Spot Liars by Paying Attention to Their Reaction Within the First Five Seconds of a Conversation. The missing link of the modern dissociated mind. Why musical genius comes easier to early starters - life - 15 January 2013. Good news for pushy parents. If you want your child to excel musically, you now have better justification for starting their lessons early. New evidence comes from brain scans of 36 highly skilled musicians, split equally between those who started lessons before and after the age of 7, but who had done a similar amount of training and practice. MRI scans revealed that the white matter in the corpus callosum – the brain region that links the two hemispheres – had more extensive wiring and connectivity in the early starters. The wiring of the late starters was not much different from that of non-musician control participants. Sweet spot Steele says that younger-trained musicians may have an advantage because their training coincides with a key period of brain development .
However, he stresses that these connectivity adaptations are no guarantee of musical genius. Nor should older aspiring musicians despair. Journal reference: Journal of Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3578-12.2013. There's a big difference between hearing and listening. Do you know what it is? Einstein's brain was definitely not like the others, scientists say.
Man in coma uses his thoughts to tell doctors, 'I'm not in pain' Oxytocin keeps committed men away from attractive women. Can the Kuleshov Effect really control your perception of other people's feelings? The Two-Headed Boy of Bengal | Articles. In early February 2004, the press reported the birth of a ‘Two-Headed Baby’ in the Dominican Republic. Eight weeks earlier, on 10 December 2003, Rebeca Martinez (below, with her family) had been born with a second head joined to her own, crown to crown, but without any other obvious developmental defect. The second head had partially developed eyes, ears and lips and grew quicker than the lower one, probably due to hydrocephalus caused by defective venous drainage. Leading American surgeons with considerable experience of separating conjoined twins were consulted, a charity paying for all expenses, and they planned to operate before the weight of the second head made it impossible for Rebeca to lift her own.
The operation started out well, and the surgeons even issued an optimistic press statement halfway through their work. But, tragically, the unfortunate little girl died from a heart attack caused by the massive blood loss during the 11-hour operation on 7 February 2004. The crayola-fication of the world: How we gave colors names, and it messed with our brains (part II) | Empirical Zeal. Untitled (Cubes) by Scott Taylor Update: This post was an Editor’s pick by Cristy Gelling at Science Seeker, and was included in Bora Zivkovic‘s top 10 science blog posts of the week. Lately, I’ve got colors on the brain. In part I of this post I talked about the common roads that different cultures travel down as they name the colors in their world. And I came across the idea that color names are, in some sense, culturally universal. The way that languages carve up the visual spectrum isn’t arbitrary.
So what? Rose coloured glasses by jan_clickr This question goes back to an idea by the American linguist Benjamin Whorf, who suggested that our language determines how we perceive the world. This idea is known as linguistic relativity, and is commonly described by the blatantly false adage that Eskimos have a truckload of words to describe snow. Hyperbole aside, color actually provides a neat way to test Whorf’s hypothesis. Do you see what I see? That was 1984. That’s easy enough. Footnote: The Drug That Never Lets Go. Photo By @FatTonyBMX Dickie Sanders was not naturally prone to depression. The 21-year-old BMX rider was known for being sweet spirited and warm -- a hugger not a hand-shaker. The kind of guy who called on holidays. Who helped his father on the family farm. Who spent countless hours perfecting complicated tricks on his bike. Yet on Nov. 12, 2010, Sanders was found dead on the floor of his childhood bedroom.
PBS NewsHour Science Support Provided By The National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the S.D. The suicide was the culmination of five days of strange behavior that began shortly after Sanders snorted a powdery substance he bought from a friend. “I don't like the way this is making me feel," Sanders told his stepmother, Julie, as the two awaited his release from the hospital. An autopsy revealed a powerful stimulant in his system: methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV.
What Do Bath Salts Packages Look Like? One Step Closer to Building a Simulated Human Brain. "So, I'm not sure that mapping a brain to software is going to yield a brain - the simulation will be statically wired and a real brain is not. " This isn't really a good objection because obviously the software neurons will grow, prune or change over time as well.
