Fate loves the fearless

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113122257.htm

Neuroscientists have discovered that when it comes to new neurons in the adult brain, the squeakiest wheels get the grease.

I seem to be having this conversation a lot lately.

Person X: Hmm, you smell strangely yummy. What is it that you are wearing?

Me: Thieves Oil

Person X: Whaa?

I started spraying myself down with it before mingling with the germy people in the scary world that goes on outside my apartment after The New York Times reported that cinnimom oil kills a number of common and hospital-acquired infections

Plus it kind of makes you smell like medicated Christmas cookies.

So now you all know, and can quit asking me. The more you know and all that stuff.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091611.htm

An innovative diagnostic technique invented by an Australian researcher could dramatically fast-track the detection of mental and neurological illnesses.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006102637.htm

New research from the University of Southampton has demonstrated that it is possible for communication from person to person through the power of thought -- with the help of electrodes, a computer and Internet connection.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812181437.htm

New research indicates that decreased cravings for pleasure may be at the root of a core symptom of major depressive disorder. The research is in contrast to the long-held notion that those suffering from depression lack the ability to enjoy rewards, rather than the desire to seek them.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727140349.htm

It is widely known that the brain perceives information before it reaches a person's awareness. But until now, there was little way to determine what specific mental tasks were taking place prior to the point of conscious awareness. That has now changed.

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.

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.