I have a recurring nightmare in which I end up stuck in some endless conversation at a party or a networking event. I want to make my escape but can’t get out of the head-grip I feel I’m in with the other person. It seems I’m not alone. Scientists have recently investigated both sides of […]
That’s obviously a trick question, since dolphins obviously don’t have hands—but studying whether they have “handedness” has led to identifying a quirk of human perception. Humans do not act symmetrically. Most of us prefer, and are better at, using one hand rather than the other; balancing on one leg rather than the other; and for those […]
From forest bathing to belly laughing, cultures from around the world have cultivated well-being and self-care practices in many fascinating ways—and science agrees that they’re effective! Danish “hygge” I love the cold. I love coming in after a walk feeling like an ice cube and then being welcomed (and defrosted) by my warm kitchen. […]
Do you get excited and energised by the possibility of learning something new and complex? Do you get turned on by new ideas and imaginative scenarios? If so, you may have an influx of dopamine in your synapses, but not where we traditionally think of this neurotransmitter flowing. In general, the potential for growth from […]
For many of us, living in a COVID-19 world feels as if we have been thrown into an alternative reality. We live day and night inside the same walls. If we venture into town we wear masks, and we get anxious if we pass someone who is not. We have trouble discerning faces. It’s like […]
The human brain is hardwired to map our surroundings. This trait is called spatial memory—our ability to remember certain locations and where objects are in relation to one another. New findings published this month in Scientific Reports suggest that one major feature of our spatial recall is efficiently locating high-calorie, energy-rich food. The study’s authors believe human […]
Do you know how powerful kindness and human contact is? As a neuroscientist, I’ve done research into neurobiology behind placebo effect, and in particular the healing power in the human relationship with your doctor or therapist. It’s this human contact that has the potential to trigger pathways in our brain that can naturally unleash an […]
One of my favourite things of saying to clients during sessions is ‘If you are not you, who will be?’ Often we struggle with allowing ourselves to be ourselves. Does that sound silly? It should be the easiest most natural thing to do. Be yourself. But it isn’t :=( There have been studies on the […]
Whenever I smell the pages of an old book, I’m immediately time-warped back into my Grandad’s house: encyclopedias, volumes of Readers’ Digest, dictionaries… and thanks to him my enthusiasm to learn and to discover. And I am not alone! Anecdotally, many of us have had experiences where a certain smell—perhaps chlorine, fresh baked scones, or the […]
The concert starts…a few bars from your favourite song…and moments later you’re swept up in the music, happily tapping your foot, clapping your hands and swaying along. (Unless it’s a classical music concert in which case you’re probably doing this much more quietly…) You look around. All around, people are doing the same. Many are […]
I’m not talking about the trousers (jeans) you wore in school but can’t fit into anymore. No, skinny g-e-n-e-s genes are factors found in people who are naturally svelte. And researchers have just identified one that appears to tell the body’s adipose tissue to burn more fat. We all know these people who can eat […]
Loneliness hurts! Did you know that loneliness is so psychologically distressing and physically unhealthy that it increases the likelihood of an earlier death by 26 percent? The flip side of that is that this feeling may serve a purpose. Psychologists theorise it hurts so much because, like hunger and thirst, loneliness acts as a biological […]