Mind Games: From Infinite Paradoxes to Beer’s Brainy Effects

In this talk, I will show that, if one is not careful, it is possible to use math to predict all sorts of absurdities: castles floating in the sky, objects disappearing into nothing, objects appearing from nothing, and a lot more. All of these paradoxes have to do with the second most important concept in math, after 0: infinity. By being so formal, mathematicians are just trying to prevent their field from going out of control.

Alcohol has many effects throughout the body. In the brain, it has sedative and anxiety reducing effects by acting on specific proteins that normally reduce electrical activity. Alcohol affects circuits in a part of the brain associated with impulse control, which accounts for the increased likelihood of people under the influence to lose their inhibitions. Chronic, excessive alcohol use has many detrimental effects on the brain, including brain shrinkage, learning and memory problems, and addiction. Despite these adverse consequences of prolonged, excess alcohol use, there are some health benefits unique to beer, particularly craft beer. Barley is the primary grain used for making beer and is a good source of soluble fiber, a pre-biotic fiber associated with maintaining proper serum cholesterol, blood glucose levels, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cancer, and has been shown to have immune enhancing properties. Yeast are an excellent source of many nutrients, especially B vitamins. Hops, the bittering agent added to beer, contain a variety of compounds that are being researched for their beneficial effects, including reducing anxiety and inflammation, suppressing the growth of cancer cells and improving memory in Alzheimer’s disease. In summary, if you enjoy drinking beer, moderation is the key to maximizing the beneficial effects.