CreativityApril 27, 2022
Brainstorming on Zoom Hampers Creativity
Turning off the camera when trying to hash out new ideas might help
Stories by Bret Stetka
Bret Stetka was a writer based in New York City and editorial director of Medscape Neurology (a subsidiary of WebMD). His work has appeared in Wired, NPR and the Atlantic. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 2005. Stetka died in 2022.
NeurologyFebruary 7, 2022
Spinal Stimulation Helps People with Paralysis Walk, Canoe and Stand at a Bar
A new system that targets specific spinal nerves restored motor function quickly in three patients unable to move their legs or trunk
CreativityDecember 9, 2021
Spark Creativity with Thomas Edison’s Napping Technique
Waking yourself from the twilight state just before sleep may help you to solve a challenging problem, a study shows
NeuroscienceMay 12, 2021
New Brain Implant Turns Visualized Letters into Text
The technology lets people with paralysis perform thought dictation at rates approaching the thumb speeds of texters
ComputingMarch 17, 2021
An IBM AI Debates Humans—but It’s Not Yet the Deep Blue of Oratory
The give-and-take of formal arguments is still outside of a machine’s “comfort zone”—at least for now
BehaviorOctober 28, 2020
Media Multitasking Disrupts Memory, Even in Young Adults
Simultaneous TV, texting and Instagram lead to memory-sapping attention lapses
NeuroscienceOctober 8, 2020
Our Brain Is Better at Remembering Where to Find Brownies Than Cherry Tomatoes
Humans’ spatial recall makes mental notes about the location of high-calorie foods
BiologySeptember 24, 2020
Bird Brains Are Far More Humanlike Than Once Thought
The avian cortex had been hiding in plain sight all along. Humans were just too birdbrained to see it
Public HealthAugust 11, 2020
Trash-Collecting Researchers Find Dietary Patterns in Discarded Hair Clippings
People in low-income neighborhoods eat more proteins from animals and less of them from vegetables, a study suggests
CognitionJune 18, 2020
The Brain Interprets Smell like the Notes of a Song
The sequence in which clusters of olfactory neurons switch on can evoke the smell of an apple instead of a pear
BehaviorJune 17, 2020
From Dinosaurs to Disney, Children Take Cues from Adults on Real vs. Make-Believe
Kids rated whether Santa Claus or the Wiggles actually exist in a test of cultural beliefs
BehaviorOctober 11, 2019
Ancient Teeth Reveal Social Stratification Dates Back to Bronze Age Societies
Humans have a history of status division stretching back at least 4,000 years
NeuroscienceSeptember 19, 2019
Global Warming May Dwindle the Supply of a Key Brain Nutrient
Diminishing levels of an omega-3 fatty acid may have health consequences, including a higher risk for depression, ADHD and early dementia
NeuroscienceAugust 29, 2019
Lab-Grown “Mini Brains” Can Now Mimic the Neural Activity of a Preterm Infant
The so-called organoids are not capable of complex thought but could be used to study neurological diseases
MedicineAugust 15, 2019
Antisense Drugs for Huntington’s, ALS and Prion Diseases Could Meet the Dire Need for Brain Treatments
A genetic therapy that increases or lowers levels of a protein raises hopes for a treatment for neurological disorders
FitnessJuly 2, 2019
New Method for Tackling Stroke Restrains an Overactive Immune System
Shutting down an inflammatory molecule could potentially provide treatment days after onset
NeuroscienceJune 27, 2019
Our Brain Uses a Not-So-Instant Replay to Make Decisions
Neural processing centers repeat recent sequences of events to lay down new memories used for abstract thought
HealthApril 18, 2019
A Genetic Risk Score Tries to Predict Whether a Child Will Become Obese
A still-controversial test could be administered to toddlers to gauge their chances
BiotechMarch 27, 2019
New Strategies Take on the Worst Cancer--Glioblastoma
Among the various malignancies that can afflict the human body, few bring with them the dour prognoses of brain tumors
NeurologyJanuary 24, 2019
Why Rocking to Sleep Is a Matchless Sedative—and Elixir
Back-and-forth motions may tweak the sensory organs that control our balance and spatial orientation
NeuroscienceJanuary 1, 2019
Does Weight-Loss Surgery Rewire Gut–Brain Connections?
Bariatric procedures are revealing new insights into the dialogue between bowel and brain
ComputingDecember 6, 2018
“Superhuman” AI Triumphs Playing the Toughest Board Games
Will a general algorithm that masters chess, go and shogi succeed as well for games with less-defined rules?
BehaviorSeptember 21, 2018
“Gambling Brain” Studies Make Clear Why It’s Hard to Stop Rolling the Dice
Neural regions underlying risk-taking and regret may one day point toward treatments for compulsive betting
NeuroscienceAugust 23, 2018
A Molecular Reason Why Obese People Have Trouble Losing Weight
Fat desensitizes the brain to a hormone that diminishes appetite