Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
The Atlantic asks is it time to welcome our new computer overlords? – In light of the recent IBM Watson powered Jeopardy-pocalypse. Time? I’ve already slammed the bunker door.
The ‘boy without a cerebellum baffles doctors’ story is tackled by the not very baffled Neurological blog and the boy’s mother joins the discussion in the comments.
Law News Now reports on a news study finding that juries are less likely to convict defendants wearing glasses – nicknamed “the nerd defense”.
When a psychotherapist’s patient confesses to murder in the consulting room. The BPS Research Digest covers a fascinating study on this curious situation.
The Guardian reports on a second study finding that regular use of a second language during adulthood is associated with the later development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Prehistoric Brits made first pint glasses out of human skulls. Not Exactly Rocket Science calls time on the recently found craneo-vessels.
Wired Science reports on a study finding that the algorithms that describe the spread of an earthquake also describe how words spread through the political blogosphere.
Posterior Hippocampus and Sexual Frequency. The Neurocritic presents us with a great name for an Indie band and finds an interesting correlation. “The two outliers who had sex every day could be driving the correlation” – and if that isn’t a great lyric, I don’t know what is.
American Scientist has an engrossing piece arguing against the common idea that early humans were psychologically primitive.
The Curse of Mental Accounting. The Frontal Cortex has an excellent piece on hotel overcharging and the temptations of economics context.
Puzzle video games shown to treat anxiety and depression in a randomised controlled trial. The Rogue Neuron takes us one step further towards the day when patents are send to the Dungeon Master.
New Scientist asks whether Botox can really cure chronic migraine. Next week, can fake tits cure long-sightedness?
So, you say you’re pregnant sir? Wonderland on phantom pregnancy syndrome – in men.
The Guardian has a brief articles where a bunch of hype-weary neuroscientists give the brain stimulating ‘insight boosting’ thinking cap a scientific roughing up.
A concise summary of sexual psychology from Ionian Enchantment.
The California Report looks at brain surgery, while awake.
Is the ability to influence others by showing emotion a new aspect of emotional intelligence? The BPS Occupational Digest covers a fascinating new study.
Cerebrum has an interesting piece on the science of predicting aggression – although starts with an odd disclaimer about how “biological causes are difficult to identify and may be impossible to overcome” – which seems to miss the point that risk factors are additive not determinative.
History of psychology fans won’t want to miss the evolving list of key bibliographies over at Advances in the History of Psychology.
Psychiatric Times now has a monthly column by the history of psychiatry guys from the excellent h-madness blog.
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