Brain
- Science & Society
People are concerned about tech tinkering with our minds
It’s not science fiction: Science can already eavesdrop on and influence our thoughts. Here’s what our readers think about it.
- Brain
Loneliness makes our brains crave people
An area of the brain that lights up when hungry people see food also revs up when lonely people see social activities.
- Brain
A taste map in the brain is a scattering of tiny flavor islands
Some senses are highly organized in the brain. Taste is not. And that points to just how important it is.
- Psychology
Can’t remember? Maybe you multitask too much between screens
Splitting your attention between devices can make it hard to create new memories, even when you’re not multitasking.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Puberty
Puberty is a time when hormones surge and people develop the ability to have children. But it’s so much more than that.
- Brain
Kids use more of the brain than adults do to process language
The brain continues to grow and mature throughout childhood. One big change occurs in which parts of the brain turn on as someone processes language.
- Microbes
Scientists Say: Nucleus
Nucleus comes from the Latin term “nuc,” meaning nut or kernel. In science there are lots of nuclei. Every one of them is the center of something.
- Health & Medicine
Many student athletes face risk of concussions that heal slowly
High school girls and those with a history of concussions appear to take longest to recover.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists Say: Narcotic
Scientists refer to a narcotic as a drug that stops pain, but the word can be used in other ways as well.
- Brain
Confidence can make you miss important information
Being confident can feed a confirmation bias in us, new studies show. This bias can make your brain ignore other people’s ideas and any conflicting information.
- Psychology
A secret of science: Mistakes boost understanding
Everyone makes mistakes. It turns out that how you view them says a lot about how — and how much — you’ll learn.
By Rachel Kehoe - Science & Society
Top 10 tips on how to study smarter, not longer
Here are 10 tips — all based on science — about what tends to help us learn and remember most effectively.