Does this imply that thinking too hard, cramming, and other rapid learning strategies may actually increase brain cancer risk?
Somewhat horrifying to think about... Oops.
Somewhat horrifying to think about... Oops.
> Gliomas, in particular, more common among university-educated, large observational study shows
> Men with university level education, lasting at least three years, were 19% more likely to develop a glioma
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160620221757.h...
I believe, for a rare cancer, a 19% increased risk is not a very big deal. It's still low risk. (And of course, only the correlation is known.)
For example, thinking harder leads to greater metabolic activity in the brain, and greater metabolic activity can increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, thinking harder increases the risk of cancer.
Thinking hard can be associated with increased stress, and increased stress can cause the induction of endogenous viruses, which can themselves cause cancer or other serious problems.
I could go on, but the reality is, even while all of these are realistic statements, they contribute far less to overall risk than obesity or driving.
Though, this doesn't seem to be a clear correlation.