readings in psychology for December 13th 2010

Reattaching a disembodied brain -- "A child could do it!"

Here are a few readings for today:

• Are brains are configured so we can hear ourselves speak

“Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what we’re listening to. But when it comes to following our own speech, a new brain study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that instead of one homogenous mute button, we have a network of volume settings that can selectively silence and amplify the sounds we make and hear.”

• how we learn and remember

“Medical researchers have found a missing link that explains the interaction between brain state and the neural triggers responsible for learning, potentially opening up new ways of boosting cognitive function in the face of diseases such as Alzheimer’s as well as enhancing memory in healthy people.”

• the man whisperer

“Donna & Sam (known as The Man Whisperers) give a quick Man Whispering quote: “Forget about hints.  Man Whispering is not about dropping hints and then getting frustrated when a man can’t read your mind.  This is mind-reading free zone.””

• why some women are giving up smoking

“Seeing the effect smoking will have on their faces shocks women into giving up the habit, research from Staffordshire University has revealed.”

• lowering the drinking age unlikely to curb binge drinking

“Although presidents at some U.S. colleges have argued that lowering the minimum legal drinking age could help curb binge drinking on campuses, a new study in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggests such a measure would be ineffective.”