Psychology and Neuroscience

Exposure to blue light during the day directly and immediately improves alertness and performance, says a new study. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) compared the effects of exposure to blue light with exposure to an equal amount of green light on alertness and performance in 16 study participants. Read on to find out more. 

It is known that neurons called grid cells to form a network known as the brain’s “inner GPS” that help humans and animals to navigate. Researchers at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire studied rats and discovered that these neurons receive spatial information from head direction cells in the thalamus. Read on to find out more.

It has long been held that there are six universally recognized basic emotions that can be easily interpreted through facial expressions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. However, new research suggests that there are actually only four. Read on for more details. 

Social psychologist Timothy Wilson at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and his team found that most people have a “disengaged mind.” Wilson’s team conducted a study in which participants were asked to spend 15 minutes alone without any means of entertainment. Read on to find out the results of this study. 

In a large-scale collaborative effort, scientists used two problem-solving tasks to investigate the evolution of self-control among animals. The study involved 36 species of mammals and birds. The scientists found that the species with the largest absolute brain volume showed superior cognitive powers. Read on to know more. 

The blood-barrier consists of a layer of cells that line the inner surface of the capillaries that regulate the passage of nutrients and waste in and out of the central nervous system. A team of researchers has developed a way of delivering medicines to the brain by bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Read on to find out more.

Why are babies cute? A group of researchers at the University of Oxford have found the answer to this question. According to them, the appealing sight and smell of babies is a protective mechanism that ensures their survival at a time when they are completely dependent. Read more about their research here.

Although reseatchers have known about the phenomenon of 'inattentional deafness,' the exact reasons behind it were not known. A team of researchers from University College London conducted a study on how concentrating on a visual task renders people temporarily deaf to the surrounding sounds. Read more about their research here.

Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) published a study which shows that the brain learns new words faster by recognizing them as complete words rather than in parts, and remembered them as pictures for future reference. Read more about their research here.

Typical sleep patterns in mammals are composed of two phases: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep or dreaming sleep. Researchers from Bern wanted to understand the mechanisms that help the brain switch between the two patterns. They identified a new neural circuit between hypothalamus and thalamus that have been associated with electroencephalogram rhythms during sleep. Read more about their research here.