I believe in a long, prolonged, derangement of the senses in order to obtain the unknown. – Jim Morrison The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world. – Carl […]
Category Archives: Cognition
January
09
Reefer Madness?
posted by erikkaestner
The recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington makes this is a good time to think about the potential risks of marijuana consumption. Marijuana has a long and storied history of recreational use in humans (earliest evidence of its use is 4000 BC in China1). The popular image of marijuana today is as a […]
December
24
Neuro-Gifting
posted by Ethan McBride
‘Tis the season…for a lot of things. No matter what holiday you celebrate, December tends to be a month to get together with family, give each other gifts, and if you’re still feeling generous, give money to charity. The end of this month also tends to involve the consumption of a great deal of alcohol…stay […]
November
28
Tuckered Out By Turkey’s Tryptophan?
posted by socogal42
The carcass lies half eaten in the middle of the room. Its devourers are scattered about, full stomachs groaning as they sleep off their heavy meal. A sense of quiet calm settles around their tired forms. Yes, it has been a successful feast, one that is taking place across a joyful nation. I’m talking, of […]
November
18
Antidepressants, plasticity, and language development
posted by Melissa Troyer
As an attendee at the 5th annual Society for Neurobiology (SNL) conference, four years had passed since my first exposure to the meeting–a discussion of the state-of-the-art research being done on the neuroscience of language processing. In those four years, things have happened! This meeting left me marveling at new advances and the number of […]
October
29
The science non-fiction of a bodiless brain
posted by Emilie Reas
The brain. Nestled cozily inside its skull and properly integrated with its body’s peripheral nervous and circulatory systems, the organ is revered as a sacred abode for our thoughts, emotions, and identity. But extracted from this natural habitat, its slimy cortex and gyrating gyri can make one squeamish. Don’t worry, we neuroscientists aren’t offended. It’s […]
October
28
Zombies are real – I wish I was kidding.
posted by Ashley Juavinett
Zombies terrify me. Maybe it’s their helter-skelter gait and bloody outstretched arms, or perhaps the fact that they eat brains, and I happen to like brains. That must be it. You know what’s also horrifying? Our contrived Hollywood concept of zombies is derived from the Haiti zombi, a real phenomenon that occurred in the context […]
October
27
The Shape of Things to Come
posted by erikkaestner
Experts overwhelmingly agree: Robots will soon overthrow humanity. The only question is whether they will merely enslave us1 or will entirely destroy the human race2,3,4. To better face our coming downfall, it is important to understand how machines will gain the powers to destroy us. They have already bested us in chess5, game shows6, and […]
October
20
Molecular routes of memory enhancement
posted by UCSDNeuro
Most students are no strangers to cognitive enhancers such as caffeine or Adderall. However, these and other cognitive enhancers tend to have non-specific effects on the nervous system (e.g., jitteriness), or are specifically formulated for a disease or disorder1. Drugs or treatments that specifically target some aspect of a cognitive behavior are lacking, and require […]
October
17
Who Do You Think You Are?
posted by socogal42
The young woman lies in a hospital bed, her head wrapped in bandages, a handsome man asleep at her bedside. She opens her eyes and we can immediately see her eyes move wildly around the room, taking in the surroundings with a panicked look on her face. The man jerks awake and tries to […]
NeuWrite San Diego 
You must be logged in to post a comment.