D., Ph.D. suggests in his book, Phantoms in the Brain, that James Thurber had

Charles Bonnet Syndrome or CBS. Like his friend and colleague Oliver Sacks, M.D., Dr. Ramachandran has made a career out of studying and helping people who have unusual brain disorders. The difference in the case of CBS is that it is not unusual, just usually hidden. As Dr. Ramachandran pointed out, “When Grandma, sitting in her wheelchair in the nursing home, says, ‘What are all those water lilies doing on the floor?’ her family is likely to think she has lost her mind.”

In fact, many people with CBS-related hallucinations, until they learn the cause, fear that they are going “bonkers.” They are hesitant to tell their loved ones or a physician of their symptoms, because they are afraid they will think so, too. It is true that hallucinations can be a side effect of various medications and a symptom of various serious diseases such as stroke, Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, Charles Bonnet Syndrome is more benign.

The syndrome is named after a Swiss philosopher named Charles Bonnet who described the condition in 1760 as it related to the visions of his nearly blind grandfather, who saw patterns, figures (including boyfriends for his granddaughters), birds, and buildings that were not there. The key differences from other disorders are that people with CBS already have impaired vision, and they realize – after their initial shock – that what they are seeing is not real.

According to the Lighthouse Organization (http://www.lighthouse.org/about-low-vision-blindness/vision-disorders/charles-bonnet-syndrome/), “roughly one third of patients with low vision develop Charles Bonnet Syndrome, including those with age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and other eye disorders. The hallucinations are more likely to occur when the person is awake, alone, and in dim light, or when he or she is physically inactive or lacks distractions, such as television.

Turning on an extra lamp or two, staying physically and mentally occupied, spending time with family or friends, and participating in social activities can reduce the frequency and vividness of the hallucinations.” Sometimes even blinking or turning away can help.

There is tremendous variance in frequency and duration of these hallucinations. They may last a few seconds or most of the day. They may occur multiple times each day or a

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 16

few times a month. They may end altogether within days or go on for years. On average, they seem to disappear within 18 months. While there is limited drug treatment for the condition, it is not reliably effective. For most people, reassurance that this is a common syndrome and not a sign of mental illness is the best treatment. In fact, anxiety can easily change to amusement if you no longer fear the hallucinations.

After all, who wouldn’t be amused by visions like those described by a 73-year old woman before her diagnosis: She saw floating seahorses and featherless chickens that were then replaced by a Roman chariot with a rider dressed in gold. Tropical vines grew from the foot of her bed. Brightly colored fairies carrying wands beckoned her for walks around the hospital grounds.

After rattling off a number of his visions (golden sparks, melting purple blobs, saffron and light blue waves) James Thurber, in a letter to his ophthalmologist, wrote, “Man has devised no spectacle of light in any way similar to this sublime arrangement of colors or holy visitation.”

The most common images described by people with CBS are complex colored patterns (such as of brickwork, netting, mosaic, or tiles) and images of people; then come animals, plants or trees, and various inanimate objects. Sometimes the images are not in color; often the people, animals or objects are smaller than normal; sometimes they are distorted, with, for example, extra large teeth on one side. The hallucinations are visual only – without accompanying sound, smell, touch, or taste. (Pictured is a representation of a common visual aura of people with migraines.) Additional resources: http://sciconrev.org/2007/05/harmless-hallucinations-in-the-elderly/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bonnet_syndrome

Talk about it

Have you heard of Charles Bonnet Syndrome? Do you or does anyone you know have it? If so, talk about the experience.

People who think they are going crazy are understandably upset by hallucinations, but if CBS was the cause and what one saw was pleasant or benign, can you see how they might be amusing? If not, why not?

Were you aware of James Thurber’s vision challenges?

