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Tweet Year in Review
No comments yetPosted in Brain Tweet ArchiveDec 1, 2017
Each year I review 12 months-worth of articles I’ve tweeted about to get a handle on what’s been hot and what’s not in the world of brain science. My daily scouring of the latest brain news usually results in around 10 to 20 articles per week that I feel merit making a link and posting it on Twitter (@drjacklewis). For an article to be deemed tweet-worthy it has to be real science, usually brain-related and written in an accessible, compelling way so that anyone can get something out of it.
This year the top three categories of brain-related articles I’ve been tweeting about were on the topics of strategies for improving brain health, brain scanning studies and experiments relevant to understanding how young brains differ from adult brains.
I’ve pulled out 15 of my favourites from 2017 and beneath these you’ll find the whole year’s worth:
- The mere presence of your smartphone reduces brain power, study shows bit.ly/2u8Vxym
- Brain training to help people avoid the need for reading glasses in middle age nyti.ms/2nstfhN
- To help comprehend just how much complexity is contained within a single cubic millimetre of brain tissue bit.ly/DrJ1CubBrMm
- The pen is mightier than the keyboard bit.ly/DrJMightyPen
- Influential tech investor slams Silicon Valley for adopting techniques that encourage compulsive media consumption bit.ly/DrJscncmplsv
- Neuroscientist Molly Crockett explains Brexit debacle in terms of our aversion to disadvantageous inequality bit.ly/DrJCrockBrex
- Fantastic article by Tali Sharot explaining why brains continue to believe info even after it’s revealed to be false bit.ly/DrJFakeNews
- Read for 30mins every single day and you’ll (probably) live for two years longer than if you don’t bit.ly/drJReadDaily
- Firm body, firm brain: magnetic resonance elastography shows positive correlation between memory & hippocampal firmness! bit.ly/DrJFitBdFitBrn
- Two large studies find that heavy coffee consumption predicts reduced mortality ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28693038 & ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28693036
- Vagus nerve stimulation implant zaps man back into consciousness after 15 years in post-car crash vegetative state bit.ly/2wPJax6
- Using high frequency magnetic stimulation to zap the voices generated by schizophrenic brains: bit.ly/DrJzapthevoices
- Fresh human brain, anyone? [don’t watch this if you’re eating, if not -behold the wonderous mass betwixt thine ears] bit.ly/2giJZaL
- AI based on organisation of visual brain thwarts CAPCHA “Are you a robot?” security measures bit.ly/DrJCAPCHAbash
- An essay on a neuroscience-informed approach to improving the prison service bit.ly/DrJNformedPrisn
Below is every brain-related article I posted between 1st Dec 2016 and 30th Nov 2017 with clickable links so you can navigate straight to anything you find interesting:
November 2017
Opt in or out of old-aged infirmity – the choice is yours bit.ly/DrJ70new50
Dog ownership makes middle aged people less likely to die or suffer cardiovascular problems according to study of over 3 million swedes bit.ly/DrJDogLifeExt
Dolphin and killer whale brains reflect their intensely social nature bit.ly/DrJSocialCet
The man behind Kernel’s efforts to crack the Brain Computer Interface challenge bit.ly/2z7rqhQ
Monkey amputees trained to use a robotic arm via electrodes implanted into their brains give new insight into the mechanisms of neuroplasticity bit.ly/DrJMnkRobArm
From American football to football football – study sets out to discover whether all those headers cause long term brain trouble bit.ly/DrJFootyBran
If you never got around to reading about how avatar therapy can reduce schizophrenic hallucinations bit.ly/DrJSchAvTher you’ll be happy to hear we cover it in the latest episode of our @GCweirdscience podcast! bit.ly/DrJGeekChicPod
I cannot wait until the longitudinal data on the impacts of allowing technology to constantly interrupt whatever we’re doing is finally published. In the meantime we have articles like this (which at least make people stop and think) bit.ly/DrJCyberSlack
The record company exec’s dream come true: how much people like a song can be influenced by applying magnetic fields to a listener’s brain (Zatorre lab) bit.ly/DrJMagMusLik
Do your brain training at the gym, the benefits may well be multiplicative bit.ly/DrJBrTrGym
Actually, New Scientist covers the story much better… bit.ly/DrJAdHiStakes Brain imaging study highlights difficulties younger adolescents have compared to older adolescents when making (relatively) high stakes decisions
Neuroscience study compares impact of after-school music lessons versus sports on brain structure and cognitive flexibility in kids from disadvantaged communities bit.ly/DrJMusicBrain
Brain imaging study highlights difficulties younger adolescents have compared to older adolescents when making (relatively) high stakes decisions bit.ly/DrJAdolStakes
Being a loner not always associated with bad outcomes. When freely chosen rather than compelled by socially-induced anxiety it predicts superior creativity bit.ly/DrJIsolCreat
Cognitive training improves innovative thinking, along with corresponding positive brain changes, in healthy adults over the age of 55 bit.ly/DrJCogTrn55pl
Couples may..have more opportunities for social engagement than single people-a factor that has been linked to better health and lower dementia risk bit.ly/DrJMarryDem
The Society for Neuroscience conference is always full of surprises – love the study where they taught rhesus monkeys to play chicken and cooperate to maximise their earnings bit.ly/DrJRhesChickn
