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Story Archives of 'brain'
Go Ahead, Take A Nap
By Todd Bookman on Thursday, October 8, 2009.We know listening to Word of Mouth would never put you to sleep. But maybe your lunch left you in a food coma. We suggest that you just go with it.
Promoting Greener Choices
By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
We've been talking about how every day should be Earth Day, not just on April 22. It’s a noble aim. But really, how often do we choose convenience over good deeds? Because is turning up the thermostat a few degrees, or driving instead of taking the bus, really going to melt the polar ice caps?
Our brains don’t always make the right choices unless there’s a personal benefit at stake. That’s why supermarkets sometimes knock five cents off your total purchase when you bring your canvas tote bag.
That’s one example from the growing field of behavioral economics, which looks at how human instinct, like aversion to loss, shapes the choices people make. Here to tell us how those lessons could make the world a greener place is science writer Richard Conniff, author of the forthcoming book Swimming with Piranhas at Feeding Time.
Yale Environment 360: Using Peer Pressure As A Tool To Promote Greener Choices
(Photo courtesy of rovingsprout via Flickr/Creative Commons)
Mapping the Brain's DNA
By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, March 31, 2009.
We already know quite a bit about how the brain works – using brain imaging technology and molecular biology, we can see which synapses fire during certain types of mental activity. But that’s still a limited understanding of what’s happening in the brain. Now, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen is investing heavily in a radical new endeavor – to create a roadmap of our brains’ genetic code.
Here to break it down for us is science writer and frequent guest Jonah Lehrer. His latest book is How We Decide.
Jonah Lehrer in Wired: "Scientists Map the Brain, Gene by Gene"
(Photo courtesy Reigh LeBlanc via Flickr/Creative Commons)
Think Fast!
By Avishay Artsy on Thursday, December 11, 2008.
Try reading the blog post below this one as fast as you can. When you're done, scroll back to this point.
There. How do you feel? Any happier? According to psychologists at Princeton and Harvard, you should.
Computers Can Read Your Mind
By Virginia Prescott on Monday, November 10, 2008.
Imagine being able to surf the Web, play video games, move prosthetic limbs or control a wheelchair using only your thoughts. The process is called brain-computer interface technology. And while it sounds like science fiction, labs across the globe are developing neural implants that allow users to do all these things.
It's related to neuroprosthetics, in which scientists are able to repair damaged human functions. Artificial retinas can restore eyesight, cochlear implants bring back hearing, and nano-fiber bristles serve as electrodes for stimulating or receiving neural signals for movement.
But what about uploading data into our brains? Gary Stix wrote the article "Jacking Into The Brain" for Scientific American, where he serves as senior editor. He joins Word of Mouth with more.
Watch a video of a monkey controlling a prosthetic arm using only its thoughts:
(Photo by Krischan Schallenberger)
