Another small effect of drinking coffee on some people who don’t regularly drink coffee

Yet another tiny research tentative discovery about possible small biomedical effects of coffee and/or tea: “Post-study caffeine administration enhances memory consolidation in humans,” Daniel Borota, Elizabeth Murray, Gizem Keceli, Allen Chang, Joseph M Watabe, Maria Ly, John P Toscano and Michael A Yassa [pictured here], Nature Neuroscience, epub 2014. The authors, at Johns Hopkins University […]

He multiplied two 10-digit numbers in his head, in just 7 hours

Computer access to a stack of photos can be used to boost one’s mental calculating ability, suggests this paper. Do pay attention to the thought in parentheses, at the very end of this quotation: “Multiplying 10-digit numbers using Flickr: The power of recognition memory,” Andrew Drucker [pictured here], 2011. The author, at MIT, explains: In […]

Working Memory Across Nostrils

This week’s memorable cross-nostrils study of the week is: “Working Memory Across Nostrils,” Yaara Yeshurun, Yadin Dudai, and Noam Sobel, Behavioral Neuroscience, vol.122, 2008, pp.1031-1037. BONUS: Sobel did the blindfolded-humans-follow-a-chocolate-small-trail experiment pictured here]. He is also the inventor of the nose-controlled electric wheelchair. BONUS: Yudai performed the snakes-in-an-MRI experiment.

Improbable Research