Does reading fiction make you a better person? Could reading a good book make you a better person? In a time in which our bestsellers include horrific deaths (e.g. Game of Thrones) and erotic sadomasochism (e.g. Fifty Shades of Grey), this idea may seem far-fetched. Suzanne van de Groep • March 15, 2016
Having a chronic disease and a job - is that even possible? Holding onto a job is a challenge for everyone, let alone if you experience severe fatigue, slowed thinking, or blurred vision. These are all problems MS sufferers can encounter. How can you keep your job if you have a chronic disease? Karin van der Hiele • March 01, 2016
Shark sighted: I think I’ll go for a swim! Risk-taking has a bad reputation. Although it’s natural to be concerned about the high levels of risk-taking among young people, with adverse consequences including death and injuries, we shouldn’t forget that risk-taking can also have a positive side. Berna Güroğlu • February 22, 2016
Love is in the… brain! Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Even if you don’t, you probably express your love to your partner on other occasions. Love is something we all experience in life. What happens in the brain when we’re in love? Neeltje Blankenstein • February 13, 2016
Stress in your mind: mind the stress? Severe stress can affect our somatic well-being – but is part of this stress created in our minds? A recent meta-analysis on the link between worrying and the physiological stress response suggests that worrying does indeed affect our heart and hormones. Bart Verkuil • February 08, 2016
A little note about nepotism After 3 years in a non-tenure-track position at his local university, the internationally qualified Budi was passed over for a tenure-track position in favor of the Rector’s young and inexperienced relatives. Nepotism in action… Omar Khalifa Burhan • February 02, 2016
Why being wrong is better than being right (if you’re a model). When estimating the relationship between two variables we want this estimate to be as close to the true relationship as possible, right? Wrong. Often an estimate that is wrong is better than one that is right. Wouter Weeda • January 28, 2016
Are teenagers really missing part of their brain? Sabine Peters has investigated how the development of cognitive and affective brain regions relates to learning and risk-taking behavior. Brain regions for cognitive control can be recruited by children and adolescents. Sabine Peters • January 19, 2016
Interfering with the hormonal system: oral contraceptive use In the Netherlands, about 37 percent of women aged between 18 and 49 use oral contraceptives¹, taking them on average for 12 years of their lives. Why do so many of us interfere with our hormonal systems, and what are the effects on brain and behavior? Jiska Peper • January 12, 2016