You're assuming a snapshot when it could easily be a movie. Just apply more computer power. "A bigger question for me is if the brain is wired pretty much by chance, how are basic human behaviors wired in the same for everyone (generally the same, i.e. jealousy, anger, happiness, etc.). " Because here Markram gets it wrong or oversimplifies. The brain is not wired entirely by chance, certainly not globally over the entire brain. To correct Markram, I think he really means that the connections happen by chance only on the cellular level, in small groups of neurons—and by "small" I mean groups of a 100 or 1000 neurons. "And lastly, if the thing ever becomes conscious, I feel sorry for it - it will be completely sensory deprived. " How to Avoid the Natural Reactions that Prevent Good Decision Making. How to Live Forever By Turning Your Brain Into Plastic. Brad, I am not unnecessarily defining anything.
I am certain that if you have a clone made of you, whether physically or in some sort of computer rendering, that clone will live on. But, you will die when our time comes, and go into the "big black" wherever that leads to. Meanwhile (or even while you live), the clone will be "born" and awake into it's own existence, but you must have a continuity of your consciousness for it to BE you. Your mind doesn't just teleport when a copy or rendering of you is made, any more than a copy of a computer file, or a photocopy is where the original moves to! And, if the original is destroyed, that object ceases to exist.
A copy may operate, in every way you did, and could even have your memories (in theory), but that's just a clone, not you. Now, if you want to have your "essence" live on, and in a sense, elements of yourself, then clone away! The same goes for anything that breaks the stream of consciousness. Do you get it now? The most successful presidents could be the ones who exhibit psychopath-like traits. Placebo effect can be triggered by subliminal cues. The Halo Effect: Why You Won't Believe Your Heroes Have Flaws. Why do fathers' testosterone levels drop when sleeping near their children? Pathological narcissism. Oliver Sacks: What hallucination reveals about our minds | Video. Scientists Discover How Brains Keep Clean | Wired Science. Two-photon imaging shows how the brain flushes out wastes via a system of water channels (purple) in cells (green) wrapped tightly around blood vessels. Image: J. Iliff and M. Nedergaard We all need to clear our heads, sometimes literally — and now scientists have learned how our neurological plumbing system works.
Every organ produces waste, and the brain is no exception. But unlike the rest of our body, it doesn’t have a lymphatic system, a network of vessels that filter out junk. Now, a new study of mouse brains suggests how ours handle waste: by rapidly pumping fluid along the outside of blood vessels, literally flushing waste away. “If you look at a body-wide map of the lymphatic system, you see a great big void in the brain,” said neuroscientist Jeffrey Iliff of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Scientists long suspected that the brain’s refuse ended up in the cerebrospinal fluid, which cushions the brain inside the skull.
New treatment reduces a key Alzheimer's Disease protein by a staggering 90 percent. Science says underpaid people enjoy their jobs more! Kinda have to agree—making a "journalistic" headline sexy seems to be par for the course on Gizmodo related websites these days. Yeah, this isn't what the study says. Though it would be interesting to do an actual study on job satisfaction versus underpayment/overpayment. There are definitely underpaid people who are willing to be underpaid *because* they have fantastic jobs, though I would guess most knowingly underpaid people hate their jobs but cannot find anything better. Yes, thank you. As an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist—and a former journalist—this article's title is bullshit and completely misleading. For the Festinger study in particular, the two thoughts at odds were: 1) that was really boring, and I hated it, VS 2) I got paid only a dollar to say it wasn't.
The theory alone cannot be directly translated to job satisfaction. Please be better than this, Gizmodo. The psychological syndrome that causes you to speak with a fake foreign accent. Neuroscientists successfully control the dreams of rats. Could humans be next? Bad news, everyone: smoking too much pot as a teen could permanently lower your IQ. Rare neurological patient shows that self-awareness does not require a complex brain. 'I just don't want to eat an animal that's standing there inviting me to,' said Arthur, 'It's heartless.' 'Better than eating an animal that doesn't want to be eaten,' said Zaphod. 'That's not the point,' Arthur protested.
