“How much do we have to pay you to lighten it up?” a nurse asked Psyche Loui, who was flooding a nursing home cafeteria with the dark tones of a Beethoven sonata. Loui had been volunteering at the nursing home after her high school classes and only moments before discovered they had a piano. Challenged […]
The hidden harmonies of the brain: Highlighting Psyche Loui’s story Read More »
While most people listen to music, deaf people feel it. Specifically, they can feel the vibrations produced by the sound waves, which are distinctive enough for them to process and translate into their own version of music. Deaf people often hold balloons at concerts to feel the acoustic vibrations, perceiving the rhythm of the music
Thirteen years ago, scientists of the NIH embarked on a journey to do the seemingly impossible: create a map of the human brain. They coined this undertaking the Human Connectome Project (HCP). This crusade is nothing new to the field. Starting with Santiago Ramón y Cajal, who discovered intricate neuronal networks in the late 1800s
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Human beings are generally social creatures. Evolved from apes, we tend to form bonds and protect loved ones at all costs. If this characteristic is so ingrained in humans, then what would happen if a human were to become isolated? As it turns out, isolation can have serious lasting consequences, both unseen and seen. Loneliness
‘I’-solation: The effects of being alone Read More »
At any given second, the human eye is processing billions of visual stimuli — trees changing color, flashing sirens, people in the distance — and turning them into understandable information. This means that what is seen is only understood after it has been processed by the brain. In other words, perception defines reality. But what
Is seeing really believing?: How Humans Process Optical Illusions Read More »
In traditional Buddhist philosophy and training, taming the mind through meditation is part of achieving spiritual wellbeing. In recent decades, however, Western Science has looked to meditation as a novel clinical practice for improving mental health. In the process, research has begun to study how meditation can positively impact an individual psychologically and neurologically. Due
Taming the psyche: Mindfulness meditation as neurological process Read More »
We’ve all had moments of indecision, moments where we’re trapped in a certain way of thinking and can’t find the answer to the problem we’re solving. Whether it’s a question of how one phrases what they’re thinking, what one should major in, or what job offer one should take, we all face difficult decisions daily.
How to have more lightbulb moments Read More »
TikTok’s “that girl” has taken social media by storm. With a green juice in hand on her way to a spin class, she has come across everyone’s “for you page,” Pinterest board, or Instagram explore. This seemingly flawless and utterly productive way of life has become the new standard of living for younger generations. However,
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