Are you interested in other oddities of vision? Have you read anything about them? Share what you know.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 17

Experiment: Your Blind Spot

All of us have a blind spot in our vision, which we automatically “fill in” with adjacent colors and textures. We usually go through life blissfully unaware of this blind spot, in part because of our binocular vision, which combines what each eye sees. But you can find your blind spot with the illustration below. Close your right eye and hold the paper about 12 inches or 30 cm away (or back up from your computer screen). Focus your gaze on the magician’s hat as you slowly move the page (or screen) toward your left eye. At some point the rabbit will disappear altogether. That’s your blind spot. To find the blind spot in your right eye, close your left eye and focus on the rabbit until the hat disappears. Note: For those who have highly unequal vision in your eyes, it may be easier to find your blind spot in one eye than the other.

People with glaucoma have an expanding blind spot, called a scotoma, which causes distortion and blurring as the grid at left illustrates. One theory about Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) as it relates to glaucoma is that the brain fills in these blanks with hallucinations. That might also account for why some hallucinations are distorted. We all do this “filling in” regularly. If we see a dog behind a picket fence, for example, we see only fragments of its body, but know that it is a whole dog. Other scientists are also interested in the odd

connections the brain makes to compensate for losses. For example, Dr. Dominic Ffytche, a senior lecturer in clinical neuroscience at King’s College in London, is intrigued by the fact that when people who are blind read through the bumps on the pages of a Braille text, the parts of the brain related to vision are stimulated. He is investigating whether people who are having hallucinations caused by CBS – which often occur when the brain is under-stimulated – might be able to halt them by stimulating their fingertips, such as by feeling the dimples on dice. (See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1134415/Ghostly-faces-visions-little-people-

The-eye-disorder-leaves-thousands-Britons-fearing-theyve-lost-senses.html.)

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 18

If you are interested in visual oddities and other brain disorders, V.S. Ramachandran’s book Phantoms in the Brain is fascinating. To order the book, click here.

To learn more about Dr. Ramachandran’s work and honors, go to http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bios/ramachandran.html.

To see an interview of him by Charlie Rose, go to http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10468.

Also check out the online video TED talk by Dr. Oliver Sacks at http://www.ted.com/talks/oliver_sacks_what_hallucination_reveals_about_our_minds.html

Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. ~ Jonathan Swift

Quick quizzes: 10 Short Body Parts and Nosy Names

10 parts of the human body can be spelled with only three letters. Can you name them? (No slang needed. Answers below) Many of our body parts have multiple names. For example:

Feet are sometimes called dogs

A beautiful pair of women’s legs might be called gams

Eyes can be called peepers

One of the body parts with the most alternative names is the nose. How many other names for nose can you think of? (Suggestions below)

What other body parts have other names? (Keep it clean, folks.) Answer to body parts: arm, ear, eye, gum, gut, hip, jaw, leg, lip, rib, toe (That’s 11) Other names for nose: beak, honker, muzzle, proboscis, schnoz, schnozzle, sniffer, snoot, snout, snotlocker

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 19

Discussion: We’re Glad You Asked

What makes our fingers and toes become pruney after being in the bathtub or

pool for a while?

Our fingers, toes and the soles of our feet have a thicker

skin than the rest of our body. If we sit in a bathtub for a

long time or swim in a pool, our skin absorbs water and

expands. On most of our more thin-skinned bodies, the

absorbed water doesn’t show, but our thick-skinned

fingers and feet have no room to expand, so the skin

buckles – looking like a prune.

Why do we have eyebrows?

Two reasons:

1) To keep water (rain, snow) and sweat (salty and eye-stinging) out of our eyes

2) To soften the blow when we bump the bone hidden by them

Eyebrows, eyelashes, and the hair in our noses and older

men’s ears are all meant to protect our eyes, noses and

ears from dust, insects, and other foreign matter.

Hair also plays a role in keeping bodies warm, although in

humans, it is likely to only help our heads stay

comfortable.

Did you know? A single human hair is stronger than a copper wire of the same thickness.

Why does it feel so good to stretch?

Stretching signals our brain to relax our muscles and release

tension. According to Bill McLain (See Resources) our

muscles are like springs. A loose spring can be compressed

and released to produce a great deal of power. Tight

muscles, like tight springs, produce little power and can’t

absorb much shock. Stretching helps keep us flexible, less

prone to injury, and more mobile.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 20

Why do we get a headache when we eat ice cream too fast?