Head and/or face pain tends to induce more emotional suffering, new study suggests it’s because neurons from these body parts plug directly into the parabrachial nucleus – others are indirectly connected bit.ly/DrJHdFcPn
60% of people are pro-socials, meaning they prefer resources to be distributed equally among everyone, but these pro-socials – according to a new study – are more prone to depression bit.ly/DrJProsocDep
Stress experienced by fathers may alter gene expression in their sperm, potentially leading to less resilient offspring bit.ly/DrJStressSperm
Where neuroscience meets Virtual Reality, beautiful things can happen bit.ly/DrJNeuroXvr
Interested in building games in virtual reality? Here’s a great lesson in what NOT to do if you want to create a sense of satisfaction when the player finally cracks the puzzle bit.ly/DrJVRescFAIL [if you don’t like swearing, DO NOT click the link]
Turns out that smartphone addiction might be a thing after all – Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy study suggests it leads to neurotransmitter imbalance (GABA/glutamate) bit.ly/DrJPhoneAdict
Head and/or face pain tends to induce more emotional suffering, new study suggests it’s because neurons from these body parts plug directly into the parabrachial nucleus – others are indirectly connected bit.ly/DrJHdFcPn
“Stress experienced by fathers may alter gene expression in their sperm, potentially leading to less resilient offspring” bit.ly/DrJStressSperm
Neuroscience study compares impact of after-school music lessons versus sports on brain structure and cognitive flexibility in kids from disadvantaged communities bit.ly/DrJMusicBrain
Taste of what’s being talked about at the Society for Neuroscience conference today bit.ly/DrJTasteSfN17
Study tests whether people recall images they were briefly shown (but not asked to memorise) 10 years previously bit.ly/DrJ10yrsLater
Going beyond opioids in pain management to avoid the potential for addiction brings us to… snail venom bit.ly/DrJByndOpio
The more you exercise the less your telomeres shorten, helping you to stay (biologically) young: bit.ly/DrJ70new50
New brain probe has 1,000 recording sites per millimetre and is likely to be a “game-changer” for neuroscience research bit.ly/DrJBrainProbe
Tales of a brain detective nyti.ms/2zqhDTj
Mind-typing is on the horizon bit.ly/DrJMindType
How the presence of irrelevant alternatives on a menu affect decision-making Decoy effect examined in fMRI-TMS study bit.ly/DrJMktgTrx
Sleep deprivation makes your brain cells sluggish – literally – according to measurements from human neurons bit.ly/DrJSlpDepSlug
Don’t spank your kids. What did and didn’t happen in your own childhood is irrelevant, we know better now… bit.ly/DrJDontSpank
Brains severely damaged by heart attack more likely to recover if brain scans show that core connectivity is intact bit.ly/DrJPostHAbrnscn
If GABA (in hippo) can reduce neg thoughts & high fat diet reduces GABA,then do high fat diets promote neg thoughts? bit.ly/DrJHiFatHiAnx
An essay on a neuroscience-informed approach to improving the prison service bit.ly/DrJNformedPrisn
Re-defining the phrase “Spaced Out” – what happens to an astronaut’s brain over the course of a long trip bit.ly/DrJSpacedOut
The trouble with clinical trials involving brain implants… bit.ly/2zoOrg7
Sweet dreams… make those zzzzz’s count bbc.in/2lCppnF
OCT 2017
If you’ve heard people moaning about the clocks going back, you may wish to take them out with this bit.ly/DrJBrBenClkBk
New study demonstrates 40% faster learning with tDCS in non-human primates bit.ly/DrJfstrlrng
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) therapy for depression and OCD may trigger transient episodes of rage bit.ly/DrJtDCSrage
AI based on organisation of visual brain thwarts CAPCHA “Are you a robot?” security measures bit.ly/DrJCAPCHAbash
All hail the king of brain training, Dual n-back, freely available from brainworkshop.sourceforge.net for almost a decade! bit.ly/DrJDualNking
I love that dolphins gossip about each other when the subject of the gossip isn’t around bit.ly/2yOjvFA
Science of the female orgasm revisited bit.ly/DrJFemOrgasm
Resetting the Circadian Clock Might Boost Metabolic Health ja.ma/2xGe4Z6
Psilocybin therapy described as feeling like reset button had been pressed for many depressed people in neuro study bbc.in/2ymbV24
Fresh human brain, anyone? [don’t watch this if you’re eating, if not -behold the wonderous mass betwixt thine ears] bit.ly/2giJZaL
Activity-dependent plasticity can re-establish voluntary control of movement..after complete paralysis in humans bit.ly/DrJRecovParal
Plans are afoot to grow a little-known cannabinoid (cannabidivarin) in GM yeast as a therapy to treat epilepsy bit.ly/DrJCBDV
Cybernetics in action: a robot that can swim… & fly bit.ly/DrJCybernetics
Feeling connected to others is vital for health so audio brain training for hard-of-hearing could be a real boon bit.ly/DrJAudioTrng
If the body has to choose between fuelling the brain or the skeletal muscles, brains win every time bit.ly/2yvZjIe
Waste not want not – how offcuts from human surgery are helping to unravel the #SecretsOfTheBrain bit.ly/DrJHmnBrnRes
More hope means less anxiety bit.ly/DrJHopeProtects
A window into the brain’s autopilot mode bit.ly/DrJBrAutoplt
How to do lucid dreaming more effectively bit.ly/DrJLucidDrms
Feeling connected to others is vital for health so audio brain training for hard-of-hearing could be a real boon bit.ly/DrJAudioTrng
If the body has to choose between fueling the brain or the skeletal muscles, brains win every time bit.ly/2yvZjIe
New GDF15 drugs progressing through pre-clinical testing show good prospects in fight against the obesity pandemic bit.ly/DrJGDF15wtls
