Ali K. Lashari

We have a malleable brain. Its capacity to learn, adapt, and form new patterns as we age is truly astonishing. This capacity is commonly referred to as “brain rewiring”—the process by which new neural pathways can be strengthened through repeated ideas, habits, behaviors, and experiences.

Brain patterns are shaped by the thoughts we repeat and the actions we repeat over and over again. What this means in layman’s terms is that the brain gets better at repeating what we practice.

Take the case of someone whose habitual negative thinking goes something like, “I am not good enough,” “Nothing will work out,” or “I always fail.” Patterns of thought like these can form in the mind. But if they start to question such beliefs and substitute them with more practical, positive ones “I can learn,” “I can improve,” or “One failure does not define me” then they are exercising a new mental route.

Read: How I rewired my brain in six weeks

This transformation takes time. Consistent practice, mindfulness, persistence, and repetition are necessary for the slow but steady process of brain rewiring.

Repeated Actions Lead to Change

Because the brain has become used to the previous pattern, forming a new habit could be difficult at first. New habits can take some time to form, but with repetition they can become second nature.

This is relevant for more than just optimistic thinking; it also pertains to:

Establishing balanced routines

Building emotional fortitude

Acquiring new abilities

Developing more self-control

Keeping stress at bay

Altering destructive habits

Gaining self-assurance

Making an effort to be present and grateful

Making improvements in our interpersonal interactions

Repetition strengthens a change, and this is the key premise.

Every time you do something the same way, your brain gets a signal about what’s starting to stick. Initially, transformation necessitates deliberate endeavor. A new reaction, habit, or behavior may not feel natural at first, but with regular practice it will become second nature.

The key idea is straightforward:

             The power of change grows greater with repeated practice.

             It is not necessary to make all the changes immediately.

             Recite an encouraging deed.

             Establish a single new routine.

             Pick a response that is better for you.

             Repetition is the key.

The little things we do on a daily basis add up to huge changes in the long run, rather than the big decision we make.

You Have Evolved Beyond Your Past Habits

The idea that your patterns of behavior in the past do not have to dictate how you behave in the future is one of the most compelling aspects of brain rewiring.

Environment, experiences, disappointments, anxieties, or repetitive behaviors could have contributed to the development of certain habits in you. But the good news is that once you see a pattern, you can start to alter it.

In place of the phrase:

“This is simply my character.”

What about this:

“Have I learned this pattern before? If so, is it possible to learn another one?”

A change in viewpoint can have a significant impact.

Elevated Impact from Modest Adjustments

It is not necessary to make a complete overhaul of your life all at once.

Take baby steps at first.

Swap out one pessimistic outlook for an optimistic one.

Maintain a regular routine of one good habit.

Take a moment to think before responding.

Acquire fresh knowledge.

Priorities advancement over flawlessness.

Subtle, consistent changes in behavior and perspective can build up over time.

Getting There Will Need Time

To “think positive” constantly is not the point of brain rewiring. Learning to tune into your thoughts and develop more constructive, practical responses to adversity is the goal.

Life is a journey, and so is healing, maturing, and developing oneself. The going gets tough sometimes. Even if it’s sluggish, progress is progress.

You have the ability to learn. You have the power to alter your routines. Patterns might change over time. And sometimes, all it takes to change your life is a small shift in your daily routine.

Reframe the idea.

Keep acting this way.

Establish the routine.

Make the pattern stronger.

Make a fresh course of action.

Read: Innovative Investment Yields Greater Value

_________________

Ali K. Lashari is an Archaeologist & Cultural Heritage Advocate 

The post Rewire Your Brain, Transform Your Life first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Ali Lashari

Allow me to clarify the underlying principle.

Whenever you read a book or have a conversation, the experience causes physical changes in your brain. — George Johnson

My favorite pastime is reading.

I don’t even recall the exact moment when I first fell in love.

I was up in the metropolis of Karachi, where ninety-nine percent of the working-age population attended some sort of educational institution.

