
Hallucinogenic Chemical Found in Magic Mushrooms Subdues Brain Activity
Magic mushrooms' active ingredient constrains control centres.

Hallucinogenic Chemical Found in Magic Mushrooms Subdues Brain Activity
Magic mushrooms' active ingredient constrains control centres.

Lack of Sleep Might Make You Feel Hungrier
Extreme lack of sleep might make one more susceptible to food imagery, making us feel hungrier than we actually are. Christie Nicholson reports


Men Spend the Big Bucks When Women Are Scarce
A recent study finds that when men perceive that there are few women, they'll spend more money. Christie Nicholson reports

Shelf-Preservation: Researchers Tap Century-Old Brain Tissue for Clues to Mental Illness
Extracting DNA from a museum collection of jellied autopsied brains dating back to the 1890s may give researchers a new take on the study mental disorders

Cognitive Decline Sets in around Age 45
A new study finds that the inevitable cognitive decline we all face starts earlier than we originally thought. Christie Nicholson reports

Readers Respond to "Fight the Frazzled Mind"--and More
Letters to the Editor about the September/October 2011 issue of Scientific American Mind

Scientists Manipulate and Erase Memories
Drugs and other therapies may soon be able to alter or even delete recollections selectively

Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder Is Often Flawed
True sufferers are often troubled—and yet time and treatment can often improve their lives

The Elderly React Slowly Because They Want to Be Right
Recent studies have found that the elderly may respond more slowly to specific tasks, but not because their cognitive skills are slower. Christie Nicholson reports

Meth Hype Could Undermine Good Medicine
Overstating the dangers of methamphetamine may impede treatment of drug abusers, asserts a review by Columbia University researchers

Toddlers Don't Monitor Their Own Speech
Adults and children hear their own voice and use it as feedback to monitor their speech, but it seems that young toddlers do not. Christie Nicholson reports

Individuals Are Removed from Blame When in Groups
A recent study has found that we do not tend to hold individual members of a group responsible for their individual actions. Christie Nicholson reports