New theory suggests migraines occur when brains sensitive to oxidative stress take steps to protect against damage bit.ly/DrJMigrProt
Power of touch in soothing social pain bit.ly/DrJTouchSocPn
Re: artificial retinas…it may actually take less work to enhance human vision than to restore normal vision: bit.ly/DrJEasya2Enh
non-REM sleep is especially important in clearing plaques involved in Alzheimer’s disease from the brainî bit.ly/DrJNonREMdplq
Great article to start trying to comprehend how much complexity is contained within1cubic millimetre of brain tissue bit.ly/DrJ1CubBrMm
If you want to know how people are really feeling, close your eyes bit.ly/DrJHearEmot
Neuroscientist Molly Crockett explains Brexit debacle in terms of our aversion to disadvantageous inequality bit.ly/DrJCrockBrex
Phase II clinical trial of FDA-approved antihistamine restores function in patients with chronic multiple sclerosis bit.ly/DrJAntihstMS
While perception tends to extract simple components and build up to complex features, recall appears to flip this bit.ly/DrJRecallBtoF
Female brain’s attach more value to prosocial choices than men, whether due to nature or nurture uncertain bit.ly/DrJGendProS
Who’d have thought there’s a genetic component to propensity to get divorced?!! bit.ly/DrJDivGenes
Bad news for my high school which has a major A-road running between the 2playgrounds. Pollution & brain development bit.ly/DrJYngBrnPln
Here’s a cracking (hyperbole-free) article describing where we’ve got to in the epic journey of merging mind&machine bit.ly/DrJBrnCmpInt
Why do smart people do foolish things? Intelligence is not the same as critical thinking and the difference matters bit.ly/2y6vAUZ
34,000 Norwegians followed over 11 years suggest exercise reduces incidence of depression -what are you waiting for? bit.ly/DrJExerBrain
Experiencing traumatic brain injury – from the perspective of a science journalist knocked off her bike by a car bit.ly/DrJTrmBrnInj
Mindfulness meditation influences different brain areas to compassion-based meditation bit.ly/DrJMedtnBrn
Google’s DeepMind postulates that hippocampus doesn’t just contain memories of the past, but also visions of future bit.ly/DrJHipoFutr
Geek Chic Weird Science podcast Ep81 is out now: this week we discuss living in lava tubes, the IgNobels & more… bit.ly/DrJGCWeirdSci
Experimental transcranial Direct Current Stimulation significantly reduced fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis bit.ly/DrJtcDCS4MS
Nobel prize for three researchers who unpicked the brain mechanisms of circadian rhythm bit.ly/DrJNobl17Circ
Pregnancy fundamentally alters female brains, find a summary of the findings of this groundbreaking research here bit.ly/DrJPregBrain
2,500 pickled human brains harvested from psychiatric patients in Essex now being studied in Belgium bit.ly/DrJBoxedBrains
SEP 2017
Being busy ruins creativity http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/creativity-and-distraction
MRI study indicates that gamers deal better with uncertainty than those who don’t regularly play action video games bit.ly/DrJGmrsUncrt
Vagus nerve stimulation implant zaps man back into consciousness after 15 years in post-car crash vegetative state bit.ly/2wPJax6
A Beginner’s Guide to Machine Learning for Humans chw.ag/2fhexZW
Fantastic article by Tali Sharot explaining why brains continue to believe info even after it’s revealed to be false bit.ly/DrJFakeNews
Introducing… The International Brain Laboratory bit.ly/2xcEVZl
Worrying takes up cognitive resources..get these worries out of your head through expressive writing..become more efficient bit.ly/2wu3BKP
Researchers uncover mechanism behind calorie restriction and lengthened lifespan bit.ly/2jsCRJr
Wow – the symptoms of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis sound out of this world – imagine thinking you’re a T-Rex?! bit.ly/2h1rg3m
I wrote a blog about the potential for deep brain stimulation without needing to put electrodes inside the brain… bit.ly/DrJFutureDBS
Using high frequency magnetic stimulation to zap the voices generated by schizophrenic brains: bit.ly/DrJzapthevoices
Move over stem cells, we can make motoneurons from people’s skin now… bit.ly/DrJmotoNfrmSKN
MRI study reveals the vast majority of dogs love us “at least as much as food” nyti.ms/2gSbS9h
Brains using photons for communication using neurons like optical fibres? Now i’ve heard it all… bit.ly/2wJ41ii
Understand your child’s changing brain as the years go by ind.pn/2iW8pXQ
All aboard who’s going aboard – wondering whether or not to get on the Brain Train? bit.ly/2x2kRf1
Healthy glucose levels the key to a healthy ageing brain bit.ly/2x9vYCb
AUG 2017
Most of us alive today carry at least some DNA from a species that last lived tens of thousands of years ago bit.ly/2gc5Yzr
Natural High? Finnish PET scanning study suggests High Intensity Interval Training boosts brain endorphins bit.ly/2ivpVlC
Artificial Intelligence algorithm can predict dementia two years before onset on basis of single amyloid PET scan: bit.ly/2g5YWfC
Here we go again: Aussie firm plans to target eSports gamers with their electrical brain stimulation headsets ab.co/2vWpDYk
Scientists: There IS something you can do to save the world trib.al/n7zvDcl
Struggle with insomnia? Try the Body Scan meditation shortly before bedtime bit.ly/2uIQ0i1
In a nutshell: Walnuts activate brain region involved in appetite control bit.ly/2w61nVU
Apparently cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help procrastinators, personally i’d never get round to it.. bit.ly/2vP2pmO
Eating walnuts makes brain area activated by unpleasant feelings(eg disgust) light up when people see junk food pics bit.ly/2wTMkfC
