Cognition
Using Big Data to Hack Autism
Researchers scour datasets for clues to autism—needles in a genetic haystack of 20,000 people
Stories by Simon Makin
Behavior
Scientists Think They're More Rational Than Other People
Researchers may have an overconfident view of their profession's objectivity
Neuroscience
Scientists Surprised to Find No Two Neurons Are Genetically Alike
The genetic makeup of any given brain cell differs from all others. That realization may provide clues to a range of psychiatric diseases
Health
Fountain of Youth? Young Blood Infusions “Rejuvenate” Old Mice
Elderly rodents that received human umbilical cord blood improved significantly in memory tests
Neuroscience
Where Does the Brain Store Long-Ago Memories?
An internal filing system sorts events for short- or long-term use
Behavior
National Corruption Breeds Personal Dishonesty
A shady government influences the moral behavior of its citizens
Computing
Brain–Computer Interface Allows Speediest Typing to Date
A new interface system allowed three paralyzed individuals to type words up to four times faster than the speed that had been demonstrated in earlier studies
Behavior
Hive Mind: New Approach Could Improve on Crowd Wisdom
Asking people how many others agree with them could yield more accurate estimates
Behavior
When Can You Leave a Child Unattended?
Research suggests our tolerance for leaving kids alone depends on the reason for the parent’s absence
Neurology
Why Sleep Disorders May Precede Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
When the body’s biological clock goes awry, insomnia and related disruptions may be an early sign of pending cognitive decline
Medicine
New Alzheimer’s Drug Clears Milestone in Human Clinical Trial
A brain plaque inhibitor developed by Merck is now being tested in larger studies for efficacy against the still unstoppable neurodegenerative disease
Neuroscience
Liar, Liar: How the Brain Adapts to Telling Tall Tales
Neural responses decline after repeated acts of dishonesty, research suggests
Cognition
Where Words are Stored: The Brain’s Meaning Map
Semantic information lives all over the cortex
Neuroscience
What Happens in the Brain When We Misremember
Words with like meaning switch on overlapping brain areas to produce false memories
Neuroscience
"Neural Dust" Could Enable a Fitbit for the Nervous System
Ultrasound powers wireless devices that can monitor nerves deep in the body
Biology
Tall Order--Heights in Other Countries Elevate but U.S. Stature Tops Off
As U.S. men fall behind and South Korean and Latvian women get taller, researchers suggest using height as a measure of development
Evolution
Does a Newborn's Helplessness Hold the Key to Human Smarts?
Researchers say child care demands created a need for higher IQs—a hotly disputed view
Neuroscience
New Evidence Points to Personal Brain Signatures
Brain scans of a person doing nothing at all can predict how neural circuits will light up when that same individual is gambling or reading a book
Mind & Brain
Could Childhood Adversity Boost Creativity?
A new finding suggests the cognitive effects of an unpredictable childhood are not all bad
Mental Health
Can Big Data Help Psychiatry Unravel the Complexity of Mental Illness?
Psychiatrists are looking to sophisticated computational tools that may be able to disentangle the intricacies of mental illness and improve treatment decisions
