This past November the mug shot of Charles McDowell went viral after viewers noticed that the man in the photo had an unusual phenotype- specifically a larger than average neck.…
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Whether it be forgetting 20 years of your life or having the same conversation every five minutes only to forget it each time, memory impairment can take a large toll…
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Historians consider it one of the ‘cradles of civilization,’ but for many scientists today the real value of the Mediterranean basin does not lie in its contribution to history. Home…
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Earlier this year, in a philosophical post, we considered whether children with a genetic disorder called Angelman syndrome are happy. Angelman syndrome is a rare disorder that many of our…
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Neuroscience continues to investigate the difference between a bad habit and the spectrum of mental health disorders known as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). BFRBs afflict less than 3% of the…
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Every single day, a group of cells work tirelessly to monitor and protect the neural architecture of your brain. Some of them even move around, scanning neural networks like recon…
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What happens to the brain in aging?
Normal aging comes with many changes in brain structure and function. As individuals approach the age of 65 years and above, they experience…
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Following his Olympic victory in 1960, Muhammad Ali earned the World-Heavyweight-Champion title in 1964 in one of the most celebrated upsets in boxing history. The much-anticipated fight opened with the…
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[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat is happening in the brain when you decide to reach your hand and grasp a cup of coffee early in the morning? First, the posterior parietal cortex of your…
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[dropcap]B[/dropcap]iomedical researchers call it “the most replicated experiment in the history of science.” Simply put, the placebo effect is a phenomenon where people who believe they are being treated for…
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This post was updated on April 24, 2019 to incorporate feedback from parents. Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
What is health? What is happiness? We generally imagine the…
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]en years ago, in December 2007, an artist named Lonnie Sue Johnson lost her short term memory. She was admitted to the emergency room in the midst of a blizzard…
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he brain is perhaps the most complex machine in the Universe. It consists of two cerebral hemispheres, each with many different modules. Fortunately, all these separate parts are not autonomous…
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he number of U.S. judicial opinions citing neuroscience more than doubled in the seven years from 2005 to 2012, according to an analysis in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences.…
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A family curse
During the early 1980’s, an Italian physician was investigating a mysterious and dreadful disease that had long plagued his family. In earlier generations, this disease had killed…
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In Parkinson’s Disease, specific cells in the brain die. Over time, this makes basic movements like walking and reaching for a cup impossible. Researchers are racing to find effective treatments.…
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he human brain consists of highly complex circuitry which is wired to elicit a synchronous pattern of electrical signals. This allows for communication between differing regions of the brain. When…
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[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou are more than who you think you are! Yes, that is correct. If you are still thinking of yourself as a single intelligent organism, then think again! I am…
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Scientists studying pond scum discovered its peculiar ability to sense light, even without eyes. This discovery would eventually lead to a technique called optogenetics, one of the most powerful techniques…
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Note: Ketamine is a controlled substance in the US and many other countries. Do not use ketamine illicitly.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]magine an injection that briefly gives you schizophrenia. Now imagine that this…
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[dropcap]A[/dropcap] military veteran who survived a gunshot wound to the head suffers from frequent seizures and memory problems. A motorcycle crash survivor experiences chronic depression and is unable to hold…
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In the early 1980s, a few batches of contaminated synthetic heroin triggered severe Parkinson’s disease symptoms among the drug addicts who used it. The tragedy would lead to a new…
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In Part II of this series, we considered artificial intelligent in the context of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel and Stanley Kubrik’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In Space Odyssey, intelligence…
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Let’s imagine something crazy.
What if each person in China was ordered to simulate a neuron in a brain, making an enormous “China brain?” Every participant in this grand experiment…
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The first human magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was acquired almost 40 years ago. The scanner — hand-built by Dr. Raymond Damadian with the help of his two postdoctoral fellows…
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If you ever gotten glitter on you, then you know that you will inevitably continue to find glitter on you many days after you’ve washed and showered.
Take a moment…
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The evening of November 9th, 1938, began with typical fall solemnity for many Jews living across Germany: closing up their shops and businesses, returning home from school, and preparing family…
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Sheldon Cooper, a beloved character in a television series, knocks on a door exactly three times before his roommate opens it — and if the door is opened earlier, he…
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Our thoughts are often mysterious to us. You probably don’t know why you suddenly think about a Komodo dragon while sitting in traffic or Citizen Kane while shopping for groceries.…
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Would you trust a memory if it felt as real as all your others? And other people confirmed they remember it, too? What if the memory turned out to be…
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A kid stealing candy in a convenience store grows up to be a convicted criminal. A husband who flirts with a coworker ends up as a serial cheater. A politician telling…
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In a recent presidential town hall, President Obama looked directly into the camera and made a powerful statement about mental health. “If something inside you feels like it’s wounded, it’s…
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Consider three scenarios. A kid joins a new high school and eats lunch by herself. A recently separated man is alone for the New Year’s Eve countdown. A prisoner becomes…
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The human genome consists of nearly 25,000 protein-coding genes – and a mutation in just one of these can have dramatic effects on our brains. Remarkably, one tiny change in…
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Ten minutes before I was scheduled to begin my interview with celebrated writer Steve Silberman, I still had not figured out which questions I wanted to ask him. Staring down…
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Over the past few decades, the neurochemical dopamine has earned the reputation of being the brain’s reward molecule. This image is built on observations that when animals and humans experience…
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People like simplicity. Each decade, corporate logos grow progressively minimalistic, pop songs use ever simpler melodies, and visual art embraces simpler compositions, as Monet gives way to Picasso and Picasso…
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Melatonin: you’ve undoubtedly seen it in the supplement aisle at the drugstore…that natural sleep remedy your aunt recommended once, sounding vaguely like a portmanteau of mellow and serotonin. But between…
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Huntington’s disease (HD) is an incredibly debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, there is no treatment that effectively reverses the progression of the disease or delays its onset. Huntington’s is a particularly…
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Admit it! You’ve taken one of those online quizzes to see if you’re more “right-brained” or “left-brained.” Too bad it’s all bunk! Popular culture would have you believe that…
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The human body is an efficient model to explore the popular theory of supply and demand. When you physically exert yourself, your bioenergetic “supply” is down, so you feel hungrier…
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Over a lifetime, the human brain stores countless memories. Some are mundane and practical, others are subjective, and some influence our thinking and behaviour. Not all of them are good.…
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While we are still in the midst of the flu season, we all try to stay as healthy as possible by consuming large quantities of Vitamin C. Whether it’s chewable…
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The recent unveiling of the BRAIN Initiative promised a greater understanding of cognition through improved imaging techniques. However, the biggest problem in neuroscience is not the limits of technology, but…
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I live in Los Angeles and it’s unfortunate, but true, that the brown cloud of smog hanging over our city is as much an icon of LA as the Hollywood…
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Identifying safe or dangerous situations are essential for survival. A child may be fearful of crossing a road alone, but he will be completely relaxed while crossing the same road…
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The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 500,000 people will experience spinal cord injuries (SCI) every year. Researchers at the Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute in…
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