Check out what I consider to be some of the most exciting research findings of today.
Bang! “Ouch” *Grab*
When you bang your elbow on a table, why is your first instinct to grab it? This response might have something to do with how your sensory neurons process information. To learn more about this phenomenon, check out my article on That’s Life [Science].
Why We Don’t Keep Resolutions
In the Summer of 2020, it is easy to tell ourselves that we’ll call our representatives and sign that petition in the hopes of making change for a better world. But why are the rates of follow-through so low? Why don’t more people do these simple tasks that would have such high impact? There are,Continue reading “Why We Don’t Keep Resolutions”
Expand Your Mind
Part of our challenge in studying the brain is that it has such small components. For a huge part of human history, we just haven’t had the technology to see neural communication. We continue to be limited by available technology. But one lab is quickly making a name for themselves by thinking outside the boxContinue reading “Expand Your Mind”
Going on Autopilot? Thank Your Place Cells
Have you ever found yourself at work in the morning without any specific memories from the commute? How did you manage to get there without thinking about it? Does your brain know how to get you there effortlessly? Pretty much! There are “place cells” in your brain who’s job is to take over in theseContinue reading “Going on Autopilot? Thank Your Place Cells”
Why Does Alcohol Make You Dizzy?
Your liver can only do so much at once. When you drink more alcohol than your liver can process at the time, it gets released into your bloodstream and into a fluid called the endolymph in your ears. This fluid sloshes around your ears to give you a sense of how your body is orientedContinue reading “Why Does Alcohol Make You Dizzy?”
The Feelings that Linger
Have you noticed that all it takes is one bad event to completely ruin an otherwise wonderful day? Why do we devote so much brain power to fixating on the negative when we’d be so much happier by fixating on the positive? It all comes down to evolution. Because of the life-threatening nature of manyContinue reading “The Feelings that Linger”
Sleeping One Hemisphere at a Time
Unihemispheric sleep has got to be one of the coolest adaptations around. Animals like dolphins have evolved to breathe air but live under water. This makes sleep a risky endeavor, unless you develop a mechanism that allows you to always be a little bit awake. By keeping one hemisphere of their brain awake at allContinue reading “Sleeping One Hemisphere at a Time”
Human Eye Structure Makes No Sense…Or Does It?
When you take in visual information, it goes all the way to the back of the eye before you even start to process it. This seems counterintuitive. Wouldn’t it make more sense to start processing information at the outer edge of your eye and move inward toward the rest of the brain? Visual processing ifContinue reading “Human Eye Structure Makes No Sense…Or Does It?”
Midnight Snacks Could Be the Death of You
There’s nothing as harmless as a midnight snack, right? As it turns out, what you eat is only part of the equation for a healthy lifestyle. When you have those snacks is also a huge factor in keeping you healthy. I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar held by Dr. Joseph Takahashi, a collaboratorContinue reading “Midnight Snacks Could Be the Death of You”
Fat is Good for Your Brain
Have you ever wondered what your brain is made of? Turns out there’s a lot of fat up there. And you’re lucky there is! The fat in your brain plays an important role in speeding up your thought processes. Read more in my article published on That’s Life [Science].
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