Philosophy posts
- May 25, 2011
- 04:16 PM
- 1,169 views
Beach Vacation 2k11vs Tanning Bed 2k11
by Brooke N in Smaller Questions
A review over why the sun is better than the tanning bed. ... Read more »
Anne Bagg Britt. (1995) Repair of DNA Damage Induced by Ultraviolet Radiation . Plant Physiologyq, 891-896. info:/
- May 24, 2011
- 07:00 PM
- 1,125 views
Motion, Theme, and a Human Face
by Paige Brown in From The Lab Bench
Lessons for a Science Writer from a New York Times Editor's Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing
I recently picked up Francis Flaherty's The Elements of Story in my campus bookstore, as I was browsing and drinking my third cup of coffee in between experiments. Turns out, I made an excellent choice from among those titles I randomly picked off the "Books about Books" shelf. I'm already an impulsive book buyer.... The quote from Library Journal on the cover, "An essen........ Read more »
Brumfiel, G. (2009) Science journalism: Supplanting the old media?. Nature, 458(7236), 274-277. DOI: 10.1038/458274a
Editorial. (2010) Science scorned. Nature, 467(7312), 133. PMID: 20829750
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- May 21, 2011
- 10:13 PM
- 1,025 views
Life, Death, and Silver Bullets
by Paige Brown in From The Lab Bench
A Science Fiction story about the Age of the Superbug
There was something about her... a pale, reddish complexion, so rare these days... all the other desks in the dull classroom where occupied by students who faded together in their blue and gray hues... who snuck furtive glances at the ruddy newcomer, in her bright blue overalls and frizzy, untamed hair.
... Read more »
Patterson, J. (2010) Rising plague. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 120(3), 649-649. DOI: 10.1172/JCI42104
- May 19, 2011
- 04:06 AM
- 847 views
Free Will Is In The Brain
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Warning: this post may change your brain.Well, all of my posts change your brain, because everything changes your brain. But this one might make a rather bigger impact than usual.According to a new paper in Psychological Science, reading a short article which argues that free will is an illusion causes measurable changes in brain function: Inducing Disbelief in Free Will Alters Brain Correlates of Preconscious Motor Preparation.The authors took 30 people and randomly assigned them to read one of........ Read more »
Rigoni D, Kühn S, Sartori G, & Brass M. (2011) Inducing disbelief in free will alters brain correlates of preconscious motor preparation: the brain minds whether we believe in free will or not. Psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society / APS, 22(5), 613-8. PMID: 21515737
- May 13, 2011
- 09:25 AM
- 571 views
Why Creativity Can Be A Problem for Leaders
by David Berreby in Mind Matters
Newt Gingrich, the thinking man's Glenn Beck, is said to be a viable Presidential candidate because he has fresh, creative ideas. Even if you accept that notion at face value, you have to wonder how much of an advantage it will be. As this study (pdf) suggests, people tend to see creativity and ...Read More
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Mueller, J., Goncalo, J., & Kamdar, D. (2011) Recognizing creative leadership: Can creative idea expression negatively relate to perceptions of leadership potential?☆. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(2), 494-498. DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2010.11.010
- May 13, 2011
- 12:12 AM
- 1,175 views
Did humans lose dominance?
by John S. Wilkins in Evolving Thoughts
An extensive critical review has just been published online in advance of publication for Biology and Philosophy. The title is “Evolution and the loss of hierarchies: Dubreuil’s Human evolution and the origin of hierarchies: the state of nature” by Catherine … Continue reading →... Read more »
Driscoll, C. (2011) Evolution and the loss of hierarchies: Dubreuil’s “Human evolution and the origin of hierarchies: the state of nature”. Biology . DOI: 10.1007/s10539-011-9266-2
- May 11, 2011
- 03:51 AM
- 883 views
Duck or Rabbit?
