Posted by Zack Lynch

In chapter 4, Finance with Feelings, I talk about the emergence of neurosoftware applications that leverage neuroeconomic research into decision making to improve our understanding of individual economic behavior and the vicissitudes of financial markets. As with each previous revolution, the financial sector adopts the latest innovations to improve capital efficiency. The Neuro Revolution is no different. In response to requests to emails from people looking for more info on software that could help them "understand how their emotions influence their decisions" or "tame their emotions" I'm writing this brief neurofinance post.

Realize that these applications are just beginning to be developed. The more sophisticated work is still being carried out in the research labs of people like Andrew Lo, Dmitry Repin, Xiao-Jing Wang, Paul Zak and others. If you are serious, then I'd highly recommend attending the upcoming Society for Neuroeconomics meeting Sept. 27-29 in Evanston, Illinois to get insights into cutting edge research. Richard Peterson, whose story I describe in detail in the book founded a $50M hedge fund, MarketPsy Capital, that uses special emotion detecting algorithms to help time trades.

Evidence of the evolution of these neurofinancial software applications is everywhere. Sunday's NYTimes carried a story, Mining the Web for Feelings no Facts, that discussed several companies developing "sentiment analysis" systems. Perhaps more interesting was Monday's WSJ article "The Mistakes We Make - and Why We Make Them" which is loaded with basic ideas for neurofinancial applications. In the article, Mr. Statman, a professor at Santa Clara University points out eights ways to avoid the cognitive and emotion errors that lead to poor investing. One clear theme throughout his musings is that "regret" plays a pivotal role many of our worst mistakes. Also, here is a post I wrote in 2003 with some oldies but still undeveloped goodies.

So the bottom line is this: the future isn't here yet, go invent it.

Yesterday at 06:38 AM

Do you listen to music while you exercise? If you do, then you might consider cranking up your tunes the next time you are feeling fatigued midway through your third set of tricep dips.

According to a new study, women were able to pump up their workouts (especially strength training exercises) when they pumped up the volume on their iPods. Researchers say the female study participants performed a lot better and were happier when they were rocking out to loud tunes.

The study's results support a growing body of research suggesting that music is a real motivator for exercise. What's more, according to researchers, the type of music doesn't matter as long as it is blasted at a high volume.

According to the study, loud music not only helps get you pumped up to tackle exercises, but it also distracts you from what you are doing and any pain you might be feeling. Researchers note that music causes a surge of adrenaline, which allows you to push past your pain threshold and lift heavier weights than you thought you could.

However, before you crank your personal stereo to the highest volume possible, be aware that prolonged exposure to loud sounds, including music, can damage your ears. Studies show long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, normal conversation is about 60 decibels, while noise on a busy city street can reach 85 decibels. In comparison, sounds from motorcycles, firecrackers and small firearms can soar to 120 to 150 decibels.

Health experts suggest that you crank your tunes when you are feeling fatigued or challenged, and turn down the volume during your warm-up and cool down periods.

What do you listen to while you are working out?

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20 Aug 2009 06:38 AM

Looking for a way to put some oomph into your fitness routine? Then, reach for an orange the next time hunger strikes. According to a new study, eating foods rich in antioxidants may boost your endurance.

Researchers found that consuming a specific type of antioxidant called quercetin helped study participants exercise longer and harder. The study featured 12 fit college students, who were not regular exercisers. At the beginning of the study, researchers measured the students' maximum oxygen uptake and the number of minutes they could ride a stationary bike.

For 7 days, the college coeds followed their regular routines and diet, but drank Tang plus a placebo, twice daily. For another 7-day period, the participants drank Tang containing 500 milligrams of quercetin. Researchers then measured the volunteers' maximum oxygen uptake and exercise endurance. This process was repeated after another 7-day period when study participants drank Tang without quercetin.

According to researchers, the quercetin supplement periods were associated with a modest increase in maximum oxygen uptake. Quercetin was also credited with giving study participants the energy to ride 13 times longer on the exercise bikes.

After examining the study's results, researchers concluded that quercetin appeared to boost exercise endurance. Experts also noted that the findings suggest quercetin "may be important in relieving fatigue that keeps (people) sedentary."

If you are looking to duplicate the results of the study, consider adding more quercetin to your diet. The compound is abundant in red apples, red onions, berries, oranges, cabbage, broccoli, and green and black teas. If you don't enjoy eating red onions by themselves, consider adding them to a salad, a stir-fry or place them on a burger. Likewise, you can place fresh berries and oranges in a smoothie or a fruit salad to receive quercetin benefits.

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19 Aug 2009 10:45 PM

According to researchers, 20 minutes of sand running is equivalent to an hour of jogging on the street.

Now that's incentive to workout at the beach.

Running on sand is a great activity with tremendous health benefits. Unfortunately, it doesn't come without risks. When running on soft sand you need to be extra cautious in order to remain injury-free. Sand is an inconsistent surface and you can easily strain your Achilles tendons or calves if you are not careful. This is true if you run with or without shoes.

Shoes are a big issue with runners who opt to workout at the beach. According to experts, running shoes will lose about 60 percent of their shock absorption after 250-500 miles. However, you can extend the life of your shoes if you run on softer surfaces, such as sand. Still, if you put in roughly 10 miles a week at the beach, you should still replace your running shoes every 12 months.

Whether you are running in high-quality shoes or going barefoot, it's important to protect your Achilles' tendons. Doctors advise beach runners to get in a good stretch, and then start off on hard sand. After you've completed a few days running on hard sand, you can switch to soft sand. However, if your legs start feeling like wet logs or sacks of potatoes after running on soft sand for an extended period of time, then move back to hard-packed sand.

If running on soft sand causes you pain:

*Decrease your miles or stop running all together for a few days.

*Ice the affected area for five to 10 minutes at a time, two to three times a day for several days.

*Take aspirin or ibuprofen to ease pain.

*Consult a doctor if your pain gets worse or interferes with sleep, appetite or routine activities.

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Posted by Zack Lynch

h+ Magazine reviewed The Neuro Revolution and published an interview with me. My favorite line from the review, "This is a thought-provoking and important read that deserves a wide audience." And from the interview, "Through neurotechnology we can possibly accelerate peoples' senses of themselves and their relationship to their higher being."