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Brain Mysteries
The hippocampus, a part of the brain essential for memory, has long been known to "replay" recently experienced events. Previously, replay was believed to be a simple process of reviewing recent experiences in order to help consolidate them into long-term memory. However, U research shows the phenomenon of memory replay is much more complex, cognitive process that may help an animal maintain its internal representation of the world, or its cognitive map.
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When a romantic relationship ends, an individual's self-concept is vulnerable to change, according to research in the February issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (published by SAGE).
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The 2010 Sleep in America poll released today by the National Sleep Foundation reveals significant differences in the sleep habits and attitudes of Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics and whites. It is the first poll to examine sleep among these four ethnic groups.
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 | Good science involves formulating a hypothesis and testing whether this hypothesis is compatible with the scientist's observations. Researchers in the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt together with the University of Glasgow have shown that this is what the brain does as well. A study shows that it takes less effort for the brain to register predictable as compared to unpredictable images. ...> Full Article |
 | An EEG study conducted on college students at American University found they could activate the default mode network (DMN), a suggested natural "ground state" of the brain, during their practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Previous research has shown closing one's eyes and relaxing increases the DMN, but this three-month randomized control study, published in Cognitive Processing, found activity in the DMN, comprising deep midline structures, increases significantly during TM compared to simple eyes-closed rest. ...> Full Article |
 | The gift of "seeing ourselves as others see us" comes in handy when judging how we've made a first impression. Yet many come away with little or no clue about how that first impression was perceived. A new study suggests confidence is a key indicator of how well we've assessed impressions left behind. ...> Full Article |
 | New research from Vanderbilt University reveals for the first time how our brains coordinate two different types of attention and why we may be temporarily blinded by surprises. ...> Full Article |
Are we over estimating remembering and underestimating learning? Current research by Nate Kornell and Robert A. Bjork address this question and was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
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 | Dr. Danit Ein-Gar of Tel Aviv University's Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration has found that high-in-self-control people tend to use all of their resources at once -- concentrating intently on the task immediately at hand -- but are stymied when unexpected challenges are thrown their way. ...> Full Article |
 | As you read this, you may notice that the word directly in front of you is clear, but all the surrounding words are hard to make out. For most people, this effect is not a problem. However, for millions of people worldwide with eye disease, it can make everyday tasks such as reading or recognizing friends a challenge. Wellcome Trust-funded researchers have made new insights into this process. ...> Full Article |
 | Biologists at New York University and the University of Würzburg have identified, in greater detail, how the retina's cellular hardware is used in color preference. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, enhance our understanding of how eyes and the brain process color. ...> Full Article |
 | A study from EPFL's Laboratory of Neuroenergetics and Cellular Dynamics in Lausanne Switzerland, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, may lead to new forms of treatment following a better understanding of how amyloid-beta found in cerebral plaques, typically present in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, may lead to neurodegeneration. ...> Full Article |
 | Doctors treat millions of children with Ritalin every year to improve their ability to focus on tasks, but scientists now report that Ritalin also directly enhances the speed of learning. ...> Full Article |
 | In the fractious debate on the existence of God and the nature of religion, two distinguished scientists radically alter the discussion. With a perspective rooted in evolutionary biology and a focus on brain science, in "God's Brain" renowned anthropologist Lionel Tiger and neuroscientist Michael McGuire elucidate perennial questions about religion: What is its purpose? How did it arise? What is its source? Why does every known culture have some form of it? ...> Full Article |
The saying "You're only as old as you feel" really seems to resonate with older adults, according to research from Purdue University."How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of aging," said Markus H. Schafer, a doctoral student in sociology and gerontology who led the study.
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The scientific brain
Transcendental Meditation activates default mode network, the brain's natural ground state
Confidence is key to gauging impressions we make
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Scientists shed new light on how retina's hardware is used in color vision
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Ritalin boosts learning by increasing brain plasticity
Which came first: Religion or the brain?