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Ambigous figures are drawings that seem to flip from being one thing to another.Psychologists Melissa Allen and Alison Chambers recently showed these images to teenagers with autism in an attempt to find out whether they were able to perceive the effect normally: Implicit and explicit understanding of ambiguous figures by adolescents with autism spectrum disorderA leading theory of autism is weak central coherence - the idea that autistic people tend to be focussed on details, rather than the "........ Read more »
Allen ML, & Chambers A. (2011) Implicit and explicit understanding of ambiguous figures by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism : the international journal of research and practice. PMID: 21486897
- May 7, 2011
- 04:14 PM
- 1,510 views
Rise of the Rat Brained Robots
by Neurobonkers in Neurobonkers
Kevin Warwick and his team at Reading University have successfully created a robot controlled directly by a rat's brain.... Read more »
Warwick, K., Xydas, D., Nasuto, S. J., Becerra, V. M., Hammond, M. W., Downes, J., Marshall, S., & Whalley, B . Defence Science, 60. (2010) Controlling a mobile robot with a biological brain. Defence Science, 60(1), 5-14. info:/
- May 5, 2011
- 08:52 AM
- 1,144 views
Neuroethics: The Brain and Religious Beliefs
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
This is the second in a series of three posts looking at how the brain processes complex beliefs in the domains of morality, religion and politics. Jordan Grafman, Ph.D. presented at the May 3, 2011 Warren Frontiers of Neuroscience lecture series in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Grafman summarized research he had conducted in these three domains. An fMRI study published in PNAS in 2009 outlined some of Grafman’s research team efforts related to brain processes and religion. In the i........ Read more »
Kapogiannis, D., Barbey, A., Su, M., Zamboni, G., Krueger, F., & Grafman, J. (2009) Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(12), 4876-4881. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0811717106
- May 4, 2011
- 11:19 AM
- 1,298 views
Neuroethics: The Brain and Moral Beliefs
by William Yates, M.D. in Brain Posts
Jerome Grafman, Ph.D. presented the May 2011 Warren Frontiers in Neuroscience lecture “Brain Regions Supporting the Establishment of Human Beliefs” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have typically summarized these lectures in a single Brain Posts blog posting. But given the broad character of this presentation, I will break my summary into three parts based on the sections in the presentation: moral beliefs, religious beliefs and political beliefs. Along with the lecture highlights, I ........ Read more »
Moll J, Zahn R, de Oliveira-Souza R, Bramati IE, Krueger F, Tura B, Cavanagh AL, & Grafman J. (2011) Impairment of prosocial sentiments is associated with frontopolar and septal damage in frontotemporal dementia. NeuroImage, 54(2), 1735-42. PMID: 20728544
Forbes, C., & Grafman, J. (2010) The Role of the Human Prefrontal Cortex in Social Cognition and Moral Judgment . Annual Review of Neuroscience, 33(1), 299-324. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153230
- April 29, 2011
- 07:35 AM
- 492 views
Comic Journal Club: Was Hahnemann a Nostrum Vendor ?
by db in Defectivebrain @ FOS
Whilst combing the old literature, I found this gem of a paper from 1859. Aa normal blog post would not do the job for this paper, so I made a mad decision. I decided to tell the story through the use of comic.
I fully recommend reading the original paper, as I have left out a lot of Gairdners more choice insults against Homeopathy.
Full size images can be found here:
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Gairdner, W. (1859). Was Hahnemann a Nostrum-Vendor? A Question of Fact BMJ, s4-1 (110........ Read more »
Gairdner, W. (1859) Was Hahnemann a Nostrum-Vendor? A Question of Fact. BMJ, s4-1(110), 101-102. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.s4-1.110.101
- April 28, 2011
- 04:13 PM
- 968 views
The Schizophrenic Computer
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
All over the world, inanimate objects are getting schizophrenia. Last week, it was a dish (full of neurons).Before that, it was a computer program. That's according to a paper, which appeared in Biological Psychiatry last month, although it involved no biology, called Using Computational Patients to Evaluate Illness Mechanisms in Schizophrenia.The authors set up a neural network model, called DISCERN, and trained it to "read" stories. The nuts and bolts are, we're reassured, not something that r........ Read more »
Hoffman RE, Grasemann U, Gueorguieva R, Quinlan D, Lane D, & Miikkulainen R. (2011) Using computational patients to evaluate illness mechanisms in schizophrenia. Biological psychiatry, 69(10), 997-1005. PMID: 21397213
- April 26, 2011
- 10:29 AM
- 1,638 views
Nail Polish and the Policing of Gender Norms
by Krystal D'Costa in Anthropology in Practice
Over the weekend, I stopped in at a large beauty retailer to pick up a few things. While waiting in line to pay for my selections, I took the opportunity to browse the abundant and strategically placed impulse items—mirrors, tweezers, creams, and nail polishes, all artfully arranged to catch the eyes of patrons. Spotting a lilac colored bottle of polish, I flipped it over to read the name: Iris I Was Thinner. It went back on the shelf. Immediately. Flirty, flippant names are common to nail po........ Read more »
Schweitzer, Marlis. (2005) "The Mad Search for Beauty": Actresses' Testimonials, the Cosmetics Industry, and the Democratization of Beauty. The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 4(3), 255-292. info:/
- April 25, 2011
- 07:03 AM
- 943 views
Slipping Through Time In Autism
by Neuroskeptic in Neuroskeptic
Have you ever felt like you're reliving the past?Have you ever felt like you're reliving the past? A curious paper from Japan: ‘Time slip’ phenomenon in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Have you ever felt like you're...OK, sorry. I'll stop that.The paper describes the cases of two young men with autism, who suffered from an unusual affliction - very vivid memories of a single past event. These recollections were so unpleasant that they led to outbursts of violence. In t........ Read more »
Tochimoto S, Kurata K, & Munesue T. (2011) 'Time slip' phenomenon in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders: Case series. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences. PMID: 21489047
- April 25, 2011
- 03:55 AM
- 1,110 views
Comic Journal Club: Was Hahnemann a Nostrum Vendor ?
