Rahasia Kecerdasan Orang Yahudi

Artikel Dr Stephen Carr Leon patut menjadi renungan bersama. Stephen menulis dari pengamatan langsung. Setelah berada 3 tahun di Israel karena menjalani housemanship dibeberapa rumah sakit di sana. Dirinya melihat ada beberapa hal yang menarik yang dapat ditarik sebagai bahan tesisnya, yaitu, "Mengapa Yahudi Pintar?"

Ketika tahun kedua, akhir bulan Desember 1980, Stephen sedang menghitung hari untuk pulang ke California, terlintas di benaknya, apa sebabnya Yahudi begitu pintar? Kenapa tuhan memberi kelebihan kepada mereka? Apakah ini suatu kebetulan? Atau hasil usaha sendiri?

Maka Stephen tergerak membuat tesis untuk Phd-nya. Sekadar untuk Anda ketahui, tesis ini memakan waktu hampir delapan tahun. Karena harus mengumpulkan data-data yang setepat mungkin.

Marilah kita mulai dengan persiapan awal melahirkan. Di Israel, setelah mengetahui sang ibu sedang mengandung, sang ibu akan sering menyanyi dan bermain piano. Si ibu dan bapak akan membeli buku matematika dan menyelesaikan soal bersama suami.

Stephen sungguh heran karena temannya yang mengandung sering membawa buku matematika dan bertanya beberapa soal yang tak dapat diselesaikan. Kebetulan Stephen suka matematika.

Stephen bertanya, "Apakah ini untuk anak kamu?"

Dia menjawab, "Iya, ini untuk anak saya yang masih di kandungan, saya sedang melatih otaknya, semoga ia menjadi jenius."

Hal ini membuat Stephen tertarik untuk mengikut terus perkembangannya.

Kembali ke matematika tadi, tanpa merasa jenuh si calon ibu mengerjakan latihan matematika sampai genap melahirkan.

Hal lain yang Stephen perhatikan adalah cara makan. Sejak awal mengandung dia suka sekali memakan kacang badam dan korma bersama susu. Tengah hari makanan utamanya roti dan ikan tanpa kepala bersama salad yang dicampur dengan badam dan berbagai jenis kacang-kacangan.

Menurut wanita Yahudi itu, daging ikan sungguh baik untuk perkembangan otak dan kepala ikan mengandungi kimia yang tidak baik yang dapat merusak perkembangan dan penumbuhan otak anak didalam kandungan. Ini adalah adat orang orang Yahudi ketika mengandung. menjadi semacam kewajiban untuk ibu yang sedang mengandung mengonsumsi pil minyak ikan.

Ketika diundang untuk makan malam bersama orang orang Yahudi. Begitu Stephen menceritakan, "Perhatian utama saya adalah menu mereka. Pada setiap undangan yang sama saya perhatikan, mereka gemar sekali memakan ikan (hanya isi atau fillet),"
ungkapnya.

Biasanya kalau sudah ada ikan, tidak ada daging. Ikan dan daging tidak ada bersama di satu meja. Menurut keluarga Yahudi, campuran daging dan ikan tak bagus dimakan bersama. Salad dan kacang, harus, terutama kacang badam.

Uniknya, mereka akan makan buah buahan dahulu sebelum hidangan utama. Jangan terperanjat jika Anda diundang ke rumah Yahudi Anda akan dihidangkan buah buahan dahulu. Menurut mereka, dengan memakan hidangan kabohidrat (nasi atau roti) dahulu kemudian buah buahan, ini akan menyebabkan kita merasa ngantuk.
Akibatnya lemah dan payah untuk memahami pelajaran di sekolah.

Di Israel, merokok adalah tabu, apabila Anda diundang makan dirumah Yahudi, jangan sekali kali merokok. Tanpa sungkan mereka akan menyuruh Anda keluar dari rumah mereka. Menyuruh Anda merokok di luar rumah mereka.

Menurut ilmuwan di Universitas Israel, penelitian menunjukkan nikotin dapat merusakkan sel utama pada otak manusia dan akan melekat pada gen. Artinya, keturunan perokok bakal membawa generasi yang cacat otak ( bodoh). Suatu penemuan yang dari saintis gen dan DNA Israel.

Perhatian Stephen selanjutnya adalah mengunjungi anak-anak Yahudi. Mereka sangat memperhatikan makanan, makanan awal adalah buah buahan bersama kacang badam, diikuti dengan menelan pil minyak ikan (code oil lever).

