Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
Seed Magazine has a fascinating article on whether fonts affect learning that also tackles the psychology of comic sans.
Antidepressants still don’t work in mild depression. The mighty Neuroskeptic covers a study confirming what the makers of Prozac forgot to remember.
Slate has a fantastic piece on how ranking grad school is like validating mental illness: the mathematics of narcissism.
What causes us to ‘forget’ the first few years of life? The Child in Time blog has a fascinating counter-intuitive piece on brain development and ‘childhood amnesia‘.
The Independent has the most extensive article to date on the UK Government’s behavioural economics-inspired ‘Nudge‘ unit.
Why are the letters “z” and “x” so popular in drug names? The Neurocritic tackles the curious branding decision.
The New York Times has a piece on the quest for the brain’s ‘connectome‘ and the science behind the massive project.
The smell of female tears affects male sexual behaviour. Many mainstream outlets were clearly tripping when they covered this study with all sorts of odd results. In contrast, Not Exactly Rocket causes no weeping with its great coverage.
Some excellent discussion of a brilliant but sadly locked article on slipping into psychosis from Neuroanthropology.
CNN covers the “elaborate fraud” of Wakefield’s original vaccine and autism case series. Also see the key article in this week’s BMJ.
More Friends on Facebook Does NOT Equal a Larger Amygdala. Thank you Neurocritic for some good sense following some more seasonal pop media craziness.
Time covers the latest development in the on-again off-again ‘serotonin transporter gene and risk for depression‘ saga. Science, you fickle mistress.
Does solitary confinement in prison damage mental health? In the News looks at the latest evidence in an ongoing debate.
Scientific American has an excellent piece on slipping the ‘cognitive straitjacket’ of psychiatric diagnosis and the awkward facts of genetics.
The transformational impact of children. Evidence Based Mummy covers the science of how children change our lives.
Time on the science of the awkward silence.
Young women, hire a practice baby. Wonderland has an amazing article on how prospective mothers were lent real live babies for practice.
A timeline of psychoanalysis. Advances in the History of Psychology discusses a new 7-foot long book and has a video by the authors.
The Philosopher’s Magazine series on the ‘best ideas of the century’ has a justifiably snarky article on taking out the neurotrash.
Why are we less willing to help the victims of man-made disaster? The BPS Research Digest.
The New York Times covers shit hitting the scientific fan in light of the recent positive parapsychology study.
Mind Hacks 
I just wanted to thank you for your blog and these reviews, I’ve read so much interesting stuff thanks to you and I’ve learned so much, too. Keep up the good work.