Brain boosting by batteries
Feeling a bit tongue tied? Just run a small current (2 thousandths of an ampere, less than what’s powering your watch) across the front of your head, and improve your verbal skills!
Volunteers were asked to name as many words as they could starting with a given letter in 90 seconds. Those with a current flowing (everyone was hooked up, but some were unknowingly controls) showed a 20% increase in the number of words they could supply. The rough theory is that the current stimulates the prefrontal cortex, associated with word generation, letting the neurons fire more easily and making the area more active. I wonder how long before AA batteries are banned in exams?