Brainless economics no more

Does economics need brain science? This is the aim of a recent article in the Economist. Throughout the history of economics, major advances have sometimes come from areas outside of the core discipline. Just as similar developments in other scientific disciplines. This includes the influence from psychology, which has demonstrated that decisions are not made [...]

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Sway — irrational desires and errors

Just noticed this very attractive title by the Brafman brothers- The book, Sway – the irresistable pull of irrational behavior, “will challenge your every thought”, according to a NY Times review. And it gets similarly good reviews from other prominent people, like Michael Shermer, the author of the recent book The mind of the market, [...]

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A neuroeconomic framework

In a recent review article in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Antonio Rangel, Colin Camerer and Read Montague suggest a framework for neuroeconomic research. Indeed, the very core of its idea is simple, but not simplistic. After reading the article, I think it will provide a useful reference for future research into neuroeconomics, aka value-based decision making. [...]

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Neuroaesthetics the other way

I don’t know about you, but I often get fascinated by the mere visualization of brain imaging data. Aside with the neuroimaging blobologies, but looking at more detailed visualizations of brain parts and processes strike me as merely beautiful and fascinating. And, as the fascination of looking at a star may be deepened by knowing [...]

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Serotonin and value-based decision making

Can antidepressive medicine alter your decision behaviour? A recent paper in Science now demonstrates that alterations in subjects’ serotonin levels leads to significant changes in their decision making behaviour. In the study, subjects were set to play the Ultimatum Game repeatedly. Subjects had to do the task two times at two different days, and at [...]

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Brain plasticity and sexual aberrations

I’m having the pleasure of reading The brain that changes itself by Norman Doidge, as a reviewer for a potential translation here in Denmark. Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, has always been a hot topic, from it’s (re)birth in modern neuroscience, and all the way up until today, where researchers are still fiercely debating how plastic [...]

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Big fMRI error in Science!!!

This really gets me freaked out! Martin says I’m just a grumpy old (?) man. So let me lie along the Neurocritic approach just for a minute, and just air my frustration:
HOW CAN YOU GET A SCIENCE PUBLICATION WITH A HUMONGOUS ERROR?
Take a look at this image. It’s from a 2007 article in Science by [...]

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HBM presentations available as podcasts

If you didn’t go the HBM meeting this year you might be interested in hearing that the organizing committee now has put up most of the keynote presentations – for some reason, the talk by Michael Gazzaniga is missing – as well as all the talks from this year’s educational courses as podcasts. You can [...]

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Sedbergh Festival of Ideas

Here is a heads up for the upcoming Sedbergh Festival of Ideas. Martin is going over to bring our view on the neuroethics of consciousness science research. Unfortunately, I’m unable to attend, but Martin will cover our ideas very nicely.
The event Martin is talking at is “Event 4 — Varieties of consciousness“, together wih no [...]

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Evolving in 30 years (or so)

Who said evolution could not happen fast? Has it not been one of the main criticisms from evolution-critics that we cannot observe evolution taking place today? Well, here is just one recent example of evolution over a few generations only.
In case you have not heard this story before, a study published in the March issue [...]

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