Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

Feb 28, 2009

5 Things You Must Never Forget

5 Things You Must Never Forget (Image credit: Dreamstime)Whether it is a name, date or directions, there always seems to be something new to remember. Yet you probably feel like there's just not enough room in those little brain cells of yours to cram the latest tidbit. And unfortunately you...

Feb 28, 2009

Teen Leaders More Likely to Have Kids Later

We live in an age of overachieving young people. These kids do great in school, are sports team captains, have lots of friends who follow them around in awe, and get raises at their part-time jobs because they have the skills to get others to work hard too. Some of...

Jan 31, 2009

Study Suggests Why Gut Instincts Work

Sometimes when you think you're guessing, your brain may actually know better. After conducting some unique memory and recognition tests, while also recording subjects' brain waves, scientists conclude that some gut feelings are not just guesswork after all. Rather, we access memories we aren't even aware we have. We may...

Jan 31, 2009

The Strangest Valentine's Day Stories

The approach of Valentine's Day generates more meaningless articles and borderline news than any other holiday. Not to mention some bizarre rituals and events (see Zoorotica, below). Surveys about love are done, studies having anything to do with relationships or chocolate are held for release this week, and people start...

Dec 31, 2008

'Tetris' Game Quells Bad Flashbacks

Tetris, one of the most popular video games ever, could help reduce flashbacks among people with post-traumatic stress disorder. A study of healthy volunteers who played the falling-blocks game for 10 minutes a half hour after viewing traumatic images of injury, including advertisements highlighting the dangers of drunk driving, showed...

Nov 30, 2010

ADHD May Foster Criminal Behavior in Some Adults

Celebrity designer Ty Pennington is known for inspiring people with remodeled dream homes and providing tips for functional, stylish decor. He is also one of millions of Americans who struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other stars like game show host Howie Mandel and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps have...

Oct 31, 2010

Adult Picky Eaters Now Recognized as Having a Disorder

He's 63 years old, but Bob Krause admits he still eats a 4-year-old's dream diet. Krause likes peanut butter, crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate milk and little else. More adventurous meals look like a plate of barf, he told LiveScience. If I could snap my fingers and change, I would,...

Aug 31, 2010

Men More Susceptible to Memory Decline

Men are more susceptible than women to memory problems in old age, according to a new study. Mild cognitive impairment, a condition in which people have problems with memory or thinking beyond that explained by normal aging, can lead to Alzheimer's disease. The new research, published Sept. 7 in the...

Aug 31, 2010

Surprising Hike in Suicide Rates Found Among Baby Boomers

Suicide rates among middle-age people are going up, according to a new study. The trend seems to be driven by the entrance of the Baby Boom generation into middle age, when chronic diseases rear their ugly heads. The study, published in the journal Public Health Reports, reveals middle-age suicides to...

Jul 31, 2010

Can You Really Laugh Until You Cry?

We laugh in joy and cry over pain, right? Well, it turns out that it's not so black-and-white. Although not fully understood, we can laugh until we cry. One explanation for this is that both laughing and crying happen during times of high emotional arousal, University of Maryland at Baltimore...

Apr 30, 2010

5 Minutes with Nature Can Boost Mental Health

Just 5 minutes doing something in a park, in the woods or even in your backyard can boost mental health, a new study finds. Many studies have shown that spending active time in the great outdoors is good for the mind. Humans have a deep-seated need for contact with nature,...

Apr 30, 2010

Mechanism Found That Makes Order From Chaotic Newborn Brain

Brain cells in a newborn baby are loosely interconnected. Amid chaos, they are looking for contact with each other and are only later able to operate as interactive neural networks. Now scientists say they've found a mechanism in the memory center of newborn that adjusts the maturation of the brain...

Apr 30, 2010

Why Is Gray Matter Gray?

The stuff between our ears comes in two shades: white and grey. The difference between the two is all in the fat content. The white matter of the brain is made up primarily of axon tracts, the long, spindly appendages of some brain cells. These tracts transmit the electrical signals...

Mar 31, 2010

Mirror Neurons Allow Us to Understand Each Other

We can understand the actions of others because of mirror neurons — cells that are located in the movement and memory sections of our brains and which help us interpret the actions of others, scientists have long suspected. Now they have evidence. Mirroring is believed to be the way in...

Mar 31, 2010

New Implants Mold to Brain Like Shrink-Wrap

New silken brain implants that mold to the organ's grooves and crevices like shrink-wrap could lead to better devices for monitoring and controlling seizures. They can also serve as advanced brain-machine interfaces for control of prosthetics and other devices, said John Rogers, a professor of materials science and engineering at...