Reading your mind?

Looks like it just got closer - a computer program that will read your mind, with the help of a fMRI, of course. Check out this article about a report just published in the journal Nature. And then start thinking about all the implications . . . .

Internet Addiction

Addicted to the internet? The media loves the idea; of course, the media wants all of us to be sick! Just look at all the ads for drugs and treatments that clog the airways (and your computer screen!). Now, the American Journal of Psychiatry is getting into the game by suggesting that Internet Addiction be made an "official" diagnosis. Check this out at mindhacks.
Do you meet the criteria? Maybe we could do a little group therapy on this one!

Can Money Buy Happiness?

Here's some new research about that . . . and about how the way you spend your money CAN buy happiness.

This article also reminds me that there are so many ways we can do things for others without spending a dime. So I think I'll stop writing this right now and call my friend who is sick to offer support!

I challenge you to do something for someone else - whether it costs money or not - and let us know how you feel afterward!

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

I used to watch this show, and so I can resist pointing you toward this great article on memory strategies reported by a cognitive scientist who made it onto the show. Did he become a millionaire? It's a great read for anyone studying memory.

Cost Counts with Placebos!

Dan Arieley, the MIT behaviorial economist, is at it again, showing how irrational we humans are. He and his colleagues reported, in a recent study I came across on Medpage Today, that expensive placebos were perceived to be more effective than cheaper ones.

In a randomized, blinded study, healthy volunteers were told they were taking a new opioid and asked to rate its effectiveness on shocks to their wrists. All the volunteers were actually given the same placebo, but some were told the cost was ten cents, while others were told $2.50. The results were reported in the March 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Those receiving the more expensive pill reported significantly great pain reduction than those told they received the cheaper pill.

Dr. Arieley is the author of a recent book entitled Predictably Irrational. He commented on this study on his website:

". . . we showed that when people get more expensive painkillers (placebos in our case) they expect a lot and get a lot of pain relief, but when the price of these pills is discounted, the expectations are lowered and so is their efficacy. As it turns out, with painkillers, we sometimes get what we pay for."

Dealing with Fatigue?

Feeling that Monday morning dread every morning? Lacking in energy and feeling unmotivated? Many students experience that during this time of year. A recent study reported in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Journal looked at the effects of regular exercise on this kind of fatigue. Young adults
who complained of fatigue were divided into groups of no exercise, low intensity aerobic exercise, and moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Both groups who exercised reported more energy at the end of the study, with those who participated in the low intensity exercise reporting the biggest gains in energy.

So if you're dealing with fatigue, that sofa or bed is not going to make you feel better! Take a walk, or a bike ride instead!