Mind & Brain
What's So Funny?: The Science of Humor
Cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems talks about his book HA!: The Science of When We Laugh and Why
Neuroscience2853 articles archived since 1845
Mind & Brain
Sugar May Harm Brain Health
High levels of blood glucose are linked to memory impairments
Mind & Brain
Rhythm Is Heard Best in the Bass
Better detection by the brain could explain why low-pitched notes carry the beat across musical cultures
Health
Fear and Anxiety May Shorten Dogs' Lifespan
For some, it happens in the bathroom. For others, it's the living room. All across America, as fireworks go off on July 4th, many dogs experience varying degrees of fear and stress.
Mind & Brain
Red Objects Strangely Feel Cooler to the Touch Than Blue Ones
A study reverses our usual expectations about sensation and colors, with a twist
Mind & Brain
Genetic Mutation May Lead to Autism Subtype
CHD8, a gene that regulates the structure of DNA, is the closest thing so far to an “autism gene”
Mind & Brain
A Sense of Time Requires a Sense of Space
Our brain may not be able to conceptualize time without a proper understanding of space
Neuroscience
Multitask at Your Own Risk
Editor’s note: Brain Basics from Scientific American Mind is a series of short video primers on the brain and how we feel, think and act. Below is a synopsis of the eighth video in the series written by a guest on this blog, Roni Jacobson, a science journalist based in New York City...
Mind & Brain
How the Brain Ignores Distractions
Paying attention requires more than focus
The Sciences
Jell-O Brains and DNA: High School Students Launch Innovative STEM Program
The following guest post is by Roy Rinberg, a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va. and an incoming freshman at New York University. He is co-founder of Project Building Excitement for Science and Technology (BEST), an afterschool program for junior high school students...
Imagination Institute to Study How the Mind Conjures
One of humanity’s most precious resources is imagination. Our ability to overcome the constraints of the present environment and travel to distant places and hopeful futures all in the mind is a skill that is hugely neglected in today’s society...
Mind & Brain
Protective Gene Staves Off Dementia
Activating the gene with drugs such as lithium could prevent or slow cognitive decline
Technology
“Neuro Scout” Gets into Batters’ Heads to Rate Hitters
Columbia University start-up Neuroscout is developing a tool that would allow baseball and other sports teams to evaluate talent by examining players’ brain waves
Free Will: Is Your Brain the Boss of You? [Video]
Philosophers have debated for years whether we deliberately make each of the many decisions we make every day, or if our brain does it for us, on autopilot.
Did Facebook's Mood Experiment Violate Research Ethics?
You can read the study itself here, plus a very comprehensive discussion of reactions to the study here. 1. If you intend to publish your research in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, you are expected to have conducted that research with the appropriate ethical oversight...
Cognition
How to Teach Old Ears New Tricks
Learn a new language more quickly by focusing on pronunciation first
Mind & Brain
Blind Mice Cured by Running
Exercise combined with visual stimulation helps to quickly restore vision in unused eyes
Mind & Brain
Creative Spark: Neuroscientist-Turned-Artist Shares His Process
Painter Greg Dunn describes how an aha moment kicked off his artistic career
Mind & Brain
Fresh-Made Neurons May Help Sort New Memories from Old Ones [Audio]
The human brain sprouts more than 1,000 new neurons daily. These cells may hold a secret to treating a range of anxiety disorders
Mind & Brain
When High IQs Hang Out
“Genius” societies offer a social network for the top tier of test takers By Lena Groeger
