Why Not Apologizing Makes You Feel Better
To err is human.So is refusing to apologize for those errors.From toddlers and talk show hosts to preteens and presidents, we all know people who have done stupid, silly and evil things, then squared...
View ArticleObama Says $100 Million Will Be Invested In Brain-Mapping Initiative
Adding some details to an initiative he announced during his latest State of the Union address, President Obama on Tuesday said that federal agencies plan to spend $100 million to jump start an effort...
View ArticleSupreme Court Asks: Can Human Genes Be Patented?
Same-sex marriage got huge headlines at the Supreme Court last month, but in the world of science and medicine, the case being argued on Monday is far more important. The lawsuit deals with a truly...
View ArticleSolar-Powered Airplane Completes First Leg Of U.S. Flight
The Solar Impulse, an airplane traveling across the United States using only solar power, is in Phoenix today, after reaching Arizona from California Saturday.
View ArticleWhat's Happening Inside Your Head When You Sleep
We need to sleep for a host of reasons, but what exactly is happening in our brains while we’re unconscious? We've only scratched the surface of understanding all that happens during sleep, but we do...
View ArticleVideo: Georgetown Teens Win International Rocket Competition
Three Georgetown teens have won an international student rocketry competition, beating out two teams from France and the United Kingdom.This morning at the International Rocketry Challenge, Daniel...
View ArticleThis Austin Scientist is Scanning His Own Brain Over 100 Times
At 7:30 a.m. on pretty much any Tuesday over the past eight months, you'd find Russ Poldrack lying on his back in front of the MRI scanner in his basement lab at UT, waiting to scan his brain.Poldrack,...
View ArticleWhy You're Not as Good at Multitasking As You Think
Do you take pride in your ability to divide your focus and energy into more than one task at a time? Do you think you’re a good multitasker? Chances are, you’re probably not.
View ArticleThese Sound Engineers Used One Weird Trick to Bend the Laws of Physics
You know how on cop shows, suspects get interrogated in a cramped room with a mirror on one wall? And on the other side, there's a prosecutor or other cops watching through the glass.Those mirrors are...
View ArticleAstronomers Set Out to Find the Sun's Long Lost Sibling - And Succeeded
When Ivan Ramirez started his search about a year ago, he really didn’t think he’d find much."We expected it to be either one or zero," says Ramirez, an astronomer at UT-Austin.Ramirez and his crew...
View ArticleHow Does Psychological Distance Affect Us?
http://youtu.be/OoQISli2OeQThe idea of distance conjures up many images in our minds. We might be thinking of how wonderful it will be when we are retired and have time to spend with our loved ones, do...
View ArticleThis Austin Scientist is Scanning His Own Brain Over 100 Times
At 7:30 a.m. on pretty much any Tuesday over the past eight months, you'd find Russ Poldrack lying on his back in front of the MRI scanner in his basement lab at UT, waiting to scan his brain.Poldrack,...
View ArticleWhy You're Not as Good at Multitasking As You Think
Do you take pride in your ability to divide your focus and energy into more than one task at a time? Do you think you’re a good multitasker? Chances are, you’re probably not.
View ArticleWhy Can School Get So Boring?
If you’ve seen "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" or ever been in a classroom, you know that school can sometimes be very boring. However, learning and coming up with ideas in an environment with others in our...
View ArticleFive Things You Should Know About Brain-Altering Software
Technology is improving – and fast. The next frontier for some software designers is the human brain.William Hurley, or “whurley," is the co-founder of Austin-based mobile studio company Chaotic...
View ArticleListen: 'Bending' Sound Makes It Difficult to Hear Firefighter Alarms
Virtually all firefighters rely on a simple device designed to alert their fellow firefighters when they need help.It’s called a Personal Alert Safety System, or PASS. It’s basically a sensor that...
View ArticleWhy We're More Influential Than We May Think
Being the incredibly social species that we are, we humans simply cannot avoid influencing one another when we interact. Influence is inevitable. The question then becomes, since influence is...
View ArticleYou Can Thank This Fly for Advances in Hearing Aid Technology
Imagine being in a room full of people – a cacophony of conversations and noise. Despite standing right next to someone, you strain to hear her voice.People who use hearing aids often struggle to focus...
View ArticleHow to Learn What's Real – and What Isn't – on Discovery's Shark Week
Shark Week is winding down on the Discovery Channel, and with the annual televised ritual comes an uptick of interest in sharks. But with many scientists saying lots of Shark Week facts are dead in the...
View Article