Ice cream headaches are brief, stabbing headaches that happen when you eat or drink something cold. Popsicles, slushy frozen drinks, and other cold foods and drinks can have the same effect. The medical term for this type of headache is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is why most people simply call it a “brain freeze.” Essentially what happens is that when something cold touches the roof of your mouth (your palate), the sudden temperature change of the tissue stimulates nerves to cause quick dilation and swelling of blood vessels. This is the body’s attempt to direct blood to the area and warm it back up. But this dilation of the blood vessels also triggers a message of pain to the brain. Unfortunately, because of the particular nerves involved, the brain interprets the pain signal as coming from the forehead. This is called 'referred pain' since the cause of the pain is in a different location from where you feel it.

The good news is: 1) Only about a third of people experience “brain freeze,” perhaps because one way to

prevent it is to simply eat or drink cold substances more slowly, and they do; 2) Most people will feel relief in less time than it takes to read this explanation.

What makes us yawn?

Oddly enough, scientists are still debating this. The most popular theories are 1) that we yawn to draw more oxygen into our brains, and 2) to cool down our brains for clearer thinking. These ideas fit nicely with the thought that we are most likely to yawn when we are tired, bored, or in a stuffy room, but what few studies have been done have not confirmed these theories. Nevertheless, it’s true that when we are tired, bored or in a crowded room, we tend to breathe more slowly and less deeply. When we yawn, we open our mouths wide in order to take in big gulps of air and release more carbon dioxide. We can often prevent yawning by taking several deep breaths (or by chewing gum).

What do you think? Do these theories have merit? Do you have other answers? What has your experience been?

Sources: Bill McLain’s books, Do Fish Drink Water? and What Makes Flamingos Pink? Plus: http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/f/how-brain-freeze-works.htm, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ice-cream-headaches/basics/definition/con-20024906, and http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/question5721.htm

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 21

Imagining Smells

All of the following words are related to our sense of smell. Can you put them into the

appropriate columns? (Answers on the next page)

Word Pleasant Unpleasant Neutral

1. aroma

2. bouquet

3. fetid

4. fragrant

5. incense

6. odor

7. perfume

8. putrid

9. rank

10. reek

11. savory 12. scent

13. stench

14. stink

15. whiff

Now let’s talk about specific memories of smells.

Name at least 10 smells that please you.

Consider the smells of food and drink (baking bread?),

the smells in nature (rain? flowers?), smells around the

house (fresh laundry?) and anything else you can think

of (a new baby’s skin?)

Talk about smells that bring up a specific

memory from your past. For me, the smell of dill is a

reminder of my grandmother’s garden.

Talk about smells that remind you of a place

you enjoy being. Perhaps school, in a new car, on a

construction site (new wood), in a leather shop?

Talk about perfumes and aftershave lotions. Are there any that you

especially like or that remind you of someone special?

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 22

Answers to the smell quiz:

Word Pleasant Unpleasant Neutral

1. aroma X

2. bouquet X

3. fetid X

4. fragrant X

5. incense X

6. odor X

7. perfume X

8. putrid X

9. rank X

10. reek X

11. savory X

12. scent X

13. stench X 14. stink X 15. whiff X

Now Imagine Words Related to Touch

What can you name that is:

Bumpy

Coarse

Cold or cool

Embossed

Feathery

Flimsy

Furry

Fuzzy

Gnarled

Greasy

Hot or warm

Jagged

Metallic

Prickly

Quilted

Rough

Rubbery

Sandy

Sharp

Silky

Slimy

Slippery

Smooth

Soft

Soggy

Springy

Sticky

Velvety

Wet

Woven

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 23

Imagining sounds: Music to Our Ears

The English language is rich in onomatopoeia, that is, words that imitate sounds. We

are using onomatopoeia every time we imitate the sound an animal makes, such as:

arf-arf

baaaa

cluck, cluck

cock-a-doodle doo

meow

moooooo

ribbit

oink

neigh

But we also use onomatopoeia in relation to many other things. Think, for example, of

water. Don’t these words sound like the action they describe?

