With the plethora of time spent confined to my home during the quarantine, I have found my attention easily drifting. One minute I’m working on my laptop, the next thing I know I’m looking at the wall. At first my mind seems to be meditatively blank, but then I see a creature lurking before me. […]
May
21
Get out of my personal s p a c e
posted by Jess Du
How does the brain dynamically represent our personal space? It’s more interesting, and complicated, than you may think.
May
07
Like reality TV? You might be a neuroscientist
posted by Laura Beebe
Imagine … a lush, tropical island with carefully controlled temperature and humidity, where the lights come on and off at regular intervals, where its inhabitants consume dinner in unison from predetermined food sources…. Believe it or not, this paradise exists! It’s called Love Island. And for the many millions of viewers that tune into Love […]
April
30
Does cannabis help you sleep?
posted by Nicole Mlynaryk
Marijuana is commonly used to help people fall asleep, but does the science back that up?
April
23
I Can See it in Your Face: Facial Expressions in Mice
posted by Drew Schreiner
How do you know what an animal is feeling? Unfortunately, you can’t ask a dog, mouse, or fly how they are feeling or what they are thinking. This is one of the chief problems in animal research – we just don’t have ready access to their internal thoughts and feelings. This inability to access the […]
April
16
Get Your Head Out of the Game
posted by Donovan Cronkhite
“Dr. Pellman is not a neurosurgeon, he’s not a neuro-anything. He’s a rheumatologist.” -League of Denial, 2013 When faced with the task of investigating concussions in football, the National Football League (NFL) did not choose a neurologist to head the committee; they did not choose a neurosurgeon: they chose a rheumatologist. The documentary “League of […]
April
09
Why do many pandemics start with bats?
posted by Susan Lubejko
We are in the midst of an unprecedented global health crisis. The new disease COVID-19 has changed many aspects of how we can lead safe and healthy lives. COVID-19 is caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus previously unknown to humans. As health scientists race to find the best testing and preventative strategies, […]
April
02
Working With Distractions
posted by Emily Baltz
Many of us are working from home to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Home contains distractions, including family members, chores, social media, and many other possible activities. All of us want to be the best worker/parent/person we can be, but managing different tasks and switching seamlessly between them is difficult. The ability you’re […]
March
26
How is your brain coping with social distancing?
posted by megkirch
[En español] Amidst an ever-growing national and global crisis unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably already heard about (and are hopefully practicing) social distancing. The Center for Disease Control defines social distancing as “remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible”. […]
