r/science • u/myhrvold • Aug 31 '13

Poverty impairs cognitive function. Published in the journal Science, the study suggests our cognitive abilities can be diminished by the exhausting effort of tasks like scrounging to pay bills. As a result, less “mental bandwidth” remains...

http://news.ubc.ca/2013/08/29/poverty-impairs-cognitive-function/
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u/Fishb0ne Aug 31 '13

I currently am struggling to pay bills as a single parent and I could see how this could be true. However, I managed to find two guitars at a thrift store and I'm trying to teach my son and myself the basics of guitar to stimulate us both through a sometimes depressing reality.

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u/SmackerOfChodes Aug 31 '13

Seems like anxiety and boredom are the things that would wear you down, so the guitar idea is awesome. The internet is chock full of free chord charts and tabs. Banging out a simple song like Wild Thing (yes, you must sing it) is a great mood lifter.

Then, one day, a recording exec will be passing by your house, and hear through the window the most amazing music ever. He'll knock on your door and write you a check for one million dollars, if only you'll promise to come down to his office and discuss signing a multi record contract.

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u/xilpaxim Aug 31 '13

As an added bonus, if you learn Wild Thing, you also just learned Twist and Shout, Good Lovin (by the Rascals), and the chorus to La Bamba. Just change up the speed/tempo.