Recent Articles

Using games to educate and solve problems: Playing with conflict and brains

Stephanie West Allen
March 22, 2012 03:42

Over the years, the decades, I have been time after time convinced of the value of games to teach, and so recently have been researching game design. I want to create my own educational games. The topic is wide-ranging and opinions on every aspect, even the definition of game, are many....

Do you think fast or slow? Typically most of us are fast most of the day

Stephanie West Allen
March 22, 2012 03:41

That I have not yet mentioned one of last year's books is surprising. I thought I had recommended it to you, but noticed this evening that I haven't. It was for me a must-read, so my omission is not minor. Below I link to an interview of its author Dr. Daniel Kahneman which may help you decide if...

Even though factual, this short lesson on how neurons communicate may make you smile

Stephanie West Allen
March 17, 2012 18:35

What a fine job BrainU has done in creating an animation to teach us about our neurons and snyapses. Click to watch "The Story of the Synapse." It is educational—and fun. From the BrainU Web site: A unique neuroscience program for Minnesota students and teachers, BrainU provides teachers with three...

Interview of authors of new book EMOTIONAL LIFE OF YOUR BRAIN

Stephanie West Allen
March 16, 2012 00:29

Click to watch Charlie Rose conduct a short interview of Richie Davidson and Sharon Begley about their book Emotional Life of Your Brain. In reading the book, I particularly appreciated that it reminds the reader of two things: We each are unique and thus one size does not fit all We can change our...

Tempests and tales: challenges to the study of sex differences in the brain

Stephanie West Allen
March 15, 2012 13:25

The debate as to what differences, if any, exist between the brains of men and women, boys and girls, is nothing if not spirited. Lest we make the mistake that this question is settled, here's a reminder that it is not. (I saw this article recently on the Facebook wall of the Neuroanthropology...

Poor impulse control keeps children from sharing

Stephanie West Allen
March 12, 2012 18:37

News release from Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: Late development of the prefrontal cortex explains why children find it hard to suppress selfish impulses When children fail to share fairly with each other, it may not be due to poor understanding of what constitutes right and wrong; after all, they grasp...

Neural reuse: Yay, team brain

Stephanie West Allen
March 04, 2012 14:57

I have talked before about brain areas, pieces of brain real estate, restructuring as new teams, but I was mainly referring to situations where one part is damaged and another part of the brain is recruited to help. The theory of neural reuse tells us that team efforts may occur in the healthy...

March in Austria: Controversies in Neurology, including mindfulness and neuroplasticity

Stephanie West Allen
March 03, 2012 02:37

Coming up next week in Vienna is the 6th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy). Jeffrey Schwartz will be speaking on "The brain, culture and religion" and will be moderating a panel on "Mindfulness and the Clinical Relevance of Human Neuroplasticity." Click to see descriptions of all...

What DON'T we know about the brain? Vast amounts, whole oceans and skies worth

Stephanie West Allen
February 29, 2012 23:15

Every so often something comes in one of my Google alerts about how much we do not know about the brain. Those articles and posts make me smile as they are excellent reminders to stay away from brain statements, schemes, and stories that are overreaching or even fantasy extrapolations. No matter...

Interpersonal neurobiology: Great slate of speakers next month at UCLA

Stephanie West Allen
February 27, 2012 18:40

If I were going to be near southern California in March, I would definitely consider attending this conference. The lineup of speakers is excellent; it includes Dan Siegel, Iain McGilchrist, Marion Solomon, Diane Ackerman, and John Gottman. From the brochure for "Toward a New Psychology of...