Instant Expert 31: The human brain Cookies on the New Scientist website close Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. Find out about our cookies and how to change them Log in Your login is case sensitive I have forgotten my password close My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs Instant Expert 31: The human brain (Image: Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging)It took thousands of years, but our understanding of how the brain works has brought us to the brink of enlightenment. Milestones of neuroscience We now have a detailed understanding of the brain's building block – the neuron. More than one way to map a mind Injuries were once the key to learning how the brain worked, but advanced imaging techniques are now giving us detailed maps of where our skills ariseRead more From tiny neurons to expansive minds How does the brain generate a conscious mind? Looking over the neuroscience horizon Download a paper brain to build yourself REVIEW: 19:00 16 April 2014
Welcome - National Anti-Vivisection Society How does science explain feelings and emotions? What happens in our body, how do they help us? - Quora Rubber Hand Trick Reveals Brain-Body Link | Wired Science The rubber hand illusion is more than a vaguely creepy parlor trick. It’s a window into relationship between our mental and physical self-conception. During the illusion, a participant’s hand is hidden, and a rubber hand positioned so that it appears as her own. Suddenly the rubber hand literally feels like it belongs to her. Scientists have now shown that the hidden hand’s temperature drops during the illusion: its effects aren’t simply mental, but physical as well, and could even hint at as-yet-unknown processes of disease. "These findings show that the conscious sense of our physical self, and the physiological regulation of our physical self, are linked," write a team of researchers led by Oxford University’s G. At first, this may seem a retelling of mind-body linkage: embarrassment causes blushing, fear a burst of strength. When participants in the study confused a rubber hand for their own, their hidden hands became half a degree colder. Video: New ScientistImage: PNAS See Also:
UW Madison Cruelty: Photos The University of Wisconsin–Madison fought for more than three years to keep these photographs of Double Trouble’s abuse a secret until a successful PETA lawsuit compelled the university to release the disturbing images. WARNING: The photographs that follow are graphic. Double Trouble was subjected to several invasive surgeries on her eyes, ears, and brain. Experimenters drilled a hole in Double Trouble’s head and screwed this steel post to her skull. Electrodes were inserted into her brain, and electrical devices were implanted deep into her ears. Wires protruded from the grotesque contraption on Double Trouble’s head. Double Trouble would be deprived of food for days at a time, and experimenters would hold a feeding tube in the metal device in front of her mouth to deliver morsels of food so that she would cooperate during experiments. Double Trouble’s open, bloody head wound became a breeding ground for a serious bacterial infection.
A beginner's guide to sex differences in the brain Asking whether there are sex differences in the human brain is a bit like asking whether coffee is good for you – scientists can’t seem to make up their minds about the answer. In 2013, for example, news stories proclaimed differences in the brain so dramatic that men and women “might almost be separate species.” Then in 2015, headlines announced that there are in fact no sex differences in the brain at all. So which is it? What is a sex difference? To clear up the confusion, we need to consider what the term “sex difference” really means in the scientific literature. I’ve added individual data points for three hypothetical study subjects Sue, Ann and Bob. Before we get into the brain, let’s look at a couple of familiar sex differences outside the brain. Size of human genitalia. All of the women in this sample, including our hypothetical Sue and Ann, fall within a certain range. Sex difference in human height. A typical sex difference in the human brain. Why overlap matters
3D map of human brain is the most detailed ever - health - 20 June 2013 The folds, creases and intricate internal structures that make up the human brain are being revealed in unprecedented detail. A new three-dimensional map called BigBrain is the most detailed ever constructed, and should lead to a more accurate picture of how the brain's different regions function and interact. Until now, the precise placement of the neurons that make up our brain circuitry has been difficult to map, largely because the human brain's surface is covered with folds and creases. Slicing a brain exposes only two dimensions, so it is often unclear where and how the cells within these folds are organised in three-dimensional space. To make the new map, Katrin Amunts of the Jülich Research Centre in Germany and her colleagues embedded a 65-year old woman's brain in wax, sliced it into more than 7400 sections each 20 micrometres thick – one-fifth of the width of a human hair – and made digital images of the slices, also at a resolution of 20 micrometres. Tour de force
