Monthly Archives: October 2012

A Brain Bank Halloween horror: A weakness of the mind

Posted on October 31, 2012 by thebrainbank

The term ‘haunting’ is generally applied to cases involving recurrent phenomena, of a supposedly paranormal nature, that are associated with particular places. Approaches to understanding hauntings can be divided into two categories: those that attempt to explain the manifestations ‘naturalistically’ … Continue reading →

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The science behind the myths: Are there clinical explanations for vampires, zombies or werewolves?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by thebrainbank

When people don’t understand how something works, they often come up with their own explanations. For example, when ancient societies didn’t understand where lightning came from, they attributed it to an angry god. Thus the myth of the lightning god … Continue reading →

Posted in Louise Walker | 3 Comments

‘Working out’ the answer to MS-induced fatigue

Posted on October 28, 2012 by thebrainbank

With 2012 being the year of the Olympics, many of us will have noticed the various campaigns pushing us to get out and get fit. We receive regular updates on the benefits of exercise to our health and have become … Continue reading →

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Why do you play?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by thebrainbank

In July of this year, an 18-year old boy died in an Internet Cafe in Taiwan, after supposedly playing the video game ‘Diablo 3’ for 40-hours straight. Over the past decade, video gaming has become a controversial topic of escalating … Continue reading →

Posted in Isabelle Abbey-Vital | 5 Comments

Solving the Stem Cell Problem: A Nobel Prize-winning discovery

Posted on October 14, 2012 by thebrainbank

An important part a scientist’s work is being aware of the ethical issues surrounding their research and the implications these have on the wider community. Some scientists dedicate their careers to resolving these ethical issues. The winners of the 2012 … Continue reading →

Posted in Louise Walker | 2 Comments

Can neural implants hotwire damaged brain circuits?

Posted on October 4, 2012 by thebrainbank

Scientists from North Carolina have developed and implemented a neural implant designed to improve higher-order brain processing- providing hope that one day such implants may be developed to alleviate symptoms of cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s. The brain: the final … Continue reading →

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