Dalam pengamatan Stephen, anak-anak Yahudi sungguh cerdas. Rata rata mereka memahami tiga bahasa, Hebrew, Arab dan Inggris. Sejak kecil mereka telah dilatih bermain piano dan biola. Ini adalah suatu kewajiban.
Menurut mereka bermain musik dan memahami not dapat meningkatkan IQ. Sudah tentu bakal menjadikan anak pintar.

Ini menurut saintis Yahudi, hentakan musik dapat merangsang otak.

Tak heran banyak pakar musik dari kaum Yahudi.

Seterusnya di kelas 1 hingga 6, anak anak Yahudi akan diajar matematika berbasis perniagaan. Pelajaran IPA sangat diutamakan. Di dalam pengamatan Stephen, "Perbandingan dengan anak anak di California, dalam tingkat IQ-nya bisa saya katakan 6 tahun kebelakang!! !" katanya.

Segala pelajaran akan dengan mudah di tangkap oleh anak Yahudi. Selain dari pelajaran tadi olahraga juga menjadi kewajiban bagi mereka. Olahraga yang diutamakan adalah memanah, menembak dan berlari.
Menurut teman Yahudi-nya Stephen, memanah dan menembak dapat melatih otak fokus. Disamping itu menembak bagian dari persiapan untuk membela negara.

Selanjutnya perhatian Stephen ke sekolah tinggi (menengah). Di sini murid-murid digojlok dengan pelajaran sains. Mereka didorong untuk menciptakan produk. Meski proyek mereka kadangkala kelihatannya lucu dan memboroskan, tetap diteliti dengan serius.
Apa lagi kalau yang diteliti itu berupa senjata, medis dan teknik. Ide itu akan dibawa ke jenjang lebih tinggi.

Satu lagi yg di beri keutamaan ialah fakultas ekonomi. Saya sungguh terperanjat melihat mereka begitu agresif dan seriusnya mereka belajar ekonomi. Diakhir tahun diuniversitas, mahasiswa diharuskan mengerjakan proyek. Mereka harus memperaktekkanya.
Anda hanya akan lulus jika team Anda (10 pelajar setiap kumpulan) dapat keuntungan sebanyak $US 1 juta!

Anda terperanjat?

Itulah kenyataannya.

Kesimpulan, pada teori Stephen adalah, melahirkan anak dan keturunan yang cerdas adalah keharusan.. Tentunya bukan perkara yang bisa diselesaikan semalaman. Perlu proses, melewati beberapa generasi mungkin?

Kabar lain tentang bagaimana pendidikan anak adalah dari saudara kita di Palestina. Mengapa Israel mengincar anak-anak Palestina. Terjawab sudah mengapa agresi militer Israel yang biadab dari 27 Desember 2008 kemarin memfokuskan diri pada pembantaian anak-anak Palestina di Jalur Gaza.

Seperti yang kita ketahui, setelah lewat tiga minggu, jumlah korban tewas akibat holocaust itu sudah mencapai lebih dari 1300 orang lebih. Hampir setengah darinya adalah anak-anak.

Selain karena memang tabiat Yahudi yang tidak punya nurani, target anak-anak bukanlah kebetulan belaka. Sebulan lalu, sesuai Ramadhan 1429 Hijriah, Ismali Haniya, pemimpin Hamas, melantik sekitar 3500 anak-anak Palestina yang sudah hafidz al-Quran.

Anak-anak yang sudah hafal 30 juz Alquran ini menjadi sumber ketakutan Zionis Yahudi. "Jika dalam usia semuda itu mereka sudah menguasai Alquran, bayangkan 20 tahun lagi mereka akan jadi seperti apa?" demikian pemikiran yang berkembang di pikiran orang-orang Yahudi.

Tidak heran jika-anak Palestina menjadi para penghafal Alquran. Kondisi Gaza yang diblokade dari segala arah oleh Israel menjadikan mereka terus intens berinteraksi dengan al-Qur'an. Tak ada main Play Station atau game bagi mereka.
Namun kondisi itu memacu mereka untuk menjadi para penghafal yang masih begitu belia. Kini, karena ketakutan sang penjajah, sekitar 500 bocah penghafal Quran itu telah syahid.

Perang panjang dengan Yahudi akan berlanjut entah sampai berapa generasi lagi. Ini cuma masalah giliran. Sekarang Palestina dan besok bisa jadi Indonesia. Bagaimana perbandingan perhatian pemerintah Indonesia dalam membina generasi penerus dibanding dengan negara tetangganya.

