Discovered just half a century ago by Swedish chemists Arvid Carlsson and Nils-Åke Hillarp, dopamine has not only turned out to be the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasurable sensations. It is also involved in the coordination of muscle movements, in decision-making, and in the regulation of learning and memory. Without it we would not feel curious or motivated.
There is a rare syndrome called CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis) that affects just one in 100 million people worldwide and prevents pain. Until the 1970s, experts thought that insensitivity to pain was due to an overproduction of endorphins.
To live in society, it is essential to be able to predict the decisions that others will make, both personally and professionally. Researchers at the RIKEN Institute of Neurosciences in Japan have discovered that there are two brain signals in the human prefrontal cortex involved in providing this "future-guessing" ability.
A British study published in the journal Current Biology suggests that the brain of London taxi drivers changes as they learn to navigate the 25,000 streets of the city and identify the destinations most requested by tourists and businessmen, usually from three or four years at the wheel.
Jonathan Swift tells in "Gulliver's Travels" that in the Great Lagado Academy, located in the imaginary country of Lapot, the students remembered the mathematical formulas by writing them with a special ink on wafers and then devouring them on an empty stomach. Although in real life memorizing is not so easy, we suggest some simple techniques to improve your retention.
Why does the voice of Elvis Presley singing "Love me tender" excite us? A study carried out by American scientists with healthy people and patients suffering from Williams syndrome - a rare genetic disorder caused by the loss of DNA on chromosome 7 - reveals that listening to music causes us to release oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, two hormones associated with the emotions.
New neuroscientific studies conducted with MRI reveal that lack of sleep reduces the ability of certain regions of the human brain responsible for making decisions regarding the food we eat. This could explain the close relationship between insomnia and obesity.
Neuroscientists at the University of Iowa (USA) have discovered what happens in the human brain when a person loses patience and the capacity for self-control. Their findings are published in the latest issue of the 'Journal of Consumer Psychology'.
Danni Büchner is invited to Sam Dylan's Halloween party. But the "Goodbye Germany" emigrant has no desire for many other party guests. And find clear words.
