Neuro Primer: Addiction Basics
From alcohol to opioids to cocaine, most of us are familiar with addictive substances. But how does someone develop a substance use disorder (SUD), the most severe category of which…
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Nucleus accumbens
The Neuroscience of Motivation and How to Improve It
Motivation can be a hard thing to come by. Whether at home, at school or at work, most of us have been in a situation where we know exactly what…
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Why Does Music Make Us Feel So Much?
Whether you’re listening through tinny iPhone headphones on your morning commute or crying at a John Mayer concert, there is a special place in our hearts for music. But what…
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The Mighty and the Weak: How Science Explains Cuteness
Cute things are usually vulnerable, fragile and weak. But cuteness itself is mighty indeed. Morten L. Kringelbach and his colleagues at the University of Oxford recently described cuteness as ‘one…
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Does Free Will Exist?
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon. Professor Freeman is enjoying the Southern California weather on Professor Domino’s patio.
Domino: Will it be Coke or Pepsi, Dr. Freeman?
Freeman: That’s an easy…
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A Tale of Monogamy and Dopamine
In a recent hack, private information from nearly 30 million users was leaked from Ashley Madison, a “dating” website intended to facilitate extramarital affairs. The sheer number of Ashley Madison…
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The Newest Cupid on the Block: Epigenetics
Genes are no different from individuals. Sometimes they behave in a simple, logical way. Other times, they are unpredictable and influenced by their surroundings. The central dogma (DNA to RNA…
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