Mind control and world domination powers not included So about a week before I actually got the Muse, Mark messaged me asking if I wanted to try a meditation headset. I’m envisioning something like one of those old gaming headsets (don’t ask why… no idea) maybe headphones and maybe a VR screen or a microphone? […]
Technically, the human microbiome refers to the genetics of all of the various microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi etc.) that live on or in the human body – there are literally hundreds of thousands of different species. These microbes are at least neutral if not helpful (taking up space and producing by-products so that ‘bad’ microbes […]
Step inside the Default Mode Network. Or breathe inside of it? Lose yourself in it? We’re not really sure yet. We’ve all been there – part way through a lecture, meeting, or workout you find yourself thinking about what to make for dinner, how to remodel your living room, what ever happened to your 4th […]
In a recent article I talked about magnetic fields stimulating the brain using a device call the ‘God Helmet’. I’m not going to open that can of worms again, but I did promise to delve into TMS and how it uses magnetic fields to stimulate the brain. TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation – it […]
Researchers at the University of Zurich studied 191 adults over two years, using magnetic resonance imaging to assess each individual three times, tracking 450 anatomical features in the brain and they found that structural differences between participants were significant enough that they could identify an individual, based on the anatomy of their brain, with over 90% accuracy. […]
There has been some hype recently (see here, here, or here) about a helmet that has caused “mystical experiences” among individuals at a Dutch music festival. Sounds pretty cool, and a little unbelievable, that a helmet could cause such a reaction. What makes it even more unbelievable is it was just a skateboard helmet with […]
Is love a marathon or a sprint? For your brain, it’s both. Most of us are familiar with the rush associated with ‘falling in love’. Sweaty palms, a racing heart, a little bit of a swoon every time your new love looks at you, and a tendency to overhaul the other things going on in […]
Can you predict whether a child will develop anxiety or depression based on a brain scan at birth? A study published this February in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry examined connections between the amygdalae and other areas of the brain to find correlations between those connections and possible symptoms of anxiety […]
The Open Patient tells the stories of two brain cancer patients, Steven Keating and Liz Salmi, and their experiences with accessing and sharing their medical data. Great insights into the power of making data accessible to patients and empowering them to lead their care with that data.
Scientists have long puzzled over why some species of birds, with their teeny tiny bird brains, are able to solve complex problems, create tools, recognize their own reflection, find their way home without GPS, form lasting monogamous partnerships, sing, understand causal relationships, and make long-term decisions about resources–all things that you, with your grotesquely oversized adult primate brain, […]