news
Software Listens for Hints of Depression
Jan 12th
MIT Review has published a story on how patient voices could be monitored for changes as an indication of depression.
“the software could be a valuable tool in managing patients with chronic diseases, which often lead to depression”
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23856/
Why is it hard to stop persistent thoughts?
Jan 11th
Trying to stop thinking of something can be hard. A story from NewScientist.
“It works something like this. Say we’ve given up chocolate or cigarettes, and want to block all thoughts of them. We do this by filling our conscious mind with distracting thoughts – anything but chocolate or cigarettes. At the same time, though, our unconscious mind remains alert for any signs of the unwanted thought, the better to help us chase it away. “Some part of the mind has to know what it is we don’t want to think about and to monitor for that,”
More dangerous for the brain: rollercoaster or pillow fight?
Jan 10th
A question we have all been asking and the Neurocritic puts the evidence together.
http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2010/01/roller-coasters-can-be-such-headache.html