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#Neuroscience

Blog / Nature or nurture? Weather can (literally) shape your brain

March 15, 2022 / Jillian Battista /

Maybe we’re born with it, or maybe it’s the weather! Did you know your brain actually changes size throughout the year? Surprisingly, it may be due to the seasons. 

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brain Human behavior Neuroscience Seasons Weather

Blog / Why be “Mad as a Hatter??”

April 13, 2021 / Syed Masood /

Once thought to be the elixir of life found in tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and Chinese Emperors, Quicksilver, also known as the element mercury, is in fact quite the opposite.…

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Alice in Wonderland Hatter Lewis Carroll Lighthouses mercury methylmercury minamata Neuroscience Science history Selenoenzymes toxicity

Blog / What octopuses on ecstasy tell us about brain evolution

April 7, 2021 / Kate Giffin / 1

Of all the creatures on earth, octopuses might be the most alien. They could not be more different from us, with powerful tentacles, three hearts, blue blood, and neurons spread…

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Biology brain Evolutionary Biology Neuroscience Not so Frivolous octopus Weird Science

Blog / Four Reasons Reading Should be Your Next Pandemic Pastime

February 24, 2021February 24, 2021 / Allison Smith /

Everyone has picked up some new hobbies during the pandemic, but what are the scientific benefits of reading a good book?

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books fiction hobbies Memory Neuroscience Pandemic Psychology reading Stress

Blog / Meditation: Medical Miracle or Mythical Exaggeration?

September 25, 2020September 25, 2020 / Sean Gay /

What is meditation? And is it actually scientifically proven to work?

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Anxiety depression Focus insomnia Meditation Neuroscience

Blog / Meditation: Tending the Garden of the Mind

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020 / Jamshaid Shahir /

Meditation has enjoyed a rise in popularity over the years, but how much of its benefits are grounded in scientific fact? In this post, I explore the science behind meditation, its implications for depression, and potential for even combating racism.

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bias brain Meditation Mindfulness Neurogenesis Neuroscience Racism stem cells

Blog / Melatonin: A bottle of dreams or a bottle of lies?

June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 / Sean Gay /

Melatonin is an over the counter supplement that is often used as a sleep aid, What is it? Is it safe? Is it effective? Read to find out

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Melatonin Neuroscience Science News Sleep

Blog / Music Mainlined

June 18, 2020June 18, 2020 / Brandon Le /

Music is a drug. How does it work?

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auditory brain cognition Drugs emotion music Neurophysiology Neuroscience pharmacology physiology

Blog / The Science of Age Limits for Drug Use

March 2, 2020February 29, 2020 / Abigail Agoglia /

Age restrictions on the purchase of recreational drugs are continuing to strengthen. What’s the science behind this age limits, and are these measures really necessary?

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adolescence Alcohol brain Neuroscience nicotine vaping

Blog / Where Motivation Hides

February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 / Julia DiFiore /

Recently, I couldn’t find my keys. They weren’t where I usually keep them. Turns out, I was so distracted when I came home that I left them dangling in the…

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Motivation Neuroscience Psychology

Blog / Science Fail Monday: How a dead salmon taught us about statistics

December 9, 2018March 17, 2019 / Kasey Skinner /

Any scientist knows the importance of a good negative control. A negative control in an experiment is a group of samples or subjects in which no response is expected to…

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brain fmri Ig Nobel Prize Neuroscience Science Fail Scientific Imaging Statistics

Blog / How Reliable Is Our Memory?

July 24, 2018July 25, 2018 / Yitong Li /

How memories are formed, stored, and modified has been one of the key topics in neuroscience studies. It’s fascinating to realize that not only can we enhance our memory through…

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brain Memory Neurons Neuroscience Optogenetics Synapses

Blog / A Stimulating Treatment for Drug Addiction

November 16, 2017 / Deirdre Sackett / 1

Drug addiction is notoriously difficult to treat. Limited treatment options are available for those suffering from addiction, including behavioral therapy, rehabilitation programs, and medication. However, current drug addiction medications are…

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Addiction brain Neuroscience Science News Technology Treatment

Blog / The Science Behind Why You Love or Hate Scary Movies

October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 / Hannah Perrin /

In anticipation of Halloween, October is a month full of spooky festivities including scary movies. Gathering a group of friends to watch a horror movie is a fun holiday activity,…

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Everyday Questions Neuroscience Not so Frivolous

Blog / Think Before You Drink

August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 / Kaylee Helfrich /

You see them at restaurants, grocery stores, and parties. In your fridge, in your cupboard, and on TV. In city streets and in the trash. And most likely, you’ve never…

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Alcohol Neuroscience Pregnancy

Blog / A Call to Guts

March 28, 2017 / Lindsay Walton /

I’ve found that it is rather difficult to write an article when you are lying in the fetal position and afraid to move. No, I wasn’t trying to hide from…

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brain gut Microbiology microbiome Neuroscience science communication stomach

Blog / Opening Our Minds to “Outsiders”

February 22, 2017 / Kathy Do /

Who I am today is a reflection of all the sacrifices my immigrant parents made to achieve the American Dream. In the late 1970s, my parents fled the Communist takeover of…

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empathy fmri ingroups Neuroscience outgroups Psychology Science News

Blog / FSCV: Measuring Electrochemical Chatter

November 28, 2016 / Deirdre Sackett /

Measuring Chemical Chatter If a brain could talk, what would it say? Probably nothing profound or understandable. Rather, it would emit a bustling clamor of messages between neurons. These messages…

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Dopamine FSCV Neuroscience Serotonin Technique Tuesday UNC-CH Research

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