Not Exactly Rocket Science covers a eye-opening study that looked at an interaction between genetics and social behaviour. So far, so normal, except that the researchers found that the gene in question, involved in sensing the hormone oxytocin, had a different effect on social behaviour in American and Koreans. The study looked at how often [...]
14 Vote(s)
August 19, 2010
June 26, 2010
I feel what you mean
Not Exactly Rocket Science covers a fascinating study on how touching different objects influences how we perceive the world - based on abstract associations between things like weight and seriousness.Weight is linked to importance, so that people carrying heavy objects deem interview candidates as more serious and social problems as more pressing. Texture is linked to difficulty and harshness. T
11 Vote(s)
11 Vote(s)
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February 27, 2010
2010-02-26 Spike activity
Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:Slate has a little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition with deadly consequences.An important study on how video games can hamper reading and writing skills in young boys by displacing other activities is covered by Not Exactly Rocket Science.The New Yorker has a long but shallow article on the scientific s
17 Vote(s)
17 Vote(s)
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November 21, 2009
June 23, 2009
Tooling up the body
Not Exactly Rocket Science covers an intriguing study that provides further evidence for the theory that the brain treats tools as temporary body parts.Using tools has lots of interesting effects on our perception. In one of my favourite studies, psychologist Dennis Proffitt found that we perceive distances as shorter when we have a tool in our hand, but only when we intend to use it. This latest
16 Vote(s)
16 Vote(s)
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