On AlterNet: brain

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "brain"

Understanding the Ideological Divide Between Liberals and Conservatives: Is it Possible for Us to Get Along?

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. April 10, 2012.

Journalist Chris Mooney discusses his new book, "The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Reject Science -- and Reality."

Mind Games: Are Cyberspace and Psychiatric Drugs Messing with Our Heads?

Greg Guma, Maverick Media. June 16, 2011.

We rely more and more on psychiatric drugs to keep us level and technology to keep us informed. But over-reliance could be changing our very reality.

The Fascinating Reason It's So Hard to Quit Bad Habits Like Overeating or Smoking

David McRaney, AlterNet. June 13, 2011.

Why do many diets end in catastrophe? The answer lies in a strange mechanism in your brain.

;) Are Emoticons and Other Image-Based Communications Changing the Way Our Brains Work?

Blanca Mendez, AlterNet. June 2, 2011.

Memes, twitpics, emoticons, photojamming and glitter text may be altering the way we process communication.

How Your Brain May Be Different Than a Conservative's

AFPApril 10, 2011.

A new study shows liberals have more gray matter in a part of the brain related to understanding complexity, while the conservative brain is bigger in the section linked to fear.

Aftershock: The Ticking Time Bomb of Soldiers' Traumatic Brain Injuries

T. Christian Miller, Daniel Zwerdling, ProPublica. March 27, 2011.

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are a generation of warriors whose fight has shifted from external combat zones to invisible internal battlefields.

Study: Conservatives Have Larger 'Fear Centers' in Their Brains

Daniel Tencer, Raw Story. December 30, 2010.

British study shows conservatives' brains tend to have larger amygdalas, which responsible for primitive emotions.

Vision: Can Human Beings Drop Their Divisive, Reactionary Thinking and Move to a Higher Level?

Ronit Herzfeld, AlterNet. December 13, 2010.

A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels. The good news is that the human brain is more flexible than we assume.

It's a Jungle in There: Our Brains Are Not As Evolved As We Might Think

Louis Cozolino, Psychotherapy Networker. July 15, 2010.

The human brain will probably continue to grow in size and capacities, barring the potential catastrophes that this amazing organ can create for the world and itself.

The Unconscious Politics That Shape Our World, Choose Presidents and Save or Destroy Lives

Maria Armoudian, AlterNet. April 1, 2010.

There is increasing scientific evidence that human behavior is not rational or conscious, and may be completely programmed without logic or knowledge.

When Are You Dead? Science Just Made the Work of Religion a Bit More Difficult

Arri Eisen, Religion Dispatches. March 12, 2010.

A recent study of brain activity in those thought to be in a "vegetative" state blurs the line between life and death.

This Is Your Brain on Kafka

Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune.com. December 22, 2009.

Does absurdist literature make you smarter? Giraffe carpet cleaner, it does!

5 Things the Corporate Media Don't Want You to Know About Cannabis

Paul Armentano, AlterNet. September 23, 2009.

Recent scientific reports suggest that pot doesn't destroy your brain, that it doesn't cause lung damage like tobacco -- but you won't hear it in the corporate media.

Are Mind-Enhancing Drugs a Dangerous Fad or a Great Way to Get Ahead?

Jeremy Laurance, Independent UK. June 23, 2009.

Advocates say they are an irresistible way of improving students' performance. Critics argue they are a dangerous fad.

Meditation May Protect Your Brain

Michael Haederle, Miller-McCune.com. November 22, 2008.

Research is confirming the medicinal effects that advocates have long claimed for meditation.

The Misshapen Mind: How the Brain's Haphazard Evolution Left Us with Self-Destructive Instincts

Sasha Abramsky, The American Prospect. August 20, 2008.

Evolution didn't quite hit perfection when it comes to human thought processes.