These insects are so much more than just the scourge of fruit bowls everywhere. They’re a key model system for all kinds of research that teaches us about our own brain and body systems.
Music unifies the world into a whole.
Feliciano Guimarães/Flickr
Some of us are better than others at distinguishing between right and left – but what happens when it’s your surgeon with the problem?
The capacity for compassion is with us from birth, but as a community we have lost sight of the value of treating all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
AAP/Julian Smith
A global movement aims to let compassion guide political and community life. This has obvious relevance for a competition-driven nation with a troubling capacity for harsh attitudes and policy.
All he needs is the right equipment and he might actually be able to transmit thoughts.
Mauro Sartori/Flickr
Humans spend an enormous amount of time and effort thinking about other people. Like primates, birds and even ants, we often learn skills and information from others. In the past, research has extensively…
It’s time for lovers to exchange images of the organ really responsible for their emotions on Valentine’s Day.
Emil Jeyaratnam/The Conversation
In William Shakespeare’s comedy Merchant of Venice, the play’s heroine Portia sings: Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart or in the head. If you look at Valentine’s Day cards, it’s clear fancy…
All people have prejudices, but learning more about them could help keep them in check.
Crowd image via www.shutterstock.com.
Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have evolved to allow us to survive and thrive in complex social environments. Accordingly, the behaviors and emotions that help us navigate our social sphere…
The effectiveness of brain-training games depends on what outcome you’re hoping to achieve.
Shutterstock
Over the last decade, an ever-growing number of brain-training programs claiming to enhance learning, memory and general well-being have been developed and marketed for use in the classroom. Unfortunately…
My first research presentation in college is forever etched into my memory. It was the end of our fall semester biology lab, and my group met in the library the week beforehand to prepare our PowerPoint…
Neuroscience holds the key to understanding the brain – and to developing more effective treatments for people with mental health disorders. But if we are to translate the many neuroscience discoveries…
We live in a visual world and build environments that rely heavily on visual perception. Want to find somewhere? You look on a map or read a road sign. Perhaps the GPS on your touch screen smartphone can…
The high rates of neurodevelopmental disorders among young people in custody show more must be done to resolve the problems that lead them there.
Karramba Production/Shutterstock
Incarcerated young people have high rates of neurodevelopmental disorders. A recent international review of research found estimates of the rate of learning disability among young people in custody range…
Imagine that Brian promises to drive you to the airport but never shows up, and you miss your flight. When you confront Brian, he tells you that he remembered his promise but decided to watch a movie instead…
As you snuggle by the fire this holiday season to watch Love Actually, you should know that you’re also viewing the work of a published academic neuroscientist. That’s right – actor Colin Firth is cited…
Six weeks ago I arrived back in London after my first trip to Australia. It felt considerably colder than the 34 degrees we’d left behind in Sydney, but the skies were clear and blue. Or were they? My…
Scientists in the Netherlands have reported that we share about 80m bacteria during a passionate ten-second kiss; a finding that makes puckering up seem cringe-worthy – and downright unsanitary at the…