60-Second Mind

Scientists confirm what may seem obvious to some: what satisfies us in dating, does not predict how happy we'll be in marriage. Christie Nicholson reports

Recent research from the American Institute of Physics has found that the our dreaming sleep begins much earlier than previously thought. Christie Nicholson reports

A paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA reports success in repairing damaged nerves in a system critical for human movement. Christie Nicholson reports

New research suggests that a police officer's ability to multitask influences the number of wrongful shootings. Christie Nicholson reports

The recent suicide of Sylvia Plath's son, Nicholas Hughes, makes us question whether suicidal tendency runs in families. But the science remains complex. Christie Nicholson reports

Research published in the journal Science last week shows the successful obliteration of a specific memory in mice. Christie Nicholson reports

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA provides support to the critics of the idea that a God spot exists in the brain. Christie Nicholson reports

An interdisciplinary research group called the "Virtual Worlds Exploratorium" has started to analyze data from the online game EverQuest II, in order to find out more about real-life human behavior. Christie Nicholson reports

It will be a long time before machines can be "more human than human," as scientists are just starting to decode what happens inside our brains as we recognize a spoken word. Christie Nicholson reports.

A new study presented at the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago shows that when men see photos of scantily clad women their brain registers the women as objects to be acted on. Christie Nicholson reports

Do you like the scent of your Valentine? The Journal of Neuroscience reports that certain regions in women's brains are activated when they smell "sexual sweat." Christie Nicholson reports

The area of the brain responsible for movement plays a larger role than previously thought in how we hear speech. Christie Nicholson reports

New research shows the persuasive power of a false confession. It seems the confession itself can corrupt other evidence that may excuse a defendant. Christie Nicholson reports

We might think near-death experiences leave survivors, such as those on US Airways Flight 1549, forever suffering from post-traumatic stress and fear, but research concludes otherwise. Christie Nicholson reports

Recent research concludes that although people predict they will react negatively to racial slurs, their behavior proves otherwise. Christie Nicholson reports

A recent paper in Current Biology provides one of the few human cases of blindsight, the ability for perceptively blind people to respond to visual stimuli, even though they have no awareness of seeing anything. Christie Nicholson reports.

Multiple experiments by Duke University professor Dan Ariely reveal how our expectations hugely influence our decisions, and ultimately, our experiences. Christie Nicholson reports

Recent research concludes that parents significantly overestimate how sugar affects their children's hyperactive behavior. Susannah F. Locke reports.

Research suggests that women don't seem to mind if they receive the less-than-perfect gift. Men, on the other hand, are a different story. Susannah F. Locke reports

Research suggests that college students don't get enough sleep, and that they are far better off sleeping than cramming for exams. Steve Mirsky reports

Beware using the Web for self-diagnosis, you'll probably end up with a lot of unnecessary stress, according to a recent study by Microsoft. Christie Nicholson reports

Research shows that people who write down what they are grateful for may exercise more. Rachel Mahan reports

Researchers have found that indulging in feelings of nostalgia curiously combat the sad feelings that accompany loneliness. Christie Nicholson reports

Research shows that the items surrounding a successful medical treatment, like the type of drink we use to wash down a pill, can sometimes be as effective as the pill itself. Christie Nicholson reports

A recent analysis of survey responses shows who's cheating: Women, young couples and the over-60 crowd are closing the infidelity gap. Rachel Mahan reports

A study shows that young children have a tough time knowing if monsters are real or pretend. Christie Nicholson reports.

A study published in Nature shows how an artificial connection restores movement in paralyzed limbs. Christie Nicholson reports

People increasingly complain of being "electrosensitive," claiming that the electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile phones cause them real pain. Christie Nicholson reports

New research shows that musicians simultaneously use both sides of their brain more often than nonmusicians

New research finds that business students lie more often in e-mail than when communicating using pen and paper. Christie Nicholson reports

Misinformation on the campaign trail, once disseminated, is hard to undo--especially when it reinforces one's preconceptions. Christie Nicholson reports

Does the fear of "someone watching" help put us on the straight and narrow path?

When viewing figures walking, a curious illusion appears. People perceive male strollers as moving toward them, whereas the female walkers appear to be moving away, regardless of the figure's actual direction. Christie Nicholson reports

A gene that promotes monogamy in rodents may do the same in humans. Researchers think variation in this gene may help predict your man's ability to commit

When it comes to using towels in hotels, it's herd mentality, not eco-principles, that leads patrons on a greener path. Christie Nicholson reports

Back in 2006 the concept of the "long tail" stated that the Web will turn consumers into lovers of niche products and services, and that the days of the blockbuster are over. But the data tell a different story. Christie Nicholson reports

A study published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA concludes that our reaction to Olympic victory is innate. Christie Nicholson reports

Studies show we may be doing a lot more than just resting while we sleep. In fact the brain is hard at work, consolidating, sifting and moving the information we acquired during the day. Christie Nicholson reports

A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine shows that fatal medicinal mistakes at home rose substantially in two decades. Christie Nicholson reports

Research published in Nature Neuroscience uncovers a remarkable mechanism a female mouse uses to save her babies from dangerous miscarriage.

Researchers continue to search for a way inside the mind of an animal. One promising study looked at monkeys that make bets

A new study in The American Journal of Psychiatry evaluates the merits of digital therapy. Christie Nicholson reports.

A study published in Nature Neuroscience shows that our own calming thoughts can significantly dampen the arousal we feel when we are anticipating positive rewards. Christie Nicholson reports.

Conservatives have greater subjective life satisfaction than liberals, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Two New York University researchers performed three studies to find out why. Christie Nicholson reports.

Studies of split-brain patients provide insight into how we form thoughts--specifically how the left brain will create its own narrative based on information it never received. Christie Nicholson reports.

The chemical messenger serotonin, thought to be implicated in depression and anxiety, may change the way we see fairness in social situations. Christie Nicholson reports.

Watching women in bikinis tends to make men more impulsive when it comes to monetary decisions. Christie Nicholson reports.

A 2007 study published in Science shows that young human children perform as well as apes on intelligence tests, but that kids beat apes in social skills. The lead researcher explains why this difference is crucial. Christie Nicholson reports.

Increasingly, GPS and voice-activated systems in cars are turning a fairly private place into an open vessel for our habits--and as such, a possible boon for advertisers. But they are also becoming something else: our counselors

A fascinating auditory illusion proves that the visual cue of moving lips plays an important role in accurately hearing what people say.