Read for 30 mins every single day and you’ll (probably) live for two years longer than if you don’t bit.ly/drJReadDaily
Firm body, firm brain: magnetic resonance elastography shows +’ve correlation between memory & hippocampal firmness! bit.ly/DrJFitBdFitBrn
Thinking of a career change? Why not figure out how to accommodate extra 70k elderly who’ll need care by 2025 bit.ly/drJCare4Eld
The robots are coming (and this are the places where you’ll see them first) bit.ly/2vwf53g
Going on holiday soon? Lucky you. Please read this and then as soon as you get to your destination UNPLUG bit.ly/DrJUnplug
Will the future involve supercomputers made out of networked “brain balls” in vast underground server rooms? bit.ly/DrJBrainBlls
A brief glimpse into the future of the neurotechnology industry bit.ly/DrJNuroTech
Memory like a sieve? Imagining the irritating consequences of an action sequence makes memories stickier bit.ly/DrJMemTrix1
Just when you think you’re getting your head around how complicated brains are..turns out they’re more complex still bit.ly/DrJEvnMreCplx
Calm down dear the mighty @Neuro_Skeptic provides much needed perspective on male/female brain difference headlines bit.ly/DrJGndBrnSPCT
Learning in your sleep, very specific phases of sleep, mind bit.ly/DrJSlpLrn
Are energy drinks the new gateway drug to the hard stuff? Probably not but this makes interesting reading bit.ly/DrJrBllGtwy
Influential tech investor slams Silicon Valley for adopting techniques that encourage compulsive media consumption bit.ly/DrJscncmplsv
Cash incentive-based neurofeedback goals enable control over functional connectivity. Could lead to brain therapies! bit.ly/DrJNfdbkConX
Litmus test for the brain? bit.ly/DrJBrainpH
Anyone for a brain-controlled Virtual Reality experience? The future will be here next year engt.co/2vfpGOA
Coming Soon: sub-micron sized Nanoswimmer rockets to ferry drugs across the blood brain barrier bit.ly/2vblYXy
Hot yoga reduces comfort eating in the mildly depressed bit.ly/DrJHotYog
Finally someone’s figured out how to remove BPAs from drinking water safely, simply and, it seems, very thoroughly bit.ly/DrJBPAremov
Specially engineered ceramic skull implant should improve future delivery of ultrasound/laser-based brain therapies bit.ly/DrJUSimplnt
Who’d have thought: moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower rates of cognitive decline in elderly…cheers! bit.ly/DrJModBooz
Slowly but surely we’re starting to uncover the biological mechanisms involved obesity bit.ly/DrJObesAdip
Major breakthrough in our understanding of how brains perceive faces bit.ly/DrJFacePerc
Neurofeedback can increase the incidence of alpha brainwave spindles but not their duration or amplitude bit.ly/DrJNeuroFdbk
Aussies invest twice as much in bodily health than in their brain’s wellbeing. What would the figures be for you? bit.ly/2w0R42B
Virus-restored plasticity – would you? bit.ly/DrJVrsRestPlst
JUL 2017
The pen is mightier than the keyboard bit.ly/DrJMightyPen
Sugar linked to depression & memory problems in men @ERWatkins2 tinyurl.com/y7kvs27x
A vital step closer to cheating death? Will we all be replenishing our hypothalamic stem cells come 2030? ind.pn/2eO8BqD
In future schools will have to balance cognitive training with PE & brain stimulation, If this is anything to go by bit.ly/DrJCogXTrain
Want to have your brain in a jar? And live to tell the tale? Believe it or not, this is now technically possible bit.ly/DrJBrainInJar
Freeing up time by paying others to do your dirty work makes you happy bit.ly/DrJDechoreJoy
I’d love to know what brain area this young lady’s therapists are pointing the TMS at – temporal pole? bit.ly/DrJ_TMStreat
Here are some visual illusions to start the week and to remind you that your brain has no direct access to reality bit.ly/DrJIllusions
How physical exercise prevents dementia bit.ly/2ukXISk
I can’t quite believe how many of those born in the 21st century can reasonably expect to see their 100th birthday.. bit.ly/DrJ100isnew80
Given heart delivers blood2brain 24/7 perhaps unsurprising that healthier heart in 20’s means healthy brain in 40’s bit.ly/DrJHeartHead
Omega oils can be converted into cannabinoids that target the immune system to reduce inflammation bit.ly/DrJOm3Cann
Human foetuses can tell the difference between spoken English and Japanese from inside the womb a month before birth bit.ly/DrJFoetLang
These ravens have better planning skills than some people I know. ow.ly/qjyx30dJbE7
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never… oh wait, hang on, that’s not actually true nyti.ms/2u8b8Q0
Let your kids play in the dirt. Immune systems, like brains, adapt to the local environment through exposure bit.ly/2u983km
Composition of gut bacteria aged 1 seems to predict cognitive development aged 2. Whether or not this is causal is tbc bit.ly/2vxQ1pX
WE NOW GO LIVE TO BREXIT pic.twitter.com/edf48mbqmj
O2 and hyperbaric oxygen therapy reverses brain damage in drowned toddler bit.ly/2u1Bhjz
Give us this day our daily crossword, forgive us our grammatic inaccuracies, deliver us from tongue-tiedness… bit.ly/2vwXV2I
Fascinated by the brain? Here are some apps that explain how brains work. In sickness and in health bit.ly/2txqM5N
A blast of light to spark dmPFC neurons and the previously subordinate mouse’s sumo skills went through the roof bit.ly/DrJSumoMice
Flatcam: small enough to sit between skull/cortex to sense & deliver signals from ~millions of neurons to a computer bit.ly/DrJ_FlatCam
Two large studies find that heavy coffee consumption predicts reduced mortality ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28693038 & ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28693036