My dad in some way did certain methods education and became the police force in Pakistani bureaucracy. I was lucky that he used to read a lot, pretty much all the time.

His passions included studying the past and performing innovative research.  But he insisted that I read textbooks and never suggested that time I read the kinds of books he enjoyed.

Sometimes, I used to keep his books and novel to enjoy the taste of a story. Fiction has the power to take you anywhere, and if the writer is good at storytelling, you feel like you are one of the characters.

This is the second most essential reason why I enjoy reading. Yes, you are correct, my physique. When I was younger, I used to be tall and slim. I used to be tall and lean.

One may already be aware of the fact that farming in less developed countries is a physically hard occupation.  As a result, I made it a point to study during the early stages of my life; in order to study more, you need to read more.

Read: From book to brain: how reading shapes our hearts and minds

Everything else is history.  Now that I have a more flexible budget, I am able to purchase books.

To tell you the truth, because of my father, I have more books than I have ever read in my entire life.

When I was younger, I used to believe that it was a waste of time to purchase a book if I did not end up reading it.

This is something that I no longer believe; it is now that I only purchase books if I enjoy the author, the title of the book, and especially the subject matter if I am working on the subject.

You are aware that education should never expire.  Learning new things on a consistent basis is, in my opinion, the only way to advance.

That’s enough background information about how I fell in love with reading, so let’s move on.  It is time to investigate and provide an explanation for the title, which is about how reading has the ability to alter your brain.

Before we started reading, we took a look at all of the different forms and patterns that were located on the page because it is so natural.

Following that, the most posterior region of the brain is responsible for receiving these images and processing them in the same manner as any other.

A particular area of the brain known as the letterbox is responsible for the initial recognition of the black objects as letters in a word.

After the letterbox sends its message, it travels to the frontal lobe and other parts of the temporal lobe, where an expert reader figures out the word’s true meaning and how to pronounce it.

It doesn’t take more than thirty seconds total.

However, I am aware of your thoughts:

How is this even possible?

Studies have shown that the area of the brain responsible for memory—the left temporal lobe—is more active in the mornings of people who read 30 pages of a book every night.

Many people feel that reading helps them deal with their emotions and reduces their risk of dementia, according to certain research.

What this means is that you need to make it a habit to gain the full benefits. I’ve been trying to accomplish just that by completing challenges for 30 days or more; thus far, I’ve gotten a good grasp of how it works.

First things first, I’ve been starting my day off well by reading Stoic, an everyday nonfiction book, on my Kindle.

Reading just two to four pages won’t take more than ten minutes of your time, but it’s a fantastic introduction.

Since I had read something today, I figured I might as well read a bit more, right? That was my plan.  Everything seems to be going according to plan at this point.

Ever since this little experiment, I’ve been avoiding social media in favor of reading.

Even after a few weeks have passed, I find that I still need to commit all of the book’s lessons to memory, no matter how fantastic the book is.

The Kindle is really useful in this regard.

For future reference, I find it useful to highlight portions that have really stuck with me.

I made an effort to condense them into a single concept page, but I never really stuck to the plan because it required too much additional labor.

But every Sunday for thirty minutes, I set a reminder to look at the highlights from the book I was reading.

Thanks to reading, I’ve been able to establish a weekly ritual where I read a book, take notes, and then read it again on Sunday.

I am inspired to read more because of it!

At the same time, I developed the practice of placing books all around the house, particularly in close proximity to the side tables in the bedroom.  Reading before going to bed is more beneficial to me.

I’ve promised myself that I don’t need to read for hours; even a few pages will enough. The important thing is that I read anything.

In reality, it has been challenging for me to keep up with this routine when I am exhausted and unable to be bothered. As a result, I have given myself a break on certain days, but on the majority of days, I have been able to adhere to it, and it has been serving me well.

As a matter of record: Do what I do every Sunday and start small by building a library of information, reading it, and setting aside time to read.

My website, where I will be sharing my reviews of books, has just been opened.  It will also aid me in remembering the book’s key ideas so I may better convey them to my audience.

