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I have a friend who searches for truth. A problem solver, my friend finds a solution to every problem and has an answer for every question. Intelligent, creative, and driven, she is your go-to girl when you want something done. Sometimes, I wish I were more like her. I have another friend who watches the world go by. He can be found sitting on a bench, staring out at the lake or gazing up at the stars. Thoughtful, poetic, and serene, he will never judge you for what you say. Sometimes, I wish I were more like him. But there is one thing that I take solace in, and that is in knowing that these differences among humans are good, that none of us is exactly the same, and that no one is perfect.

Computing The Creative Mind: How Margaret Boden Sails, then Scales, the Psyche

If you're up all night before a big exam, or if you sleep all day before getting up to go to a big event, can your doctor tell? Sometimes the brain makes mistakes, be it because of it sleep deprivation, lack of interest, or bad concentration. Sometimes we space out, daydream, fall into a zone other than the hard-at-work zone. These space-outs cause visible effects -- just look at the papers we forgot to file, the typo we could have avoided, the kid we should've picked up after school. Aside from the visible, though, how else can we tell when the brain is doing something wrong or something outside of the ordinary?

Dizziness. Mania. Insomnia. Fatigue. These could all present, without great surprise, as symptoms a psychiatric disorder such as major depression or bipolar disorder. A common cause for concern about health care providers and patients alike, however, is the association of these symptoms not with depressive illnesses but with withdrawal from antidepressants. Sometimes called SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome or Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome, many users of pharmacological drugs have experienced a disorder characterized by the prevalence of a wide variety of symptoms at the time when a short-half-life

final paper in emerging genres

The internet:

Reader/Writer Relationship

-It leaves lots of room for role-playing, re-construction, projection and misunderstanding. But I’m not quite clear, yet, just how you understand this process.

Commentary on The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D.

When the brain is exposed to different chemicals, its behavior and action can change. What comes to mind when one usually thinks of chemicals is alcohol and drugs. We all expect exogenous chemicals to cause a change in the brain. What we might not expect, is that simply thinking can change the bath of chemicals our brain is exposed to. In particular, thinking of God.

In a masterfully weaved tale, Jonah Lehrer discusses a variety of artistic masterpieces and the underlying neurobiology. Lehrer tells this story in hope that one day we will have what he dubs a 4th culture, where scientists and artists can talk and really understand and appreciate each other. In this short but sweet book, Lehrer discusses the artistic advances of eight different artists. Though they may have been viewed as eccentric or crazy in their own times, Lehrer discusses how their artistic insight pinpointed neurobiological facts that have later been uncovered.

The study of morality has historically been relegated to disciplines such as philosophy, history, and literature. However, emerging trends in research suggest that the field of neurobiology would be a valuable addition to this list. Neurobiology research may offer needed insights into the biological underpinnings of social cognition, and particularly of morality. Precisely because the study is firmly grounded in a wide spread philosophical tradition, discussions about the neurobiology of morality shed light on many other aspects of the interconnectedness between cultural knowledge and scientific knowledge.