Immune cells pass dopamine molecules between them? (T cells -> B cells) Now I’ve heard it all bit.ly/DrJDopImmT2B
Being generous to others makes us happy and brand new study published in Nature Comms helps to explain why bit.ly/DrJGive2BHap
Video games and your brains bit.ly/DrJ_GameBrain
Will we ever manage to simultaneously record activity from 1million neurons? $65M from DARPA says it CAN be done… bit.ly/DrJ_1MilNeur
Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, your eyelids are starting to feel veeeeery heavy bit.ly/DrJ_Hypno
I bought BEHAVE on a whim yesterday – now, having read this NYT review, I really can’t wait to get started nyti.ms/2uNCJVQ
Psychopath brains overvalue immediate gratification over long term consequences even more than the rest of us bit.ly/2sHhuIA
Brain wiring mapped in unprecedented detail using latest MRI technology bbc.in/2sHC7zC
Brain training can work after all: 40% improvement in amnesic mild cognitive impairment after a bit of “Game Show” bit.ly/2t7SHfs
JUN 2017
Brain plasticity can occur in a “blastic” or a “clastic” direction. You have the power of controlling the switch -Dr. Merzenich In other words brain plasticity can have positive and negative consequences depending on what you do with your lifestyle choices
Cockatoo drumming film bitly.com/gcwsDrumming
High fat diet causes weight gain by increasing microglial cells and inflammation in the mouse hypothalamus bit.ly/2sNfVEj
For those teaching pre-school kids to read, beware picture overload.. no more than one illustration per page is best bit.ly/2tLL7IT
Higher IQ aged 11 predicts better chances of making it to 80 bit.ly/2tpqxxc
Gambling on the Dark Side of Nudges: bit.ly/2tTpm72
Why our brains need us to keep moving bit.ly/2scBind
Regular moderately-intense exercise helps to delay onset of Alz, even in genetically-prone people ti.me/2sUbQ2O
By many accounts, we’re experiencing an epidemic of anxiety, and several experts pin the blame on our smartphones bit.ly/2tku8tR
The mere presence of your smartphone reduces brain power, study shows bit.ly/2u8Vxym
Overstated evidence for short-term effects of violent games on aggression ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28639810
What is cognitive reserve? How we can protect our brains from memory loss and dementia bit.ly/2tWLCvH
PET study indicates 6 brain areas implicated in OCD exhibit signs of greater inflammation than in non-OCD brains bit.ly/DrJ_OCD_Inflam
Multitasking reduces efficiency by 40% in the vast majority of humans.. now we know (part of) the reason why bit.ly/2sDPm66
Now THIS is brain art bit.ly/2rRm9av
Food for thought bit.ly/DrJFood4Thought
Short blog on research studying how playing Tetris directly after traumatising experiences can reduce flashbacks bit.ly/DrJTetTerTher
Brain circuitry of hunger regulation involves intimate relationship between hypothalamus & insula: bit.ly/DrJHungerHypIns
Great article explaining why development of brain computer interfaces must proceed hand in hand with ethics, or else bit.ly/2sA8J2f
Don’t Text While Parenting – It Will Make You Cranky dld.bz/eYRf7
A nice, succinct explanation of the biological processes determining sex and gender bit.ly/DrJSexAndGender
How to Stay Sharp in Later Life on.dana.org/2sUlOAE
Blue Brain team discovers a multi-dimensional universe in brain networks bit.ly/2sf3GUx
Could Einstein’s quirky habits be responsible for his genius? Maybe you have a few of them too…find out here! bbc.in/2rRABO1
Implanting pig brain chemical manufacturing plant (choroid plexus) into Parkinson’s patients’ brains looks promising bit.ly/DrJPigPrksRmdy
Temporal interference stimulation to target deep brain areas without opening the skull has HUUUGE potential bit.ly/2satP7D
New study confirms performance boost in creative thinking task by reducing left frontal brain activation via tDCS bit.ly/DrJcreativeZap
Seven beers per week increases chance of brain shrinkage and white matter degradation (over the course of decades) bit.ly/DrJ7beersPW
Temporal interference seems like a much smarter form of brain stimulation than TMS or tDCS: nyti.ms/2rw4HqT
This is an armadillo’s defense mechanism pic.twitter.com/gUUNaOmu4O
Memory loss and other cognitive decline linked to blood vessel disease in the brain bit.ly/2rQzVcj
Einstein’s first wife was a physicist too, who contributed to his work. ow.ly/3JBY30ck9TH
New! Cassetteboy vs Theresa May – youtu.be/p7iUYWMD77w
Typing by brain sounds great. Up to the point where,like Trump,every silly idle thought gets broadcast to the world bit.ly/DrJtypebybrain
Human brain replays memories in fast-forward bit.ly/2rKrOho
Human faces reconstructed from monkey brain data bit.ly/DrJBrainFaces
No Tweets In May (Went into hiding to finish new book)
APR 2017
Tiny ancient skull has ridges suggesting possibility of Broca’s area therefore speech + self-evident burial instinct bit.ly/DrJ_Naledi
The coconut octopus uses coconut shells as protection against predators! pic.twitter.com/wInVITqwaG
Sugary drinks aren’t great for your brain health, neither are diet drinks, probably best to stick to juice and water bit.ly/DrJ_OneDietSoda
Flying car costing more than $1 million goes on show in Monaco reut.rs/2p1FBPg
Whether zapping brains improves or degrades memories depends on the timing and AI, it seems, can help with that.. nyti.ms/2pYpgbi
A new study adds to the oft-controversial research on the apparent antiaging properties of “young blood”: scim.ag/2oW9Qab
Contraceptive pill reduces quality of life bit.ly/2oraNU2
..arrest the progression–>change Alzheimer’s disease into something completely different so it becomes liveable.. bbc.in/2pF4v5h
Relapse-prevention apps connect recovering addicts to support and use AI to predict when relapse is likely to occur bit.ly/DrJ_RelaPrevApp
