Creativity
Brainstorming on Zoom Hampers Creativity
Turning off the camera when trying to hash out new ideas might help
Stories by Bret Stetka
Creativity
Spark Creativity with Thomas Edison’s Napping Technique
Waking yourself from the twilight state just before sleep may help you to solve a challenging problem, a study shows
Neurology
Spinal Stimulation Helps People with Paralysis Walk, Canoe and Stand at a Bar
A new system that targets specific spinal nerves restored motor function quickly in three patients unable to move their legs or trunk
Neuroscience
New Brain Implant Turns Visualized Letters into Text
The technology lets people with paralysis perform thought dictation at rates approaching the thumb speeds of texters
Computing
An IBM AI Debates Humans—but It’s Not Yet the Deep Blue of Oratory
The give-and-take of formal arguments is still outside of a machine’s “comfort zone”—at least for now
Behavior
Media Multitasking Disrupts Memory, Even in Young Adults
Simultaneous TV, texting and Instagram lead to memory-sapping attention lapses
Neuroscience
Our Brain Is Better at Remembering Where to Find Brownies Than Cherry Tomatoes
Humans’ spatial recall makes mental notes about the location of high-calorie foods
Biology
Bird Brains Are Far More Humanlike Than Once Thought
The avian cortex had been hiding in plain sight all along. Humans were just too birdbrained to see it
Public Health
Trash-Collecting Researchers Find Dietary Patterns in Discarded Hair Clippings
People in low-income neighborhoods eat more proteins from animals and less of them from vegetables, a study suggests
Cognition
The Brain Interprets Smell like the Notes of a Song
The sequence in which clusters of olfactory neurons switch on can evoke the smell of an apple instead of a pear
Behavior
From Dinosaurs to Disney, Children Take Cues from Adults on Real vs. Make-Believe
Kids rated whether Santa Claus or the Wiggles actually exist in a test of cultural beliefs
Behavior
Ancient Teeth Reveal Social Stratification Dates Back to Bronze Age Societies
Humans have a history of status division stretching back at least 4,000 years
Neuroscience
Global Warming May Dwindle the Supply of a Key Brain Nutrient
Diminishing levels of an omega-3 fatty acid may have health consequences, including a higher risk for depression, ADHD and early dementia
Neuroscience
Lab-Grown “Mini Brains” Can Now Mimic the Neural Activity of a Preterm Infant
The so-called organoids are not capable of complex thought but could be used to study neurological diseases
Medicine
Antisense Drugs for Huntington’s, ALS and Prion Diseases Could Meet the Dire Need for Brain Treatments
A genetic therapy that increases or lowers levels of a protein raises hopes for a treatment for neurological disorders
Fitness
New Method for Tackling Stroke Restrains an Overactive Immune System
Shutting down an inflammatory molecule could potentially provide treatment days after onset
Neuroscience
Our Brain Uses a Not-So-Instant Replay to Make Decisions
Neural processing centers repeat recent sequences of events to lay down new memories used for abstract thought
Health
A Genetic Risk Score Tries to Predict Whether a Child Will Become Obese
A still-controversial test could be administered to toddlers to gauge their chances
Biotech
New Strategies Take on the Worst Cancer--Glioblastoma
Among the various malignancies that can afflict the human body, few bring with them the dour prognoses of brain tumors
Neurology
Why Rocking to Sleep Is a Matchless Sedative—and Elixir
Back-and-forth motions may tweak the sensory organs that control our balance and spatial orientation
