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Neuroscience Research

New research in neuroscience

Video Games Make You Smarter… Really!

Can video games make you a better air traffic controller? How about a better surgeon? And, for the huge demographic bubble of baby boomers, can video games keep you cognitively sharp into old age? Continuing our focus on brain fitness…

Nap for Success

Not long ago we learned that daydreaming is the key to creativity, and now I've got even better news: napping makes you smarter! Or, according to Richard Restak's new book, Think Smart: A Neuroscientist's Prescription for Improving Your…

Doggie Bags & Sunk Costs

Did you ever get a meal at a restaurant that you didn't like, but have them wrap up the leftovers anyway? Even though the food's flavor is unlikely to improve with age, there may be an explanation for the seemingly irrational behavior.…

Study: Why Golfers Choke

The game of golf is more mental than most sports. Incredible size, strength, and speed aren't required, although obviously considerable athletic skill is needed to succeed. What's also necessary is the ability to control fine, precise…

The Brain on “Chilling” Music

In Audio Branding, I wrote about subtle uses of music to influence our behavior. Most of the uses of music for branding or sales enhancement are so subtle that listeners may not be consciously aware the music is even playing - it's…

Medical Marketing: Is That REAL Pain?

Robert Burton of Salon wrote an interesting piece that discusses both the field of prescription drug marketing and how fMRI brain scans have been used to show that pain is "real." Fibromyalgia is a condition in which patients seem to…

Convince with Confidence

Is it better to know your stuff, or act like you do? If you are in the business of convincing other people, whether as a consultant, salesperson, team member, or almost any other position that requires others to believe you, it pays to be…

Exercise, Weight Loss, & Your Brain

From both physicians and fitness gurus, the mantra for effective weight loss is the same: diet and exercise. And we've all had friends who gushed about starting a modest walking program, for example, and saw themselves drop unwanted…