SuperAgers suggest that age-related cognitive decline is not inevitable bit.ly/DrJ_SuperAgers
Aha! moments observed in eye tracking data bit.ly/DrJ_Aha
Efficacy of ayahuasca – a hallucinogen usually used in shamanistic rituals – tested in clinical trial for depression bit.ly/DrJ_Ayahuasca
A UK company is creating edible water blobs that it hopes will eradicate the world of plastic waste. pic.twitter.com/k2jHsYRNND
Music-induced awakenings in Alzheimer’s patients… surely it’s worth a try?! bit.ly/2odwUxV
Let your mind roam free bit.ly/DrJ_MindWander
When people detect a moral conflict, zapping (tDCS) their brain (right dlPFC) helps to keep them honest bit.ly/2onTiaq
An update on the differences between male and female brains on the basis of an even bigger brain imaging study bit.ly/2p28yIk
Anti-Parkinson’s virus therapy bit.ly/2oj7b9R
You can really identify a signature of the dreaming brain” bit.ly/2oj3bWU
Born to love superheroes: Research into the roots of justice may contain hints for solving social ills bit.ly/2ofjVyb
Are you a night owl? This could explain why bit.ly/DrJ_NightOwl
Marmite – not just delicious – new study says a daily dose can significantly change how your brain works: bit.ly/2oB3T3d
Nearly every disease killing us in later life has a causal link to lack of sleep bit.ly/DrJ_SleepDeep
MAR 2017
Science may have got multiple sclerosis all wrong, now they’ve figured out it’s caused by B-cells not T-cells we may be able to nip it in the bud bit.ly/2ola0Fo
Maturation of white matter connecting front of brain to back key to understanding others around age of 4 years okd bit.ly/2nzk8vP
Understanding the role of cannabinoids in stress relief, bit by bit bit.ly/2nNKtH9
tetraplegic man can move his arm again just by thinking about it with device that reads brain –> stimulates muscles bit.ly/2obLKIQ
I’ve said it once,I’ll say it again: if you want you brain to age gracefully -it’s time to get your dancing shoes on nyti.ms/2njb8Zc
holotropic breathwork..uses hyperventilation-induced fainting to achieve..an expansion of awareness bit.ly/2nuQLsS
Without an intact anterior temporal lobe you’d never be able to keep up with all the gossip sciof.us/2ov2HKG
3min film of Ed Boyden sharing his vision of how the merger between brain&machine will unfold in the coming years bit.ly/DrJ_BoydnCoPro
Brain training to help people avoid the need for reading glasses in middle age? Now that would be pretty cool… nyti.ms/2nstfhN
There is a journal called Religion, Brain and Behaviour bit.ly/2nVqV1d
New Alzheimer’s test can predict age when disease will appear buff.ly/2ne7ySy
Older mums can often be better mums according to Danish study bit.ly/DrJ_Oldermums
Ditch the GPS, use your noggin bit.ly/2n4uBhe
What do smartphones do to our brains? We still don’t know bit.ly/2nNQrW1
Extract of funnel web spider venom can protect against stroke damage even when given after the event bit.ly/2mngQNd
Sexual afterglow – still benefits couples 48hrs later bit.ly/2mIrGso
Imaging neurons in vivo with a needle thin probe… bit.ly/2n6MP3f
Tea please… any colour will do bit.ly/2nDyqtp
Humpback whales are organizing in huge numbers, and no one knows why pops.ci/DEYPA6
Clever fMRI drug smuggling study investigates differences between recklessness & knowingly committing a crime bit.ly/DrJ_DrugSmug
Cognitive enhancing drugs can improve chess play, scientists show bit.ly/2mGhsfG
Metacognitive therapy addresses thinking processes 2 help people reduce depressive symptoms by lessening rumination bit.ly/DrJ_MCT4Deprsn
amateur scientists who like to experiment with their own mixes..aren’t afraid to use their own brains as lab rats bit.ly/DrJ_StackTwats
HIV can get into brain & interfere with cognitive process by disrupting white matter,MRI can detect this fairly well bit.ly/DrJ_HIV_MRI
If all the Ice melted: National Geographic’s Interactive map on Rising Seas – Geoawesomeness buff.ly/2mYYkKE
Blueberry Brain bit.ly/DrJBlubryBrain
Bigger brains aren’t always better, when you’re a sociable bird or insect, that is bit.ly/DrJSmSocBr
2017 Winners of The Brain Prize: Peter Dayan, Ray Dolan and Wolfram Schultz for research on brain’s reward system bit.ly/2maRX4b
Just bought my 1st robot! Although I can control it with my smartphone, sadly I can’t control it with my brain alone bit.ly/DrJBrainRobot
OCD: Brain fails to send safety signals (vmPFC) as experience demonstrates perceived danger is no longer a threat bit.ly/DrJ_SafetySig
Uncertainty is in the eye of the beholder (literally) bit.ly/DrJ_UncertEye
Artificial Intelligence goes ALL IN;but will it wipe out online poker altogether? Would that be a good or bad thing? bit.ly/DrJ_AI_All_In
Here’s something @mocost wrote about the possible role of the cerebellum in cognition and emotion bit.ly/2mDaM2O
FEB 2017
Stem cell transplants for human multiple sclerosis patients. Controversial yet encouraging. But does it last? bit.ly/DrJStemXplant4MS
Dad’s who take cocaine around time of conception may be damaging their kids’ memory capacities bit.ly/DrJ_CokeDads
Why parents seem to be blind to their kids’ extra pounds bit.ly/DrJ_PorkyKids
Novel study investigates brain areas critical to the process of dreaming up funny captions bit.ly/DrJ_HumourGen #creativity
Newborns can recognize the voices they’ve been hearing for the last trimester in the womb nyti.ms/2m3sgFv
Digital reconstruction of a giant neuron that encircles the entire mouse brain go.nature.com/2lClhBV by @Sara_Reardon via @kenanmalik
Never underestimate the power of bee brains. It’s amazing what a million neurons can be trained to do nyti.ms/2lAajNq
Hair fine electrodes that can send electrical, chemical and/or optical information to and from the brain bit.ly/2mbhM72
