Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2006

People More Cautious Than Reckless When Gambling

When gambling, people dwell more on losing big than winning big, a new study finds. Using a brain scan technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers at UCLA mapped the brain's responsiveness as people placed bets in a gambling game. Participants were given $30 and then asked whether they...

Nov 30, 2008

Doctor's Advice: Leave the Toilet Seat Up

One of the longest-running spousal debates may now be settled in favor of men and for the sake of little boys. Leave the toilet seat up, some British doctors now say. The reason: a rising trend for heavy wooden and ornamental toilet seats to fall down onto the penises of...

Nov 30, 2008

Your Brain Sees $$$ More Clearly Than You Know

When you see something of value, your brain essentially sees dollar signs, a new study finds. The effect occurs even if you don't consciously realize the object's worth. Researchers scanned the brains of subjects who were presented with choices of constantly changing red and green objects that represented 10 cents...

Oct 31, 2008

Don't Freak Out: Paranoia Quite Common

LONDON (AP) _ If you think they're out to get you, you're not alone. Paranoia, once assumed to afflict only schizophrenics, may be a lot more common than previously thought. According to British psychologist Daniel Freeman, nearly one in four Londoners regularly have paranoid thoughts. Freeman is a paranoia expert...

Oct 31, 2008

Breakthrough: Eye Cells Regenerated in Live Mice

Scientists have for the first time regrown retina cells in live mammals. The mouse study offers hope for similar success in human eye cells. Located in the back of the eye, the retina's role in vision is to convert light into nerve impulses to the brain. Previous work had shown...

Sep 30, 2008

Animal Instincts: Main Street Seeks Revenge on Wall Street

The outrage expressed by many so-called Main Street folks over the proposed Wall Street bailout is based on more than a sense of injustice. It's about revenge, a basic animal instinct shared by humans, chimpanzees and even blue-footed boobies. And Washington politicians would be wise to listen up and stick...

Sep 30, 2008

Narcissists Tend to Become Leaders

Narcissists like to be in charge, so it stands to reason that a new study shows individuals who are overconfident about their abilities are most likely to step in as leaders, be they politicians or power brokers. However, their initiative doesn't mean they are the best leaders. The study also...

Aug 31, 2008

Study: Zen Meditation Really Does Clear the Mind

The seemingly nonsensical Zen practice of thinking about not thinking could help free the mind of distractions, new brain scans reveal. This suggests Zen meditation could help treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (so-called ADD or ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, major depression and other disorders marked by distracting thoughts....

Aug 31, 2008

At Home, Women Rule

Men might strut their stuff on Wall Street and on Capitol Hill, but across America women wield the power on the home front. A survey by the Pew Research Center, announced today, finds that among 43 percent of couples the woman makes more of the decisions in the domestic realm...

Jul 31, 2008

Why Shocking Images Stick in Short-Term Memory

You’d probably remember seeing a man with pink hair more than you could recall the guy walking next to him with brown hair. That’s because our brains best remember attention-grabbing images, according to a new study. Previous research has implied an upper limit to the number of visual images a...

May 31, 2008

Key to All Optical Illusions Discovered

Humans can see into the future, says a cognitive scientist. It's nothing like the alleged predictive powers of Nostradamus, but we do get a glimpse of events one-tenth of a second before they occur. And the mechanism behind that can also explain why we are tricked by optical illusions. Researcher...

Apr 30, 2008

Signs of Suicide Seen in Brain Scans

Suicides always leave behind sad and tough questions. One big one is whether those who commit suicide have faulty genes. It turns out that although they may have normal genes, child abuse may still have left its mark on the DNA in the brains of some, new research suggests. About...

Apr 30, 2008

Beware Cheap Sunglasses

Summer is rapidly approaching. That means sunshine, the beach, and kiosks selling sunglasses with dubious information about the true level of UV protection they offer. UV light can damage the eyes by essentially giving the cornea a sunburn or, in the long run, causing cataracts and retinal and macular degeneration....

Apr 30, 2008

Brain Tumors: What Senator Kennedy's Diagnosis Means

Senator Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with a type of brain tumor after he experienced a seizure Saturday morning and was brought to Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors diagnosed Sen. Kennedy, 76, with a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe, a region of the brain involved in sensation (such as...

Mar 31, 2008

Seizure-Causing Computer Hack Predicted in Sci-Fi

Hackers used JavaScript code and flashing computer animation left in an epilepsy support message board to induce migraine headaches and seizures in users. The incident is being described as the first computer attack to deliberately harm the human users of computers. The message was posted on Saturday, March 22nd. The...