Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
The Wall Street Journal has a piece on how neuroscience is apparently being used to design kitchens. No, you haven’t just been slipped some acid – the article is real.
The sleeper effect: how a persuasive message can kick in months after it’s delivered. A great piece on persuasion and propaganda from PsyBlog.
Scientific American has an excellent piece on how Pfizer and Lundbeck published biased data to promote antidepressant reboxetine and how a new analysis of all the data show it doesn’t work and is possibly harmful. A ‘headdesk’ moment in science indeed.
Off-the-wall neuroblog OmniBrain is back. Inflatable brain? Don’t mind if I do.
The Boston Globe has a fantastic on the early history of ‘information overload’ panics. The printing press – oh my god – think of the children!
The problem is, which more intelligent AI should we build? The Nature, Brain, and Culture blog has an excellent critique of techno-utopianism and the ‘singularity’.
NeuroPod from Nature Neuroscience just released a new podcast with a particularly good section on the mix of genes and environment in schizophrenia.
Can psychology help combat pseudoscience? The BPS Research Digest covers a fascinating new study on applied cognitive bias busting.
Der Spiegel investigates what it’s like to be a captain of a cocaine smuggling submarine and talks to a former smuggler.
How to fool a lie detector brain scan. Neuroskeptic covers a study that found one type of scan can be misdirected with a surprisingly easy technique.
The New York Times reports on how Narcissistic Personality Disorder is likely to be removed from the DSM-5.
The American Anthropological Association just eliminated the mention of science from its ‘long-range plan statement’. Neuroanthropology has one of the most sensible takes on the subsequent shit-storm.
Scientific American has an excellent piece on the classic ‘mirror test’ of self-recognition and why ‘failure’ on the test doesn’t necessarily mean the participants have no sense of self.
The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies is shortly to hold a conference and Addiction Inbox covers the intriguing line-up.
The LA Times describes how ‘erasing traumatic memories may soon be possible’ and discusses the ethical implications if the technology because reliable.
A new study reported that family income wasn’t related psychological development in children. Evidence Based Mummy asks ‘if money isn’t directly related to children’s development, what is?’
The Guardian reports on a new ban on the export of UK-manufactured sodium thiopental for use in US executions.
Seizures triggered by strawberry syrup. More tasty goodness from the ever-excellent Neurocritic.
Discover Magazine has an engaging piece on the mathematics of terrorism. Finding patterns amid the chaos.
So, there’s been loads of good stuff on the Advances in the History of Psychology blog recently. Don’t believe me? How about some history of female madness?
Contemporary Psychotherapy is a high-quality, open and online magazine for psychotherapists and new edition has just hit the virtual shelves. Good stuff.
Mind Hacks 
“on the mathematics of terrorism.”
How can there be a mathematics of something that can never be defined?