by defectivebrayne in The Defective Brain
Whilst combing the old literature, I found this gem of a paper from 1859. Aa normal blog post would not do the job for this paper, so I made a mad decision. I decided to tell the story through the use of comic.... Read more »
Gairdner, W. (1859) Was Hahnemann a Nostrum-Vendor? A Question of Fact. BMJ, s4-1(110), 101-102. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.s4-1.110.101
- April 24, 2011
- 01:13 PM
- 978 views
Guess This Psychiatric Disorder
by Psychbytes in Psychbytes
Here’s a question for you psychiatrists and clinical psychologists out there. What disorder is characterized by the following symptoms:1. Congenital onset2. Dwarfism3. Emotional lability and immaturity4. Knowledge deficits5. Legume anorexiaNational surveys over the past 20 years have shown that this condition is present in approximately a quarter of the US population at any given time. Still stumped?The name of this “debilitating disorder” is…..wait for it…..CHILD........ Read more »
Jordan W. Smoller. (1985) The etiology and treatment of childhood. Journal of Polymorphous Perversity, 2(2), 3-7. info:/
- April 24, 2011
- 01:35 AM
- 1,113 views
Hiding Place for the Artsy-Scientist
by Paige Brown in From The Lab Bench
...exiled from the class of 'serious' scientists. A lullaby for a weaker child of chemistry. Enjoy your dreams of a lesser biology. She couldn't make it in the big leagues, they'd say. So I hide my dreams of translating science, colorful pages lost in a library of dull covers with obscure, impossible-to-pronounce titles. Surface Plasmon Resonance Series - Nanotechnology-based Sensors. Professor, here is my secret: such a library of science begs translation for the curious non........ Read more »
Editorial. (2011) Fix the PhD. Nature, 472(7343), 259-260. PMID: 21512527
- April 21, 2011
- 01:06 PM
- 1,005 views
Ariel Casts Out Caliban: Bonobos, "Killer-Apes" and Human Origins
by Eric Michael Johnson in The Primate Diaries
In place of a guest post this week I'm very pleased to announce my cover article in the latest edition of Times Higher Education.--------------------------------------------The concept of the 'killer-ape' offers a pessimistic reflection of humanity and its genesis, but the latest research shows that a primate species whose success is based on mutual aid and pleasure, not violence, is a better model for human origins. Eric Michael Johnson considers the better bonobos of our nature."Nature never i........ Read more »
Perelman, P., Johnson, W., Roos, C., Seuánez, H., Horvath, J., Moreira, M., Kessing, B., Pontius, J., Roelke, M., Rumpler, Y.... (2011) A Molecular Phylogeny of Living Primates. PLoS Genetics, 7(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342
- April 21, 2011
- 01:06 PM
- 397 views
Ariel Casts Out Caliban: Bonobos, "Killer-Apes" and Human Origins
by Eric Michael Johnson in The Primate Diaries in Exile
In place of a guest post this week I'm very pleased to announce my cover article in the latest edition of Times Higher Education.--------------------------------------------The concept of the 'killer-ape' offers a pessimistic reflection of humanity and its genesis, but the latest research shows that a primate species whose success is based on mutual aid and pleasure, not violence, is a better model for human origins. Eric Michael Johnson considers the better bonobos of our nature."Nature never i........ Read more »
Perelman, P., Johnson, W., Roos, C., Seuánez, H., Horvath, J., Moreira, M., Kessing, B., Pontius, J., Roelke, M., Rumpler, Y.... (2011) A Molecular Phylogeny of Living Primates. PLoS Genetics, 7(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001342
- April 20, 2011
- 07:57 PM
- 1,108 views
As opposed to the light of what?
by Jon Wilkins in Lost in Transcription
So, most biologists are familiar with the quotation by Theodosius Dobzhansky, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." In fact, in my experience, if you go to a biology conference, there's about a 50% chance that at least one of the speakers will introduce their talk with this line. What is typically not made explicit in these talks is, as opposed to what other light?
Best URL for sharing: http://www.darwineatscake.com/?id=19
URL for hotlinking or embedding: http://ww........ Read more »
Theodosius Dobzhansky. (1973) Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution. The American Biology Teacher, 35(3), 125-129. info:other/
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