2008-01-18 Spike activity

Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

The BPS Research Digest covers some more amazing studies that find that our names are linked to our choices and performance.

Games console chip to be used for MRI analysis reports io9. Mostly cool for the beautiful MRI tractography image.

Furious Seasons covers a new study that finds placebo outperforms antipsychotics in treating aggression in patients with learning disabilities.

A series of studies that suggest we have little conscious access to the workings of our own mind are collected by PsyBlog.

Time magazine has a great article on how siblings of autistic children adapt and interact in the family.

Why should not old men be mad? 3QuarksDaily has a poignant W.B. Yeats poem.

Science News covers two novel studies into the genetics of autism.

Tracing the history of syphilis. Advances in the History of Psychology covers a recent controversy over the origins of what was once one of the major causes of madness.

The Observer covers the case of Howard Dully, who had a lobotomy at the age of 12 and later created a moving, powerful and unmissable radio programme about his experiences.

Deric Bownd’s looks at an interesting argument that cooperation and choosiness necessarily evolved together.

Film footage of the ice pick lobotomy, which Dully was subjected to, is discovered by Neurophilosophy, as part of an upcoming documentary.

Phenomenology and Cognitive Science makes a special double issue on Dennett’s heterophenomenology freely available online.

The BrainWave neuroscience and arts festival kicks off in New York in April and The Neurocritic has a preview.

The Onion report an astounding case where neuroscientist discover that half of a 26-year-old’s memories are Nintendo-related.

Does too much dreaming lead to depression? The Mouse Trap discusses an intriguing hypothesis.

The first chapter of a new book The Philosophy of Social Cognition has been posted online.

My Mind on Books lists some recent and forthcoming books on the self to look forward to.

Can artificial life help us solve the mind-body problem? Brain Hammer investigates with a link to Pete Mandik’s full-text paper.

Cognitive Daily has another fantastic demonstration on how older people adapt to blurred vision.