There was a hilarious interview on Newsnight last night between Jeremy Paxman and an Amercian called Paul Dennison, who is the creator of “Brain Gym.” Brain gym, for those of you not in the know, is an exercise technique increasingly used in schools all over the world (including several thousand in the UK, apparently) as a means to sharpen children’s mental powers. Seemingly derived from acupuncture, the technique works on the assumption that there is a series of reflex points, or “brain buttons,” positioned all over the body, and that stimulating these improves blood flow to the brain, thereby increasing concentration, mental alertness and so on. Dennison’s grilling by Paxman was preceded by interviews with various scientists, who dismissed the theory as nonsense.
A wide-eyed mumbo-jumbo spouting Californian would-be guru like Dennison was always going to prove easy fodder for the likes of Paxman; and so it proved. “Can you just explain what a brain button is, please?” Paxman began, feigning interest, before having fun with Dennison’s wackier claims—among them, the belief that the human body is “electrical” and that “processed foods do not contain water.” (By way of justifying the second of these propositions, Dennison expressed his view that “pure water is more active and immediately available to the brain,” which to my mind made him sound unerringly like the demented General Ripper in Dr Strangelove, with his talk of “pure bodily essences” and the threat of “fluoridation”).
The inverview is well worth watching—someone should put it on YouTube—but at the moment the only way to see it is by going to the Newsnight site, clicking on “Watch Last Night’s Programme,” and then scrolling through the programme until you get to it (it starts on just over 30 minutes).
Extra Note: Actually, I tell a lie….as as the enigmatic commenter “K” has pointed out, you can actually see just that bit by clicking on the relevant link here.
Extra Note mark 2: Actually, it’s not me, but “K,” who is telling the lie; that link only connects to the report that preceded the interview. I think you do have to scroll through the actual programme to see the interview.
There’s a link to specifically that bit at http://news.bbc.co.uk/
The inimitable Ben Goldacre has YouTube links on his blog, both to the report and the actual interview.
GOODNESS, WHAT A LOT OF NONSENSE IS BEING SPOUTED HERE, AGAIN ,IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE. THANK GOODNESS THERE ARE THOSE, LIKE MYSELF WHO TEST THEORIES, RATHER THAN POSTURING AND FLAUNTING THEIR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
i CAN’T IMAGINE THE WRITER OF THIS BLOG OR JEREMY PAXMAN HAS BEEN INSIDE A CLASSROMM SINCE THEY WERE A TEENAGER, NOR HAVE THEY ANY TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS OR EXPERIENCE.
I HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR 30 YEARS,HAVE AN MA IN EDUCATION AND HAVE LECTURED IN UNIVERSITY, GIVEN KEY NOTE SPEECHES AT HEADTEACHERS’ CONFERENCES. I HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH SOME VERY VIOLENT YOUNGSTERS.
i HAVE HAD INCREDIBLE SUCCESS. WHY? I USED AND STILL USE BRAIN GYM. I ALSO USED PAUL DENNISON’S ADVANCED WORK.THIS HAS ENABLED NON-READING, AGGRESSIVE YOUNG MEN TO BECOME READING CONTRIBUTING CITIZENS.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? PROOVE IT - SCIENTIFICALLY. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? PROOVE IT - SCIENTIFICALLY.
STOP PONCING AROUND SNEERING AT OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT AND HAVEN’T TAKEN THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE OR EXPERINECE IT AND LACK THE COURTESY TO TREAT A PIONEER WITH RESPECT.