Then he thought about it for a moment. 'Alright,' he said, 'maybe it is the point. Think I'll just have a green salad,' he muttered. 'May I urge you to consider my liver? ' 'A green salad,' said Arthur emphatically. 'A green salad? ' 'Are you going to tell me,' said Arthur, 'that I shouldn't have green salad? ' 'Well,' said the animal, 'I know many vegetables that are very clear on that point. It managed a very slight bow. 'Glass of water please,' said Arthur. 'Look,' said Zaphod, 'we want to eat, we don't want to make a meal of the issues. The animal staggered to its feet. He turned and gave a friendly wink to Arthur. It waddled unhurriedly off to the kitchen.
Remarkable video captures the flow of proteins inside an individual neuron. What Multitasking Does To Our Brains. I can definitely understand how focusing on one task at a time allows you to be more productive. However, I also believe that you can benefit from taking a break after ~an hour of working on something, and then doing something else. Making progress on multiple different tasks in this way provides a similar feeling of high productivity, but also allows you to get a feel for exactly how much work you have on your plate. Obviously, not every task can be broken up into hour-long work sessions, but if I can diversify what I'm working on, I won't get bored of my work.In terms of making to-do lists, I've found that just making the old-fashioned, linear lists don't quite cut it for me anymore.
One method I've found quite useful is the Eisenhower method, which is a 2x2 matrix that organizes your tasks by urgency v.s. importance. So-called "Dullest Culture on Earth" frowns upon sex and bans play. Another Perspective on Massive Brain Simulations. Henry Markram has become famous as the creator of the world's most expensive brain simulation, but neuroscientists know him best for his pioneering experiments on synapses. Markram was one of the first to investigate the sequential version of Hebb's rule in a systematic way, by varying the time delay between the spiking of the two neurons when inducing synaptic plasticity. (Changes in the synapses, the connection points between cells. One scientist reduced Hebb’s rule to: “Cells that fire together, wire together.”) When I first heard Markram speak at a conference, I also encountered the chain-smoking and charming Alex Thomson, another prominent neuroscientist, who lectured about synapses with bubbling enthusiasm.
She was in love with them, and wanted us to love them too. Markram, in contrast, came across as the high priest of synapses, summoning our awe and respect for their intricate mysteries. Markram didn't keep his indignation secret. Are these researchers really making progress? Why do we hate seeing photos of ourselves? Courthouse News Service. Surefire Tips and Tricks to Convince People You Have Psychic Powers. Why The Left-Brain Right-Brain Myth Will Probably Never Die. With nearly 1 in 12 teens diagnosed, is 'Anger Disorder' the next big thing? It seems to me "intermittent explosive disorder" is a cheap, easy diagnosis when the "doctor" is at her wits end about what's happening emotionally/cognitively/psychologically, and I do not think "Anger disorder" contributes much to the discussion regarding mood and developmental disorders. And like the article briefly says, what's the use in pathologizing a reaction that might very well be a symptom to a real underlying cause (e.g. bipolar, schizophrenia, brain tumor, brain damage) considering that reaction, i.e. anger, is itself a relatively common and basic human emotion.
Further, there is much ambiguity: what does "explosive" mean and when does it happen? When is anger, explosive or otherwise, an "over-reaction" to a "trivial" cause? When is anger itself inappropriate? We need to ask more basic questions regarding human emotion and mood, and define our terms/concepts, before we can call angry teens, or angry adults, mere victims of one's own biochemical make-up. Neuroscience. Cognitive Biases. Why do humans laugh? Does Easter Island hold the secret of reversing Alzheimer's Disease? Phantom Finger Points To Secrets In The Human Brain : Krulwich Wonders... When she was born, her right hand wasn't right. Instead of looking like this ... Robert Krulwich/NPR hand 1 ... her thumb was stunted, she had no index finger. Her middle finger and her ring finger were rigid. Only her pinkie was normal. hand 2 Her name doesn't matter.
Its truncated shape is often associated with thalidomide, a drug used during pregnancies in the 1950s and 1960s; RN, now in her late 50s, may have been a thalidomide baby. Born unlucky, she got unluckier. It gets worse. But in her case, this phantom was different from the one she lost. She told her doctors, V.S. Hand 3 Which is very strange.
