Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
Don’t tase me bro! Because it’ll cause short term cognitive impairment which may affect my ability to respond correctly under police interview. Important research from Drexel.
Mosaic has an interesting piece on hacking the placebo response and associative learning to improve medical treatments.
Your Next New Best Friend Might Be a Robot. Might be already for all I know. Nautilus on social robotics.
Science reports that sleep deprivation markedly increases false confessions.
The microcephaly brain changes apparently linked to the Zika virus are puzzling science. Good piece from NBC News.
The Atlantic covers the bitter fight over the benefits of bilingualism.
Good sceptical Gary Marcus talk on the current state of artificial intelligence and a useful tonic to those who think deep learning will lead to strong AI.
The Economist has an excellent in-depth article on the social effects of legalising cannabis.
There’s an excellent interview with pioneering neuroengineer Ed Boyden in Edge. Really, go read it.
Science News reports that the rise of human civilization was tied to belief in punitive gods. And also reality TV, you’ll notice.
Mind Hacks 
Great links. Thanks!