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<\/p>\nQuick links from the past week in mind and brain news:<\/p>\n
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The LA Times<\/i> reviews a new book on how ‘The Brotherhood of Eternal Love’, originally a 60s hippie collective who became America’s biggest drug dealers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Magnetic stimulation of an area in the right hemisphere alters our sense of morality<\/a>, according to research expertly covered by Neurophilosophy<\/i>.<\/p>\n The Nursing Times<\/i> has an article on the recent ‘Facebook causes syphilis’ nonsense<\/a> by our very own Dr Petra.<\/p>\n How blind is double-blind<\/a>? Asks Neuroskeptic<\/i> in a discussion on how easy it is for patients to work out whether they’re taking placebo or the Mickey Finn.<\/p>\n Nature News<\/i> discusses the coming illegalisation of mephedrone<\/a> in the UK. A few days later a UK government drugs advisor quits<\/a> over the process. I think that makes eight resignations in the last few months.<\/p>\n A case of epilepsy causing the sensation of ‘multiple presences<\/a>‘ is brilliantly covered by The Neurocritic<\/i>.<\/p>\n MIT Tech Review<\/i> discusses new research that examines how stroke<\/a> damages the network of communication in the brain and what this can tell us about real-world disability.<\/p>\n There’s a brief but interesting post on the relationship between teeth-grinding<\/a> and neurotocism over at Paracademia<\/i>. The medical term for teeth-grinding is bruxism which I always think sounds quite endearing.<\/p>\n The Psychologist<\/i> has an interesting Jesse Bering article on the question of whether some religious<\/a> thinking could be a side-effect of cognitive process selected by evolution.<\/p>\n “The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting<\/a>“. The Frontal Cortex<\/i> tackles travel and the economics of happiness.<\/p>\n New Scientist<\/i> has a special issue on ‘Nine Neural Frontiers<\/a>‘ that includes articles on everything from mirror neurons to the subconscious.<\/p>\n Scientists discover gene and part of brain that make people gullible<\/a>, according to stunning new research covered by Not Exactly Rocket Science<\/i>.<\/p>\n NPR<\/i> discuss a Harvard economist’s study on projected tax<\/a> from legalised weed and coke, which could be much less than many people assume.<\/p>\n Scary health messages can backfire<\/a>, according to research covered by the newly beautiful BPS Research Digest<\/i>.<\/p>\n The Point of Inquiry<\/i> podcast has an interview with skeptical psychologist Scott Lilienfeld on ’50 Myths<\/a> of Popular Psychology’.<\/p>\n Treating serious mental illness with psychotherapy<\/a> is the topic of an interesting discussion on ABC Radio National’s Life Matters<\/i>.<\/p>\n PsyBlog<\/i> looks at seven unusual psychological techniques for boosting creativity<\/a>.<\/p>\n There’s a review<\/a> of ‘Manufacturing Depression’ by Gary Greenberg over at The Guardian<\/i>.<\/p>\n New Scientist<\/i> discussed research on how paralysed limbs could be revived<\/a> by hacking into nerves.<\/p>\n Video from a debate<\/a> over ‘voodoo correlations’ in fMRI is available on the website of UCLA’s Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab<\/i>.<\/p>\n The Economist<\/i> discusses whether it’s possible to build in ethical behaviour to pilotless drone warplanes<\/a>. <\/p>\n Screening for postpartum Ockham’s Razor<\/i>, the ABC Radio National essay programme, discusses ‘the wise delinquency of decision<\/a> makers’.<\/p>\n An invention<\/a> by author Margaret Atwood to allow for remote paper signing appears in the Journal of Forensic Sciences<\/i>.<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/i> meets an Amazonian tribe that can only count up to five and discusses what different conceptions of numeracy mean for the psychology of maths<\/a>.<\/p>\n Neuroscientist David Eagleman is in conversation<\/a> with author Will Self in a video event for Intelligence Squared<\/i>.<\/p>\n New Scientist<\/i> has a brief but worthwhile introduction to ‘embodied<\/a> cognition’.<\/p>\n
\n“>depression<\/a> is not worth the time or money, according to a new study covered by Brain Blogger<\/i>.<\/p>\n