Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
Brain scan sees hidden thoughts says sensational BBC headline. Interesting research mostly spun as a ‘mind reading’ discovery. Also here.
Steven Johnson discusses the possible cognitive
benefits of modern media – although this Scientific American article (PDF) has another take on the issue.
Drug advertising has a profound effect on prescribing researchers report (for doctors, a classic study showed that 61% of doctors believed promotions do not influence their own prescribing, but only 16% believed other physicians were similarly unaffected. No Free Lunch for me please).
An article from Time Magazine, discusses the links between madness, chess and Bobby Fischer.
Mystery mental illness baffles experts in Sweden, and a case of suspected mass hysteria arises in a ‘gassing’ scare in Melbourne.
Brief but competent summary of cognitive theories of empathy and understanding others’ motivations.
Pressure from conservative groups cuts funding for sex research in the USA.
Seeing alcohol related words can influence men’s attractiveness ratings of women in a similar way to actually drinking alcohol (via PsyBlog).
Mind Hacks 
Putting people first in technology
Quoting from How to interest more girls in tech careers at Misbehaving: Jacquelynne Eccles, a University of Michigan psychologist, says that girls steer away from careers in math, science and engineering because they view them as solitary pursuits: “In…