It was supposed to be the holy grail of psychiatry, but a person’s best intentions are no match for forces outside his control. In the 2011 documentary “The Substance: Albert Hofmann’s LSD,” filmmaker Martin Witz sets out to explore the scientific, cultural, and spiritual history of a chemical compound with [ … ]
For centuries, sleep has been more of a mystery to evolution than the duckbill platypus. Yet despite its weirdness, like every animal, even the platypus needs its zzz’s. Considering this unconscious function has been conserved across species and the fact that our brains are just as active during sleep [ … ]
My sister called me and told me her trip was cursed. It was a sign. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t seem to get to the airport. I told her not to trust her instincts, to try harder and come anyway. I must admit, though, she did have me a little worried. Superstition — not even scientists are [ … ]
Morality is thought to rely on emotions, and disgust is one of them. In a legal system where guilt is not only determined by the existence of hard evidence but also by one’s intention to do harm, emotional persuasion weighs heavily on all parties. In court, moral decisions abound from the moment a criminal decides to commit a crime to the moment a judge determines his fate. [ … ]
We’re not supposed to feel happy all the time, and anyone who tells you that they are is a big, fat liar. Everyone gets the blues. Everyone gets anxious. And everyone gets angry. Unhappiness is normal, and, at least for a little while, it’s adaptive since our brains react to threatening truths [ … ]
Dogs and humans share a mutual desperation for each other’s attention. According to a study in Nature Communications, scientists estimate that dogs and humans have been best friends for quite some time; they’re talking, 32,000 years! By sequencing the genomes of our hairy best friends – dogs – and comparing them with their even hairier ancient ancestors – grey wolves [ … ]
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