Here are seven reasons why you should make reading a habit for your brain.

*Brain strength is improved as a result of this.

*It helps you feel less stressed.

*Knowledge is increased as a result.

*Your memory will improve as a result of this.

*The effect is to enhance your concentration.

*Your ability to communicate will improve as a result.

*Your mental health will improve as a result.

If you are a new reader, I would appreciate it if you would check out my holistic health, productivity, and well-being stories. These stories reflect my reviews, observations, and more than thirty days of experiments (29 of which have been completed so far) to construct a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable.

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Ali Lashari is Assistant Director (Excavation & Exploration), Directorate of Archaeology & Antiquities Wing, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Department, Government of Sindh.

Read: Rediscovering True Joy

The post How Reading Shapes the Brain first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Prof Dr. Abdullah G Arijo

Dopamine, often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone, plays a crucial role in regulating mood, motivation, and reward-seeking behavior. It affects various aspects of human health, including emotional well-being, cognitive function, and physical movement. Balanced dopamine levels can promote happiness and focus, while imbalances might lead to issues such as depression, addiction, or Parkinson’s disease. By understanding its impact, individuals can work towards fostering mental health and reducing impulsive reactions. Truly fascinating, isn’t it?

Dopamine, commonly known as the “feel-good” hormone, is a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in shaping our experiences of pleasure, motivation, and reward. This chemical messenger in the brain influences various physiological and psychological processes, including mood regulation, emotional responses, and personality development. While dopamine is crucial for healthy brain function, imbalances can lead to significant behavioral and emotional difficulties, especially in young individuals who are still undergoing critical stages of mental and emotional growth. This article delves into the dual nature of dopamine, examining its positive and negative effects on mood, anger, and personality development while providing examples of its manifestations in youth.

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area. It is part of the brain’s reward system, which reinforces behaviors that are essential for survival, such as eating, social interaction, and achieving goals. Dopamine is also involved in regulating movement, attention, learning, and emotional responses.

When dopamine levels are balanced, individuals feel motivated, focused, and emotionally stable. However, too much or too little dopamine can disrupt these functions, leading to mood swings, impulsivity, and even mental health disorders.

Positive Effects of Dopamine

Mood Enhancement and Happiness

Dopamine is closely associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. When youngsters engage in activities they enjoy, such as playing sports, listening to music, or spending time with friends, their brains release dopamine. This creates a sense of happiness and reinforces the desire to repeat those activities. For example, a teenager who receives praise for scoring well on a test may feel a surge of dopamine, boosting their confidence and motivation to study harder.

Motivation and Goal Achievement

Dopamine is a key driver of motivation. It helps youngsters set goals and work toward achieving them. When a young person completes a task or overcomes a challenge, dopamine is released, creating a sense of accomplishment. For instance, a high school student who trains diligently for a track race and wins experiences a dopamine rush, which encourages them to continue pursuing their athletic goals.

Social Bonding and Connection

Dopamine plays a role in social interactions and bonding. Positive social experiences, such as making new friends or receiving support from family, trigger dopamine release. This strengthens relationships and promotes emotional well-being. A young child who feels included in a group activity at school is likely to experience a dopamine boost, enhancing their sense of belonging.

Negative Effects of Dopamine

Mood Swings and Irritability

While dopamine is essential for mood regulation, its imbalance can lead to emotional instability. In youngsters, excessive dopamine activity may cause irritability, restlessness, and mood swings. For example, a teenager who spends excessive time playing video games may experience a dopamine “crash” when they stop, leading to frustration and anger.

Impulsivity and Risk-Taking Behavior

High levels of dopamine are associated with impulsivity and a tendency to seek out novel or risky experiences. This can be particularly problematic for youngsters, as their prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control—is still developing. A young person may engage in dangerous behaviors, such as reckless driving or substance abuse, in pursuit of a dopamine rush.