drip

fizz

slurp

splash

splatter

spray

sprinkle

squish

trickle

On the following page is a “cheat sheet” that lists more than 100

examples of onomatopoeia. Use it as needed, but try to come up

with your own answers first of words that describe the following:

Words that have something to do with your mouth, such

as belch

Words that have to do with the sounds that birds make

Words that have to do with soft sounds like hum

Words that have to do air and wind

Words that have to do with things gone wrong, such as crash

Words that you associate with happiness, such as sparkle

Words that begin with C, such as cackle

Words that begin with S, such as splash

Many music-related sounds, such as harmony, melody, and sonata, are pleasing to the

ears, but other words that sound beautiful do not necessarily have beautiful meanings

and many words with beautiful meaning are displeasing to our ears.

Name some words that you consider beautiful in sound.

Then name words with beautiful meanings for you.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 24

“Cheat sheet” of examples of onomatopoeia (words that imitate sounds)

bang

bark

beep

belch/burp

boom

bop

buzz

ca-ching

cackle

chatter

chirp

clack

clang

clap

clash

clatter

clink

clip-clop

cluck

coo

cough /hack

crack/crackle

crash

creak

crinkle

crisp

croak

crunch

ding-dong

drip-drop

drizzle

fizz/fizzle

flap

flush

gargle

gasp

groan

growl

grumble

grunt

gulp

gush

hiss

honk

hum

hush

jingle/jangle

moan

murmur

peep

pitter patter

plop

plunk

pop

puff

purr

quack

rasp

rattle

ring

rip

roar

rumble

rustle

screech

sizzle

slap

slurp

smack

smash

snap

sniff

snort

sparkle

splash

splat/splatter

spray

sprinkle

squish

strum

swish/swoosh

tap

tick tock

thud

thump

tinkle

toot

trickle

tweet

twinkle

whiz

whoosh

yap

zap

zing

zip

zoom

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 25

Acting Up: Our Bodies Speak Louder than Words or Everyday Charades

You may have heard that only 7% of our communication with others comes from our words, and

that the other 93% is conveyed through body language (55%) and tone of voice (38%). The

reality is more complex, but it IS true that if our body language is at odds with our words, people

will believe our body language. Fortunately, body language is often all you need. Can you

convey the following just with your hands and facial expressions?

1. Can you give me a ride? (Hitchhiking)

2. Come here.

3. Good-bye.

4. He’s crazy.

5. Hurry up.

6. Hooray!

7. I approve.

8. I disapprove.

9. I’m angry.

10. I’m bored.

11. I’m happy or grateful.

12. I’m impatient.

13. Shame on you!

14. Shhhh! Be quiet.

15. Welcome; it’s so good to see you!

Suggestions:

1. Extend thumb from fist and point it in the direction you want to go.

2. Extend hands, palms up and wave fingers in unison toward you several times.

3. Wave a hand and look sad.

4. Point to head and revolve finger in circles beside one ear

5. Snap fingers , clap hands (chop, chop).

6. Applaud, wave hands in air above your head, look happy.

7. Thumb up.

8. Thumb down.

9. Shake a fist or finger at someone; make a mean face.

10. Twiddle your thumbs, roll your eyes.

11. Smile, clasp hands prayerfully, or hug yourself.

12. Cross your arms, look at your watch, tap your foot.

13. Extend one index finger and stroke the other index finger across it.

14. Put one index finger perpendicularly up to pursed lips.

15. Open arms for hug, big smile.

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 26

Word Game: Brainy Words

The Dana Alliance is a sponsor of the annual International Brain Awareness Week. The Dana Foundation offers free (www.dana.org) publications and resources, including brain games on their website which they encourage visitors to share. (Two are included here.) I subscribe to their free print publications Brain in the News and Brain Work, both of which are filled with articles on brain research that a layman can understand. Another excellent site for both information and brain games is www.brainconnection.com.

