You had better do your logic puzzles!

A new study showed that mice who were in an enriched environment mentally were able to activate brain receptors which kept nerve pathways between parts of the brain from being overtaken by amyloid -beta protein. This buildup is what causes Alzheimer's Disease. The protein blocks connections of nerves and decreases the function of the hippocampus. This part of the brain is important for memory, learning, and basic functions. Previous studies had suggested that an active brain fought off dementia and Alzheimer's better than one of a non-stimulated person. This study was different in that it provided specific evidence for what these brain activities were doing. The study will be published today in Neuron.
Link to article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134224.htm

This type of study is of particular interest to me because I have experienced first hand what it is like to watch a relative slowly deteriorate because of Alzheimer's Disease. It is terrible, trust me. So I am always so happy when I see these studies because I wouldn't wish that life on anyone.

The first theme of science that I noticed was the role of motivation and curiosity. This study was able to come up with scientific evidence for a trend that other studies had found but were unable to explain. The curiosity about why that trend happened led to a deeper knowledge of the disease and our brains. The second theme I noticed was that science is collaborative for the same reasons as the first one. We expand our knowledge by different teams doing different research and gradually we begin to explain what we couldn't before.
To keep updated on lots of stuff Alzheimer's related: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/alzheimers/