Addiction and Dependency

Dopamine plays a central role in the development of addictive behaviors. Activities that provide instant gratification, such as social media use, gaming, or consuming junk food, can lead to excessive dopamine release. Over time, the brain may become desensitized to normal levels of dopamine, requiring more stimulation to achieve the same effect. This can result in dependency and difficulty focusing on less immediately rewarding tasks, such as studying or chores.

Dopamine and Anger

Dopamine’s influence on anger is complex. While it is not directly responsible for anger, its interaction with other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, can affect emotional regulation. Low dopamine levels may lead to feelings of apathy and low motivation, which can manifest as frustration or irritability. On the other hand, excessive dopamine activity can heighten aggression and impulsive outbursts.

For example, a youngster with ADHD (a condition linked to dopamine dysregulation) may struggle with anger management due to difficulties in controlling their impulses. Similarly, a teenager who experiences a sudden drop in dopamine after a prolonged period of excitement (e.g., after a party or social event) may feel irritable and lash out at others.

Dopamine and Personality Development

Dopamine plays a significant role in shaping personality traits during adolescence and early adulthood. It influences behaviors related to curiosity, ambition, and sociability. However, imbalances in dopamine levels can contribute to the development of certain personality traits or disorders.

Positive Personality Traits

Balanced dopamine levels are associated with traits such as optimism, resilience, and a proactive attitude. Youngsters with healthy dopamine function are more likely to take initiative, explore new opportunities, and maintain a positive outlook on life. For instance, a student who is naturally curious and eager to learn may have a well-functioning dopamine system that rewards their intellectual pursuits.

Negative Personality Traits

Dysregulated dopamine levels can contribute to the development of negative traits, such as impulsivity, aggression, or a tendency toward addiction. In extreme cases, dopamine imbalances may be linked to personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder. A young person who consistently seeks out risky behaviors for a dopamine rush may develop a pattern of impulsivity that persists into adulthood.

Examples of Dopamine’s Effects in Youngsters

Social Media Addiction

Many youngsters are drawn to social media platforms because they provide instant gratification in the form of likes, comments, and shares. Each notification triggers a dopamine release, creating a cycle of dependency. Over time, this can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating on real-world interactions.

Academic Pressure and Stress

A student who feels overwhelmed by academic expectations may experience a dopamine imbalance. Chronic stress can deplete dopamine levels, leading to feelings of burnout and apathy. Conversely, the pressure to achieve high grades may drive some students to seek unhealthy sources of dopamine, such as stimulant misuse.

Sports and Extracurricular Activities

Participation in sports and other extracurricular activities can have a positive impact on dopamine levels. The sense of achievement and camaraderie associated with these activities promotes healthy dopamine release. For example, a young athlete who wins a competition experiences a dopamine boost that reinforces their dedication to the sport.

Managing Dopamine Levels in Youngsters

To ensure healthy dopamine function, it is important to encourage youngsters to engage in activities that promote balanced dopamine release. These include:

Physical Exercise, a healthy diet, mindfulness, stress management, limiting screen time, and reducing exposure to addictive stimuli, such as social media and video games, can prevent dopamine dysregulation.

Dopamine is a powerful hormone that shapes mood, behavior, and personality development in youngsters. While it is essential for motivation, pleasure, and emotional well-being, its imbalance can lead to significant challenges, including mood swings, anger, and impulsivity. By understanding the role of dopamine and promoting healthy habits, parents, educators, and caregivers can help young individuals harness the positive effects of this neurotransmitter while mitigating its potential downsides. Ultimately, fostering a balanced dopamine system is key to supporting the emotional and psychological growth of the next generation.

If we understand biology of dopamine, we can. Means, we can save our self from so many ill happenings.

___________________

Dr. Abdullah G. Arijo is a retired professor, ex: chairman, Department of Parasitology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, ex-advisor Academics & P&D to Vice Chancellor, SAU Tandojam. Email: Email: abdullaharijo@gmail.com

Read: The Question of Deaf Rights in Pakistan

The post Dopamine’s Influence on Mood and Personality first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By ANDREW J. HAWKINS

Unsurprisingly, most Americans frown upon antisocial behavior. Stealing people’s stuff, bending food safety rules, or smoking in large crowds tend to generate a lot of stern reactions.

