We've all seen the commercials. A smart-looking 50-something couple gazes into each other's eyes in wishful anticipation of romance, the guy's randy desires undermined by some unspoken inadequacy reflected in a sympathetic but wistful expression on his lady's face. Then the answer in a pill or an underarm cream! It's...

What makes the human brain so much more intelligent than the brain of animals? When neuroscientist Marian Diamond of UC Berkeley examined tissue from Albert Einstein's brain for clues to his genius she could find no differences in the size or number of neurons in his cerebral cortex, but she...

In a letter published in the journal Annals of Neurology, neurologists Margaret Parrish and Robert Gardner suggest a link between Parkinson's disease and golf. Of 26 patients with Parkinson's disorder that they collected for their small study of the disease, it turned out that 19 of them lived...

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I'd like you to imagine a specific incident in your past. Imagine the last time you were afraid. I mean really afraid -- terrified. It might have been a close encounter with a robber on a dark street, or...

Do you believe that the mind can detect things beyond the conscious realm of sensory perception? Can the blind "see" without vision? A new study provides strong support for these intriguing questions.

This hypothesis was tested in a clever way in a new study by psychologists Bertini, Cerere and Ladavas...

Newsweek is dead. But we have Twitter. Harper-Collins just closed its last warehouse of books in the United States. Cambridge University Press, the oldest publisher of scholarly books and journals in the world, printing continuously since 1584, ceased printing operations this year and will outsource printing to another company. The...

What's with politicians and all that handshaking? Every campaign appearance starts and ends with concentrated handshaking sessions with as many potential voters as possible despite the danger candidates face when wading into a crowd of strangers peppered with adversaries. Some campaign appearances are completely focused around pressing the flesh --...

A study published in tomorrow's issue of the journal Science shows that social interaction during a critical period of early life has irreversible effects on maturation of connections to the frontal lobes of the brain, disrupting social interactions and cognitive ability into adulthood. Children suffering severe neglect are known to...

Beyond the competition, inspiration, marketing, and nationalism surrounding the Olympic Games, physical science and biology are on elegant display: the science of biomechanics (how bodies are constructed) and kinematics (how bodies move). In this worldwide spectacle we see the remarkable heights of achievement the human body can attain and also...

Dementia and osteoporosis are two of the most common health conditions affecting older women; interestingly, a new study finds a strong link between the two. Loss of bone density, which can be measured easily by X-ray, strongly correlates with cognitive decline in postmenopausal women. The findings also suggest...

According to the Bible, "doubting" Thomas, who was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, reacted to reports of the resurrection with disbelief. He required proof, and he was not convinced until his demand to poke his finger into Jesus' wounds for verification was satisfied. After the probing, Jesus said...

What your doctor says -- not what he does -- could kill you.

The diagnosis of cancer often leads to agonizing distress for most people. A new study in the April 5, 2012 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine shows that a surprising number of cancer patients die...

Two weeks ago in Tel Aviv I attended a gala event of neuroscientists from around the world, including three Nobel Laureates, business leaders, wealthy philanthropists, and politicians, most notably Israeli President Shimon Peres. After his introductory speech on science and education in Israel, the President sat and listened intently from...

Bacteria are notorious for developing resistance to antibiotics through rapid mutation and natural selection. Radiation is a sure way to stimulate mutations. Could the radiation that will be contaminating the environment surrounding the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant for hundreds of years produce bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics? Researchers, Shigeyuki...

Authorities in Western Australia have failed in their attempt to hunt down and kill a great white shark that took the life of a 32-year-old American diver, George Wainwright on Saturday. This is the fourth fatal attack by sharks in Australia in the last 14 months -- three times...

Those searching for a "smart pill," might find the necessary ingredients in spicy Mexican food, according to recent research showing that certain Mexican food spices boost memory.

In a study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Biology, researchers spiked the drinking water of rats with an extract...

If you are wondering how your brain is aging, just look in the mirror. New research has drawn a link between aging of skin and aging of the brain.

As we age, the brain loses neurons and glia, and the number of connections between neurons decreases. Protein clutter begins...

What would President Kennedy have thought, I wondered as I surveyed the surreal scene? Deep inside the White House eight middle school students sat in black leather executive chairs reserved for the President, Vice President, and his top national security advisors; the polished oak boardroom table hitting them at chest...

Warning: This information must not be disclosed to females.

Every guy knows the secret power of the rose,
As they thrust fists-full expectantly under a lovely girl's nose.
Hummingbirds swoop and turkeys fan tails,
By comparison the vegetable offering of men pales.

She sniffs, as he...

Americans are rude. I say this not to preach, which is neither my right nor my intention, but as a scientist, a developmental neuroscientist. My concern about American rudeness relates to my scientific research and knowledge about the development of the human brain. My conclusion comes from a recent trip...