Jumping Genes

Have you heard of jumping genes? Not jumping beans. Jumping genes. Turns out that scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified something they are calling “jumping genes.” They found that human brain cells contain an unexpected number of so-called mobile elements, extraordinary pieces of DNA that insert extra copies of themselves throughout the genome using a copy and paste mechanism. These mobile pieces of DNA likely give the brain’s 100 billion individual neurons a slightly different capacity from each other and could help to explain brain development and individuality, as well as lead to a better understanding of neurological diseases.

Choose to Laugh

Do you choose to take humor personally, get upset by it, or overreact? Healthy humor (not angry, sarcastic, or hurtful humor) is simply an exaggeration of real life. That's what makes it funny. For example, when Red Skelton reportedly said, I haven't spoken to my wife for several months--I hate to interrupt her, that's just an exaggeration of what often happens in life. Studies have shown that the average male speaks about 12,000 words a day while the average female speaks about 50,000 words. So laugh.

Whose Random Thoughts?

Did you know that the brain is likely far too complex for scientists to decode a person's random thoughts? However, after teaching a computer to recognize the unique pattern of brain activity associated with subject preferences, researchers have demonstrated something quite amazing. The computer was able to predict a person's preference for one of two drinks with 80 percent accuracy by measuring the intensity of near-infrared light absorbed in subject's brain tissue.

What Do You Look At?

Did you know that what males look at can impact their behavior? When men viewed images of highly sexualized women, and then interacted with a woman in a separate setting, they were more likely to have sexual words on their minds, to remember the woman’s physical appearance, and to sit closer to her, for instance, at a job interview. Viewing specific images in one setting appears able to affect the behaviors exhibited by males when they are in a different setting.

Brain Asphalt and IQ

Did you know that a high quality of myelin (that seems to be inheritable) appears to correlate with higher IQ scores? Using DTI (diffusion-tensor imaging) in studies of 92 pairs of fraternal and identical twins, researchers found a strong correlation between the integrity of the white matter or myelin and performance on a standard IQ test. Think of myelin as the brain’s asphalt, which paves its neuron highways by coating neuronal axons.

Out-of-Body Experiences

Have you ever wondered about so-called out-of-body experiences? Researchers have succeeded in creating a type of out-of-body illusionary experience. They were able to achieve this by showing participants videos of themselves from an unusual perspective accompanied by tactile stimulation. Out-of-body sensations sometimes occur when brain function is altered, for example through use of drugs or due to a stroke or seizure.

School Via iPhone?

Can you imagine going to school via your iPod or iPhone? Professor David Wiley at Utah’s Brigham Young University believes that Universities will be irrelevant by 2020. He predicts a world where students listen to free online lectures on iPods, course materials are shared between universities, science laboratories labs are virtual, and digital textbooks are free. You could study anytime, anywhere, and move around as much as you want.