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Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
1. What's New at Neuroscience for Kids
A. June Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news186.html
B. Where Have the Bees Gone?
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nbee.html
In June, 33 new figures were added and 30 pages were modified.
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/pickyourpoison/index.html
The National Library of Medicine (National Institutes of Health) has
developed this great online exhibit illustrating the history of the use of
mind-altering drugs in the United States. The exhibit traces the history
of tobacco, alcohol, opium, cocaine, and marijuana from their introduction
to their current state. Included is a discussion of the drugs' potential
medical benefits and their dangers to society. High school teachers can
also find a lesson plan based on historical cases featured in the online
resource.
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Reading level: Kindergarten to grade 2
"Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" is a favorite book of many children. In the story, one by one, small monkeys fall off a bed and bump their heads. And each time this happens, the mother monkey calls the doctor. The only advice the doctor provides: "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"
People could not believe that I did not like this book. Kids loved the story. It's all in good fun. What could be wrong?
First, you would think the mother monkey would learn that jumping on the bed poses a health risk to her little monkeys. Perhaps after the second or third injury, she should take some steps to prevent further injuries. But no, she continues to let the monkeys jump on the bed oblivious to the fact that head injuries can be very dangerous.
And what about the doctor? The doctor might want to examine the little monkeys to ensure they did not suffer a concussion. From the look of the bandages on the little monkeys' heads, the injuries look serious.
Most medical experts believe that it is fine to let someone with a
concussion sleep as long as the patient does not have other serious
symptoms. Nevertheless, it is still a good idea to check on the person
during the night. Let's hope that the mother monkey checks on her little
ones after she goes to sleep herself.
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"The Dynamic Ebbinghaus" (1st prize) by Christopher Blair, Gideon Caplovitz, and Ryan Mruczek (University of Nevada Reno, USA, USA)
"Flexible colors" (2nd prize) by Mark Vergeer, Stuart Anstis, and Rob van Lier (University of Leuven, UC San Diego, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
"A Turn in the Road" (3rd prize) by Kimberley Orsten and James Pomerantz (Rice University, Houston, USA)
See the top ten finalist illusions at:
http://illusionoftheyear.com/
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If you are not traveling through Dulles Airport, you can still see the images online at:
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/life-magnified/Pages/default.aspx
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"Power of the Placebo" by Erik Vance
"Our Bodies' Velocities, By the Numbers" by Bob Berman
"Depression's Dance With Inflammation by Carina Storrs
"The Mystery of a Heart Patient's Split Personality by Louis F.
Janeira
"Can't Sing? It's All in Your Head" by James Dziezynski
"Why We Can't Trust Our Memories" by Kat McGowan
B. Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, CA) to see "Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes" to learn about these fascinating creatures of the sea. See:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-experiences
C. "The End of Disability" by Eliza Strickland (IEEE Spectrum, June 2014) discusses how prosthetics and neural interfaces will do away with biology's failings.
D. The July 2014 issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND has been published with articles about creativity, the aha! moment, vertigo, brain blood flow and alexithymia.
E. "Extra Sensory Perception" by Gershon Dublon and Joseph A. Paradiso and "Add Neurons, Subtract Anxiety" by Mazen A. Kheirbek and Ren Hen (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, July 2014).
F. "Brain Matters," a weekly radio series until July 24, from WBUR in Boston, MA:
http://www.wbur.org/series/brain-matters
G. The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA) opened a new exhibit "Your Brain" last month. See:
https://www.fi.edu/exhibit/your-brain
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B. In 1898, the Bayer company introduced heroin and marketed it as "completely nonhabit forming" and "a safe family drug. (Source: Dobson, M., The Story of Medicine. From Bloodletting to Biotechnology, New York: Quercus, 2013.)
C. Rudolph Albert von Kolliker coined the term "axon" in 1896.
D. Sir Peter Mansfield, who shared the 2003 Nobel Prize with Paul C. Lauterbur for discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging, had an interest in rocketry and when he was about 18 years old had a job in the Ministry of Supply at the Rocket Propulsion Department in Westcott, Buckinghamshire.
E. Neuroanatomist Santiago Ramon y Cajal once said: "Every man if he so
desires becomes sculptor of his own brain." (Source: Recuerdos de mi
vida, 1901).
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Help Neuroscience for Kids
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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)