The TRAPPIST-1 star & 7 Earth-sized planets orbiting it, are relatively close to us; located ~40 light-years away: go.nasa.gov/2lvVN7G
Brains better at divergent thinking tasks (related to creativity) have denser connectivity between left & right side bit.ly/2lGeTKz
Huge study of 3,242 brains aged 4-63 shows consistent structural differences of those with ADHD vs others without bit.ly/DrJ_ADHDbrains
Build up of iron in the globus pallidus is positively correlated with duration of cocaine use bit.ly/DrJFeCokeHed
Standord scientists enable paraplegic man to type,using brain computer interface,at speeds of up to 39characters/min bit.ly/2kIp1mJ
Many different compartments and barriers in the brain create multiple unique immune environments bit.ly/2lbQr2M #brain
Sleep is a powerful source of resilience in difficult times bit.ly/2lwV34K …so stop looking at screens late at night sleepyhead
That dopamine is involved in human bonding is less surprising than dual scanners doing fMRI/PET at the same time!! bit.ly/2kYBlv8
A computer to rival the human brain – what’s it gonna take? bit.ly/2lNRxmM
Autism detected in “cerebral cortex” from age<2 (narrowing it down to virtually anywhere on brain’s outer surface!) bbc.in/2lLOdc5
Neurons in the amygdala fired 120 milliseconds earlier than the hippocampus bit.ly/2laFY8p
Laughter is important. This made me laugh: bit.ly/2kzOhHD
Using genetics to personalize diet for effective weight loss & disease prevention @DrJackLewis @DrMichaelMosley tinyurl.com/hhm8d28
New generation brain implants stimulate neurons with magnetism rather than electricity to get around sticky problem bit.ly/DrJMagBranImp
If anyone needs me, I’ll be playing with this whale song synthesizer whalesynth.com
Opioid release vital to process of deriving pleasure from your favourite songs (or any pleasure for that matter?!) bit.ly/DrJMuOpiMusic
A retinal cell has been identified that might just explain why more and more kids are becoming short sighted bit.ly/DrJMyopiaCell
Study confirms the assumption that E-Cigarettes are far less toxic than real cigarettes bit.ly/DrJeCigsSafe
Studying the mysterious condition of mirror touch synaesthesia bit.ly/DrJMirrorTouch
Sleeping patterns all over the place? Time to go camping! Couple of days in the wilderness resets melatonin cycle bit.ly/2jQ6lvL
Mini brains spontaneously produce mini blood vessels. All they need now is a mini heart and some blood and we’re off bit.ly/2jZ4W6Y
How time in space changes brains bit.ly/2jv9o1p
JAN 2017
Using psychedelics to treat addiction – how to get the reduction in cravings without the hallucinations? bit.ly/DrJ_Ibogaine
Hanger – it’s the real deal bit.ly/DrJHanger
Could problems with the brain’s blood flow gatekeepers be a key part of problems like Alzheimer’s, ALS etc? bit.ly/DrJGateKeep
Wisdom of the crowd is not always on the money, MIT scientists have figured out how to extract it better bit.ly/DrJBetCwdWis
Imagine a neuropeptide that can induce gut to burn fat without stimulating appetite (in C. elegans, not humans, yet) bit.ly/DrJFatBurnFLP7
New angle for treating aggressive form of brain cancer (glioblastoma) suggests prior drug devel. = wild goose chase bit.ly/DrJGlioBlaster
Metallic hydrogen – it could change the course of humanity across the cosmos if we could use it to fuel our space ships bit.ly/2jf0MeW
Why an LSD trip lasts so much longer than a cannabis high or magic mushrooms bit.ly/2jei7Vf
Dreaming (REM) sleep accelerates pruning of certain brain connections, a process vital to reshaping teenage brains bit.ly/2jZz2ul
A study of 500 MRI scans reveals the links between personality traits and brain structure bit.ly/2khAZjj
A cautionary tale about the promises of modern brain science econ.st/2jaKI9q
I’ve often wondered why so many schizophrenic people smoke so fast and intensely; this suggests they might be self-medicating bit.ly/2knNHw8tv
Peripheral neuropathy (a health complication seen in diabetes, chemo, HIV) could be helped by anti-muscarinic agents bit.ly/2jJ7Eho
Resensitising brain cancer to chemotherapy using old school anti-malaria drug bit.ly/2k3sCeg
No meaningful difference in amygdala sizes in male vs female brains across 30yrs of MRI studies bit.ly/2jxgmBC
Antibody targeting protein in Blood Brain Barrier reduces signs of brain ageing bit.ly/2iDLtap
ALL ROWS NOW COMPLETE. With 4 new elements discovered Asia enters the hall of fame and the USA jumps to 2nd place. pic.twitter.com/XE5X7un5e0
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for psychosis found to be associated with measurable changes in brain connectivity bit.ly/2jVE6fM
Mixing up names of your nearest & dearest is probably due to them being stored in your “people I love” brain directory n.pr/2jvE417
Facebook wants in on Brain Control Interfaces bit.ly/2iyPqgR
Neuroscience in practice to enhance your star gazing experience bit.ly/2iDexCn
Monkey metamemory bit.ly/2iyA4sD
Genetically-speaking you are 10% retrovirus – deal with it! bit.ly/2jf5fgE
Who better than Russ Poldrack to review a book about what MRI can and can’t do? go.nature.com/2jeuDn5
Turning mice into killers at the flick of an (optogenetic) switch n.pr/2j53LTZ
The orbits of the stars in the vicinity of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy buff.ly/2jffcrX
Increased amygdala activity related to more heart disease (prob via elevated white blood cell-induced inflammation) bbc.in/2jmd1mt
You can tell how old a person is from their brain’s glial cell health (if you chop their brain out for post-mortem) bit.ly/2icNCPb
Just how smart is an octopus? Smarter than you think wapo.st/2ifbbW8
Will nose-witnesses soon play a role in our courts of law? (“Eyewitnesses” are so 20th century) bit.ly/2i9qjG0
