Villain or Hero? We like our villains simple and singular, whether in politics or food. Our brains crave order, but seeing issues as part of larger systems is too complicated, too effortful and time consuming to seem worth it. Besides, it makes for lousy copy. Better to choose a villain. Recently, patients have been coming […]
Paralyzed but happy? The strange implications of Locked In Syndrome (4/27/11)
The Pursuit of Happiness Enshrined in our history is the universal opportunity for “the pursuit of happiness.” Yet how can you be happy when your brain is fully aware, your body is paralyzed and the only way to communicate is to blink your eyes? Locked in syndrome has all the accouterments of nightmare, much of […]
Predictor or marker – what scientific studies can you believe? (4/25/11)
Correlation – or Causation? Correlation versus causation is a major issue for media science and health stories. Recently I was asked in a TV interview about data that appeared to demonstrate earlier deaths for those who sleep more than eight hours a night. The reason, I tried to explain, is that people who are sick […]
Can we evolve to sleep less? (4/11/11)
Can You Really Evolve to Sleep Less? Perhaps – if you’re like a cavefish. Research done at NYU by Professor Richard Borowsky and company, reported last week in Current Biology, looks at a Mexican species of fish that has evolved to live in caves. The cavefish version of Astyanax Mexicanus are also blind. When brought […]
Can naps make me smarter? (3/22/11)
Can Naps Actually Make Me Smarter? Probably. You’ll certainly be able to learn better. Matthew Walker is an Englishman who teaches and researches at UC Berkeley. Along with others like Robert Stickgold and Sara Mednick he’s shown that learning consolidates with naps. Now his recent work make it look like naps don’t just consolidate learning […]