How can I get cleverer?

I'm fed up with being a bit dim to be honest, and really want to stretch my brian. I often think that I'm not terribly quick on the uptake and would like to be rather more insightful. How do I go about this? Are there certain books that would be good to read? Should I do a part time course somewhere, and in what? I know this all sounds rather vague, and that's because I don't really know what I should study in order to be generally less ignorant. I love programmes on the wireless about physics and the universe, and one of my favourite programmes is all about numbers: More or Less.
This is a genuine request, by the way, but do feel free to take the mickey!
Cheers!

---

http://www.calla-salon.co.uk

Don't forget about this little boy

Your brain is like any part of your body, the more you use it the better it gets.

Brain training?

So do you want to know more stuff or just be quicker?

Oh and Numb3rs doesn't count

Brain transplant

HTH

---

speak for yourself, I'm saving mine.

---

The Cardiomyopathy Association a heart muscle research leader
http://www.cardiomyopathy.org

Accelerated ageing made easy

Eat fishes.

---

This looks complicated. I'll get a bigger hammer.

Sudoku is good for giving the grey matter a workout.

Aside from numbers, why not consider taking a foreign language course? It may also help your CV.

---

Become a shareholder with Kenny Gilbertson #32 British Superbike Cup - click below

Depends on what you see as being bright. If you want to be able to converse with people on the big issues of the day, then you should read the quality newspapers (although not necessarily believe what they say), listen to news bulletins (again exercising judgment) and look at current affairs on the internet.

If it is stretching your brain in terms of numeracy or literacy, then I would suggest one of the brain training things.

---

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/lizneedham1
Running in memory of Carol (1962 - 2009)

www.needhamaccountancy.com

Hang around with stupid people, you won't get any smarter but it will feel like you have...




Or do the opposite and the result will be the opposite

---

Everything in Moderation, Including Moderation

What for?

Tell you if I get there

---

The Cardiomyopathy Association a heart muscle research leader
http://www.cardiomyopathy.org

Accelerated ageing made easy

I've been using the Nintendo DS Lite Brain Trainning (which also has Sudoku). It's fun and gets the brain working

Reading and puzzles. I swear!

Puzzles are great for exercising the brain, be it crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, 3D puzzles (such as the Rubik's cube above), the brain training puzzles on the DS, online game puzzles, find the hidden object ones, all of them get your brain working...keep your brain active and it'll feel a lot better.

I love puzzles.

In fact...go out and buy a copy of The Puzzler now and try that...good old fashioned mix of puzzles in a book/magazine

---

Don't bother reading books, or at least just reading books. As you probably realise, reading stuff doesn't make you cleverer, it just makes you have more knowledge.

Best idea is to find a subject that interests you, but a bit more specific than 'physics'. Take particle physics as an example. Get a textbook on the subject and do the exercises in it. I mean a proper text book from a school/college/university bookshop and not a 'pop-science' one. There's no better exercise for your brain than actually having to puzzle something out for yourself. 'course, it would work just as well with any subject. I.e. reading 'atoms are made up of nuetrons, protons and electrons' is one thing, but answering 'If an atom of U-238 undergoes an alpha decay, what new Isotope/Element is formed?' is much more useful for sharpening the old noggin innit, even though it's essentially dealing in the same information.

EDIT: FA has a good point, and it's actually very similar to my suggestion. Questions are just puzzles really after all.