I don’t know how I first ran across the original version of this time-lapse video taken on Mauna Kea in Hawaii (home of many telescopes). At any rate, I found it an unexpectedly poignant look at humankind’s place in the cosmos. The majestic night sky wheels overhead impervious to all the little human movements going [...]
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Friday video: A bit of perspective
Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
The University of California has an interview with space psychiatrist Nick Kanas
There’s a thoughtful consideration of the recent New York Times article on whether depression has evolutionary benefits over at Neuron Culture.
Time magazine discusses research finding that deaths from cocaine overdoses rise even when the weather warms up only slightly.
We’re slower at processing touch-related words than words related to the other senses, according to new research covered by the BPS Research Digest.
Wired UK discusses a new study on how electrical brain activity recorded from the scalp’s surface is enough to support the (rough) reconstruction of 3D hand movements on a computer.
The bizarre double life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted is discussed in a book review over at The Neuro Times.
The Neurocritic welcomes yet another attempt to resurrect Freudian ideas about the brain with a new paper taking the ‘but looks at the similarities!’ approach.
Male batterers consistently overestimate rates of domestic violence, according to a study covered in e! Science News
Not Exactly Rocket Science on how cooperative behaviour spreads through social networks, but so does cheating.
Asking an experienced stranger predicts our future happiness better than we can ourselves. A nugget from a piece on the work of Daniel Gilbert over at Harvard Magazine.
Neurophilosophy discusses some new lab research suggesting that the immune system response to brain infection may trigger Alzheimer’s disease.
The somewhat chilling piece on the rise of ‘human flesh search engines’ in China is discussed by The New York Times.
Deric Bownd’s Mind Blog covers a fascinating study that found thinking about randomness enhanced belief in the supernatural.
The UK’s programme to detain and treat people with ‘Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder’ is heavily criticised in a government report. New Scientist covers the story.
Seed Magazine asks ‘is there an evolutionary basis for our religious beliefs?’ I for one know that my belief in Thor makes me more attractive to the ladies.
Bigger men are more aggressive when drunk, according to research covered by Science News.
Neuroanthropology discusses why students drink before even leaving the door to party, a practice known as ‘pre-gaming‘. The site also has an excellent essay on how obesity is discussed as a medical problem.
A variant of gene SCN9A has been linked to pain perception, according to a new study covered by Science News.
The Loom discusses how bacteria could change our behaviour. I expect to see ‘the bacteria made me do it’ defence in court cases some time soon.
Fat may be detectable as a ’sixth taste‘ suggest a new study covered by Wired UK.
Newsweek thinks fMRI “proves” addiction is a brain disease (hello neuroessentialism fallacy!) while making an otherwise important point on the need for psychological treatment for addiction.
A long but interesting piece on how to train teachers with simple effective classroom techniques appeared in The New York Times.
RadioLab discusses “a rare but disturbing delusional disorder called Capgras” in one of its excellent short broadcasts. Although it’s not actually that rare in people with psychosis and dementia.
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2010-03-12 Spike activity
Several perennially fascinating questions arise in the study of humankind: What makes us so different from other animals? Was there some turning point or specific development that marks the emergence of uniquely human behavior? In other words, how did we become human? A recent workshop at Arizona State University, “Origins of Human Uniqueness and Behavioral [...]
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The making of humanity
Go Cognitive is an awesome free video archive of interviews and discussion that aims to explain some of the core topics in cognitive neuroscience.
It’s a project of the University of Idaho who’ve managed to convince some of the leaders in the science of the brain to talk about their work.
There are videos on fMRI, neuroplasticity, attention and neurological problems to name but a few, and there’s even a talk on psychology and stage magic.
The website also has a demo section that demonstrates some of the principles in action.
My only complaint is that you can’t download the videos, they can only be streamed, but nevertheless they remain a fantastically produced high quality series. Bravo.
Link to Go Cognitive videos (thanks Peter!).
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Go Cognitive guide to the brain
Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
Time magazine reports on how darkness can encourage dishonest acts even when anonymity is accounted for.
A study finding a link with aversion to inequality an activity in the ventral striatum is brilliantly covered by The Frontal Cortex.
The Point of Inquiry podcast has an excellent discussion on the psychology of <a href=”Cold reading
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/ian_rowland_the_cold_hard_facts_of_cold_reading/”>cold reading.
A preview of a special journal issue on ‘Neuroscience, power and culture’ is covered by Advances in the History of Psychology.
The Globe and Mail covers a study finding that children highly sensitive to stress can excel given the right support and environment.
Nobel-prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman discusses judging happiness and the paradox of experience vs memory in a talk for TED.
Neurophilosophy covers two new studies finding that face recognition ability is partly inherited.
“As for the effectiveness of gay conversion, Core’s Dr Davidson acknowledges that there are ‘relapses’”. Damn those Speedos. The Irish Independent has an article on gay conversion therapy in Ireland.
The Neurocritic has a thoughtful response to the recent NYT article on the possible cognitive benefits of depression.
‘Ministrokes‘ may cause more damage than thought, according to research covered by Science News.
The Neuroskeptic has an excellent piece on the decline and fall of the cannabinoid antagonists, a class of drug supposed to be the next big thing in treating obesity.
Research finding that as pornography has increased in availability, sex crimes have either decreased or not increased in every region investigated is discussed in The Scientist.
Dr Petra looks at the background to the recent report on sexualisation and young people from the UK government with more analysis to follow. After reading the report, I can’t help but suggesting someone point out the difference between correlation and causation to its author.
A hay fever medicine that showed early promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease does nothing to stave off dementia, a large clinical trial concludes. Coverage from the New Scientist blog.
The Philosopher’s Zone programme from ABC Radio National has a good discussion on perception, sensation and consciousness with Nicholas Humphrey.
There’s a video profile of an ex-narc who catches bent cops framing people for drugs offences over at Boing Boing.
New Scientist discusses whether brain scans could gives us an objective measure of the intensity of pain.
The excellent Addiction Inbox blog contrasts how the media covers harm reduction services (’they promote drug abuse’) and what the scientific studies say (the opposite).
io9 discusses research finding that oxygenated booze gives you less of a hangover. No word on how it affects the beer goggles effect.
UK may end its controversial “dangerous and severe personality disorder” program, according to excellent In The News.
Current Biology has a freely accessible paper on ‘archaeogenetics‘ - the use of genetics to understand human history.
Eric Barker’s Barking Up the Wrong Tree blog is full of fascinating and off-beat psychology snippets.
Mental Nurse blog has a funny post classifying types of annoying psychologists, occupational therapists and the like in mental health.
There’s a video interview with neurophilosophers Pat and Paul Churchland over at The Science Network.
Women with hour-glass figures activate the neural reward centre of the male brain, according to a study covered by the BPS Research Digest. Women with eye-glasses, even better.
BBC News discusses the cult of Omega-3 and why your life’s problems will not be solved by fish oil, despite that the advertisers will tell you.
The Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society Dream Films 1926-1972.
When they were drunk, bigger men became especially aggressive when given the opportunity to administer electric shocks to a fictitious opponent in a laboratory contest, according to research covered by Science News
Neuroanthropology links to videos from The Encultured Brain conference which are now available online.
“Only occasionally do studies come out that improve the image of men as more than stubborn, violent and incorrigible beasts with malfunctioning moral compasses. The study I’m about to talk about isn’t one of them.” Neuronarrative on a study of male and female guilt.
The Research Blogging Awards finalists have been announced and there’s much mind and brain goodness inside. I had the pleasure of judging the the English and Spanish language entries.
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2010-03-05 Spike activity
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