But get behind the wheel of a car, and all that disapproval tends to melt away.

That’s because a lot of us suffer from a malady called “car brain” — though Ian Walker, a professor of environmental psychology at Swansea University in Wales, prefers to call it “motonormativity.” This is the term coined by Walker and his team to describe the “cultural inability to think objectively and dispassionately” about how we use cars.

Think of it like “heteronormativity,” the idea that heterosexual couples “automatically, but inappropriately, assume all other people fit their own categories,” but for cars.

Walker noticed that people tend to have a giant blindspot when it comes to certain behaviors associated with driving, whether it’s speeding, carbon emissions, traffic crashes, or any other of the vast litany of negative external effects that result from a culture that caters to automobile drivers.

“One of the things you notice if you spend your career trying to get people to drive less is people don’t like driving less,” Walker said in an interview. “We said, well, let’s try and measure this. Let’s just demonstrate the extent to which the population as a whole will make excuses, will give special freedom to the context of driving.”

To accomplish this, he devised a series of statements aimed at rooting out these unconscious biases. The statements were separated into two categories: one about cars and driving and another with key words and phrases replaced to make it about some other activity. An independent polling firm was contracted to find a sampling of 2,157 adults in the UK, who were then asked to either agree or disagree. Half were given the car-related statements, while the other half presented with the non-car ones.

For example, people were asked to agree or disagree with the following statement: “People shouldn’t smoke in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the cigarette fumes.” Then they were asked to respond to a parallel statement about driving: “People shouldn’t drive in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the car fumes.”

While three-fourths of respondents agreed with the first statement (“People shouldn’t smoke…”), only 17 percent agreed with the second (“People shouldn’t drive…”).

Another statement addressed values around theft of personal property. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement, “If somebody leaves their belongings in the street and they get stolen, it’s their own fault for leaving them there and the police shouldn’t be expected to act,” as well as the parallel statement, “If somebody leaves their car in the street and it gets stolen, it’s their own fault for leaving it there and the police shouldn’t be expected to act.”

Only 8 percent of people disagreed with the first statement, while 55 percent of people disagreed with the second one.

Similar outcomes were discovered in questions about food and health safety, alcohol consumption, and workplace injuries. People were less tolerant of bad behavior that didn’t involve a car and vastly more tolerant of similar-sounding behaviors that involved driving.

For Walker, this disconnect is where motonormativity comes into play. “We wanted to demonstrate that when you talk about driving, people are not applying their normal values,” he said.

The smoking question in particular fascinated Walker for several reasons. For decades, society tolerated — even encouraged — public smoking. But then a growing awareness around public health risks associated with secondhand smoke, combined with harsher government regulations, led to a shift in public perception. The same could eventually hold true for driving, he said.

“The fact that smoking has shifted so much, to where almost everybody we spoke to said no, that’s not acceptable — those same people wouldn’t have said that 20 years ago,” Walker said. “And so the smoking and driving comparison interests me because it shows us where we could get to in the future if people’s minds start to change.”

Given how entrenched car culture is in countries around the world, it may take a lot longer to change people’s minds about driving than it did with cigarettes. For one, we don’t tend to view driving through the lens of public health, which shields most of us from thinking about the societal harms and inequities associated with car use.

That’s because, for most people, driving is a convenience. And because it’s easy, we tend to assume it’s part of the natural order to drive. That’s why there’s so much hostility around cycling and alternate forms of transportation: because, for many people, it challenges the natural order of driving.

“Not only do people do what the world makes easy, but because it feels easy, people conclude that it’s right,” Walker said.

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Courtesy: The Verge (Posted on Feb 1, 2023)

The post Cars are rewiring our brains to ignore all the bad stuff about driving first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Heidi Ledford

Severe COVID-19 is linked to changes in the brain that mirror those seen in old age, according to an analysis of dozens of post-mortem brain samples.

