A lot of us are constantly on the lookout for ways to boost our mental focus. But many of the suggested techniques for doing so -- like listening to classical music -- haven't been borne out by science.  However, research supports the claim that chewing gum -- yes, gum -- offers various cognitive benefits. The mint in gum increases blood flow to your brain, which in turn improves your memory. In fact, studies show that chewing a stick of gum can improve your short-term memory by as much as 35 percent. People performed better on math and verbal problems -- from repeating numbers backwards to solving complex logic puzzles -- and were about 10 percent more alert when chomping away. (It's important to note that after 20 minutes or so, the benefits of gum chewing essentially dissipated.) One reason may have to do with the fact that chewing mint or caffeinated gum has been shown to reduce sleepiness. Eat your heart out, coffee! A mood boost, too, may await you when you chew gum. One ...

I watch Jeopardy! every night -- it is hands down one of my favorite shows. I couldn't help but notice that men tend to dominate when it comes to certain categories, including: History Political science Geography Science Math On the other hand, women fare a lot better at subjects like food, poetry, writing, language, and entertainment. I've heard for years now that there's a major shortage in women embarking on careers in such sciences as engineering. It seems hard to believe, as I found many of the brightest students in my math and science classes to be female. It seems more women like gravitating toward the soft/people sciences (psychology, sociology, and so on) than the natural variety (chemistry, biology, etc.). Well, I'm living proof (as you can see by this blog) that men, too, can be passionate about the softer, people-driven sciences. I've always been math- and science-averse, a stark contrast to my wife, who's a science teacher an...