Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
The Situationist has a fantastic video example of a classic experimental philosophy set-up.
The TSA’s ‘behavior detection‘ is wrong more than 99 percent of the time, reports USA Today. Maybe that’s because it’s based on some rather dodgy techniques, as we reported in August last year.
Science Daily reports on an elegant experiment allows who said what to whom to be worked out from the brain scan data. Only from very limited stimuli, but an intriguing study none-the-less.
Can everyone be an Einstein? No, is the short answer, but The Times has a longer one in a nicely balanced article on brain improvement techniques.
Neuroskeptic says Freddie Starr ate my hamster, sorry, it should be Prozac made my cells spiky.
To the bunkers! BBC News reports IBM to build computers that work like brains. Although I’d be more impressed if we could get Microsoft to build software that works like software.
New Scientist reports that coping-with-stress related brain changes occur during menstruation.
Atypical antipsychotics no better than older antipsychotics. We should be used to this headline by now, but this time, it’s a study in kids reported by The Psychiatric Times.
BBC News reports heavy drinkers lie to their doctors about how much they drink. Pope still Catholic (and probably still claiming he doesn’t masturbate).
There’s an excellent interview with Mary Roach, one of my favourite science writers, over at Neuronarrative.
Oprah Magazine has an OK article about neuroscience. Yes, Oprah Magazine. That’s it, we’re mainstream. Neuroscience is over. What else is cool?
Does involving parents really help students learn? Depends on how they’re involved, reports Cognitive Daily.
Science News reports that the brain reorganizes to make room for maths. Which is lucky, because in my brain the space has always been occupied by Batman.
Fred Goodwin, one of the world’s leading bipolar researchers has his radio show pulled over undisclosed payments from drug companies, reports Furious Seasons
Not Exactly Rocket Science has an excellent piece on evidence that graffiti and litter strewn environments encourage crime.
A video lecture on the brain’s visual system is featured by Channel N.
An interpretative dance inspired by the cerebral activation patterns induced by the inflection of regular and irregular verbs, found by the wonderfully eclectic Frontal Cortex. With video of said dance.
The Guardian has an excellent excerpt from Malcom Gladwell’s new book.
Mind Hacks 