The analysis revealed brain changes in gene activity that were more extensive in people who had severe SARS-CoV-2 infections than in uninfected people who had been in an intensive care unit (ICU) or had been put on ventilators to assist their breathing — treatments used in many people with serious COVID-19.

The study, published on 5 December in Nature Aging, joins a bevy of publications cataloguing the effects of COVID-19 on the brain. “It opens a plethora of questions that are important, not only for understanding the disease, but to prepare society for what the consequences of the pandemic might be,” says neuropathologist Marianna Bugiani at Amsterdam University Medical Centers. “And these consequences might not be clear for years.”

COVID on the brain

Maria Mavrikaki, a neurobiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, embarked on the study about two years ago, after seeing a preprint, later published as a paper that described cognitive decline after COVID-19. She decided to follow up to see whether she could find changes in the brain that might trigger the effects.

She and her colleagues studied samples taken from the frontal cortex — a region of the brain closely tied to cognition — of 21 people who had severe COVID-19 when they died and one person with an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection at death. The team compared these with samples from 22 people with no known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Another control group comprised nine people who had no known history of infection but had spent time on a ventilator or in an ICU — interventions that can cause serious side effects.

The team found that genes associated with inflammation and stress were more active in the brains of people who had had severe COVID-19 than in the brains of people in the control group. Conversely, genes linked to cognition and the formation of connections between brain cells were less active.

The scientists also analyzed brain tissue from 20 further uninfected people: 10 who were 38 years old or younger at death, and 10 who were 71 or older. A comparison revealed that people in the older group had brain changes that were similar to those seen in people with severe COVID-19.

The work is preliminary and will need to be confirmed using complementary approaches, says Daniel Martins-de-Souza, head of proteomics at the University of Campinas in Brazil. But it is an informative study, he says, and such research could ultimately guide treatment for people who have lingering cognitive difficulties after COVID-19.

Inflammatory effect

Mavrikaki suspects that COVID-19’s effects on gene activity are caused indirectly, by inflammation, rather than by viral infiltration of the brain. Supporting this interpretation, she and her colleagues found that exposing laboratory-cultured neurons to proteins that promote inflammation affected the activity of a subset of the aging-related genes.

But it’s possible that this response might also be triggered by other infections, she says. And the study could not fully control for obesity or other conditions that might both increase a person’s chances of developing severe COVID-19 and generate an inflammatory state that affects gene expression in the brain.

Another key question is whether the changes in gene expression are associated only with severe cases of COVID-19, or if milder disease can also cause them, says Bugiani. In March, a study3 of hundreds of brain images collected by the UK Biobank found that even mild disease could cause changes in the brain, including damage to the regions involved in smell and taste.

It will take time to determine whether the changes observed in the study are transient or are there to stay, Bugiani says. “The duration of the pandemic has now been long enough to see these things, but not long enough to establish if they are permanent,” she says. “We don’t yet know what their real consequences will be.”

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Courtesy: Nature (Published on Dec 5, 2022)

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By Nasir Aijaz

While sitting at the lunch table, in Verona restaurant, on the 5th floor of a high-rise building in Seoul, we, the overseas journalists from six countries, invited by the Asia Journalists Association for Busan World Expo 2030 Forum, had a very interesting and informative informal chat with our host Mr. Jeon Chan Ra, about the human stem cells.

Mr. Ra, who is founder and the chairman of Biostar Lab, had been researching stem cells for years, sharing his research experience and views, said smilingly, “One can regain his youth by getting administered stem cells of his own body.”

“Even a 70 year old man would feel as young as of 50 years,” he said.

Mr. Ra, who is also the author of a book on treatment of dementia through stem cells titled ‘Dementia – There is hope’, elaborated what the stem cells are, and how much work has been done so far in certain countries like USA and Japan. And he wants to see people from around the world coming to Korea for treatment through stem cell administration.

