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HAPPY NEW YEAR from Neuroscience for Kids!
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In this issue:
A. December Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
The BrainFacts.org blog is a new feature launched by the Society for
Neuroscience (SfN) and funded by the SfN, The Kavli Foundation, and the
Gatsby Charitable Foundation. There are nine blogging neuroscientists
including Anita Bandrowski, Leanne Boucher Douglas Fields, Jean-Francois
Gariepy, Dwayne Godwin, Jason Snyder, Nicholas Spitzer, Bradley Voytek and
me. None of the writers are paid for participating on the blog. So far,
I have written two posts for the site.
The blog is an open forum where writers and readers can engage in
discussions about all aspects of neuroscience. The SfN does not edit any
of the blogger's content, so writers are free to express their own
thoughts, opinions and interpretations. Similarly, readers are encouraged
to join the conversation by leaving comments about the blog posts.
Current blog posts discuss moral judgment, social conflicts, e-books,
subconsciousness and extrasensory perception, research experiences for
students, online gaming contributions to neuroscience, brain size, bird
communication, the neural basis of social rank and the prefrontal cortex.
Visit the BrainFacts blog and join the conversation!
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/contest13.html
Entries must be received by February 1, 2013!
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/baw.html
Space is limited!
For more information, including requirements and application materials,
please visit:
http://www.csne-erc.org/node/14/summer-research-program-application
http://www.madmuseum.org/exhibition/the-art-of-scent
B. The new special edition of Scientific American ("What Makes Us Human")
has the article "Cooking Up Bigger Brains" by Rachael Moeller Gorman.
C. "How the Owl Tracks Its Prey" by Masakazu Konishi (American Scientist,
November-December, 2012) discusses the acute sense of hearing in owls.
D. The January-February 2013 issue of DISCOVER magazine has a few
neuro-related findings in its "100 Top Stories of 2012" including
"Debut of the Mind-Controlled Robots," "Social Jet Lag," and Spine
Stimulator Lets the Paralyzed Stand Again
E. "Why Oliver Sacks is One of the Great Modern Adventurers" by Ron
Rosenbaum and "How Artificial Intelligence Can Change Higher Education" by
Tom Vanderbilt in SMITHSONIAN magazine (December, 2012).
F. "Bionic Connections" by D. Kacy Cullen and Douglas H. Smith describes
a new way to connect artificial limbs to the nervous system and "A
Confederacy of Senses" by Lawrence D. Rosenblum discusses how what we hear
depends on what we see and feel. Both articles are published in
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (January, 2013).
G. The new issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND (January, 2013) is on
newsstands now with articles about how the brain is involved with
optimism, law, illusions, violence and neuroplasticity.
H. On December 30, 2012, the CBS TV show "60 Minutes" aired a segment
about brain-computer interfaces. You can watch this show online at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50137987n
B. Meningitis (inflammation of the meninges, the coverings of the brain)
can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
C. Cerebrospinal fluid was once called "Liquor Cotunnii" after Italian
Domenico Cotugno who described CSF in the ventricles of the brain in 1764.
(Source: Pickover, C.A., The Medical Book. From Witch Doctors to Robot
Surgeons, 250 Milestones in the History of Medicine, New York: Sterling,
2012.)
D. Potassium bromide was one of the first effective medicines for
epilepsy.
E. The countries that have published the most neuroscience papers between
1996 and 2010 are: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Canada.
(Source: Scimago Lab,
http://www.scimagojr.com/index.php)
Help Neuroscience for Kids
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news1612.html
B. 2013 Neurocalendars (January, February, March, April)
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/jan13.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/feb13.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/mar13.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/apr13.pdf
C. Text Message Reveals Signs of Stroke
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/texts.html
In December, 5 new figures were added and 56 pages were modified.
__________________________________________________________2. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS "SITE OF THE MONTH"
The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for January is the
"BrainFacts.org" blog at:
__________________________________________________________3. NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS DRAWING CONTEST - NOW OPEN
There is one more month to get out your pencils, pens and markers and join
the NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS DRAWING CONTEST. The contest is open to
students in kindergarten through college and this year, teachers and
parents can enter too! Use your imagination to draw a picture about the
nervous system and you might win a prize. The complete set of rules and
the official entry form for the contest are available at:
__________________________________________________________4. 2013 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK OPEN HOUSE
Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a yearly event to promote the public and
personal benefits of brain research. As part of international BAW at the
University of Washington, teachers and their students are invited to an
Open House on Tuesday, March 5, 2013. If you are interested in attending
the open house in Seattle, please complete the registration form at:
__________________________________________________________5. SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) is offering summer
research experiences for high school students, high school teachers and
undergraduate students. But the deadline for applications (February 1) is
approaching quickly!
__________________________________________________________6. MEDIA ALERT
A. The Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY) is hosting the exhibit
"The Art of Scent" until February 24, 2013. According the museum web
site: "The Art of Scent 1889-2012 is the first major museum exhibition to
recognize scent as a major medium of artistic creation and fifteen artists
who work in this medium." For more information about the exhibit, see:
__________________________________________________________7. THE TREASURE TROVE OF BRAIN TRIVIA
A. Eyeglasses were used in China around 1270. (Source: Pickover, C.A.,
The Medical Book. From Witch Doctors to Robot Surgeons, 250 Milestones in
the History of Medicine, New York: Sterling, 2012.)
_________________________________________________________8. SUPPORT NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS
To ensure that Neuroscience for Kids stays available, we need your help.
All contributions to Neuroscience for Kids are tax deductible (subject to
IRS regulations). If you would like to donate to Neuroscience for Kids,
please visit:
_________________________________________________________9. HOW TO STOP RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER
To remove yourself from this mailing list and stop your subscription to
the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter, send e-mail to Dr. Eric H. Chudler
at: chudler@u.washington.edu
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Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter and the "Neuroscience for Kids" web site are always welcome. If there are any special topics that you would like to see on the web site, just let me know.
Eric
Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.
(e-mail: chudler@u.washington.edu)
(URL:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html)