Category: ideas

The neuropsychology discoveries reported in the general-interest press often “amount to finding stronger activation in some area of the brain when a psychological phenomenon occurs. As if it is news that the brain is not dormant during psychological activity! The reported neuroscience is often descriptive rather than explanatory. Experiments have shown that neurobabble produces the illusion of understanding.”

A British astronomer has found that “between September 3BC and May 2BC there were three ‘conjunctions’ where the planet Jupiter and a star called Regulus passed close to each other in the night sky.”

“Originality – or the ability to think up novel ideas that don’t occur to many other people – is a key aspect of creativity. But researchers are struggling to pin down where the gift comes from.”

“The first myth to die is the idea that everyone feels bad when the weather gets foul. It turns out that most people might fall into one of four categories when it comes to their moods and weather, say researchers.”

“A striking study led by an MIT Sloan School of Management professor shows that teams of people display a collective intelligence that has surprisingly little to do with the intelligence of the team’s individual members.”

It appears carving out a career as a musician isn’t just perilous when it comes to earning a living – it can also cause damage to your physical and mental health. Musicians supplementing their income by waiting tables would rate even higher on the chart, as food service staff are second most prone to depression.

“A neural circuit has been identified that allows people to predict whether someone is going to lie to them. The finding could help to explain why some people become paranoid.”

A neuroscientist and a cognitive musicologist have been using fMRIs to find just which portions of the brain are particularly active – and which portions are switched off – when a performer is improvising.

In an unexpected discovery, people remember unfamiliar faces best between ages 30 and 34, scientists report in an upcoming issue of Cognition. “Specialized face-processing in the brain may require an extended period of visual tuning during early adulthood to help individuals learn and recognize lots of different faces.”

“A few commentators rightly suggested that mind itself is probably not a ‘thing’ hence not worth trying to locate. … Rather, it might be a bit like trying to locate the adorableness of a kitten. There is nothing magically non-physical about the kitten, but trying to fine-tune the location of the adorableness still seems like some kind of error or category mistake.”