Artificial Brain Could Be Just 10 Years Away

Doctors pinpoint the so-called 'nocebo' effect

(NEWSER) - Worried that it's unhealthy to be glued to the Internet, surfing through stories? That anxiety alone could cause health problems—and doctors are now uncovering the neurological roots of this so-called "nocebo" effect, according to an award-winning essay by Penny Sarchet in the Guardian . The opposite of the "placebo" effect, the "nocebo" effect occurs when people believe that an illness or side-effect is real. Turns out it's all in the mind, and scientists can pinpoint it. More»

Monkeys keep their gray matter throughout their lives

(NEWSER) - Next time you start to feel mentally superior to a chimp, think again. It turns out that while human brains shrink as they age, chimpanzee brains do not, a new George Washington University study has discovered. The findings upend the conventional wisdom that all primates saw their brains shrink over time, the Wall Street Journal explains—in fact, the researchers now suspect that only humans decline in this way. More»

No, we don't just use 10% of the thing

(NEWSER) - The brain is much mythologized in mainstream culture—so much so that many believed “facts” are actually fiction, reports the Smithsonian:

1. We use just 10% of our brains. Nope, brains scans show that even basic tasks use a large portion of the brain—and even a small brain injury can have big repercussions.
2. We lose brain power after 40. It does get harder to learn languages or memorize random words—but older people have bigger vocabularies, are better at judging character, and test better on social matters, like conflict resolution.

Allen Institute maps gene activity in body's most complex organ

(NEWSER) - Researchers probing the staggering complexities of the human brain now have a map to help them find their way around. Scientists have unveiled a computerized "atlas of the brain," which combines several imaging techniques to map features including nerve structure and gene activity. The project, funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, offers researchers a tool to understand how genes work in the brain and to potentially find new treatment for disorders including autism and depression, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

Like other new media, site beefs up brain if used wisely

(NEWSER) - It's fashionable to cry about how Twitter and other new forms of electronic media are making us intellectually lazy and downright stupid. In fact, the opposite is true, writes Harvard's Steven Pinker. "Don’t rail at PowerPoint or Google," he writes. "It’s not as if habits of deep reflection, thorough research and rigorous reasoning ever came naturally to people. They must be acquired in special institutions, which we call universities, and maintained with constant upkeep, which we call analysis, criticism and debate." More»