brain

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Thinking, Religion Don't Mix: Study

Analytical thought tends to drown out faith, researcher finds

(Newser) - People prone to analytical thinking are less prone to religious faith, a new study has concluded. Scientists have long believed that analytical thinking can override one's intuitive responses, and studies have shown that religion is rooted in intuitive thought. So Canadian researcher Will Gervais set out to see if...

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?
Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?
new study
Feb 21, 2012 11:05 AM CST

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?

New study discovers why some people may take financial risks

(Newser) - Why are some stock traders and gamblers so willing to take financial risks? A new study shares a possible answer: Scientists found that people with higher levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in a critical part of the brain related to sensory and reward systems are less sensitive to the pain...

This Diet Helps Your Mind
 This Diet Helps Your Mind 
in case you missed it
Feb 18, 2012 7:00 PM CST

This Diet Helps Your Mind

Mediterranean fare apparently good for the brain, too: Study

(Newser) - Add this to the potential benefits of the Mediterranean diet: It might just help your brain along with your heart, a new study suggests. Using MRI scans of the brain, researchers found that those who ate a diet based on fruits, veggies, fish, whole grains, olive oil, and a moderate...

Nurturing Moms Help Kids&#39; Brains Grow
 Nurturing 
 Moms Help 
 Kids' Brains Grow 
study says
Jan 31, 2012 3:55 PM CST

Nurturing Moms Help Kids' Brains Grow

Children of caring mothers have larger hippocampi: study

(Newser) - A mother's care may affect the physical development of a child's brain, a study suggests. Researchers found that preschool kids with more nurturing mothers had larger hippocampi than their peers by the time they were school age, reports HealthDay News, via the Philadelphia Inquirer . The hippocampus is a...

'Silent Strokes' May Damage Memory

About 25% of seniors have had them

(Newser) - "Silent strokes" may be taking a toll on seniors' memory. A new study shows that seniors who have suffered such strokes—they don't have obvious symptoms but leave behind dead brain cells—do worse on memory tests, reports USA Today . It's no small thing: An estimated 1...

Are We Hardwired to See Jesus in Toast?

We constantly seek to discern recognizable patterns, explains prof

(Newser) - Does that smear of jam on your toast look a bit like Uncle Al ... or Jesus? It's pretty normal to try to recognize features in the flotsam and jetsam of our lives. Humans strive so mightily to make sense of their surroundings that they constantly search for familiarity—or...

Gamers&#39; Brains Have Bigger &#39;Reward Hub&#39;
 Gamers' Brains Have 
 Bigger 'Reward Hub' 
STUDY SAYS
Nov 16, 2011 5:10 AM CST

Gamers' Brains Have Bigger 'Reward Hub'

Researchers unsure whether it's pre-existing or games change brains

(Newser) - This is your brain on videogames: The brains of hardcore gamers are wired differently than those who rarely play video games, according to a new study. Researchers who scanned the brains of more than 150 14-year-olds found that the brain's "reward hub"—which plays a role in...

Worrying Yourself Sick? Science Has a Cure

Doctors pinpoint the so-called 'nocebo' effect

(Newser) - Worried that it's unhealthy to be glued to the Internet, surfing through stories? That anxiety alone could cause health problems—and doctors are now uncovering the neurological roots of this so-called "nocebo" effect, according to an award-winning essay by Penny Sarchet in the Guardian . The opposite of the...

Traffic Jams: Poison for the Brain

Researchers fear fumes are causing permanent brain damage

(Newser) - This is your brain ... on traffic fumes? A growing body of research suggests that fumes from traffic jams can damage the brain, as well as your lungs. Exposure to exhaust has a negative effect on brain power and emotional stability, and while the evidence is largely circumstantial, researchers tell the...

More Facebook Friends Linked to Bigger Brains

Or at least more gray matter in certain areas

(Newser) - People with tons of Facebook friends can not only boast about their social networking skills but about the increased gray matter in their brains. A buzzy new study from Britain concludes that people with loads of network friends tend to have more pronounced regions of the brain related to social...

