Mind & Brain
Friday Weird Science: A load of S***
Sci is at Neurotic Physiology today, talking about a load of crap. Specifically, how big is it? Haven't you wondered how much people generally poop in a day?
Stories by Scicurious
Mind & Brain
Picking a voice from the crowd: Focus on the face
There's a classic "problem" (meaning one that our brains have to solve, not us, though we do have to solve how our brains do it) in sensory perception: the cocktail party problem.
Mind & Brain
AAAS Meeting: Science and Social Media
Sci is headed to Boston tomorrow for the AAAS Meeting! I'm very excited, it'll be my first time, but it seems like a very vibrant meeting full of lots of great ideas!
Mind & Brain
Dopamine goggles make the glass half full
When it comes down to it, most humans are pretty optimistic. Yeah, we know the Titanic sank, but our boat is better. We know that driving a car is really pretty dangerous, but we're more careful, it won't happen to us...
Mind & Brain
Friday Weird Science: Pubic Hair goes Public
Sci is at Neurotic Physiology today, looking at a recent survey. Surveys can provide us with powerful information on diet, poisonings, exercise habits.
Mind & Brain
#scio13 Wrapup: On Identity
Kate Clancy and I were lucky enough to be able to lead a session on Identity at this year's Science Online. What are your various identities? How do they impact your writing?
Mind & Brain
Scio13 WrapUp: Blogging for the Long Haul
At Scienceonline 2013, Dr. Zen and I spent some time discussing how to blog "for the long haul". There's a full storify of what went down below, and there should be live video feed available for free soon!...
Mind & Brain
Friday Weird Science: Sperm trading
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a hermaphroditic flatworm in possession of its own sperm, rarely runs short of sperm, and thus must be in want of another hermaphrodite of suitable quality to inseminate."-Jane Austen, if she had studied flatworms Sci is at Neurotic Physiology today, talking about how flatworms trade sperm...
Mind & Brain
Scicurious Guest Writer! Sleight of Hand, Sleight of Mind: Illusions, Delusions and the Immune System
Please welcome this month's Scicurious Guest Writer, Phil Corlett!! We often make a distinction between brains and brawn, between the mind and the body.
Mind & Brain
On Identity: #scio13
When I think about identity. I think about Batwoman. Superheroes always present a great opportunity to talk about identity, what it means, and the measure of who someone truly is, compared to who they appear to be...
Mind & Brain
Friday Weird Science: Echidna Ejaculation is a little...one sided.
Yes, it's Friday! And what does Friday mean? Well, today it means echidna ejaculation over at Neurotic Physiology! The echidna penis is indeed something to behold, and the ejaculatory and sperm-related evolutionary adaptations this monotreme has developed are one of a kind!...
Mind & Brain
Blogging for the Long Haul: #scio13
I'm so pleased to be participating in TWO Science Online sessions this year. I think both of them are really important questions for the online community, and I hope we'll do them justice!For my first #scio13 session, on Thursday (eep!...
Mind & Brain
Is silent reading really "silent"? Not to your brain, it's not!
Sci is at Neurotic Physiology today, looking at people reading silently. When you read silently...how do you do it? Are you "hearing" the words in your head?
Evolution
Dragonflies keeping their eyes on the prize
One of the things I love most about science blogging is the opportunity to learn about entirely new things. Of course, we all have that opportunity on most days, but having to find something to blog about three times a week definitely keeps me on my toes...
Evolution
Friday Weird Science: Barnacle sperm spray
Sci is at Neurotic Physiology today, talking about the latest study in the wild sex life of the barnacle! Because when even the longest penis (relative to body length) in the world can't get you laid, sometimes you just gotta put the sperm out there...and hope...
Mind & Brain
Is that a banana in your pocket or are you increasing your performance?
Sci is over at Neurotic Physiology today, asking about bananas. Athletes often get told to eat them, they are wonder fruit. So much potassium! So many carbs!
Mind & Brain
Don't look back in anger: missed chances and aging
Slip inside the eye of your mindDon't you know you might findA better place to play -Oasis "Don't look back in anger" I'm a pretty competitive person.
Mind & Brain
Friday Weird Science: Strap on your heels
What makes high heels so hot hot hot? The authors of this paper say it's biomechanics and evolution, baby. But is it really? Let's all strap on our stilettos and check out the paper "High heels as supernormal stimuli: How wearing high heels affects judgements offemale attractiveness" at Neurotic Physiology...
Mind & Brain
Forbes, Professors, and Half-Knowledge
I'm sure that many of you have heard that university professors have the easiest jobs of 2013, haven't you? They sit in their tweed jackets with leather elbow patches and say intelligent things all day, before teaching a class or two and taking a few weeks off...
Mind & Brain
Citizen Science, Citizen Policy
When you think of citizen science, what do you think of? I know in my case, I think of people out (maybe with their kids) measuring snowfall, finding birds, or listening at night to hear different kind of insects in various environments...
