Scientists from the national research agency in France have found that infants as young as five months old may show signs of conscious thought. The neuroscientists attached electrodes to the infants’ heads to measure changes in electrical brain activity called event related potentials, or ERP. Critics are skeptical and claim the scientists are misinterpreting the results.
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Scientists have come up with a way to make whole brains transparent, so they can be labelled with molecular markers and imaged using a light microscope. The technique, called CLARITY, enables its creators to produce the detailed 3D visualizations you see in this video. It works in mouse brains and human brains. Here, the team uses it to look into the brain of a 7-year-old boy who had autism.
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It’s the number one topic for internet searches, but do we ever consider how pornography can actually rewire our brains and affect whether we enjoy real sex? Discover the hard science behind the ‘porn epidemic’ – the internet’s drug of choice. H/T AsapSCIENCE
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What happens to our bodies chemically when we fall in love? Turns out our brains start to resemble those of cocaine users. At least, similar chemical compounds are released that stimulate our pleasure centers, while minimizing pain and fear. Other chemical changes follow, spelled out in this episode of AsapSCIENCE.
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Yesterday, we took a look inside the brain. Today, asapSCIENCE delves into the world of illusions, and how the brain can be tricked, leading to judgmental conclusions that are all wet.
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The brain guides our lives, yet we understand so little about how it works. We are learning more about the brain by using new technology to monitor epilepsy patients during surgery. In a short animated talk, Moran Cerf explains how doctors are getting inside the brain to explore further. H/T TEDEducation
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Want to become a better musician or mathematician? What about improving the legibility of your handwriting? Practice makes perfect, but you can get a jump-start simply by imagining what you want and exercising a little brainpower.
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Scientists at Northwestern University have discovered that slow-wave sleep, often referred to as deep sleep, can serve to boost our memory and improve our learning powers. Now, neuroscientist Ken Paller and his team are studying the connection between memory and sleep, and the possibilities of boosting memory storage while you snooze.
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How do fast-paced video games affect the brain? Step into the lab with cognitive researcher Daphne Bavelier from the University of Rochester to hear surprising news about how video games, even action-packed shooter games, can help us learn, focus and, fascinatingly, multitask. H/T TEDtalks
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Why did drunks often repeat the same dumb sentiments over and over again — for instance, “You guys are the best friends I’ve ever had?” Why do they often shut off the world and withdraw into their own addled stupor? There are scientific causes for these effects — relationships explained in this episode of AsapSCIENCE.
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