Friday, 25 May, 2012

Neglect, stress and abuse are all more common among the poor. New studies show that these factors can cause long-term changes in learning, brains and behavior, and suggest how to prevent damage in the vulnerable years. Could treating depressed mothers promote healthy interactions with their kids?

MRI scans of older people show major differences between searchers and non-searchers. After seven hours of Internet experience, those differences disappear. Honest? Could changing the brain be this easy?

New study shows that controlling throat shape helps pro players hit the high notes that elude amateurs.

Over the years, the mysteriously rapid way in which humans learn language has given scientists a lot to talk about.

“Yes, absolutely,” said canine authority and UW-Madison adjunct associate professor of zoology Patricia McConnell. When confronting the natural tendency of our best friends to wake the dead whenever the doorbell rings, McConnell said it is essential to remember that “dogs do not come equipped to understand English” and yelling at a barking dog is perceived [...]

Could non-violent video games be (gasp!) helpful? What do we know about the use of video games in the classroom?

Three specific storytelling skills are related to certain math skills, but not to math skills in general. If you can adopt a character’s perspective in a story, does that mean you are likely to be a math whiz?

German dog learneh through fast mapping, much the same way children learn words. So why don’t other dogs have such a good vocabulary?

How does the brain change when we remember or learn? Why babies don’t remember their first year of life? What exactly is a memory?

Adult brains can make new neurons. What does this say about our ability to learn?