Aside from that, the article is full of plenty of dubious claims. For example, > In order to [generate novel ideas], you need both right and left hemispheres w

Aside from that, the article is full of plenty of dubious claims. For example, > In order to [generate novel ideas], you need both right and left hemispheres working in conjunction with each other. The simplistic idea of the hemispheres being different types of thinking, or that originality requires them "working together", is not supported. In fact very interesting things happen when the two hemispheres are separated, but it isn't something to do with the topic of the article. > Efficiency is not your friend when it comes to cognitive growth. In order to keep your brain making new connections and keeping them active, you need to keep moving on to another challenging activity Of course efficiency is not your friend if your goal is apparent growth and increased activity in the brain. But that's not the goal. The goal is to be effective. An effective brain is using less resources because it needs less. A chess master can consider fewer moves than a novice, for example. Unless we had evidence that any brain growth is good for general intelligence in some way. We don't. Taxi drivers have growth in areas responsible for mapping and spatial location, for example, but no evidence suggests that makes them better at anything else. In any case, the advice provided is badly justified, but still valid. The 5 principles are just common sense - which is why the author can find people like Einstein suggesting them many decades ago.