Honda says brain waves control robot
Well, not so much brain waves, as brain images. It looks at fMRI type images and interprets them into robot hand motions. But, hey, a big step in the right direction.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Mmmmm...brain chemicals
If the chemistry is right … you might remember this
Upshot: a new chemical that assists in neuronal communication was identified.
Upshot: a new chemical that assists in neuronal communication was identified.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Lifestyle choices
UCLA study finds that simple lifestyle changes may improve cognitive function and brain efficiency
So, maybe getting that Nintendo DS cognitive stimulation "game" for adults isn't such a bad idea.
So, maybe getting that Nintendo DS cognitive stimulation "game" for adults isn't such a bad idea.
Stay in school
Carnegie Mellon study demonstrates that lower income, education lead to greater stress levels
Yet one more reason to stay in school.
Yet one more reason to stay in school.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
I've fallen and I can't get up....
Fraternity/sorority members who get drunk weekly at higher risk of injuries
Not related to research, but slightly related to education - and either way...they needed a study for this?
Not related to research, but slightly related to education - and either way...they needed a study for this?
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Uh...okay....
Women Get Drunk, High and Addicted More Easily Than Men Do
I know a few college guys who just went "Woo-hoo!"
I know a few college guys who just went "Woo-hoo!"
Behaviorism meets cognitivism
The brain's executive is an 'event planner'
I love studies that show how behavioristic experiments look inside the "black box" - it's just fun.
Oh, and the planning thing is cool too.
I love studies that show how behavioristic experiments look inside the "black box" - it's just fun.
Oh, and the planning thing is cool too.
A good example is the best teacher
How do children learn about science and God?
The upshot is that children learn not only from what we say, but from what we do and the context of the lesson. [sarcasm]Go figure.[/sarcasm]
The upshot is that children learn not only from what we say, but from what we do and the context of the lesson. [sarcasm]Go figure.[/sarcasm]
Signing Time!
Toddlers learn better through interactive video
I guess this explains the "Baby Einstein" "Dora" and "Blue's Clues" phenomenon.
Now if it would only make those shows more watchable from an adult perspective. I won't even begin to talk about Barney.
I guess this explains the "Baby Einstein" "Dora" and "Blue's Clues" phenomenon.
Now if it would only make those shows more watchable from an adult perspective. I won't even begin to talk about Barney.
The more we know - the less we know
Flick of whiskers helps tease out brain's 'shadow' signaling system
First adults grow new neurons (90's), then we find that glial cells actually contribute to communication (early 00's) and now this.
We really don't understand that much about the brain - but we're getting there.
First adults grow new neurons (90's), then we find that glial cells actually contribute to communication (early 00's) and now this.
We really don't understand that much about the brain - but we're getting there.
A serious problem
Length of deprivation in infants affects intellectual development for years
It's unfortunate that this situation had to exist at all, but at least we're learning more about the needs of children.
It's unfortunate that this situation had to exist at all, but at least we're learning more about the needs of children.
Your opinions suck
Brain study yields insight into machinery of prejudice
Well, from my perspective anyway.
Yet more nural goodness from fMRI imaging.
Well, from my perspective anyway.
Yet more nural goodness from fMRI imaging.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Glory days
Our memory wears rose-colored glasses
Not surprising really - simply a study to support the "The older I get the better I was" idea.
Not surprising really - simply a study to support the "The older I get the better I was" idea.
In the Zone
Lost in thought: Brain research
I'm pretty sure I blogged this earlier - but if not, this is pretty cool research. Very similar to the "in the zone" research done in the 80's.
I'm pretty sure I blogged this earlier - but if not, this is pretty cool research. Very similar to the "in the zone" research done in the 80's.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Woa! The sky is...like...blue!
Good news, bad news for tube-watching tots
The tag-line under the headline says "When it comes to screen tim, experts say content is key" The article is full of good-v-bad of media watching (tv, computer, other electronic media) with the conclusion that educational content that is age-appropriate is good, and content that is non-educational and/or too complex is bad.