Companies That Still Test on Animals Many manufacturers of personal care and household items still test their products on animals, despite the growing number of alternative methods for evaluating product safety. The following list contains all such companies known and their associated brand names. This list originally was compiled from two primary references (cited at the bottom of this page). In addition, it is updated as new information is made available to us. We do our absolute best, but we cannot fully guarantee its accuracy, so please use the list accordingly--and do let us know if you can offer any further updates. You may wish to print out the list and take it along next time you go shopping! Companies That Still Test on Animals (and associated brands): Primary Original References: American Anti-Vivisection Society, Guide to Compassionate Shopping (8214.GCS) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Consumer Products Companies That Test on Animals (edition concurrent with origin list)
Inner Speech Speaks Volumes About the Brain A new study shows that a predictive brain signal could explain why we ‘hear’ inner speech in our heads even in the absence of actual sound. Whether you’re reading the paper or thinking through your schedule for the day, chances are that you’re hearing yourself speak even if you’re not saying words out loud. This internal speech — the monologue you “hear” inside your head — is a ubiquitous but largely unexamined phenomenon. A new study looks at a possible brain mechanism that could explain how we hear this inner voice in the absence of actual sound. In two experiments, researcher Mark Scott of the University of British Columbia found evidence that a brain signal called corollary discharge — a signal that helps us distinguish the sensory experiences we produce ourselves from those produced by external stimuli — plays an important role in our experiences of internal speech. And the same mechanism plays a role in how our auditory system processes speech.
Mind-reading monkey brains look similar to ours - life - 15 June 2013 MONKEYS may have a primitive version of the human ability to put ourselves in another's shoes. Intelligent animals such as apes can intuit others' intentions, suggesting they have some theory of mind capability. But only humans can reason that others may not hold their own beliefs. To study this difference, Rogier Mars of the University of Oxford and colleagues scanned 36 people's brains. Using an algorithm, they created a map of how an area associated with theory of mind is connected to brain regions linked to abilities such as face recognition and interpretation. Next, the researchers scanned 12 macaque brains for a similar pattern of connections. That doesn't necessarily mean the structures share a function, Mars says. Laurie Santos of Yale University says the structural differences may one day tell us why non-human primates lack the ability to think about others' beliefs. This article appeared in print under the headline "Monkeys in other monkeys' shoes" More From New Scientist
Americans For Medical Advancement | AFMA Does the head remain briefly conscious after decapitation (revisited)? A Straight Dope Classic from Cecil's Storehouse of Human Knowledge June 12, 1998 Dear Cecil: In the answer about the guillotine in your online archive, you say that "the fatal blow induces immediate unconsciousness." — Joel Brusk, via AOL Dear Joel: Let's see. A lot of people disputed my claim that victims of the guillotine blacked out immediately. Not likely. But let's return to the original question, appalling though it may be: Is a severed head aware of its fate? It doesn't get any better. Is it possible? Then I received a note from a U.S. My friend's head came to rest face up, and (from my angle) upside-down. I've spoken with the author and am satisfied the event occurred as described. — Cecil Adams
Animal Testing Change the World » Animal Testing » Every year, in laboratories around the world, ‘scientists’ poison, torture and kill millions of defenceless animals in the name of ‘safety’. But, there’s nothing safe about ‘safety’ tests on animals! These are some of the different animals that are known to have been used in product tests around the world: Click on the tests below to find out more about each of the common tests performed on animals. Many scientists have argued for a long time that animal tests are ineffective at ensuring products are safe for humans. If that weren’t enough reason to end such tests right now, then the alternatives certainly are! Why should animals suffer and die for a new brand of lipstick or new laundry detergent? Millions of rodents are forced to endure painful tests every year in the name of product testing. Dogs are also used in product tests. Day 6 of an LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%) acute toxicity poison test. The draize test can leave rabbits blinded. Play Slideshow