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Is it possible for the brain to encode sensory stimuli that we don't consciously perceive? Becca Krock (who loves the unconscious, fyi) writes about a 1967 experiment that proved that a major chunk of our somatosensory cortex is fully capable of representing stimuli that a human subject swears they know nothing about.
Read MoreOK I admit it. I am an obsessive fan of the BBC’s Sherlock series. As a neuroscientist I’m in love with breaking down complex questions with logic, and indulging ineach episode gives me the opportunity to do so late into the evening. The series is a modern-day reinterpretation of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, and revolves around the extremely intelligent “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes and his partner John Watson, who together attempt to solve otherwise unsolvable crimes.
I especially find the way the writers define each character particularly fascinating.. Where Sherlock obsesses over his work for the sake of solving each mystery, John often focuses his attention on solving each case to benefit those involved. The writers present seeming personality dichotomies that surprisingly coalesce and complement one another. I am particularly intrigued by the way the main characters construct and develop their own mental states over the course of the series.
Read MoreA weekly feature, highlighting the science-related internet content that caught our eyes the previous week.
This week: sloths and rattlesnakes, misogyny and the GMO debate. Also: what happens when you place a red-hot metal ball on top of three eggs? There's a video.
Read MoreWhat are the best introductory neuroscience books? Which ones would we recommend for the enterprising high school student, interested in learning about Neuroscience and it's principles? I list 4 textbooks and one non-fiction book, then (reminded that textbooks are really expensive), I add on an online textbook and an expanded list of non-fiction books.
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again, folks. As the Labrador puppy of hope runs headlong toward the closed glass door of inevitability, millions of otherwise rational adults indulge in a practice commonly referred to as “making new year’s resolutions”. Despite initial confidence, most participants will fail to maintain their resolutions. Following on from David’s piece on new year’s day, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide much-needed moral support (“outside interference”?) to those who are looking to beat the odds and stick to their resolutions. And what better way to provide incentive than by giving examples of how three common new year’s resolutions can positively affect your brain and your immune system.
Read MoreAfter a bit of a hiatus, PhDs in Press is back! Quite a few (read: 12) of our comrades in the Stanford Neurosciences Program have published in the last 6 months, both as first authors, and nth authors.
Head below the fold for titles and links to papers authored by: Cora Ames, Matt Figley, the tag-team of Corbett Bennet and Sergio Arroyo, David Kastner, Ryan Squire, Georgia Panagiotakos, George Sebastià Vidal Pérez-Treviño, Matt Sacchet, William Joo, Yvette Fisher, Gregor Bieri and Kira Mosher.
Read MoreDr. Corrine Moss-Racusin is the lead author on the landmark paper describing a study documenting gender bias among male and female science faculty at research institutions. She has been visiting a number of institutions to discuss her findings, including a standing-room crowd at Stanford’s Clark Auditorium on Wednesday, January 15. What did her research find, and will her recommendations for how to fix gender bias be effective? Meryl Natchez, an education and training professional with almost 30 years experience in the corporate sector, the Hass Business School, UC Berkeley Extension and Cal State Sacramento, discusses the presentation and her impressions.
Read MoreI wanted to tell you a little bit about some of my favorite neuroscience books. Books that did a good job of distilling the “wow” factor that drives people like your intrepid neuroblog contributors to think and talk about the brain. I’ve chosen these books for three reasons: they’re accessible to newcomers who don’t know much about neuroscience, they’re well-written enough to be enjoyable reads regardless of your neuro expertise (or lack thereof), and the science in them is largely accurate and based on a body of rigorous scientific literature.
These three books are: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, by Oliver Sacks; Moonwalking With Einstein, by Joshua Foer; This Is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel Levitin
Read MoreScience featured in most TV shows is so ludicrously inaccurate that fact-checking it is no fun. It’s best to either avoid watching or to suspend disbelief. However, The Big Bang Theory is a pleasant exception. ... I thought that it would be fun to translate what the show’s neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler says about her research into plain English.
Read MoreJason asks: What makes certain mental tasks be perceived as more demanding than others?
For physical tasks, it is pretty ease to see how, say, lifting a 10 lbs barbell would be perceived as easier than lifting one that’s 20 lbs. But why is watching a 1 hour video on, say, physics perceived as more demanding than watching an hour of “Desperate Housewives”?
This is a great question, Jason. Why is it that we feel mentally exhausted after studying for a test or preparing for a meeting, but we read books or watch movies to relax? All of these activities require your brain, after all! And why is it harder to resist eating a cookie when you've been doing brain work for hours?
As brain users, we generally feel as if there is some substance called mental effort, which we all have in limited quantities. We have to budget it carefully because some mental tasks require more of it than others, and if we run out we simply have to wait for it to replenish itself before we can use it again.
Read MoreHome of NeuWrite West and the Stanford Neuroblog.
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