Origins of Pleasure

Watch this great lecture by Paul Bloom on the reason why certain things give us pleasure and identical things don't.

Sneaky snake

The tentacled snake has a unique way of catching its prey.

Kids Change Mothers Brain

Children don't just affect a mother's attitude - they actually change a mother's brain. See the video.

Mindbending Music

Music on another level, using the pentatonic scale - see the video

Our Brain Lies To Us

Sometimes we believe things from our past happened, only to find out our brains created them out of thin air.

This video explains why

Serial Killers A Lot Like Us

Neuroscientist James Fallon, while studying psychopathic killers brains, discovered he comes from a long line of murderers (including his infamous cousin, Lizzie Borden). Fallon discovered that he has two of the three ingredients for psychopathology.

How Big Are Solar Flares?

In a word: HUGE.

Teen Driving Restrictions Little Impact

Research shows that deadly car accidents aren't really about driver age but driver experience.

States with strict teenager driving laws wanted to separate novice drivers from dangerous situations. Basically since its inception in 1996, drivers of graduated programs were linked to 1,348 fewer fatal crashes involving 16-year-old drivers but 1,086 more fatal crashes involving 18-year-old drivers.

This means restrictions on driving only limits exposure to risky situations but eventually those kids will have to navigate those situations - and that's where the trouble is born.

Plants Created River Bends

Research shows that ancient rivers were broad straight sheets of water, but plant colonization changed water flow.

The first vascular plants took root because of the abundant water and began to hold sediment in place - creating riverbanks, thinning waterways. Paleozoic-era plants bunched together at the water’s edge and colonized the Earth. Over the next 50 million years this led to today's curving rivers and all the green we see around.

TV = Death

Research finds that cardiovascular disease rates rise with average daily TV viewing times - even if you're physically fit.

Researchers studied the viewing habits and health of ~9,000 adults. For every hour watching tv each day, risk of death from cardiovascular disease increased 18%. People watching 4 hours or more each day were 80% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease vs. those who watched for 2 hours or less each day.

The same applies for sitting in front of a computer or sitting idly - sitting for long stretches negatively affects levels of blood sugar and fats.

All Animals Sound the Same

Researchers compared the calls of 500 different animals - insects, mammals, reptiles, fish - you name it. They found that the basic features of every animal’s cry (e.g. frequency, duration) depend on the animal’s metabolism, which depends on the animal’s size and body temperature.

When the calls account for body size and temperature, a whale sounds a lot like a frog and vice versa. Researchers think a metabolic link exists, because energy use affects the nerves and muscles animals use to make noise.

Driving Affects Listening

Studies have shown that talking on a cell phone can impair our ability to drive. A new study shows that driving makes it hard to hear.

96 participants were paired in a simulator - 1 driving, 1 talking as a passenger or on the phone. Drivers and talkers were told a number of stories. Sure enough, drivers had 20% less ability to recall the details as compared with the passengers. And their conversational skills were the worst when navigate intersections or handling traffic.