Boston Globe – Kevin Hartnett
“Some people seem to learn math easily while others struggle right out of the gate. As a result, it’s natural to wonder whether our brains are just wired differently. Now, new research from a neuroscience lab at Stanford University finds evidence that indeed, differences in brain geography strongly affect how people develop in math…The idea of using brain scans to predict math ability raises uncomfortable questions about the biological basis of achievement. Lead author Tanya Evans is quick to say that brain scans can’t be used to predict an individual’s math future…Evans and her colleagues envision using brain scans to identify children who are at-risk for struggling in math (rather than destined to struggle) and providing those children with interventions that reshape their brains.”(more)