The Conversation

Want to boost your memory and mood? Take a nap, but keep it short

We're told to have power naps to keep us safe on the road and improve our alertness if we've had insufficient sleep. They even help our surgeons stay awake during long shifts. But siestas and nana naps can ...

Sleep apnea created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

The science of magic: It's not all hocus pocus

Think of your favourite magic trick. Is it as grandiose as David Copperfield's Death Saw, or is it as simple as making a coin disappear in front of your very eyes?

Neuroscience created May 01, 2013 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Explainer: What is intuition?

The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueor – to see; intuition is thus often invoked to explain how the mind can "see" answers to problems or decisions in the absence of explicit reasoning – ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 03, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 3

Responsible gambling and the spectacle of the 'problem gambler'

Institutions that make big money out of gambling – such as governments, casinos, clubs and pubs – are fond of telling us how much they care about problem gambling.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Animals in research: Zebrafish

Zebrafish are probably not the first creatures that come to mind when it comes to animals that are valuable for medical research.

Medical research created May 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Explainer: What is diabetes?

To keep your body functioning, glucose must always be present in your blood. It's as important as oxygen in the air you breathe. The brain can only function for a few minutes without either before it stops ...

Diabetes created May 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Medical myth: Flatlining patients can be shocked back to life

Beep….beep……….beep……….beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. "We're losing him. Out of my way, nurse!" The quick-thinking young doctor charges the defibrillator paddles and places them on the chest of ...

Cardiology created May 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

What is BRCA1?

Actress Angelina Jolie has today written an op-ed in the New York Times explaining that she has opted to have a double mastectomy because she carries the hereditary BRCA1 gene, which she says increases her risk o ...

Cancer created May 15, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2

Deep brain stimulation: A fix when the drugs don't work

Neurological disorders can have a devastating impact on the lives of sufferers and their families.

Neuroscience created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

No evidence H7N9 spreads between humans—but fear does

It's ten years since SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) upset our complacency about infectious diseases and now we are faced by another "new" disease. H7N9 bird flu is currently spreading through Chi ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0