Part 1: Rhyming Brain Game

All of the following rhyming pairs of words contain either the word brain or brains. Can you figure out what the other word is from the clue?

1. What education does that’s important __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 2. What you feel when tired from cramming for a test __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ 3. Headache __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 4. Smart folks in Madrid __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 5. What a neurology professor does __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 6. Chief genius __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 7. Ordinary mind __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 8. A tune you can’t get out of your head __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 27

Part 2: Forming brainy words

One of the four words below can fit into each of the eight blanks to form a new word. Once you have formed the eight new words, match it to its definition on the right.

brain head idea mental

1. _______iest

2. double ________er

3. ________ity

4. _______lly

5. ele_________

6. _______ to _______

7. no__________er

8. h_________way

a. Outlook b. Kind of combat

c. Essential

d. It’s a snap!

e. Baseball bonus

f. Most intelligent

g. Secret retreat

h. In a perfect world

“I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.” - Socrates (470 BC-399 BC)

Answers to Brainy Game 1. trains brains 2. brain drain or strain 3. brain pain 4. Spain’s brains

5. explains brains 6. main brain 7. plain brain 8. brain refrain

Answers to Forming Words: 1. brainiest, f 2. doubleheader, e 3. mentality, a 4. ideally, h

5. elemental, c 6. head to head, b 7. no brainer, d 8. hideaway, g

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 28

Word game: Oddly Named Body Parts

A lot of our body parts are functioning quite well without our knowledge. In fact, many have such odd names, it’s unlikely you even know they existThe idea for this quiz came from Paul Dickson’s book, A Connoisseur’s Collection of Old and New, Weird and Wonderful, Useful and Outlandish Words. (To order, click here.) l will be very surprised if you know any of the definitions, but I hope you have fun learning them.

Part 1: Can you fill in the blanks with the correct definition?

1. Albuginea ___ 2. Blype ___ 3. Buccula ___ 4. Canthus ___ 5. Cilia ___ 6. Dolichopodous ___ 7. Dorsum ___

8. Embrasure ___ 9. Frenulum ___

10. Gelasin ___ 11. Gnathion ___ 12. Hallux ___ 13. Lentiginous ___

a. the back of the tongue b. big toe c. a dimple in the cheek that appears when one

smiles d. double chin e. an eyelash f. having long feet g. heavily freckled h. a piece of skin that peels off after a sunburn i. the point at either end of each eye where the

upper and lower lids meet j. the space between your teeth k. the thin muscle under the tongue l. the tip of the chin m. the white of an eye

Did you know? We are stardust!

Every ingredient in the human body is made from elements forged by stars. So is every rock, plant, animal, scoop of seawater and breath of air. Even the elements that make up our toys and technology owe their existence to distant suns. https://student.societyforscience.org/article/we-are-stardust

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 29

Part 2: Can you fill in the blanks with the correct definition?

1. Lunula ___ 2. Macrotous ___ 3. Olecranon ___ 4. Opisthenar ___ 5. Oscitancy ___ 6. Philtrum ___ 7. Popliteal ___ 8. Purlicue ___ 9. Racklettes ___

10. Sciapodous ___ 11. Tragus ___ 12. Vellus ___

a. the act of yawning b. the back of your hand c. the fleshy bump on your ear between the face and the ear cavity d. the ‘funny” bone – the projecting bone of the elbow e. having very large feet f. the hollow area at the back of the knee g. the indentation in the middle of the upper lip just below the nose h. large-eared i. the little lines on the wrist j. short, downy hairs found on the face (not beard hairs) k. the space between the index finger and the extended thumb l. the white crescent-shaped part of the fingernail at the base of the nail

Answers Part 1:

1. m 2. h 3. d

4. i 5. e 6. f

7. a 8. j 9. k

10. c 11. l 12. b

13. g

Answers, Part 2:

1. l 2. h 3. d

4. b 5. a 6. g

7. f 8. k 9. i

10. e 11. c 12. j

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 30

Word game: Missing Body Parts

The English language has hundreds of expressions having to do with body parts. My

notes include more than 75 just having to do with hands – and that does not include 30

more about fingers, fists, thumbs and palms!

