When we have cues that remind us of our identity as a thinker, as a writer, as a worker, that are surrounding us, then we've put ourselves in a state to do our best work. And i think there 're so many ways in which our institutions often don't give off cues of belonging, especially to, you now, particular groups. We could take a much harder look at the messages that our physical spaces are giving to people when they enter them.
Modern life has not been easy on our brains. Average IQ scores rose steadily throughout the last century. Now they appear to be leveling off. The problem, according to neuroscientists, may be that we have reached our neurobiological limits. Our brains simply can’t work any harder. Luckily, science writer Annie Murphy Paul has a solution. In her bold new book, “The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain,” she draws on a wealth of scientific research to show that we’re smarter when we get out of our heads. By offloading our memories onto our phones, making decisions based on our bodily sensations, using tactile tools to solve abstract problems, drawing inspiration from our surroundings, and arguing with our friends, we can access intelligence that exists beyond the confines of our craniums. In this episode, Annie explains how to do it.