Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 26, 2020

What is consciousness?

Humans once assumed our planet was the physical center of the solar system, so it's no surprise that we also think highly of consciousness, the apparently unique quality that allows our species to contemplate such matters. But what is consciousness? The topic has been extraordinarily controversial in the scientific and...

Jan 28, 2021

Ultrasound treatment 'jump-started' the brains of 2 people in coma-like state

An experimental treatment may have jump-started the brains of two patients who had been in a minimally conscious state for months following a coma, according to a new study. Both patients had severe brain injuries and had shown only limited signs of consciousness for more than a year. But after...

Apr 26, 2021

Can our brains help prove the universe is conscious?

As humans, we know we are conscious because we experience and feel things. Yet scientists and great thinkers are unable to explain what consciousness is and they are equally baffled about where it comes from. Consciousness — or better, conscious experience — is obviously a part of reality, said Johannes...

Aug 17, 2021

What God, quantum mechanics and consciousness have in common

In my 20s, I had a friend who was brilliant, charming, Ivy-educated and rich, heir to a family fortune. I'll call him Gallagher. He could do anything he wanted. He experimented, dabbling in neuroscience, law, philosophy and other fields. But he was so critical, so picky, that he never settled...

May 25, 2023

Scientists may be able to put Mars-bound astronauts into 'suspended animation' using sound waves, mouse study suggests

Scientists have blasted the brains of mice and rats with ultrasound to knock them into a hibernation-like state, and the researchers say the technique could one day be used on injured humans in critical care or on astronauts taking long-haul spaceflights. The first-of-its-kind method — which works by firing ultrasound...

Oct 9, 2017

No Sweat: Small Doses of Exercise May Ward Off Depression

Anyone who has experienced the euphoric runner's high that follows a satisfying workout will likely attest to a connection between physical activity and mental health. Studies have long borne this theory out: Endorphins, the opiate-like chemicals that flood the brain after intense or sustained exercise, appear to act as a...

Oct 16, 2017

'Magic Mushrooms' Might Ease Depression Symptoms

Psilocybin, the main ingredient in magic mushrooms, may soothe symptoms of depression, according to a very preliminary study. The research had a small sample size — only 20 patients — and no control group who got a placebo for comparison's sake. That makes it hard to draw firm conclusions about...

Oct 24, 2017

Clowns or Holes: What Is Your State Most Afraid Of?

Californians and Texans seem to suffer from a fear of holes, Georgians fear heights, and Americans generally seem to really be creeped out by the number 13 — or at least, that's what our search histories suggest. Security company ADT has a blog called yourlocalsecurity.com, and in the spirit of...

Dec 8, 2017

Why One Woman Mysteriously Started Hearing 'Divine' Voices

A 48-year-old woman in Switzerland stabbed herself several times in the chest, claiming she heard divine voices that instructed her to commit the act as a religious sacrifice, a recent report of the woman's case reveals. But doctors suspect that these heavenly voices likely had an earthly cause; namely, a...

Dec 29, 2017

The 8 Biggest Happiness Findings of 2017

Don't worry, be happy (Image credit: Shutterstock)There's no single formula for happiness. But scientists continue to investigate aspects of our lives that may affect our well-being, including social media use, exercise and even our posture. Here are eight interesting things we learned in 2017 about the factors that may influence...

Dec 30, 2017

The Bizarre Reason for a Man's Worsening Anxiety

A British man's symptoms of anxiety were eventually traced to an unusual cause: his repeated exposure to a toxic substance while in the navy, a recent report of the man's case suggests. The man worked as a naval engineer for five years. During this time, he was exposed almost daily...

Jan 7, 2018

Why Sniffing Your Partner's Shirt Helps Reduce Stress

If you're feeling stressed, a whiff of your romantic partner's shirt may help you feel more relaxed, a new study shows. Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) found that smelling a romantic partner’s clothing was associated with lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in women's blood, according...

Feb 13, 2018

US Happiness Plummeted in 2017: These 21 States Saw Declines in Well-Being

Last year was not a good one for Americans' happiness — a record number of states saw declines in their residents' well-being, according to a new poll. The poll, from Gallup-Sharecare, found that residents' well-being declined in 21 states in 2017, compared with the levels in 2016. That's the largest...

Mar 13, 2018

This Florida City Is Nation's Happiest for 3rd Year in a Row

Residents of the Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metro area reported the highest scores on a Gallup-Sharecare's survey of well-being, conducted in 2016 and 2017. The survey included people in 186 U.S. metro areas, and the scores were averaged over a two-year period. Overall, the Naples metro area scored 67.6 out of 100...

Mar 19, 2018

Scientists Made a Startling Discovery After Dosing People with LSD

Scientists in Switzerland dosed test subjects with LSD to investigate how patients with severe mental disorders lose track of where they end and other people begin. Both LSD and certain mental disorders, most notably schizophrenia, can make it difficult for people to distinguish between themselves and others. And that can...