Can you fill in the missing body part(s) in the common expressions below?

Try to do it without looking at the choices at the end of this exercise. Some body parts

are used more than once.

1. Wow! That’ll put ___________ on your __________!

2. In World War II, a common saying was “Loose ___________ sink ships.”

3. I made the grade by the __________ of my ___________.

4. There’s no point in just dipping a ___________

in the water; you have to jump in with both

_____________.

5. When it comes to eating, my grandson’s

___________ are bigger than his _________.

6. My ambitious sister has her ___________ in a

lot of pies.

7. My mother was a gardener with a green

____________; everything thrived for her.

8. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow's ___________.

9. He got a ___________- lashing for being late, but he dug in his

___________ and convinced her that his excuse was valid.

10. I’ve known him since he was ________-high to a grasshopper.

11. My boss made money ____________ over ____________ on that

project.

12. That new watch cost him an ___________ and a __________.

13. Never look a gift horse in the __________.

14. It’s going to take a lot of ___________ grease to get that rust off.

15. My dad always said things like, “Keep your ____________ up,” and

“You need to have a stiff upper ______________.”

16. Why it’s as plain as the ___________ on your ___________ that you

love him!

© 2014 Kathy Laurenhue www.WiserNow.com Page 31

17. Winnie the Pooh said about himself, ““I am a Bear of Very Little

___________, and long words bother me.”

18. “Barefoot boy with ___________ of tan” is a line from a famous poem by

John Greenleaf Whittier.

19. Cold ___________, warm ____________

20. Teachers and mothers seem to have __________ on the back of their

___________.

21. I was so frightened watching the competition that my ____________

was in my ___________.

22. Mona has George eating out of the ___________ of her ___________,

and she really makes him ______________ the line for her.

Choose from:

arm

brain

cheek

chest

chin

ears

elbow

eyes

face

feet/foot

finger

fist

hair

hand

heads

heart

heel

knees

legs

lips

mouth

nose

palm

stomach

skin

teeth/tooth

throat

thumb

toe

tongue

Do you know WHY you aren’t supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth? Gifts

are meant to be accepted graciously. A horse’s age can be determined by its

teeth – first baby teeth like humans when the horse id very young; then mature

teeth start to come in at about the age of three. At five, the horse has a “full

mouth,” but when the teeth begin to be worn down, the horse may be past its

prime. If you examine the horse too closely, you may show disappointment in

the gift.

Answers:

1. hair, chest

2. lips

3. skin, teeth

4. toe, feet

5. eyes, stomach

6. finger(s)

7. thumb

8. ear

9. tongue, heels

10. knee

11. hand, fist

12. arm, leg

13. mouth

14. elbow

15. chin, lip

16. nose, face

17. brain

18. cheek

19. feet, heart

20. eyes, heads

21. heart, throat/mouth

22. palm, hand

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.wisernow.com Page 32

Word game: More Bodily Expressions In this game, we are providing you with a series of partial expressions about body parts.

Can you identify the body part that fits each series?

1. Feast your _________, bat an __________, catch his __________, in the ___________ of a hurricane, in the twinkling of an ___________

2. Splitting _____________, tearing your ____________ out, bad _____________

day, let your ____________ down

3. Foaming at the ___________, down in the ___________, by word of ___________, smart ___________, put words in my ___________

4. An old ___________, first ____________, by a show of ____________, a helping _____________, give a big _____________

5. Break a ___________! Pulling my ___________, hollow _____________, shake

a ______________

6. Pay through the ___________, hard- _____________, have a ____________ for, turn ___________ up at

7. Like pulling ___________, grit your ___________, scarce as hens’ ___________, a sweet ____________

8. Play it by ___________, wet behind the _____________, keeping an ___________ to the ground, in one _____________ and out the other

