An interesting paper came across my radar week – “Placebo effects in cognitive training” published in PNAS (with a paywall, unfortunately). In this paper, the authors investigate the effect that people’s expectations might have on the results of brain-training experiments. Every research study needs to recruit people to participate, and a common way is to…
Posit Science’s very own Dr. Michael Merzenich has been awarded the 2016 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience for his work in discovering adult brain plasticity and applying its principles to improve the human condition! The Kavli Prize––a partnership between The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, The Kavli Foundation, and The Norwegian Ministry of Education and…
There are quite a few brain-training programs around, and it can take an expert to figure out which ones actually work. Unfortunately, too many programs have little or no science backing up their claims to improve brain function. BrainHQ is different: people with deep knowledge of the brain designed our exercises, and a wealth of…
I love this infographic from the Huffington Post- it not only gives you 16 ideas for boosting happiness, but also graphically shows how much time each activity requires and how big a boost you get from doing it. You can read the full article for the lowdown on the scientific research behind each idea.
I have just returned from a couple weeks in New Zealand, where I am collaborating with Dr. Melanie Cheung and others on a pretty incredible Huntington’s disease project. I am so inspired by what we’re doing there that I wanted to share a bit about it. More than 7,000 of the 4.5 million citizens of…
Did you miss the “Neuroplasticity and Healing” Summit with the Dalai Lama, Dr. Michael Merzenich, Dr. Edward Taub, and Norman Doidge? Or did you find the video feed a bit lengthy and hard to understand? The wonderful Brain Science Podcast–long on the top of our “great neuroscience podcasts” lists–has created an excellent episode featuring highlights…
By now, you probably know that it’s not too difficult to trick the brain, but do you know why your brain falls for illusions? In this great ASAP Science video, we learn about fast and slow thinking, and how these 2 different brain systems affect our perception and let our brains be fooled. (If you want to…
Of all the neuroscientists in the world, who had the honor of sharing the stage with the Dalai Lama last week? Our co-founder and chief scientist, Dr. Michael Merzenich, was chosen for a very special on-stage discussion with His Holiness that took place this past weekend week at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The symposium, titled “Neuroplasticity and Healing,” centered on the topic…
We love the ASAP Science videos and have posted a few here before. This is another great one, featuring 7 common brain myths – and explaining why they aren’t true, and what the real facts are! Do alcohol and drugs really kill brain cells? Are people “left-brained” or “right-brained”? Do we have five senses, or more? And…
Do you find you’re often tired and lack energy? There are lots of things that can contribute to fatigue and low energy, and you may not even realize that some common habits and practices can make you tired. Here are 10 things that sap your energy and make you tired all the time. Some of…