[sarcasm]Well, color me surprised.[/sarcasm]
The tag-line under the headline says "When it comes to screen tim, experts say content is key" The article is full of good-v-bad of media watching (tv, computer, other electronic media) with the conclusion that educational content that is age-appropriate is good, and content that is non-educational and/or too complex is bad.
[sarcasm]Well, color me surprised.[/sarcasm]
Yea...that's the ticket...
People Generally Lie to Preserve Self-Esteem
I imagine that some people even lie to themselves to preserve self esteem.
I imagine that some people even lie to themselves to preserve self esteem.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Feel the burn...
Kids Get Slight Work-Out Playing Video Games
Well, if you include raising your heart rate from excitement a workout, then yes - the sweaty tub of lard lounging in front of the boob-tube/PC for hours on end playing "Halo"...they do get a slight workout.
And this is significant enough to qualify as news?
Well, if you include raising your heart rate from excitement a workout, then yes - the sweaty tub of lard lounging in front of the boob-tube/PC for hours on end playing "Halo"...they do get a slight workout.
And this is significant enough to qualify as news?
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Game that language!
Making adult language learning child's play
I cannot express how happy I am to see game developments in the realm of education. There are more and more applications of "fun" or "games" in education being tied to technology in better ways than simple "Skinner Box" applications. I love it.
I cannot express how happy I am to see game developments in the realm of education. There are more and more applications of "fun" or "games" in education being tied to technology in better ways than simple "Skinner Box" applications. I love it.
Not the needle!
Neurobiology of dread gives scientists clues about human decision making
This was picked up by a lot of news outlets - the main headline being something along the lines of "which is worse? The anticipation or the actual pain?"
Not a bad capsule, but certainly incomplete in the analysis. Read the whole thing.
This was picked up by a lot of news outlets - the main headline being something along the lines of "which is worse? The anticipation or the actual pain?"
Not a bad capsule, but certainly incomplete in the analysis. Read the whole thing.
The colors.....Look at the colors!
Research shows how visual stimulation turns up genes to shape the brain
Visual stimulation actually turns on different developmental genes - cool.
Visual stimulation actually turns on different developmental genes - cool.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Ask a woman who has given birth...
Brain differences could explain why males and females experience pain relief differently
I'm telling you - this stuff needs its own blog.
I'm telling you - this stuff needs its own blog.
Caught in the moment
Watching the brain switch off 'self'
So they can see when I turn control over to an experience rather than maintaining control myself. Have they been able to identify anything similar in hypnosis? It probably wouldn't be universal (since the ability to be hypnotized isn't universal) - but it would be interesting to see if the two activities were similar.
So they can see when I turn control over to an experience rather than maintaining control myself. Have they been able to identify anything similar in hypnosis? It probably wouldn't be universal (since the ability to be hypnotized isn't universal) - but it would be interesting to see if the two activities were similar.
I see words
'Word-vision' brain area confirmed
Well, I see the shape of a word anyway - we don'r really read words letter by letter. This is a pretty cool development though.
Well, I see the shape of a word anyway - we don'r really read words letter by letter. This is a pretty cool development though.
Sooooo.....that's bad?
Both alcoholism and chronic smoking can damage the brain's prefrontal cortex
Gee - substances that are bad for you also cause damage to the brain? Who'd have thought?
Gee - substances that are bad for you also cause damage to the brain? Who'd have thought?
Babies - developmental machines
Infants can organise visual information at just four months
We continue to discover that we give our children far too little credit for their abilities.
We continue to discover that we give our children far too little credit for their abilities.
Well, duh...
Fussy babies and postpartum depression linked, study finds
Not brain related, but we have a new baby and this seems like a complete no-brainer. If fussy babies don't cause depression, they certainly cause frustration and unhappiness.
Not brain related, but we have a new baby and this seems like a complete no-brainer. If fussy babies don't cause depression, they certainly cause frustration and unhappiness.