In RN's case, her phantom grew a finger that wasn't there. What doctors Ramachandran and McGeoch wanted to know was: How did this happen? But first, let's finish RN's story, because her bad luck stayed bad. Hand 4 She asked the doctors for help. They had a plan. So now back to that mysterious finger. hand 5 Sorry, You Can't Do That ... And so, that phantom index finger emerged. Was RN Lying? How To Keep Learning Even When You're Asleep. Your Brain on a Magic Trick. Scientists capture the first image of memories being made. The ability to learn and to establish new memories is essential to our daily existence and identity; enabling us to navigate through the world.
A new study by researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), McGill University and University of California, Los Angeles has captured an image for the first time of a mechanism, specifically protein translation, which underlies long-term memory formation. The finding provides the first visual evidence that when a new memory is formed new proteins are made locally at the synapse - the connection between nerve cells - increasing the strength of the synaptic connection and reinforcing the memory.
The study published in Science, is important for understanding how memory traces are created and the ability to monitor it in real time will allow a detailed understanding of how memories are formed. (Photo Credit: Science) A Brief History of Stockholm Syndrome. Time and again during the 18 harrowing years she allegedly spent in captivity, Jaycee Lee Dugard must have had the chance to cry for help. She assisted her alleged abductor, Phillip Garrido, with his home business, sorting out orders by phone or e-mail. She occasionally greeted customers alone at the door. She even went out in public. But she apparently never made a run for it, returning each day instead to a shed in the backyard of the man who allegedly kidnapped and raped her.
"Jaycee has strong feelings with this guy," her stepfather Carl Probyn — who saw... Subscribe Now Get TIME the way you want it One Week Digital Pass — $4.99 Monthly Pay-As-You-Go DIGITAL ACCESS — $2.99 One Year ALL ACCESS — Just $30! Stress-Induced Depression Is Real. How Neuroscience Can Teach You To Lie. Incredible X-ray Image of the Boy Who Survived a Spear Through the Brain. Why are schizophrenics starting to respond better to placebos?
Love activates the same region in the brain as drug addiction. Could a single pill save your marriage? Why we need memory-altering drugs. Could a single pill make you fearless? A Pill to Cure Your Pathological Rage? The Costanza Principle: Empower Your Inner Contrarian and Make Better Decisions. It Takes the Entire Internet to Map a Mouse's Brain. Can Science See Inside an NFL Player's Skull Before It's Too Late? Your Willpower Is Determined By Your Father's Parenting Style, Study. Prozac Campus: the Next Generation - The Chronicle Review. Seeking Academic Edge, Teenagers Abuse Stimulants. Teens Taking ADHD Drugs to Get Good Grades: How Big a Problem Is It? Can a 16-Year-Old Girl Be a Cougar? Asks the New York Times - National. 10 More Common Faults in Human Thought. Genes could explain memory differences between men and women.
Why you probably won’t experience your own traumatic death. The internet: is it changing the way we think? | Technology | The Observer. Neurophilosophy. The discovery of the neuron « Neurophilosophy. The incredible case of Phineas Gage « Neurophilosophy. Could Conjoined Twins Share a Mind? Exercise Will Not Make You Happy. Jerusalem Syndrome: How to Psychoanalyze a Messiah. The Neuroscience of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Haloperidol. How do you really know what time it is? Genie (feral child) The girl in the window. 164 years later, researchers map Phineas Gage's pierced brain. Are musicians our external brains? Religion can improve your self-control — even if you don't believe in God. How Reading Novels Can Make You A Better Person. Can You Call a 9-Year-Old a Psychopath? Are Smart People Getting Smarter? | Wired Science. The genes behind human intelligence also made us vulnerable to autism. Pigeons have a magnetic GPS in their brain. Your ability to imagine a number line may not be hardwired after all.
Analytical thinking really does reduce your belief in God. Learned optimism. Learned helplessness. Battered person syndrome. What cannabis actually does to your brain. Are humans too optimistic for their own good? Why You Should Be Glad You're Not a Vulcan. Veterans' brain damage reveals the most detailed map of intelligence ever. Could we create a perfect society by tweaking two areas of the human brain? For cellist, the music lingers after memory has faded. Scientists Reconstruct Brains' Visions Into Digital Video In Historic Experiment.
10 of the Most Surprising Findings from Psychological Studies. The Strange Neuroscience of Immortality - The Chronicle Review.