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Orchestras Without a Conductor
A conductor standing with hands at his sides while the orchestra performs a flawless symphony — that’s how the brain works. At least, that was the metaphor offered by Michael S. Gazzaniga of the University of
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Inner Speech Speaks Volumes About the Brain
Whether you’re reading the paper or thinking through your schedule for the day, chances are that you’re hearing yourself speak even if you’re not saying words out loud. This internal speech — the monologue you
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From Molecules to the Mind
How fitting that memory was the topic of this year’s presidential symposium, as APS looks back in celebration of its first 25 years. Fitting, too, because the theme echoed that of a symposium at the
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Brain Differences Are Not Always Deficits
The public can’t seem to learn enough about the brain, judging by the abundance of popular articles, books, and TV programs that seek variously to demystify its inner workings, prevent its decline with aging, or
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Biological Bases of Social Behavior
The outcomes of our social behavior are clear and present just about every minute of every day — in fact, many of us publish them online rather obsessively (thanks, Facebook; thanks, Twitter). But the biological
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Training Can Increase Empathy
Scientific American: Can you train someone to be a nicer person? A recent study using meditation techniques shows that it might be possible. The research is published in the journal Psychological Science. [Helen Y. Weng