Oxytocin always makes a lot of press. It plays roles in reproduction and mating behavior, social bonding, behavior related to morality. To call it “the love hormone” as some people like to do, is to grossly oversimplify the things that it does, something which can even be dangerous. And it also, in my opinion, really […]

Sci is at SciAm Blogs today, this time with a repost from 2011, which looks at what happens in the brain when music gives you “chills”. Does music give you chills? Which kinds? And do you know what happens when it does? Head over and check it out.

We all know that abuse of cocaine results in some pretty severe effects. Usually we think about addiction. When we think about the acute (immediate) effects of cocaine, we think of things like increased heart rate and blood pressure, and the possibility of heart attack from an overdose. But maybe we should also think about […]

Sci is at SciAm blogs today, where I’m talking about a new study on stress. Because not all stresses are created equal, and sometimes, whether you have control over the stress or not can even provide protection. Head over and check it out.

We often view peer pressure as a bad thing, you know, the kind of thing that makes a 10 year old smoke a cigarette or something. But peer pressure, or the more scientific term of social conformity, is not actually inherently a bad thing. Being sensitive to other people’s opinions can help us get along […]

Sci is at SciAm Blogs today, talking about an interesting new study which uncovers the mechanisms behind the waking effects of hypocretin. Take that, sleeping beauty. Head over and check it out.

Maybe you think you can’t sing. Singing is a talent you just don’t have. Some people can sing, like, you know, Adele: But you? You can’t sing. The authors of this study would argue that that is, probably, not true! You can sing! You…just really suck at it. Bella et al. “Singing proficiency in the […]

Sci is at SciAm blogs today, talking about a study showing that some animals will short themselves pretty severely on sleep…if they stand a good chance of gettin’ it on. Pectoral sandpipers will reduce sleep drastically during the mating season in the Arctic, and instead of hurting them, this actually…increases their fitness. Head over and […]

Sometimes, I read a paper, and I’m just suddenly struck by the sheer interconnectedness of the brain. This is one of those papers. Not because of the paper itself, but because when you see the association between one change in the brain (ADHD) and another (circadian rhythm), you can start to intuit other changes that […]

Sci is at SciAm blogs today, talking about a new study on orexin and binge eating in rats. Orexin is a newish neurotransmitter with a couple of interesting behavioral effects, one of which is on appetite. It’s an interesting study and it’s nice to see a ‘new’ molecule pick up steam. Head over and check […]