Category Archives: Perception

August 22

The Science of Sensitivity

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Insights from the Neuroscience of Highly Sensitive People I am driving home as the sun beams through the windshield and straight into my face. It’s beautiful: the orange glow of the golden hour sky, the demanding brightness seen through squinted eyes. But it also adds to my dread about the half-an-hour of incoming stop-and-go traffic. […]

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July 11

The World in 3D: A Glimpse Into Depth Perception

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We see the world around us in three dimensions. These dimensions can be described as different planes in physical space, extending from any central point in not only vertical and horizontal directions, but also in depth. By using our vision to assess how near or far something is from us, and interpreting objects in three-dimensional […]

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April 25

Soothing Towel Sounds

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There is more to the new fad of ASMR than you think.

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October 12

Ten Years in the Making

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10 years ago, I was in a medically induced coma. On life support, my life rested in the hands of the incredible staff at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego (RCHSD). On October 8th, 2013, I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury due to a suicide attempt: I had jumped 3 stories from the parking garage […]

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September 30

What Does Music Have to Do with Gender, Anyway?

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There has been a lot of debate regarding gender stereotypes in music, but is there actually any inherent quality of music that makes it gendered?

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June 29

Headbang It Out

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Learn how your favorite rock and roll music could help you process emotions by understanding your brain’s basic responses

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April 13

Your Brain on Stories

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The brain is wired for stories, but what exactly happens to it when we hear and tell stories?

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August 04

Shiver me muscles: why do you shake when you’re cold?

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As a proud mid-Atlantic East Coaster, I thought I was relatively well adapted to colder winter climates. After being in sunny San Diego for a few years, however, I have realized that this is NOT so when a slight breeze invokes a shiver in my spine, or sitting outside on a 55 degree day can […]

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January 20

A review: “How Emotions are Made” by Lisa Feldman Barrett

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Take a moment and think about the last time you saw someone cry, or broke into a fit of laughter with your friends. It’s memories like these that last the longest in our minds and ultimately make up who we are – our ability to feel a vast range of emotions, and to share those […]

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December 09

Mal de Débarquement: The Science of Land Sickness

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Recently I was lucky to spend seven days on a catamaran out at sea with a small group of (COVID-vaccinated) friends. We traveled around the Gulf of California, witnessing truly amazing sights like manta rays jumping out of the water, sea birds diving into the water, and turtles floating along in the swell. This was […]

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