Memories are made with sleep

If you're studying for a test, rehearsing for a play, or memorizing a difficult piece of an article, the best thing you can do for your memory is to get to bed on time, Two new studies suggest that we form memories in several stages, and sleep may be the most important stage of all.
In the first study, 84 college students learned to identify a series of similar-sounding words produced by a machine. Right after the training, they performed well on a word recall test. Later in the day, they didn't do as well. After a good night's sleep, however, their performance rebounded to where it had been the morning before.
For the second study ,a different group of researchers taught 100 adults to press a specific sequence of five number keys on a keyboard. The adults had to do it again and again as accurately and quickly as possible .Six hours later, they remembered original sequence even after they had just learned a second sequence . A night's sleep helped them do even better.
The researchers found that memory formation may require more than just one night of good sleep .On the second day, if participants were tested on the first sequence and then immediately learned a second sequence ,their memory for the first faded badly. If they weren't retested on the first before learning a second sequence, the adults remembered both sequences the following day.
These results suggest that briefly recalling something a day after you learned it can actually get it in the way of future recall, especially if you are learning something new right after. Lasting memories don't seem to form all at once . Instead, you need to sleep to help reinforce memories and keep them from fading away.
So if you really want to remember something, study bedtime, but don't stay up all night. You may learn less, but you will remember a whole lot more.

Zhang Yimon to design 2008 Olympic ceremonies

China's best-known Zhang Yimou will join hands with Hollywood director Steven Spielberg in designing the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Olympic Games.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) unveiled a high-profile crew to produce the most eye-catching cultural events.
Spielberg will serve as an artistic consultant along with Australian Ric Birch, director of the highly successful opening and closing ceremonies at the Sydney Games in 2000, and Yves Pepin, president of French company, ECA2.
"I am very honored to be named the chief director of the ceremonies," Zhang said at a ceremony at BOCOG's headquarters.
"It is a huge task... but I promise that I will fulfill the task successfully."
Spielberg also said he was honored to get involved in the Beijing Olympics.
"Our one goal is to give the world a taste of peace , friendship, cooperation and understanding," he said.
"Through the visual arts, the performing arts, the art of music, the art of dance, and the art of celebration of life, all of us are devoted to making this Olympic opening and closing ceremonies the most emotional everyone has ever seen."
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Games will take place on August 8, 2008.