A team of American and Italian scientists have found the biology of the human brain to be distinct from that of rhesus monkeys, thought to be our closest evolutionary ancestor.
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The five stages of grief have become the stuff of pop psychology but disbelief, yearning, anger, depression and acceptance do not always follow each other in an orderly procession.
Overturning previous studies on the subject of aging and happiness, researchers at Florida State University College of Medicine have found that people generally become happier as they age.
Researchers have successfully “reprogrammed” certain cells to produce more insulin in the body, representing a potential genetic treatment for patients diagnosed with diabetes.
Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. Can’t go around it. Gotta go through it. Many generations will remember with affection growing up singing the song above. This generation […]
Is American Exceptionalism “the old whiskey bottle we pull off the shelf when we’re feeling down?”
Parents looking to keep their kids from experimenting with tobacco, drugs and alcohol should avoid mention of their own past drug use, according to a new study on human communication.
Just after the FDA approved a special pair of glasses that help restore vision to the blind, a German company has built a system which requires no external hardware to function properly.
Sure, the Allies are advancing… but a snail could do it quicker!
Corporations like Frito-Lay and Coca-Cola have poured enormous amounts of money into creating snack foods and drinks filled with sugar and fat. The result has been a public health epidemic.
Researchers at the University of Washington have determined the molecular structure of certain compounds found in beer that give the brew its bitter flavor and confer health benefits.
I’m an amateur jazz drummer. Last night, as I was surfing my favorite drumming site, drummerworld.com, I came upon the most astounding video. Four very young Japanese women all dressed […]
The government should immediately increase the national gasoline tax, say a team of MIT scientists who want the nation to cut back on its use of petroleum-based fuel for driving.
“If You’re Too Busy To Meditate, Read This,” proclaimed a wildly popular Harvard Business Review story a few months ago. It was but one data point we observed as we […]
The human race became a little humbler recently when it was discovered that dolphins, much like people, have unique signatures they use to identify themselves and each other.
NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover. Big Data Predicts the Oscars. These are among the brainiest memes included in today’s Mind Memes.
Consider the story of my first encounter with Sartre. I read Being and Nothingness in college. The professor, a Nietzsche aficionado, explained Sartre’s adage that existence precedes essence. After two […]
“Hell, darling. That is what is going on in Hollywood right now,” says stylist Cheryl Konteh, referring to the film industry’s preparations for this weekend’s Oscars ceremony.
In America, the healthcare industry has followed private industry in its goals of selling more products more often. The result is a lack of holistic care that treats patients as human beings.
According to Caltech professor emeritus and microelectronics pioneer Carver Mead, the scientific revolution that got under way at the start of the 20th century has been stymied by big egos.
Big Think and TEDMED, the TED licensee for health and medicine, are collaborating on an upcoming series on how you can apply emerging ideas in health and science to your own life.
During this year’s Super Bowl, brands like Oreo and Tide didn’t just stick to their traditional pre-planned paid advertising routine—they tried something new. Along with six others, they flexed their […]
Focus makes us smarter. In a recent study using mice, when their attention improved, so did their cognitive performance. The same is true for humans.
A few years ago, at mile 20 of my second marathon, I promised myself I would never again run a 26.2 mile race. I had trained impeccably, ran my first […]
A capsule containing two complimentary enzymes measuring just 10 nanometers thick could be a vessel for new vaccines and a powerful cure for hangovers, say UCLA researchers.
“How to Make the Most of Your College Education” has become a popular blogging theme. Megan McArdle got things started this time, but the most sensible contribution has come from […]
Using benefit-cost analysis (or its equivalent, cost-benefit analysis) to evaluate projects not only increases the value of government spending, but increases equity as well.
Using yeast cells, biochemical engineers at MIT have found a way to boost the production of isobutanol, a chemical which has long been considered a possible alternative to gasoline fuel.
The breakthrough innovation development of the year so far is the White House’s upcoming plan to map the entire human brain. By essentially enabling us to reverse-engineer the human brain, the Brain […]
Google Glass. Life Extension. Life Extinction. These are among the brainiest memes included in the inaugural post of our new blog, Mind Memes, which offers quick reads on the Internet […]