Mind
Readers Respond to "The Power to Persuade"--And More...
Letters to the editor about the March/April 2010 issue of Scientific American MIND
Psychiatry724 articles archived since 1845
Health
Ambidexterity and ADHD: Are They Linked?
People whose brains are too symmetrical are at risk for cognitive problems
Tech
Honesty Online: How Skewed Is Your Profile?
Facebook profiles tend to be accurate reflections of people's personalities
Mind
Relatives of Those with Autism Show Eye-Movement Deficits
Parents or siblings of people with autism are more likely to have some of the same visual-tracking problems that their affected relatives have
Mind
How Can You Control Your Dreams?
The ability to manipulate our dream worlds goes beyond the science fiction plot of the movie Inception. A dream expert from Harvard University explains how it works
Mind
Dopamine Determines Impulsive Behavior
Brain scans illuminate the internal connection among the neurotransmitter, impulsiveness and addiction
Mind
Speaking in Tones: Music and Language Partner in the Brain
Our sense of song helps us learn to talk, read and even make friends
Mind
Self-Fulfilling Fakery: Feigning Mental Illness Is a Form of Self-Deception
By pretending to be sick, people can convince themselves they really are
Health
Genetics Predisposes for Heavy Drinking After Watching Heavy Drinking
People with a particular variant of a dopamine receptor were more likely to drink more after watching other people drink heavily. Karen Hopkin reports
The Sciences
Origins: Going Back to Where the Story Really Starts
Sometimes we forget where a story really starts. Are electric cars new? Where did malaria start? Who invented spaghetti? Read on, for the surprising origins of many strange and familiar things...
Health
More Education Delays Dementia Signs--But Not Damage
A new study of hundreds of human brains helps to explain why education seems to help stave off dementia
Mind
Depression Decreases Retina Performance; Accents Increase Listener's Doubts
Two studies of perception: the retinas of depressed people are far worse at responding to contrast; people doubt statements more when the speaker has a foreign accent. Steve Mirsky reports...
Tech
Sex in Bits and Bytes: What's the Problem?
How destructive is Internet porn?
Mind
Yearning for Yesterday: Should It Really Be Avoided?
Dwell on the past. It's good for you
Mind
Why Do We Forget?
Timothy Brady, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, answers
Mind
Bully or Victim? More Similar Than We Might Think
A new analysis reveals that bullies and victims share more similarities than we might think, with one stand-out difference. Christie Nicholson reports
Mind
Status Matters
People try harder to beat a weakling than to topple a higher-ranked opponent
Mind
When I'm 64: Identification with 'Future Self' Helps with Successful Financial Habits
The closer people feel to their future selves, the more money they save
Mind
The Connection Between Multiple Sclerosis and Depression
Research in the journal Biological Psychiatry finds a potential physiological connection between multiple sclerosis and depression. Christie Nicholson reports
Mind
When Passion Is the Enemy
People with borderline personality disorder endure emotional extremes that can rip apart their lives