Earth and the moon – as seen from Mars nyti.ms/2jqwQs8
Mini-brains grown from stem cells taken from kids’ milk teeth can tell you a thing or two about their actual brains bit.ly/2icfvBT
The mess that is tcDCS therapy 4 depression/addiction/fibromyalgia (good news) tinnitus/stroke (bad news) untangled bit.ly/2ival59
Believe it or not foetal fMRI has arrived! Yes, that’s right, brain imaging in the womb… bit.ly/2i5LBUQ
If learn (or revive) a 2nd language is one of your New Year’s resolutions for 2017, this might be motivating for you bit.ly/2iUkPfn
16 year old’s ovarian tumour found to contain brain tissue that resembles a cerebellum and brainstem bit.ly/2iYwtW6
Memory and cognition improvements in 65+ year old people if they take a regular 1-hour long siesta after lunch bit.ly/2iPwsqm
Fusiform gyrus – containing region (FFA) for recognising faces – is ~13% larger in adults than kids bit.ly/2hXxvA6
Interfering with vagal nerve function can help various health conditions – now it can be done with greater precision bit.ly/2iUpYDZ
Carbon nanotube electrodes much better than conventional electrodes, but how to jam a “wet noodle” into the brain? bit.ly/2ifDcdq
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” Thomas sowell
Finally FDA restrictions on antibiotic use in livestock. Can’t use the medically important ones anymore, at least. ow.ly/e7Za307Gqr2
Some people (3-5%) simply get no joy from listening to music – now we know why bit.ly/2idYGHO
Gaming that can help depressed people to feel better by helping them to focus bit.ly/2i9ICH2
Prof Van der Meer (Norwegian University of Science&Tech) offers science-based tips for optimal ways to raise infants bit.ly/2iaftvq
Reduced blood flow to Broca’s area (key area in speech production) in stutterers bit.ly/2iHtFPP
Brain + Nature = Health bit.ly/2iI7iXX (NB that’s coming from someone who just finished a 1hr cross-country run in Richmond Pk – practise what I preach!)
Nice synopsis of a few of the more notable achievements in neuroscience to arise over the course of 2016 n.pr/2irU5oA
DEC 2016
Vera Rubin, Who Confirmed Existence Of Dark Matter, Dies At 88 n.pr/2iwYGq9
Hacks often write obituaries before celebs have died for quick release. Turns out brains do a similar thing with DNA bit.ly/2i2ndmj
How genes can influence music’s impact on mood bit.ly/2hjT6XK
When does brain development reach completion? nyti.ms/2hjNvB2
The true hidden home of Christmas is in China bbc.in/1sDLrOC
Could stoned drivers be more cautious? Maybe.. bit.ly/DrJStndDrivr
How many different types of neurons there in the brain (even just the hypothalamus) blows my mind bit.ly/DrJHypothalNs
..a lesion in exactly the right place..can disrupt the brain’s familiarity detector&reality monitor simultaneously bit.ly/DrJImpstrLsn
How to grow your own brain bit.ly/DrJGrwURownBrn
New drug improving longevity & memory in animal studies of prion disease brings hope for fight against Alz. dementia bit.ly/DrJMuscAlzHope
Schizophrenics more likely to try cannabis, but WHY would delusional people crave yet greater distance from reality? bit.ly/DrJSchizWeed
Brain-inspired intelligent robotics: The intersection of robotics and neuroscience – a special booklet in @scienmag buff.ly/2i0kni6
The truth behind baby brain bit.ly/DrJBabyBrain
Brain Books of 2016 bit.ly/DrJBrainBooks16
Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick… bit.ly/DrJOMG
Dear Santa, If I’ve been good enough this year, please may I have a robotic arm controllable via 64 electrode EEG? bit.ly/DrJEEGcntlRobt
If you want to hang onto your crystalline intelligence in later life don’t forget to eat your greens bit.ly/DrJEatURgreens
Could thinning of the grey matter really account for risk aversion in older adults? bit.ly/DrJRskAvrsn
Time passes fast, time passes slow and now neuroscience may finally have pinpointed brain areas that influence this bit.ly/DrJStpFstSloMo
Could the impact of oxytocin on human behaviour boil down purely to synchrony bit.ly/DrJOxytosync
Deep brain stimulation soon to use tiny coils (magnetrodes?!) to influence neurons w magnetism rather than electrons bit.ly/DrJMagnetrode
Could increasing gamma band activity in the brain really help eliminate the beta amyloid plaques of Alzheimer’s? bit.ly/DrJGammaAlz
Incredible to think that switching one pair of nucleotides in an ancient ancestor’s DNA trebled our brain volume bbc.in/2gZ4lDM
If the way we breathe influences what we remember,I wonder if there are breathing techniques 2 help students revise? bit.ly/DrJBreathingMem
Small double-blind trial shows that single dose of psilocybin can give 6 months relief from cancer-related anxiety bit.ly/DrJ_MushCancAnx
I am Groot: Plants can do associative learning bit.ly/DrJ_IAmGroot
Finally!! Potential for MDMA (ecstasy) as a therapeutic agent for PTSD to be investigated in a proper clinical trial bit.ly/DrJ_MDMA4PTSD
Added sugar in our diet is bad, we know that, but I didn’t realise range of negative impacts, like reduced oxytocin! bit.ly/DrJExcessSugar
Africa’s sunshine could eventually make the continent a supplier of energy to the rest of the world bbc.in/2fMxtwX
@PainConcern Irene Tracey neuroscience of pain interview is now back up on YouTube. Sorry for the protracted wait! bit.ly/DrJPainStem
@hugospiers et al have been doing a fantastic job of getting the globe involved in science research through gaming.. bit.ly/SeaHeroQst
TMS reawakens access to latent memory (link to orig Science paper at end of article) bit.ly/2guWFc1
Parkinson’s disease may start in gut & nose (ie neurons most exposed to environment) 10yrs before it hits the brain! bit.ly/2glBbOL
Quite possibly the strangest sex study i’ve ever read about.. and there is a LOT of competition for that accolade bit.ly/2gGJt4v