Mind & BrainJuly 28, 2010
Self-Fulfilling Fakery: Feigning Mental Illness Is a Form of Self-Deception
By pretending to be sick, people can convince themselves they really are
Stories by Ferris Jabr
Ferris Jabr is a contributing writer for Scientific American. He has also written for the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker and Outside.
Mind & BrainJuly 22, 2010
Cortical Call Out: The Brain's Electric Field Creates a Feedback Loop That Synchronizes Neural Activity
In a positive feedback loop the electric fields generated in the brain affect the behavior of the neurons that produce them
EnvironmentJuly 21, 2010
Fire hydrant hydration: How to cool off responsibly
TechnologyJuly 19, 2010
A Magnetic Remote Control That Can Rewind a Worm's Wriggle
Researchers use heated magnetic nanoparticles to manipulate nerve cells and control simple behavior in nematodes
July 16, 2010
Plants cannot "think and remember," but there's nothing stupid about them: They're shockingly sophisticated
BiotechJuly 9, 2010
California Legislators’ Effort to Prevent Student DNA Testing Could Come Too Late
A new bill is designed to halt the University of California, Berkeley’s controversial genetic testing project
The SciencesJuly 8, 2010
Mongoose mentors teach traditions through imitation
July 6, 2010
Exposing the Student Body: Stanford Joins U.C. Berkeley in Controversial Genetic Testing of Students
Heated debate surrounds the ethics of the universities' decisions to analyze student DNA
EvolutionJune 23, 2010
Something to Chew On: Bite Marks Suggest Ancient Mammals Dined On Dinosaur Bones
Paleontologists discover evidence that Mesozoic mammals turned to dinosaur bones as dietary supplements.
Mind & BrainJune 17, 2010
Music and speech share a code for communicating sadness in the minor third
Mind & BrainJune 8, 2010
Clever critters: Bonobos that share, brainy bugs and social dogs
NeuroscienceJune 7, 2010
Night sight: Our eyes scan the action in our dreams
BehaviorMay 24, 2010
The evolution of emotion: Charles Darwin's little-known psychology experiment
EnvironmentMay 19, 2010
Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins Draw EPA Scrutiny--After 70 Years
A family of chemicals virtually unknown to the public but important to industry is now under EPA review
March 22, 2010
Hunting for Projects to Help Fish and Wildlife Adapt to Climate Change
A coalition of hunting and fishing groups argue that billions of dollars are needed to prevent "catastrophic" environmental and economic loss due to global warming
HealthFebruary 26, 2010
Are Pesticides from Plants Dangerous to Humans?
It remains unclear how the pesticides from plants known as pyrethroids affect human health