omnibrain | May 20, 2008This gallery is sweet! The Online gallery of modern and vintage psychiatric drug advertising has a large selection of some pretty scary old drug advertisements and packaging.
Like these:
I wonder what the people of the future are going to say about our current psychiatric system?
HT: Dave
omnibrain | May 20, 2008 Actually, I'll let you read the press release first and then we'll decide if 'religious leaders' and the damn hippies know something we don't ;)
Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. In a new study appearing online in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), an international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly…
omnibrain | May 19, 2008boingboing gadgets has uncovered the most brilliant brain game ever. Not only does this enhance your cognitive abilities with use, it can enhance your emotional intelligence! wow!
Through mindless manipulation of pretty colors and funny shapes you too can be Dr. Phil!
Since I don't think I've had my quota of !!!!'s here are a few more to direct you to the original boingboing post: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
omnibrain | May 19, 2008Really?! Come on...
Molecular and statistical genetic studies in 15 Finnish families have shown that there is a substantial genetic component in musical aptitude. Musical aptitude was determined using three tests: a test for auditory structuring ability (Karma Music test), and the Seashore pitch and time discrimination subtests. The study represents the first systematic molecular genetic study that aims in the identification of candidate genes associated with musical aptitude.
The identified regions contain genes affecting cell extension and migration during neural development. Interestingly…
omnibrain | May 15, 2008 So what's the story with the big O? Scientific American has the full story. Here's the main points to get you warmed up though:
Principles of Pleasure
* Sexual desire and orgasm are subject to various influences on the brain and nervous system, which controls the sex glands and genitals.
* The ingredients of desire may differ for men and women, but researchers have revealed some surprising similarities. For example, visual stimuli spur sexual stirrings in women, as they do in men.
* Achieving orgasm, brain imaging studies show, involves more than heightened arousal. It requires…
omnibrain | May 15, 2008 Well I'm finally done with VSS it was long and stressful... but mostly fun. Here's a couple pictures...
After all this fun I had to get my game face on and do a talk. I've given a lot of talks in classrooms and even at a conference but after I saw the size of the room and how many people were going to be in it I was a weeee bit intimidated. After letting the stress stew for a couple days I finally gave my talk on Wednesday. I think it went well :) At least people complemented me on it. If you're interested in seeing what I presented with no explanation feel free to download the…
omnibrain | May 15, 2008 There is a huuuuge sale on science books (and other categories...literature theory, anthro, whatever) at Columbia Press. They are all well above 50% off. It looks like there are a bunch of interesting titles. Check it out!
omnibrain | May 13, 2008 Announcing the 34th annual meeting of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology
June 26-29, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Registration is now open; deadline Thursday, June 5 -- 12:00pm EST
Note that early registration is suggested, as the reserved hotel block is likely to fill quickly.
The 2008 conference will feature presentations by:
George Ainslie, Michael L. Anderson, Louise Antony
Peter Carruthers, Louis Charland, Anjan Chatterjee
David Danks, Felipe De Brigard, Michael Devitt
Marthah Farah, Evelina Fedorenko, Owen Flanagan,
Jerry Fodor, Kenneth R. Foster, Lila R.…
omnibrain | May 13, 2008
Tempt Fate, and Take a Risk
Superstition Obstacle Course Opens Friday, June 13th
Are You Scared?
June 13 - September 1, 2008
For many people, Friday the 13th suggests bad luck -- but is it really
tempting fate or taking a risk to break a mirror? Are you courting disaster
by walking under a ladder? And what really happens if you step squarely on
that crack in the sidewalk? Challenge these and other superstitions at the
Exploratorium's new Superstition Obstacle Course. Experience how your own
superstitions, your own emotions, and your own judgment come into play.
Although none of the beliefs…
omnibrain | May 12, 2008Right now I'm about to, or already am, standing at a podium to give a talk at the Vision Sciences Society annual meeting (better known as VSS) in Naples Florida.
Wish me luck!
Here's the exciting abstract:
Popping in and out of existence: The effect of gradual and abrupt occlusion on object localization.
J. Stephen Higgins1,2, Daniel Simons1,2, Ranxiao Wang1,2
1Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2Beckman Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The human visual system typically tracks the position of objects as they move. However, when disruption…
omnibrain | May 2, 2008 Delusions are the strangest things...
