Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
A recent study shows that the preference for side of body used to cradle infants is linked to the dominant hemisphere of the mother’s brain. Another example of how observing simple behaviours (like kissing) can show underlying brain structure.
Alphabets and writing may have been shaped by the constraints of our visual system.
For those who consistently over-commit themselves, research suggests it maybe because we are excessively optimistic about time for future tasks.
An article from Scientific American on what we do and don’t know about how anesthetics work.
Research challenges the idea that the visual system must separate objects from background before they are classified (PDF of full article).
Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips discusses his new book on sanity. A sign of the growing trend for a focus on positive psychology?
A gene known as ApoE, known to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease, has been linked to poorer memory even in healthy individuals. Part of ongoing push to understand the genetics of psychological abilities.
Mind Hacks 