A small but significant proportion of morbidly obese people are missing a section of their DNA, according to new research.
A small but significant proportion of morbidly obese people are missing a section of their DNA, according to research published February 3 in Nature. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London and ten other [...]

The answers that proved a road accident victim was not in a ‘vegetative state’
If it’s true that some brain damaged patients are actually capable of communicating with their brains, even though there are no movements made by their bodies, wouldn’t that make “right to die” issues so much more complicated?  But I’m jumping ahead here… [...]

Brainy is suddenly chic
On an arctic Sunday morning in central London, an unlikely crowd has gathered in a draughty Victorian meeting hall to hear a sermon. They don’t look like your average God botherers. The “urban trendy” quota is set to maximum, and the majority of the chatty, well-heeled crowd are wearing those chunky-knit beanies [...]

Taking a coffee break aids memory
Scientists have always known that sleeping helps consolidate memory by allowing your mind to sift through recently gained knowledge and file it in the brain.   But this new research suggests that even a short rest or break while conscious could help it sort and retain information.
 

The Bat can generate and use Biosonar Signals.
Researchers at The University of Western Ontario (Western) led an international and multi-disciplinary study that sheds new light on the way that bats echolocate. With echolocation, animals emit sounds and then listen to the reflected echoes of those sounds to form images of their surroundings in their brains.

Ambidextrous children are twice as likely to do badly at school and suffer from attention problems as right-handers, a study published yesterday shows. Researchers from Imperial College London tested 7,871 children’s language, behaviour and academic skills at the ages of seven or eight and again at 15 or 16.
They asked the children’s teachers to assess [...]

Bigger brains are better at learning
When it comes to intelligence, size does matter, it seems, for a new study has revealed that people with bigger brains are actually better at learning than those who have smaller ones.
 

Aphrodisiacs – What’s in your wallet?

Humans have had a long-running affair with foods believed to entice or enhance sexual performance, and it’s led to a host of recipes for stirring up some mojo. Some of these concoctions are based on science, some are based on folklore, and some are just based on last-ditch efforts [...]

Running boosts brain power
Running can help boost your brain power and help you overcome a forgetful memory, a Cambridge University study has suggested.  Jogging a couple of days a week was shown to stimulate the brain, which led to a big impact on mental ability, university neuroscientists discovered.
 

The special eye test could be part of a routine examination
A test that can detect Alzheimer’s up to 20 years before any symptoms show is being developed by British scientists.  The simple and inexpensive eye test could be part of routine examinations by high street opticians in as little as three years, allowing those in middle age [...]

The brain cooling helmet.

An extraordinary new ‘brain-cooling’ motorcycle helmet could save thousands of lives each year.
Called the ThermaHelm, the incredible piece of equipment comes with an inbuilt device that acts like an instant ice pack after a sudden impact.
By cooling the brain it is thought the carbon fibre helmet can reduce the risk of long-term [...]

One of the main priorities of doctors treating premature babies is to increase their body weight
Playing Mozart to premature babies can help them gain weight because they use less energy when calmed by listening to soothing melodies, scientists have found.
 

The strawberry shake improves short-term memory in those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s
A memory-boosting milkshake for Alzheimer patients could be available within two years.  Tests show that taken once a day with breakfast, the strawberry shake significantly improves short-term memory in those in the early stages of the devastating disease.
 

A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science has found our concept of time is distorted, and we consistently underestimate how much time has passed since events in the past, condensing the time.
 

Tests suggested that exposure to radiation from the devices had a beneficial effect on the mind and could even reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s.
 

Scientists have found that a chemical in pork products and eggs can help the growing brain to develop.  A new study suggests that the micronutrient, called choline, is critical to helping babies in the womb develop parts of their brains linked to memory and recall.
 

Dolphin training in the military
Researchers argue that it is morally unacceptable to keep such intelligent animals in captivity or to kill them for food.  Dolphins should be treated as “non-human persons” and merit special rights above other animals because they are so bright, scientists claim.
 

Think Enlish is tough?

The Economist has an article about how languages can be said to be, comparatively speaking, more or less complex. The grand prize for most complex language goes to one in the Amazon:
With all that in mind, which is the hardest language? On balance The Economist would go for Tuyuca, of the eastern [...]

 In what could be a revolution in communication for paralysed people, a man with locked-in syndrome has “spoken” three different vowel sounds using a voice synthesiser controlled by an implant deep in his brain.
 

Sleep-deprived teenagers are far more likely to suffer from depression
Teenagers with set bedtimes are far less likely to suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts, according to a new study.  Researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 adolescents and their parents in the U.S.
 

An alcohol substitute that mimics its pleasant buzz without leading to drunkenness and hangovers is being developed by scientists. The new substance could have the added bonus of being “switched off” instantaneously with a pill, to allow drinkers to drive home or return to work.

David Waters received the heart from Kaden Delaney (top right). He now craves Burger Rings – one of Kaden’s favorite snacks.
A heart transplant patient is craving the food his donor used to eat, prompting questions over whether the organ has a ‘memory’ of its own.
 

People who talk out loud to think through their maths problems are able to solve them faster and have more chance of getting the right answer, the research has found.
 

The contest is a celebration of the ingenuity and creativity of the worlds premier visual illusion research community. Visual illusions are those perceptual experiences that do not match the physical reality. Our perception of the outside world is generated indirectly by brain mechanisms, and so all visual perception is illusory to some extent.
The study of [...]

Surfing the internet can increase IQ and boost memory in adults
Despite worries about the damaging effects of the digital age on brain development, surfing the internet can, in fact, increase IQ and boost memory in adults, scientists have found.