Once, back in the day, when I was interning in Ted Kennedy's press office we got a call from a woman (this was a pretty usual occurrence) demanding to know why the CIA, et. al. were monitoring her brainwaves. Our quick thinking secretary (a Harvard grad making 16k a year for the privilege of working in the Senate) told her to hold he was going to go check the list. He let her sit for a few minutes, got back on the phone, and told her she wasn't on the list and there must be a mistake. He would have her mind control removed immediately and he was sorry…
omnibrain | May 1, 2008I love antique anatomical drawings of the brain. I even have a couple in my office that I should probably take a picture of to show off to you guys. These illustrations from Japan are particularly interesting. According to Pink Tentacle:
The Kaibo Zonshinzu anatomy scrolls, painted in 1819 by Kyoto-area physician Yasukazu Minagaki (1784-1825), consist of beautifully realistic, if not gruesome, depictions of scientific human dissection.
Unlike European anatomical drawings of the time, which tended to depict the corpse as a living thing devoid of pain (and often in some sort of Greek pose…
omnibrain | April 16, 2008A great new piece of technology turns you into old mister Pickard, your pissy, old, get off my damn lawn, next door neighbor.
Carmaker Nissan Motor is using a specialized driver's suit and goggles to simulate the bad balance, stiff joints, weaker eyesight and extra five kilograms (11lbs) that may accompany senior citizenry.
Associate chief designer Etsuhiro Watanabe says the suit's weight and constriction help in determining functionality and accessibility within cars by putting young designers not only in the minds of the mobility-challenged, but also in their bodies.
"Difficulty in…
omnibrain | April 15, 2008Do you have an extra brain sitting around you want to donate? Do you want to trade brains with someone else but they are too far away to do it in person? Is your brain malfunctioning and you need to ship it back to the factory for some repairs or in the worst case - a replacement? If your answer was yes to any of these questions then this is the tutorial for you.
This is what you'll need:
Two clean, dry ziploc plastic bags
(about 22.0 x 30.0 cm)
Plastic bucket with tightly fitting lid
(about 4.0 liters)
Large plastic bag
(about 40.0 x 50.0 cm)
Envelope for documents
Thermosafe polyfoam…
omnibrain | April 14, 2008Sexing chicks is a very difficult task for naive people. Expert chick sexers are over 98% successful while the naive sexers can only do it with slightly above chance performance. Are you sufficiently confused/pissed yet?
Ok ok... here's what's really going on:
When chickens are born the chicks are examined by experts to determine what sex they are. This important task is performed in order to save money in feed costs and avoid conflict between the male and female chicks (the men are selfish and don't let the females eat or drink). What they do with the male chickens I'm not entirely sure.…
omnibrain | April 8, 2008 My friend Amy sent these graphs around today - I have no idea at all what their source is (any ideas?) so I can't credit it. But they really are hysterical.
Enjoy:
A bunch more after the break.
omnibrain | April 7, 2008 This is clearly false advertising. I don't see any pinging going on. This seems more like Pigeons playing pong.
BF Skinner trains two pigeons to perform a chain of behaviors for the classroom demonstration. As a result, pigeons engage in a competition, the so-called "pigeon Ping Pong". Narrated by B.F. Skinner.
-source-
omnibrain | April 7, 2008A number of people have noticed that after getting transplants their personality changes - and not only that- their personality changes to reflect the donors personality.
...though she was born and raised in Tucson, she never liked Mexican food. She craved Italian and was a pasta junkie. But three years ago, all that changed for Jaime Sherman, 28, when she underwent a heart transplant at University Medical Center, after battling a heart defect since birth. "Now I love football, baseball, basketball. You name it, I follow it," said Sherman, a psychology student at Arizona State University…
omnibrain | April 7, 2008 I'm going to be teaching Psych 100 next year and 200 or so lucky kids are going to luck out with me as an instructor. I'm just going to read them previously written blog posts all semester. Maybe I'll read out of a really crappy intro psych text book to them as well. Ok.. just kidding. I really want to make this upcoming year as entertaining as possible for them. There are so many great psychology experiments and stories about classic personalities to share. I think I need a little help with it from you guys though. If you have any suggestions about stories, experiments, or videos you…