Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
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The New York Times has an article on ‘speed shrinking‘ – like speed dating but with psychologists. Doesn’t mention whether it includes any drunken snogging in the bar afterwards.
Drug company Pfizer busted with $2.3 billion fine for illegal promotion of psych drugs, kickbacks and the general shadyness that everyone knows is common practice throughout the industry. Furious Seasons is on the case and is also having a fundraiser.
New Scientist has an article on the project to create artificial limbs controlled by implanted brain chips.
Healthy people with an intense desire to have a limb amputated may have differences in the function of brain areas that represent the body, according to research covered by the BPS Research Digest.
The Washington Post has a first person account of someone who experienced transient global amnesia – a dense amnesia that appears suddenly and typically resolves within a few hours.
When it comes to encouraging people to work together for the greater good, carrots work better than sticks, according to a great write-up of new research from Not Exactly Rocket Science. I suspect it is because carrots are tastier.
The Independent reports on the growing problem of mental health problems in British troops returning from combat missions in Afghanistan. Psychiatric casualties have apparently tripled in the last three years.
Artificial intelligence researcher Noel ‘John Connor’ Sharkey says AI is a dangerous dream in an <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327231.100-why-ai-is-a-dangerous-dream.html
“>interview for New Scientist.
Neuron Culture discusses two new military initiatives to counter PTSD in combat troops.
Wired covers a study finding that adolescent girls randomly assigned to three months of Tetris had thicker cortex in the frontal and temporal lobes. Full text of study here.
An elegant study that manipulated participants perception of free will is covered by the excellent Cognitive Daily.
neuro4kids has fan merchandise from the fantastic Neuroscience for Kids website
You are who you eat with. Time covers the social influences on obesity.
PsyBlog has an excellent article on ‘The Acceptance Prophecy: How You Control Who Likes You’. Sounds woolly, actually some fascinating social research.
We covered the news stories about rapper Roxanne Shant√© getting a PhD in psychology in 2007. Seems she’s been frontin’ – Slate investigates the smoke and mirrors.
The Today Programme, Radio 4’s flagship news show, has a good discussion on what recent research on brain differences in psychopaths really tell us.
Counter-intuitive research finding that teens with more mature brains are more likely to take <a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1919663,00.html?xid=rss-topstories
“>risks is discussed by Time magazine.
Mind Hacks 
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