9. Back on your __________, dead on your __________, put your ________ up, think on your ___________

10. Give one’s right _________ for, welcome with open ___________, twist my ___________, like a shot in the _________

Answers: 1. eye(s) 2. hair 3. mouth 4. hand(s) 5. leg 6. nose 7. teeth 8. ear 9. feet 10. arm(s)

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.wisernow.com Page 33

Our Products & Services Two inherited traits inspire everything author Kathy Laurenhue writes:

1) Wide-ranging curiosity from her father 2) From her mother, a light-hearted touch that seeks out what’s amusing

With that in mind, and if you enjoyed this title, here are some other ideas:

Do you want additional mind-stimulating material? Visit the Wiser Now store (www.WiserNow.com/store.html) or print out a list of publications from the website (www.WiserNow.com) to see the ever-growing catalog of downloadable MindPlay Connections™ titles. Then consider doing the following:

Order the Creative Mind Play CD series from Health Professions Press based on archived material from Kathy’s former publication, Brain Aerobics Weekly.

Order Kathy’s book, Getting to Know the Life Stories of Older Adults, Activities for Building Relationships also from Health Professions Press.

Watch the video demos of two of her favorite activity ideas at www.WiserNow.com.

Visit her blog at www.BrainGameProductReviews.com.

Do you need a presenter of fun and stimulating brain exercises? Kathy would be delighted to comply. The programs described under “staff development” at www.WiserNow.com can be adapted for broad audiences.

Do you have staff development needs?

Under the name Elder Care Conversations, Kathy and her

friend and colleague, David Troxel, co-author of “The Best Friends Approach™ ” books on Alzheimer’s care, have created a fabulously friendly, instantly useful and comprehensive12-module, self-contained, downloadable series of audio files and print training materials on “Amping Up Your Activity Programming.” Order them as a flash drive at www.WiserNow.com/store.html and learn more at www.ElderCareConversations.com.

Kathy gives active aging and train-the-trainer workshops to professionals in person or via

webinar or teleseminar. Her topics include brain aerobics/mind play, life stories, creative training techniques, dementia care, and medical staff sensitivity.

Order “22 Creative Training Tips to Use Instantly” at www.WiserNow.com/store.html and

check out Kathy’s other downloadable materials there on staff development.

© 2012 Kathy Laurenhue www.wisernow.com Page 34

Kathy has a master’s degree in instructional technology and has developed multi-media curricula for corporate clients for more than 20 years. Contact her to discuss your specific staff development needs.

Are you a caregiver? You will find both useful advice and compassionate reassurance at Kathy’s website www.WiserNowAlz.com and her blog www.ACheeringWord.com. Check out the material there, including her very practical and upbeat books on Alzheimer’s caregiving, which are also available

on Kindle.

Are you a media rep needing an interview subject/press release? Here are some of Kathy’s topics:

Exercising Your Brain: What’s Laughter Got to Do with It?

The Top 10 List for Brain Health (#1 Will Surprise You)

Variety Is Vital to a Vigorous Mind

Humor in Dementia

Kathy Laurenhue can be reached by writing to kathy@WiserNow.com or

calling 800-999-0795 (weekdays 9:00 – 5:00 Eastern time)

Volume 9, Issue 4 ISSN 2169-7345 © 2014 Kathy Laurenhue All Rights Reserved.

Author and Publisher, Kathy Laurenhue, M.A., CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of Wiser Now, Inc. www.WiserNow.com

We make a strong effort to give credit wherever it is due; if we have missed doing so

anywhere in this publication, please contact us with corrected information.

MindPlay Connections™ is a publication of Wiser Now, Inc., a publishing and multi-media curriculum development company. It is available by ordering titles individually ($6.95 each)

or at savings in groups of six ($34.75) or 12 ($69.50) and by ordering volumes as CDs. See www.WiserNow.com/store.html for a complete listing.

Prices subject to change.

If you need to and are unable to print pages from the MindPlay Connections™ format you have downloaded, please contact us. For questions or suggestions, send an email to

Kathy@WiserNow.com or call 800-999-0795 (weekdays 9:00 – 5:00 Eastern time)