Don't go to sleep! Feeling down? Perhaps experiencing some winter blues? Sleep deprivation might be the answer. Neuroscientists at Tufts University have revealed an interesting mechanism behind this puzzling solution, by investigating the role of astrocytes. Claudia Pama • November 11, 2013
Do the peanut butter sniff test By using the peanut butter test it is possible to determine whether someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This is the outcome of a study published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. Rebecca Joubert • November 06, 2013
Compassion and when to feel it People can feel compassion when they see somebody in physical or psychological pain. Not every observed suffering, however, leads to feelings of compassion. What exactly is compassion, and can we predict under which circumstances we experience it? Fieke Harinck • November 04, 2013
Neuroscience in the classroom? Neuroscientific results are increasingly popular amongst teachers. But what does it mean if children with learning disabilities show less activity in a certain brain area, and can we really use this information in the classroom? Sabine Peters • October 30, 2013
Learning is a series of sprints, not a marathon Many students (and people in general) like to mass their efforts to boost short-term performance when an important exam or deadline is approaching. Scientific research points to a more functional and efficient long-term strategy to raise performance. • October 28, 2013
Bad hair day? What strands of hair can tell us about stress Hair analysis has been used for decades to detect drug abuse. However, recent studies suggest that hair also contains levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This yields unique retrospective information about stress exposure. Jiska Peper • October 09, 2013
Winter blues? Depressed people report seeing the world as “dim, and lacking in color”. Is this a nice figure of speech, or a real perceptual shift? We investigated this question, particularly relevant now that the days are getting shorter and shorter… Roy de Kleijn • September 30, 2013
Plagiarism please! The current practice of avoiding academic plagiarism costs millions of dollars per year. By allowing scholars to plagiarize, these costs can be reduced substantially and more scientific progress can be made. Pascal Haazebroek • September 25, 2013
Adolescents in love: What makes a first love special? “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” ― William Shakespeare. Although probably not as intense as Romeo and Juliet’s, most people will remember their own first love. What makes a first love so special? Barbara Braams • September 11, 2013