As a #2 sibling - this is good news
Older children not smarter than their younger sibs, study finds
Ha! Take that Leigh-Anne! In your face!
Ha! Take that Leigh-Anne! In your face!
Get better educated - live longer
Education level linked with presence of coronary artery calcium deposits
Or, get more education, avoid heart attacks. Cool.
Or, get more education, avoid heart attacks. Cool.
Anything you can do, I can do better...
Girls have big advantage over boys on timed tests
More gender differences. I seriously need to start a gender differences blog.
More gender differences. I seriously need to start a gender differences blog.
Don't bring me down, man...
Other people influence us and we don't even know it
Fascinating research - it will probably be picked up quickly by advertising researchers and turned into even more advanced viral marketing strategies.
Fascinating research - it will probably be picked up quickly by advertising researchers and turned into even more advanced viral marketing strategies.
Your brain on alcohol
Brain study considers motor function, cognition with alcohol consumption
Hopefully this study leads to more research.
Hopefully this study leads to more research.
Drowning in the gene pool
Feinstein researchers identify intelligence gene
Identifying it is one thing - being able to understand it is entirely different.
Identifying it is one thing - being able to understand it is entirely different.
Money for administration
Cash $trapped Colleges?
While I normally steer away from politically oriented posts here, I found this report extremely distressing. I don't know how true or accurate it is, but this quote really caught my eye:
In a recent conference call on the plan, both lawmakers rebuffed three attempts to get them on record explaining why college and university administrators have nothing to do with the exploding cost of higher education. It’s a valid question: Economist Richard Vedder finds that the ratio of college administrators to students is at least three-to-one. That gives collegians more bureaucrats per capita than they have biological parents.
3 to 1 administrators to students? Really? How is that even remotely justifiable? I'm not sure I would buy into the "half of students graduating" part - but even if it's 1/4 then that's too high.
The final quote of the page is also worth considering:
That rings much more true to me - I see a lot of that coming from recent graduates. I'm not sure how high the percentages are, but again, even a small percentage isn't a good thing.
Like I said - a distressing report. Please, someone point me to another report that gives an opposing viewpoint.
While I normally steer away from politically oriented posts here, I found this report extremely distressing. I don't know how true or accurate it is, but this quote really caught my eye:
In a recent conference call on the plan, both lawmakers rebuffed three attempts to get them on record explaining why college and university administrators have nothing to do with the exploding cost of higher education. It’s a valid question: Economist Richard Vedder finds that the ratio of college administrators to students is at least three-to-one. That gives collegians more bureaucrats per capita than they have biological parents.
And what of the service that American colleges and universities deliver? “Over half of students graduating from four-year colleges in the U. S. lack the literacy to deal with such ‘real life’ tasks as understanding newspaper editorials, comparing credit card offers, or summarizing the results of a survey,” reads a quote from David Schaefer in the latest issue of The American Enterprise. “Nor do they have the math skills needed to balance their checkbooks, according to a new study by the Pew Charitable Trusts."
3 to 1 administrators to students? Really? How is that even remotely justifiable? I'm not sure I would buy into the "half of students graduating" part - but even if it's 1/4 then that's too high.
The final quote of the page is also worth considering:
What do the recent college grads themselves tell us? They are, according to most college and university promotional literature, higher education’s ultimate customer.
“You think, six months ago I had a great on-campus job and social life,” recent graduate Nicole Relyea told msn.com’s M. P. Dunleavy. “Now, I’m living at home, I have two friends and no academic stimulation for the first time in 20 years—sitting in the basement, surfing the internet, looking for work.”
“It’s like, wow, I was just studying the cultural history of the aborigines and now I’m looking at jobs where the main duties are answering the phone and typing. How are you supposed to make that shift? It’s really something nobody prepares you for.”
That rings much more true to me - I see a lot of that coming from recent graduates. I'm not sure how high the percentages are, but again, even a small percentage isn't a good thing.
Like I said - a distressing report. Please, someone point me to another report that gives an opposing viewpoint.
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