“Stem cells are the body’s raw materials — cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated,” he told and added, “The stem cells so got from a human’s own body when injected, they cure the disease.”

“The stem cells are taken out from the blood and injected to the patient,” he explained further about the novel way of treating various diseases like dementia and the Osteoarthritis, a chronic age-related disease that slowly destroys articular cartilage, and is one of the leading causes of disability.

Mr. Ra however said that treatment through stem cells is costly at this moment, and is not affordable for a common man.

Sharing his journey of life as a researcher, Mr. Ra said he used to work for another company more than two decades back and also visited Karachi during a business trip.

“I decided to set up my own business and achieved success during the last twenty years. Now, we have a lab to carry out research,” he said adding that the government has also granted permission to export our products from next year.

Mr. Ra was of the view that research works on stem cells should be expanded to other countries also. “We can set up such lab and impart training to the health professionals in other countries including Pakistan if found partners who can provide space and make investments,” he said.

Before the lunch, we had visited the Biostar Company’s lab. In fact our day had started with a visit to Biostar Lab housed in Lotte Castle, a multistory building, located in Geumcheon-gu area of Seoul. Mr. Ra, was waiting in a coffee shop on the ground floor. After the introduction and exchange of gifts, the journalists were taken to the Biostar Lab and were briefed on the research process in different sections.

Soon after the lunch we proceeded to another destination. The 10th November was devoted mainly to visit the Biostar Lab and Display Center of Hyundai Motor Company besides a trip to DMZ (Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea), in Imjingak area, which has been turned into a tourist spot where thousands of domestic as well as foreign tourists used to visit daily. And before visiting the Hyundai Motor Company’s display center, we were heading to DMZ in Imjingak area for sightseeing. No official meetings, just for enjoyment. This site was not new for me, as I had been here twice during previous trips to Korea, but it was amazing to see how this spot has been maintained to attract the tourists from around the world.

The gift bag given by Mr. Ra, also contained the book authored by him, I took it out to have a look. On page 5 he writes, “Research on prevention and treatment of dementia through stem cells has been very slow contrary to the expectations because the task requires access to the brain, which is most difficult area of the human body. Research is being conducted on how stem cells can play a role in damaged or shrinking cells of our brain.”

One of the chapters of the book was titled “Let’s travel together to the brain where the seeds of dementia are sown”. The book looked very informative, as it also cited examples with photographs of healing of wounds on a diabetic foot.

Mr. Ra, winner of several awards, writes in concluding pages, “Dementia turns a human brain into a prison, where memories are locked up. But even if you are locked up in a prison of dementia or in an actual prison, there is hope.”

He used the word ‘actual prison’ because he himself had experienced the imprisonment during which he conceived the idea of researching on stem cells after reading a lot of literature on the subject in the prison and was inspired by it. The entire book is in a form of letters which he wrote to his wife from the prison.

While randomly reading some pages of the book, we reached DMZ where a large number of tourists were there to enjoy the facilities. Some new additions I witnessed included a Buddhist temple and the chair-lifts among others. Although there was an observatory to have a look at the North Korean side but the chair-lifts provided an opportunity to have a closer look over the region.

While strolling the area, we met a big group of school children who welcomed me with clapping when I told them that this was my sixth trip to Korea and third to DMZ.

By the evening we drove to Hyundai Display Complex, a huge multi-storied building. On the way to Hyundai Complex, I felt mesmerized by the beauty of river called Imjin River in South Korea and Rimjin River in North Korea and is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea.

At Hyundai Display Center, we were taken around different sections to witness the car-making process right from steel-manufacturing to molding of sheets as per designed frame of cars, use of robots in car-making etc. One of the amazing inventions was the manufacturing of hydrogen cars. A lady elaborated the entire process of functioning of the hydrogen car. Our tour concluded with a 3-D car show and ride in a future vision car – a driverless car – just sit in the car with three other companions, push the buttons and start roaming the city roads while chatting with friends.

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Nasir Aijaz is a senior journalist and Chief Editor of Sindh Courier, based in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. 

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