May 12Red vs. Blue: The Neuroscience Behind PoliticsBipartisanship: an elusive concept that seems so close to fruition in modern day American politics, yet so far. The idea of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans is easy to agree with — after all, who wouldn’t want the two political parties to get along? …Politics8 min read
Apr 29The Power of Placebos: Changing the Mind to Change the BodyIf your doctor told you that your mind had the power to heal your body better than a surgery could, would you believe them? The placebo effect has been recognized in medicine and been presented to the general public for years. We have mounting evidence that it works, but still…Placebo5 min read
Apr 23A Little History of NeuromodulationFrog Legs and Frankenstein The story I’m about to tell you starts in the late 1780s, when the 43-year-old Renaissance man Luigi Galvani, along with his wife, Lucia, serendipitously discovered that electrical stimulation of a frog’s legs caused it to kick. His discovery led to a flurry of scientific interest…Neuromodulation10 min read
Apr 16Tune Up Your BrainFor centuries, music and medicine have been closely connected across time and space. Apollo, the Ancient Greek God recognized for both his ability for music and healing, and his son Asclepius (the god of medicine), were said to be able to cure the mind through song and melody. On the…Music8 min read
Apr 10Psychedelics: A Tragic History of Cults, Drugs, and Promises to the FutureThe 1978 mass murder-suicide at Jonestown leaves a haunting impression. The ground is vibrant with color, carpeted with hundreds of interlaced dead bodies. Bottles of pills and poisons lie amongst the corpses, and later investigation finds the commune stocked with mind-controlling drugs. In 1995, five members of Japanese doomsday science…Psychedelics8 min read
Mar 31What ACTUALLY Happens When Your Life Flashes Before Your EyesAt the brink of death in the Pawtucket Patriot Ale Brewery, Peter Griffin takes quite the stumble in Season 19 of Family Guy, putting him in a montage of memories otherwise known as his “life flashing before his eyes.” In movies, literature, and countless forms of storytelling, these fantastical experiences…Life Review Phenomenon6 min read
Mar 25Neural Networks and BeyondDeep learning. Machine learning. Neural networks. All buzzwords that conjure visions of the frontiers of science, the crème de la crème of technology, and–maybe for some–even a utopian (or dystopian) future for humanity. These words also served as the perfect response when my father, who was paying thousands of dollars…Neural Networks10 min read
Mar 20Acting Intelligence: Reimagining AIAt the moment, there is no emotionally intelligent AI. AI machines cannot feel happiness, sadness, fear, joy, and the plethora of emotions in the capacity that humans do. AI can mimic emotion, but its ability is extremely limited. The experiences that human beings go through make their emotions as rich…Artificial Intelligence9 min read
Dec 5, 2021A Case of the Two ADHD Writers and (their incredibly procrastinated investigation of) The Rise in ADHD DiagnosesThere is this irony with ADHD support resources: if people could work through all the steps to get accommodations, (i.e. schedule the mental health appointments, show up to said appointments on time, do the paperwork, and apply through their workplace or university) then they probably wouldn’t have needed the accommodations…Adhd12 min read
Dec 1, 2021The Field of Somnotech: The Impacts of Technology on SleepMost people are aware of the fact that brains function better on sleep. Despite the increasingly wide push for healthy sleep cycles and schedules, people live lives designed by sleep inhibiting devices. From smartphones and tablets to televisions and computers, we find ourselves constantly surrounded by artificial lights. Consistent usage…Sleep6 min read
