Robb G. BestJan 30, 20202 minSquid Brains Comparable to Dog Brains, says ScientistsImage credit: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland Put down that plate of calamari! For the first time, Dr Wen-Sung C...
Robb G. BestDec 6, 20193 minBad Breakup? Neuroscience Can HelpMinnesota-based singer-songwriter, rapper, and essayist Dessa is famous—to the extent she is famous—for her gorgeous, aching breakup song...
Robb G. BestJul 11, 20192 minThe Dad FactorLet’s take a moment to appreciate the father figures in our lives—and in the lives of mammals, evolutionarily speaking. Having a huge bra...
Robb G. BestDec 13, 20182 minMeet the Monkey at the Forefront of DiscoveryScience news is full of what certainly sound like promising new studies featuring lab mice or lab rats as the test subjects. New treatmen...
Robb G. BestOct 25, 20182 minNever See a Bat the Same Way AgainAs Halloween approaches, let’s pause for a moment to consider a common piece of creepy iconography in Western culture: the bat. Associate...
Robb G. BestAug 2, 20182 minAre Women Better at Reacting to Faces?It’s an old stereotype that women can pick up on social nuances that men can’t. Ask a neuroscientist whether women are more adept at inte...
Robb G. BestJul 26, 20182 minDecoding the Hidden Language of Your EyeballPreviously, we’ve talked about how enlarged pupils can signify attention or arousal. If someone’s pupils dilate when you talk to them, co...
Robb G. BestJul 19, 20182 minHow Your Brain is Like a SnowflakeNo two human brains are exactly alike. Or at least, that’s what neuroscientists have generally assumed. After all, consider the highly sp...
Robb G. BestJul 11, 20182 minBird Brains: The Secret of Parrot IntelligenceParrots: at times, they seem almost suspiciously smart. It’s not just about the talking and the mimicry; the Harvard Gazette reports that...
Robb G. BestDec 7, 20172 minThe Science of "Mini-brains"StartFragment What makes the human brain so, well, human? It’s not purely a matter of size—from studying the cranial cavities of Neandert...
Robb G. BestNov 16, 20173 minThe Left-Handed BrainWhat do Babe Ruth, Marie Curie, David Bowie, Barack Obama, and Oprah have in common, other than fame? No, that’s not the start of a riddl...
Robb G. BestNov 9, 20173 minPhantoms, Magic Tricks and Video GamesIn a fair and just world, losing a limb would be the end of feeling any discomfort in that particular region. For one thing, surely at th...
Robb G. BestNov 2, 20173 minThe Latest Neuroscience Breakthrough? It's Inside a Mouse's SkullHow much of our social behavior is hard-wired and how much is learned? It’s a huge question. The nature vs nurture debate has raged for c...
Robb G. BestSep 17, 20153 minDigesting New Discoveries Inside The Human BodyThere was a moment during the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804 when, after months of deprivation, hardship, and arduous climbing, they ...
Robb G. BestAug 5, 20152 minOld science and new horizonsThe human brain is one of the true wonders of the world; after all, it contained the source material for building each of the seven famou...
Robb G. BestJun 12, 20153 minKeeping in Step with Circadian Rhythms: Find Your Prime TimeA "typical" circadian rhythm is probably an oxymoron; we all run a little differently. Still, each of us operates off a master clock. The...
Robb G. BestMay 13, 20152 minThe Brain as a SupercomputerHave you ever wondered how your brain and your smartphone's operating systems compare? After all, people commonly draw analogies between ...
Robb G. BestApr 24, 20153 minTalking to the Brain: How One Scientist Skipped the Middle Man—and Found Deep Philosophical TruthsImagine waking up in a hospital room, unable to move. You can hear the doctor telling someone that they're not sure what level of brain f...
Robb G. BestApr 5, 20152 minThe Secret Life of RustWhen we think of rust, we think of old cars and decaying highway bridges. Perhaps the Tin Man from Oz pops into your head. One thing you ...
Robb G. BestMar 13, 20152 minGut Feeling: When You're One Parasite Away From Better HealthThe American Heart Institute estimates that 1 in 6 Americans currently have metabolic syndrome—and it's likely almost none of them know i...