Instant Genius How to help your brain thrive in a rapidly changing world
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Apr 26, 2026 Dr Hannah Critchlow, neuroscientist and author at Cambridge who wrote The 21st Century Brain, discusses how culture and technology reshape thinking. She explores emotional intelligence, interoception and gut–brain links. Topics include brain synchrony in social life, the cognitive cost of uncertainty, and how to balance AI with human creativity.
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Emotional Intelligence Predicts Success More Than IQ
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) predicts life satisfaction and success more than many traditional measures.
- EQ includes perceiving, understanding, managing emotions and is partly heritable (≈10–45%) but largely trainable.
Tune Into Your Body To Boost Decision Making
- Train interoception by briefly elevating your heart rate then focusing on your heartbeat for 30 seconds to access embodied signals.
- Studies show a sensitive vagus nerve linked to better decision-making in traders and can be trained.
Feed Your Social Brain With Gut Microbes
- Use prebiotics/probiotics or safe fecal transplant approaches to alter gut microbiota and potentially increase altruism and social behaviour.
- A seven-week pre/probiotic study found increased willingness to sacrifice personal gain for strangers.
