Jul 07
Hearing a bird sing, it’s quite easy to believe that they were born knowing how to do it. But not so. They improve their songs as they grow up. A new study from MIT has shown how practise improves their performances. A baby zebra finch starts by mimicing its father. Poorly, as it produces gibberish. …
Apr 11
pic is Applicants to a Casual Ward A new Cornell study claims that: “Chronic stress from growing up in poverty can physiologically impact children’s brains, impairing their working memory and diminishing their ability to develop language, reading and problem-solving skills.” As if the Tiny Tims of the world didn’t have enough to worry about. I’m …
Mar 31
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa16ewvpunY] Honda has managed to create a brain interface that will allow a human to mentally control a robot. Basically, it uses an MRI to scan your brain, you visualize making a movement and, a few moments later, Asimo makes that movement. It works with 90% accuracy in a controlled setting but it’s pretty clunky …
Sep 06
Seemingly unhappy with the cynicism that has served them so well, Hollywood is now using MRIs to see how popcorn eaters react to films. They’ve learned that Hitchcock exercises more control over the brain than simply gaping at a city street. And this should help them . . . Do what exactly? Make the …
Jul 01
Gay Pride week has finished in Toronto and I suspect some people are awakening this afternoon with sore heads. Or just going to bed now, with grinding jaws. I don’t really know as I never attend the event. I’m a paradeaphobe. I can still remember the first time I went to a parade. Being a …
Nov 25
I’ve often noticed that it’s mainly people with money who say that money will not buy happiness. People without money tend to say things like: “Gimme your money!” According to a new study money will only buy you happiness under certain conditions. You don’t need to be rich, you just need to be richer than …
Sep 15
While our so-called leaders would like us to think that the best way to prevent terrorism is endless war against poorly defined enemies, there are other options. Technological options. How about brain fingerprinting? Ask people simple yes and no questions and get the truth every time. Put it on airlines but don’t stop there. Hook …
Jan 05
Ever since I heard of the double-blind, University of Zurich study that proved that Oxytocin made people more trusting and likely to give their money away, I’ve needed some of that hormone. Why don’t they sell that shit? I wondered. The study had a spray, why don’t I? I could use other people’s money just …
Nov 30
Most people realize that humanity is well on its way to becoming a race of hive-minded cyborgs. This process started with peg-legged pirates and books. But in the next twenty years it’s going to accelerate until we can access each other’s minds with the ease that we access each other’s MySpace accounts and blogs. Most …
Jun 14
I suppose the vast majority of internet users will never look at porn. They’ll use it for all of the ennobling reasons; like expanding their mind and being part of an electronic global village with no nudity. But some people – a tiny minority, to be sure – also use their magic boxes to get …
