Brain imaging studies of violent criminals are difficult to interpret because the most persistent among them — those who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of all crime — are not only violent but also …
Brain
Babies: They’re Smarter Than You Think
Every parent thinks they’re baby is exceptionally smart — and cute, too. But while it can’t be true that every infant is above average, Lake Wobegon-style, it turns out that babies become able to reason surprisingly well at a …
Drinking Coffee, Having Sex, Blowing Nose: Among 8 Potential Stroke Triggers
It’s hard to believe that blowing your nose or drinking coffee could be deadly. But for those who — perhaps unknowingly — have an untreated brain aneurysm, these everyday actions could trigger a life-threatening stroke, a new …
Why Your Embarrassment Causes Me So Much Pain
Ever find yourself physically cringing as you watch those hopeful contestants on American Idol who have no clue that they can’t sing? If so, you’re probably a highly empathetic person, according to new study published in the …
Found! The Seat of Embarrassment in Your Brain
Ever wonder why your pulse races and your heart beats faster and you start to sweat when you’re embarrassed?
Freeway Air Pollution Linked to Brain Damage in Mice
It’s no secret that air pollution — besides damaging the pulmonary system and blackening the skies — can also lead to cardiovascular problems and even heart attacks. But a new study in the journal Environmental Health …
Heroin vs. Häagen-Dazs: What Food Addiction Looks Like in the Brain
Is Häagen-Dazs ice cream as addictive as heroin? Or, put another way, is heroin as addictive as Häagen-Dazs?
Why the Pain of Romantic Rejection Feels Like a Punch in the Gut
There are only a lucky few among us who can’t relate to the intense pain of being rejected by a significant other. If a breakup is unexpected, it’s all the more painful — it can hurt with such intensity that you can’t …
Q&A: How Our Brains Predispose Us to Believe in God
Psychologist Jesse Bering is best known for his often risqué (and sometimes NSFW) Bering in Mind blog for Scientific American, which examines human behavior — frequently of the sexual sort. But he’s also the director of the …
Alzheimer’s on Mom’s Side May Be Riskier than Dad’s
Family history is a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and now a new study adds to the evidence that the risk of the disease is greater if you have it on your mother’s side than on your father’s.
What Your Brain Looks Like After 20 Years of Marriage
Contrary to popular opinion, people who say they are still madly in love with their spouses after more than two decades are not crazy. At least, some of them aren’t. And in answer to your next question, apparently they’re not lying either.
Placebos Work Even if You Know They’re Fake: But How?
Physicians have long believed that some form of deception is essential to the placebo effect: after all, if you tell people that you’re giving them a fake drug, why would they respond by getting better?
The Roots of Brain Diseases: One Team Finds 1,400 Culprits
Scientists are always trying to discover genetic origins of disease, and this week, one team announced a significant breakthrough.