We all know that subsisting on cheeseburgers and pizza is bad for our waistlines and our heart health, and we’ve been told from an early age to “Eat your vegetables (or there will be no dessert!).” When we consider that two thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese [ … ]
We often live our lives with the advice to “follow our dreams” — to always do that which we can aspire to do. While dreams in reality are often less flattering than that, and almost always less coherent, we’ve attached value to what they mean for centuries. [ … ]
Have you heard about the Google Brain project? It’s a deep research effort, planned by Google, in order to successfully create the world’s most accurate model of the human brain. However, the company’s own search engine may be influencing our brains in a way they never anticipated before. [ … ]
Ah, a fresh “crawford” — it’s what my friends call a coffee and a delicious vehicle for caffeine. What could be better than a fresh craw on a cold day? Well, it may help me remember that cute barista who served it to me. In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers discovered one more of coffee’s perks [ … ]
Every year, young people from all over the world come together in New York City to participate in the International Brain Education Association’s World Peace Leadership Program. They meet with many officials from various organizations and country missions associated with the United Nations [ … ]
I’m no marathon runner by traditional standards. I can’t run 26 miles in a day. I’ve never even tried. But I’ve been known to do it in a week. Marathoner or not, I consider myself a part of the running community. I crave runs. I go crazy without them, and I know the difference between a good and a bad run. [ … ]
If you’re a parent of a toddler, then there’s one monosyllabic phrase that undoubtedly punctuates your days: “Mine!” Children are good at many things that might give grown-ups green horns — such as touching their toes and falling asleep anywhere, to name just a few — but it seems that sharing [ … ]
An electronic tattoo that bends with body tissue and is able to sense brain-wave activity, muscle movement, and heart activity? It may sound like science fiction, but scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University, among others, have been working on these [ … ]
Consider this: nearly a quarter of Americans suffer from depression or anxiety in any given year. Given this statistic, it is imperative that we find innovative solutions to alleviate mental suffering. One approach in particular that has shown promising results in recent decades is ACT. [ … ]
Ask a handful of people if they believe in the abilities of psychics, and you will find a bitter divide between several distinct camps: some put full faith in a psychic’s capacity to predict the future, while others are staunch in their skepticism. The subfield of science that seeks to gather empirical evidence [ … ]
“Tell me one last thing,” says Harry Potter to his mentor Dumbledore towards the end of the saga’s last movie. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” As opposed to millions holding their breath to see Dumbledore’s reaction, Dumbledore stays calm and turns to Harry: “Of course [ … ]
With bright red lips, rosy cheeks, and painted smiles, clowns are creepy. They make us balloons shaped like puppies, dance, and tell jokes — they even come out of small clown cars, all to make us laugh. So why are these (supposedly) beloved clowns so unnerving? It’s because of the “uncanny valley” [ … ]
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 [ … ]
As a writer, I tend to cover a wide range of topics, and in the process, I usually get to learn something new. One of these topics is music. Every once in a while, I get to write an album review; doing so allows me to familiarize myself with the artists. This week, I learned about Annamaria Pinna, lead singer [ … ]
We’ve learned about the consequences associated with spending too much time indoors —looking at screens, in urban cities — so let’s examine the positive effects of nature on our psychological and emotional lives. We’ve already discovered the link between increased rates of mental illness [ … ]
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