Haute-Cultural-Scientifical Direct-Brain-Stimulation of a Peak-Cultural (Proustian) Pastime

This newly published study may by the most impressive—in some senses—academic publication of our time: “The ‘Proust Phenomenon’: odor-evoked autobiographical memories triggered by direct amygdala stimulation in human,” Fabrice Bartolomei, Stanislas Lagarde, Samuel Médina Villalon, Aileen McGonigal, and Christian G. Benar, Cortex, epub December 18, 2016. The authors write: Vivid memories triggered by odors were […]

Drug experiment of the day: Cocaine and Oreo Cookies

Today’s Drug Experiment of the Day happened at the University of Connecticut. Connecticut College News announces: In a study designed to shed light on the potential addictiveness of high-fat/ high-sugar foods, Professor Joseph Schroeder [pictured here] and his students found rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating Oreos and a specific environment as […]

Graphene From Garbage (and Girl Scout cookies and bugs)

Biscuits, rubbish and bugs in Texas raise hopes that Britain will grow a lucrative new techology-based empire soon, rather than just eventually. This is all about getting usable amounts of graphene – the two-dimensional form of carbon. An American experiment, so goofy-sounding that it has drawn little attention, points towards a cheap way of obtaining […]

He preferred to eat his cookie (adios, Duckett)

The Age [in Australia] reports about the cookie-munching that took down [former Australian official, who then moved to Canada] Alberta Health Services President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Duckett: “The senior health administrator appointed to advise the Victorian government on how to dismantle the state’s healthcare networks in 1999 has lost a high-paying job in […]