Quiz shows such as Jeopardy! highlight the amazing capabilities of contestants to remember varied, esoteric facts and to recall them under enormous pressures of time limits and high-dollar competition. Viewers witness the power of the human mind to function at extremely high levels in a competitive setting, and many who watch draw inspiration to improve their own minds.

What do you get when one of the world’s great classical guitarists, Thomas Valeur, teams up with the “Queen of Shred” heavy-metal guitarist, The Commander in Chief? Last year, the two collaborated on a reorchestration of Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeuenerweisen. The result is an excellent performance by two talented musicians.

While many Americans turn their attention to the start of the NFL football season, others anticipate a lesser-known but intensely exciting competition gearing up in the San Francisco bay: the 34th America's Cup. In this great sailboat race, competitors showcase their engineering prowess, mental and physical training, and skill at…