UV Addiction
UV light may have an opiate-like effect, leading to addiction and even withdrawal symptoms.
Podcast for 18 June 2014
CHANGING BRAINS (Encore Presentation) - Why London taxi drivers have bigger brains, how eye movements reveal what we've really seen, and why emulating the eye movements of experts produces better surgeons. And, what long-dead brains can tell us about mental illness. Also: how violent video games could be changing young men's brains.
Blue Light Dangers
Blue light, abundant in artificial lighting, LED's, and computer screens, may delay sleep and increase nighttime hunger.
Pain and Longevity
Blocking chronic pain could slow down the aging process.
Anti-Alzheimer’s Drugs
Certain antidepressant drugs may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Musical Creativity
Musical creativity could be good for the aging brain.
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION - (Encore Presentation) What really happened to Australia's missing megafauna, how carnivores lost their sweet tooth, why lovelorn fruit flies resort to alcohol, strategic miscarriages in monkeys, and a new frog species is discovered in plain sight.
Vicarious Trauma
Observing a single traumatic event can alter the brain of a mouse.
Brain Stimulation for Eating Disorders
An experimental treatment for bulimia nervosa may help restore connections within the brain that influence eating behavior in some patients.
Music & Touch
Trained musicians are better at distinguishing between their senses than the average person.
Crows & Faces Update
Eight years later, a population of Seattle crows still holds a grudge against the face of their human capturer.
Schizophrenia & Brain Maturation
Some mental illnesses, like schizophrenia, seem to involve overzealous brain maturation.
Brain Cell Barcodes
Encoding cellular proteins on a barcode could help researchers learn more about mental illnesses like schizophrenia.
Rat Casinos
Miniature “casinos” built specially for rats are helping researchers understand gambling addiction in humans.
Music in the Brain
Brain differences explain why not everyone has an ear for music.
Tracking Fastballs
To hit a fastball, a batter's brain has to predict when it'll come across the plate.
Fiction & Social Perception
Reading literary fiction, more so than other types of books, improves performance at gauging others' mental states.
Infant Synesthesia
Only a tiny fraction of adults have a condition called synesthesia, but all of us may be born with it.
Podcast for 23 August 2013
IN THE KITCHEN - Why grapefruit and some medications don't mix. Is going gluten-free a good idea? How overeating affects the brain. And, is food coloring safe?
Drug & Nutrition Roundup
New research shows that marijuana may be harmful to adolescent brain development.