Fate loves the fearless

How did life begin? What's the universe made of? Why do we sleep? 42* of the biggest questions in science.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.02/bigquestions.html?pg=1&topic=bigquestions&topic_set=

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610091431.htm

In a discovery that could lead to new treatment approaches for depression, researchers in Australia have shown that Internet-based therapy programs are as effective as face-to-face therapies in combating the illness. Patients in a clinician-assisted Internet-based treatment program experienced rates of recovery similar to those achieved by face-to-face therapy, the research found.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072811.htm

Patients suffering from chronic primary insomnia have higher levels of brain activation compared to normal sleepers during a working memory test.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/06/why-group-norms-kill-creativity.php

This article was really an eye-opener for me today, especially with its closing sentence "So if you really covet creativity, then there's one rule you'd be well advised to follow: go it alone.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528203745.htm

It's a long-standing and crucial question that, as yet, remains unanswered: just how common is scientific misconduct? Results suggest that altering or making up data is more frequent than previously estimated and might be particularly high in medical research.

I am in desperate need of research data into people's personal experience with the current medical system and the way sleep clinics are run. If you have had experience with a sleep labatory, or know someone who has if you could direct them to this entry to answer these few questions I would truly be forever grateful. The greater the signal boost means the greater the sample size which in turn means the more valuable the data. For those who aren't comfortable answering such questions in such a public forum please feel free to cut and paste them into an email and send your answers to me at butterbee@gmail.com

1. Was your experience at the sleep laboratory/clinic positive, negative or neither positive nor negative?

2. What was their diagnoses?

3. What were your feelings about the options they offered to you as a solution?

4. What was the most beneficial thing about your experience with the clinic?

5. What was the least beneficial thing about your experience with the clinic?

6. If there was anything that you could change about the whole experience, what would that thing be?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195694

Why some mentally ill patients are rejecting their medication and making the case for 'mad pride.'

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420151240.htm

Scientists have discovered that the brain manufactures proteins that act like marijuana at specific receptors in the brain itself. This discovery may lead to new marijuana-like drugs for managing pain, stimulating appetite and preventing marijuana abuse.*

Editor's Note: I wasn't aware that such thing as marijuana 'abuse' existed.

This highly amused me.

"It has to work, it's science!"

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324171422.htm

A receptor for glutamate, the most prominent neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a key role in the process of "unlearning," report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their findings could eventually help scientists develop new drug therapies to treat a variety of disorders, including phobias and anxiety disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319142352.htm

Want to know what will make you happy? Then ask a total stranger -- or so says a new study from Harvard University, which shows that another person's experience is often more informative than your own best guess.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316075845.htm

Does stress damage the brain? New research suggests that in learned helplessness, an animal model for depression and PTSD, stress-related reductions in synapses in the hippocampus are directly related to the emergence of depression-like behavior.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223150321.htm

Traditionally, stimulating nerves or brain tissue involves cumbersome wiring and a sharp metal electrode. But a team of researchers is going "wireless." And it's a unique collaboration between chemists and neuroscientists that led to the discovery of a remarkable new way to use light to activate brain circuits with nanoparticles.

Some movies inform. Some movies entertain. And some pry open your skull and punch you in the brain. MATTHEW BALDWIN gathers up the films that have caused him to clutch his head and moan.

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/reviews/mindfuck_movies.php

http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2009/02/love_and_immortality.html

We have a burning instinct for life and yet we know, ultimately, that we will die. We fear the one thing we cannot escape.

The question 'why live?' has preoccupied thinkers from the alpha to the omega of human history, but only relatively recently have we considered the question of 'how' - how do we live with this fear, this knowledge of our own demise?

We recognise love as our companion and protector and we now think that it may even shield us from death itself, at least while we're alive.

Read on...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090207150518.htm

Can money make us happy if we spend it on the right purchases? A new psychology study suggests that buying life experiences rather than material possessions leads to greater happiness for both the consumer and those around them. The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased satisfaction and well-being.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204101252.htm

New research shows our brain's sense centers are continuously active. In the absence of a stimulus, however, their electrical activity remains in "screen saver" mode.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127123009.htm

Investigators have found a surprising link between brain iron levels and serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in neuropsychiatric conditions ranging from autism to major depression. The new study also demonstrates the utility of a powerful in silico approach for discovering novel traits linked to subtle genetic variation.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108121656.htm

Treatment with a pharmacological version of the drug ecstasy makes PSTD patients more receptive to psychotherapy, and contributes to lasting improvement. Now researchers explain why.