Northerners Have Bigger Brains
 Northerners 
 Have Bigger 
 Brains 
study says
Jul 27, 2011 6:37 PM CDT

Northerners Have Bigger Brains

But it's not because they're smarter

(Newser) - The great news for people who live in northern climes is that they can now legitimately boast: "We have bigger brains than you southern people." The bad news is that they're not any smarter—they just have crappier weather. Scientists who studied 55 skulls from around the...

Human Brains Shrink, but Not Those of Other Primates

 Only Human Brains Shrink 
study says
Jul 26, 2011 1:37 PM CDT

Only Human Brains Shrink

Monkeys keep their gray matter throughout their lives

(Newser) - Next time you start to feel mentally superior to a chimp, think again. It turns out that while human brains shrink as they age, chimpanzee brains do not, a new George Washington University study has discovered. The findings upend the conventional wisdom that all primates saw their brains shrink over...

N-Back Mental Exercises Improve Fluid Intelligence, Study Says
 Get Smarter in 20 Days 
Jun 4, 2011 1:58 PM CDT

Get Smarter in 20 Days

N-back exercises improve 'fluid intelligence': Study

(Newser) - Some of this week's news was enough to turn your brain to mush , but a university psychologist has a way to get it back in under three weeks. His technique involves something called "n-back exercises," a type of mental training that tests your short-term memory of symbols...

Why We Can't Remember Being 2

Researchers investigate the science of early memories

(Newser) - Why is it that we struggle to remember events from before we were 3 or 4 years old? Canadian researchers found that 4- to 6-year-olds remembered events from age 2 or younger as their “earliest memories,” but two years later had largely forgotten them and named a different...

5 Myths About Your Brain
 5 Myths About Your Brain 
May 30, 2011 6:00 PM CDT

5 Myths About Your Brain

No, we don't just use 10% of the thing

(Newser) - The brain is much mythologized in mainstream culture—so much so that many believed “facts” are actually fiction, reports the Smithsonian:
  1. We use just 10% of our brains. Nope, brains scans show that even basic tasks use a large portion of the brain—and even a small brain injury
...

Scientists Show How We Remember Dreams

But they're still not sure about the 'why' part

(Newser) - From the scariest nightmares to the most bizarre fantasies, some dreams are remembered forever, and a team of Italian scientists knows how. Researchers at L'Aquila and Bologna universities have determined that it's all about the theta waves. If those slow electrical oscillations are present in the cerebral cortex...

Stressed Out? You&#39;ll Learn Better
 Stressed Out? 
 You'll Learn Better 
study says
May 3, 2011 5:02 PM CDT

Stressed Out? You'll Learn Better

Stress hormones alter brain cells, aiding in memory storage

(Newser) - If studying for exams stresses you out, be glad: It could help you remember the material, a study suggests. Hormones produced when we’re stressed, like cortisol and adrenaline, help us store memories by altering the way our brain cells work, reports the Telegraph . The hormones “reprogram” DNA in...

You Might Be Only Half Awake
 You Might Be Only Half Awake 
Apr 28, 2011 2:37 PM CDT

You Might Be Only Half Awake

Study shows parts of the brain can shut off

(Newser) - Ever feel so bushwhacked that you tell someone you’re “half asleep”? Well, it turns out you probably were. Researchers have found that parts of your brain actually do turn off when you’re fatigued—sometimes even before you’re consciously aware that you’re tired, according to...

Scientists Unveil 'Brain Atlas'
 Scientists Unveil 'Brain Atlas' 
Apr 13, 2011 8:07 AM CDT

Scientists Unveil 'Brain Atlas'

Allen Institute maps gene activity in body's most complex organ

(Newser) - Researchers probing the staggering complexities of the human brain now have a map to help them find their way around. Scientists have unveiled a computerized "atlas of the brain," which combines several imaging techniques to map features including nerve structure and gene activity. The project, funded by Microsoft...

Computer Cursor Can Be Controlled by Thought

Study participants moved it by thinking of sounds oo, ah, ee, and eh

(Newser) - Advances in mind-reading technology have made it possible for people with disabilities to control a computer cursor using only their thoughts, say Washington University researchers. The team has demonstrated that people can move a cursor around a computer screen and "click" by thinking of a particular vowel sound—in...

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