Many explanations have been offered for JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s meltdown and dramatic emergency slide exit on Monday—from “air rage” to suggestions of a relapse into alcoholism. But none of the media coverage has noted what could be the most obvious and chilling reason for his bizarre behavior: at the beginning of …
Brain
Mind and Diet Update: Processed Foods linked to Depression, High Protein to Alzheimer’s
The news on eating a whole food, primarily plant-based diet just keeps getting better. Three new studies add more support to the idea that these kinds of foods are good for the brain. The first found that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables—compared to one made up mostly of processed, sweetened foods—lowers the risk of …
Deep brain stimulation for severe Tourette syndrome
Deep brain stimulation may be a safe and effective treatment for people with severe Tourette syndrome, according to research appearing this week in the journal Neurology. Roughly 2 million Americans have Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrolled movements and vocalizations or tics, lasting more than a year. …
Internet virgins search web, boost brain power
If you have someone in your life who stubbornly refuses to get in line by going online, here’s a carrot. Yesterday, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, presented their study showing that when adults (ages 55 to 78) go online their brains get bigger. Well, maybe not physically bigger, but they did reclaim …
The Roots of Individuality
Why do different people’s minds work so differently? Human brain cells don’t follow a set DNA script. Instead, they contain a surprising number of mobile elements — or “jumping genes” — that let them reorganize their genetic code.