Ambil contoh tetangga kita yang terdekat adalah Singapura. Contoh yang penulis ambil sederhana saja, Rokok. Singapura selain menerapkan aturan yang ketat tentang rokok, juga harganya sangat mahal.

Benarkah merokok dapat melahirkan generasi "Goblok!" kata Goblok bukan dari penulis, tapi kata itu sendiri dari Stephen Carr Leon sendiri. Dia sudah menemui beberapa bukti menyokong teori ini.
"Lihat saja Indonesia," katanya seperti dalam tulisan itu.

Jika Anda ke Jakarta, di mana saja Anda berada, dari restoran, teater, kebun bunga hingga ke musium, hidung Anda akan segera mencium bau asak rokok! Berapa harga rokok? Cuma US$ .70cts !!!

"Hasilnya? Dengan penduduknya berjumlah jutaan orang berapa banyak universitas? Hasil apakah yang dapat dibanggakan? Teknologi? Jauh sekali. Adakah mereka dapat berbahasa selain dari bahasa mereka sendiri? Mengapa mereka begitu sukar sekali menguasai bahasa Inggris? Apakah ini bukan akibat merokok? Anda fikirlah sendiri?"

Tugas Bhs. inggris TOEFL hal 268

6. Assert, of, lived, on
7. Have
8. Have, are
9. Are, is
10. Was
11. Is, will
12. Must decided
13. Receive, will grow
14. Is, is
15. Died, lives, to
16. Is, would
17. Is, lived, is
18. Is, is, its-is
19. Many, music
20. Has, are
21. Can be, is
22. Is, includes
23. Is
24. Is
25. May, is

Tugas bhs. inggris TOEFL Hal 291

6. Present perfect tense
7. Present perfect tense
8. Present tense
9. Simple past tense
10. Simple present tense
11. Simple present tense
12. Simple past tense
13. Simple present tense
14. Past progressive tense
15. Simple present tense, future tense
16. Past progressive tense, simple past tense
17. Simple present tense
18. Present tense
19. Simple past tense
20. Simple present tense
21. Simple past tense
22. Simple past tense
23. Simple present tense
24. Simple past tense
25. Present tense

15 Ways to Hack Your Brain For A Better Life

...For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose. "It is a question of cubic capacity, " said he; "a man with so large a brain must have something in it. " ... Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.

Not everyone is born with a big brain. Not everyone can say things like ‘Elementary, my dear Watson’ with a straight face. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get an edge on the competition. Remember that scene from the Matrix, where the machines are using humans as disposable AA batteries? That’s not far off the mark. With over 100 billion neurons, your brain produces about 100 Watts of raw energy. The mind literally has a life of its own. And like your other muscles, the more you use it, the bigger it gets, the better it works.

If you’re looking to improve mental cognition, increase your memory, and enhance your alertness, here are 15 easy ways to give your brain a six-pack.

1. Exercise: You knew it was good for your muscles, but the brain? Absolutely! More than 20% of the body’s blood and oxygen go directly to the brain (without passing GO or paying $200). Exercise, particularly cardio training, effectively increases the flow to the brain, keeping it a well-oiled machine. But if you’d like something a little more Zen, try Yoga. Many of the Yoga poses, like Downward Facing Dog, are specifically engineered to get

blood to your brain faster, by positioning the head below the heart. But if you’re really pressed for time, something as simple as opening a window and getting fresh air can give your brain the extra juice it needs.

2. Hydrate: If you’re looking for a little pick-me-up, don’t reach for your usual double espresso. Instead try drinking two glasses of water. The caffeine in coffee and soda may temporarily make you feel more alert, but in the long run will make you even more tired by dehydrating your muscles and constricting your blood vessels. And in large quantities, caffeine can send you running for the bathroom with a bad case of the tr

ots, as it stimulates the spastic contractions of the intestine. Water, on the other hand, is a simple way to keep the mind alert and refreshed. And you can’t beat the price.

3. Find Stimulation: A friend of mine used to say, “I don’t need caffeine, I have Motorhead.” And he always got his papers in on time. Now heavy metal may not be your thing, but listening to music can increase your productivity. Just like the smell of dinner can bring on hunger pangs, engaging all five senses will stimulate brain activity. For example, the color pink is a visual aphrodisiac. The arousal will dilate your pupils, increase blood flow, and set off pleasure centers in the brain - all of which will make you more alert and focused. By decorating your work area brightly or switching your font color to something more vivid, you can work through boredom and fatigue. Aromatherapy can be enormously effective, as smell

is the strongest of the senses. Lemon, peppermint, and cypress are several scents known to stimulate the brain. Or eating a peppermint candy will activate both scent and taste. Taking notes by hand instead of typing them, will help you retain the information more effectively, as the pressure points activated by holding a pen are linked to the creative and memory centers of the brain.

