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Alzheimer’s Disease—America’s Tsunami
Political foes uniting to fund the fight of Alzheimer’s disease
Read MoreWhy no one helped
On Saturday, July 4, 2015, a horrifying bloodbath erupted before the eyes of passengers on the Red Line Metro subway train heading to Fourth of July festivities in Washington, DC. Wide-spread criticism in the press and social media erupted over the “apathetic” response of onlookers who reportedly said or did nothing to help the victim.…
Read MoreTo Flee or Freeze? Neural Circuits of Threat Detection Identified
Suddenly something streaks into your peripheral vision. Instantly, you jump back and raise your arms defensively. “What was that!” You exclaim in shock. Only then do you realize that the blurred streak you just dodged was a wayward basketball zinging like a missile on a collision course for your face. A rush of adrenaline flushes…
Read MoreBruce Jenner and Changing Your Brain’s Sex
The debut of Bruce Jenner’s sex change on the cover of Vanity Fair was stunning, but superficial. A deeper question than her new-found beauty is: What about her brain? Just like the anatomy of nearly every other part of the human body, the brains of guys and gals are slightly different. The biggest differences are…
Read MoreWatching TV Alters Children’s Brain Structure and Lowers IQ
Brain imaging (MRI) shows anatomical changes inside children’s brains after prolonged TV viewing that would lower verbal IQ.
Read MoreHeisenberg Uncertainty and the Baltimore Riots
The Baltimore riots from a science perspective
Read MoreThe Kathmandu earthquake will alter brain structure of survivors
Studies of people who have survived earthquakes and other traumatic events can provide important insights into the effect of stress on human brain structure.
Read MoreSnakes on the Brain
After repeated encounters with a friendly rattlesnake last week I have snakes on the brain. Serpents are a storehouse of fascinating neuroscience. Infrared vision, venom, fast-twitch muscles to energize its “warning buzzer,” and more… The western diamondback rattlesnake can rattle its tail at frequencies of 90 Hz and do this continuously for hours. This is…
Read MoreBig Brains/Little Brain: Whale Brains Provide Clues to Cognition
Whale brains provide interesting insight into the possible functions of the cerebellum beyond its important role in regulating movement.
Read MoreBrian Williams ‘False Memory’–a Neuroscience Perspective
NBC News anchor Brian Williams apologized for his erroneous account of being aboard a helicopter forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by enemy fire while reporting on the Iraq war in 2003. Williams blames the fallibility of human recall for the error. How can the neuroscience of memory (and false memory) provide…
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