Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract are under selective pressure to manipulate host eating behavior to increase their fitness, sometimes at the expense of host fitness. Microbes may do this through two potential strategies: (i) generating cravings for foods that they specialize on or foods that suppress their competitors, or (ii) inducing dysphoria until we eat foods that enhance their fitness.

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I think the best part about this weird Friday is that I don't have to write it! A good thing too, I have a life outside the blog (crazy, I know), and that life has been nothing short of...

World’s largest collection of free, manually labeled human brain image data

Shit, neuroscientists are growing brain cells in petri-dishes. Capable of networking and forming memories. http://is.gd/6F7Owl

X-rated neuroanatomy http://bit.ly/kABVYG

More info on the cat ears head band http://mindhacks.com/2011/05/05/pink-fluffy-cat-ears-controlled-by-brain-waves/

I've been interested in the Emotiv EPOC headset for a while; a $300 14-sensor EEG. It's intended for gaming, but it's quite high quality. There's a research SDK available for $750, but it's Windows-only and totally proprietary. I decided to hack it, and open the consumer headset up to development. Thanks to donations I got some hardware in hand this weekend.

The brain of patient H.M. will be sliced, stained and scanned and will be as a digital map.

Excellent introduction to subdural and epidural hematomas.

Zen meditation can help bring persons to not thinking about anything quicker than control. Better than pink elephants? Also evidence that an experience/activity like meditation has neuropsychiatric effect.

A “grandmother cell” is a hypothetical neuron that responds only to a highly complex, specific, and meaningful stimulus, such as the image of one’s grandmother. This essay discusses the origin, influence, and current status of these terms and of the alternative view that complex stimuli are represented by the pattern of firing across ensembles of neurons.

No original sin? what about children seeing a crucified Christ? or TV violence? read bobo doll experiment.

beginner to advanced from social to molecular