4. Think Happy Thoughts: We’ve all seen those Hitchcock thrillers, where a person does or witnesses something so terrible they completely block it from their mind. Well, on a much smaller scale, that kind of memory loss is happening all the time. The

brain, particularly the memory, doesn’t respond well to stress. If you’re tense, overwrought, or unhappy, you’re much less likely to retain information or stay alert. Try to eliminate stressful influences from your life and workplace. Practice relaxation techniques, take a hot bath, or get a massage. Or fry up some bacon. I've often found that happiness = bacon. Anyway, your body is very tuned into your emotions, and it shows way more than you think.

5. Play Games: Not Hide n’ Seek. Studies with deme

ntia patients have shown that playing word games and puzzles can increase and even restore mental cognitive abilities. The crossword, a pub quiz, or Soduku: all these fun activities can keep your grey matter in the pink. And the best part is that you don’t actually need to know anything. This is one instance where winning doesn’t matter, because your brain responds to the attempt to solve the problem, not the knowledge stored in your head. Probably the best brain games are those with strategic goals like Chess, Risk, and Stratego, as the objectives are in a constant flux, and require more activity from the brain.

6. Watch Quality TV: Wouldn‘t it be nice if that were true. Unfortunately, studies indicate that passively sitting in front of the tube is counterproductive. But if that butt-shaped indention in your recliner calls out to you, choose a game or quiz shows like Jeopardy, and try to answer the questions. Even if you have never heard of the Federalist Papers, your brain will be stimulated in the same way as if you were playing Trivi

al Pursuit with your friends.

7. Surf the Net: Net-addicts unite! We’ve known it all along, and now we’ve been proven right. A recent study at the University of California Los Angeles found that searching the web stimulated centers in the brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning. A simple task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry. Brain scans showed that much more of the brain was activated by internet use than by simply reading a book. Not to mention, there are all sorts of lovely online brain teasers and games on the web, just waiting to make you smarter. And here’s the clincher: the more

you surf, the more your brain works.

8. Eat Brain Food: Don’t go on one. Depriving yourself of food literally starves the brain and makes you dumb dumb dumb. But if you want to get peak mental performance from what you eat, here are a few things to remember. Protein is the main source of fuel for the brain. But don’t automatically switch over to Atkins, cause your brain also needs foods rich in crucial vitamins and minerals. It’s always better to get these from food rather than taking pills. Vitamin A, to protect brain cell membranes; B Vitamins, essential for neuronal growth and vitality; Vitamin C, so vital for brain function that its levels in the brain are fifteen times higher than anywhere outside the brain; Vitamin E

, to prevent and actually reverse brain deterioration; Magnesium, to maintain the metabolic viability of neurons; Zinc, rids the brain of impurities such as lead to improve cognitive function; and Amino Acids, necessary to the growth and health of neurotransmitters.

9. Load Up On Fish Oil: “Jeeves takes a size 14 hat, eats tons of fish, and works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.” When creating his immortal, all-knowing valet Jeeves, author P.G. Wodehouse gave the character an enormous, bulging cranium and a steady diet of brain-enhancing fish. It was no surpr

ise when scientists proved what we knew all along: eating fish can make you brainy. Actually, it’s not the fish, but the Omega -3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that do the trick. These fatty acids keep the dopamine levels in the brain high, increase neuronal growth in the frontal cortex of the brain, and increase cerebral circulation. Which is a complicated way of saying that fatty acids make your brain work at top efficiency, kinda like a tune-up. But before you stockpile your pantry with tuna, remember that eating large amounts of fish can put you at risk to toxins and mercury poisoning. So it’s better to get EPA and DHA from alternative sources and supplements.

10. Eat Weeds: Not the kind you hide from your parents, but herbal remedies. Eastern medicine is kicking ass and taking names where your brain is concerned. There are about a dozen or so ‘brain-boosting’ herbs, but the two most important are Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng. As medicinal tonics go, it doesn’t get more powerful than Ginkgo, by enhancing cerebral circulation, which freakishly boosts cognitive abilities. Ginseng, regarded as the ‘Cadillac’ of Asian herbs, has astonishing neurological

effects. Once believed to re-harmonize the body’s ‘yang energy,’ we now know that Ginseng helps the brain adapt to stress agents by heightening the productivity of the adrenal glands. The result is a balanced stimulant, that achieves brain arousal and alertness without the nervous, jittery, guy-from-Shine response of most stimulants.

