Almost 7% of American university students have used prescription stimulants.  Not to party all night, but to study. The cast of characters here are familiar; Adderall, Ritalin and the newest sibling, Modafinil (aka Provigil). Smart drugs, developed for the treatment of the ill, are now finding homes in the medicine cabinets of the healthy. The [...]

Why do some people cheat while others don’t? It might be a black and white question about morals, but regular readers will know that when the human mind is involved, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. A great new study published this month shows that the behavior of those around us has a [...]

Phobias and traumatic events are like scars in our mind. Recalling these stressful memories or thinking about them can paralyze you with fear, causing the same damaging physiological reaction as the initial event. But it’s all in your mind; you’re not in any real danger, so why doesn’t the fear subside? Why do some of [...]

What would you think if I told you that the food you have in your cupboard contains either the preservative Hnegripitrom or Magnalroxate, and that one of these was dangerous? Unless you are a chemist, the answer reveals a lot about how your brain makes decisions when you don’t have a clue about the details. [...]

Back in the 80’s I spent a lot of time in poorly ventilated, dark and greasy arcades. I pumped all of my allowance into Donkey Kong, Moon Buggy, pinball machines and Pac-man. I didn’t realize it then, but playing Pac-man had taught me more about how to succeed in life than I ever learnt from [...]