11. Learn Something New: This seems pretty obvious, right? But it’s not that simple. Very few people find the time to master new skills or even read a new book that isn‘t for work or class. Learning a foreign language, a new handcraft or recipe, or challenging yourself with an unfamiliar subject all increase br

ain growth, stimulating parts of the brain that may have been stagnant and untapped til now. But all this takes time, right? Wrong! Try spending 15 minutes a day on your new discovery, about the same time as all the commercials in an hour-long TV show, and you’ll be surprised how much you learn.

12. Don’t Waste Time: If your brain were a computer, how many times a day would it be flashing the hourglass sign? Albert Einstein, one of the world’s greatest thinkers, gave us the Theory of Relativity, and some very good

advice: "Make everything as simple as possible." You can hardly expect your brain to perform at its best if it’s cluttered with non-essentials. The best way to organize your mind is to declutter your life. Maximize your time with a few personal alterations. Save time in the morning by deciding the night before what outfit you’ll wear. Make and keep a list of daily and long-term priorities, and don’t let your focus wander. Try multi-tasking. If you’re going to be in the bathroom awhile, take along a book or some work you need to finish (you’re not doing much else!) If you have a long commute or get stuck in traffic, make the most of the time by listening to an audio book. If you have t

o stand in line at the bank or the shops, bring along some notes you need to review or flashcards for that new language you decided to learn. Sure you may look funny, but you’re getting smarter.

13. Actively Improve Your Memory: There’s a new character on Grey’s Anatomy who’s been stunning us with her photographic me

mory, recalling obscure articles from turn of the century medical journals, railing off the periodic table without batting an eye. For the actress playing this character to do so convincingly, I’ll bet she had to find a more efficient way of memorizing data. There are loads of different tricks and methods purporting to have the answer, but

basically they all boil down to a few basic principles.

First, know how you learn. There are three basic ways of learning: visual, auditory, kinetic. You can figure out which one you are by listening, readi

ng, and writing three different sentences to see which you remember the best. Once you know how you learn, optimize that knowledge. If you are visual, post-its will be a big help. If you are auditory, invest in a hand-held recorder.

Second, the most effective way to remember fact

s is by forming multiple associations. For example, you may remember the date of your dentist appointment, because that number was the age of your favorite singer when he died. Or something a little more cheerful, but you get the idea. If you’re a visual person, try to form an effective mental image or snap shot. For example, if you park your car in section 4b, you may remember that by taking a snap shot of four bumblebees hovering over the roof of your car. Try forming an emotional association. If your wife asks you to pick up something at the store, think for a minute how disappointed she’ll be if you forget it, and most likely you won’t.

Third, rinse and repeat. Repetition is a tried a

nd true method of memorization. Just for fun, pull out the old SAT prep book from high school and see how much vocabulary you still remember. Give your memory a workout by re-learning these forgotten gems.

14. Rest Almost nothing is as crucial to proper and efficient brain functioning as sleep. Not everybody needs the same amount of sleep, but trying to think when you’re tired literally hurts. Here are some ways for your brain to get the most out of sleep. If it takes you a long time to fall asleep, don’t fight it or give up and take a pill. Instead ease into sleep by reading a book. But make sure it’s fiction. While you might think non-fiction would be more boring, studies show that non-fiction triggers forward thinking in the

brain, which prevents sleep. If you wake up tired, it might not be because you didn’t get enough sleep. It could be because your brain is starved from fasting while you slept. Trying eating a low sugar, 100 calorie snack before bed. This won’t be enough to keep you awake, and it may prevent that tired-head in the morning. If, despite your best efforts, you don’t get enough Z’s, seriously consider a nap. Naps are not childish or European, they are a perfectly natural way to buck up your brain. A series of short naps (20-30 minutes) throughout the day won’t repair hours of sleep debt, but it will stave off the exhaustion that leaves your brain utterly useless and you without a job.

15. Have Sex: Women will go weak at the knees at the thought of the size of your…brain. That’s right. A lot happens to the body during sex, and much of it goes on in your head. Your brain, that is. There is no activity that increases more blood flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive capabilities. Having sex also produces hormones that dramatically improve brain functioning. One

example includes the 'trust' hormone Oxytocin, which is produced during sex. This increases your ability to think of original solutions to a problem while serotonin and dopamine, which surge after sex, help a person's creative thinking and calm, logical decision-making. And if you’re having any trouble falling

to sleep, to give your brain the rest it needs, look no further.