Today, I have an MS in sociology from a state school. Four years from now, I'd like to be starting at a high-quality social science PhD program. How do I get there? [more inside]
posted on Oct 12, 2008 - 6 answers

After nearly 15 years in other fields, is it too late to think of a career in science? [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2008 - 11 answers

Brain Training Games like Brain Age are a big hit lately -- Do you think they actually improve cognition? [more inside]
posted on Sep 6, 2008 - 9 answers

Neurosciencefilter: Why does coordinated, oscillatory behavior spontaneously arise in networks of sparsely connected inhibitory neurons? (e.g. theta oscillations in the hippocampus) I know that complex, organized phenomena can arise from simple interactions (e.g. whirlpools down the bathtub drain), but I'm looking for deeper insight. Is there math that "explains" this? Chaos theory? [more inside]
posted on Aug 29, 2008 - 9 answers

Real-life examples of "transhumanism" / the fusion of body and "machine". [more inside]
posted on Aug 26, 2008 - 23 answers

When it's really quiet as I try to fall asleep, I'll sometimes hear faint sounds that seem to have been things I'd heard earlier in the day, with what's almost like a residual effect. It mostly seems comprised of co-workers talking, TV/radio broadcasts, and the vocal parts of songs (which doesn't include "Helter Skelter"). It's almost like hearing one's own "inner voice" (at least, I'm assuming), but more faint and on auto pilot. Is this a fairly common occurrence, and what's the cause of it? [more inside]
posted on Aug 15, 2008 - 28 answers

Medfilter: For those of you who are familiar with PubMed, is there some super-secret way to access the full articles on that site, or is it just abstracts? [more inside]
posted on Jul 14, 2008 - 21 answers

I am 36 years old and I want a career change. [more inside]
posted on Jun 17, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm about to embark on a PhD in cognitive neuroscience (imaging genetics, to be specific). It's going to be a long 4 years, is keeping a lab notebook going to ease the discomfort? [more inside]
posted on Apr 28, 2008 - 18 answers

I just found out that I have an phone interview for a faculty (assistant professor) position (biology) at a liberal-arts college this Wednesday afternoon. Yay! But I've never actually had a formal interview before. Help! Also, I'm pregnant. Questions and advice requests inside. [more inside]
posted on Apr 14, 2008 - 23 answers

Calling all neuroscientists! Is there a word for the times when you see something but don't know that you've seen it? [more inside]
posted on Mar 19, 2008 - 16 answers

Name-my-major, Hivemind. So I go to an unusual school in that we don't have clear-cut majors, and we basically pick an area of "focus". I'm actually currently (unofficially) studying my own brain, because it's strangely hampered in certain capacities (like the process of reading music, despite being very musical and understanding cognitively exactly what's going on), or performing basic math (despite endless repetition). It's also weirdly bolstered in other regards: I have an unbelievable propensity for forming the visual "distortions" one might associate with hallucinogens. [more inside]
posted on Mar 13, 2008 - 14 answers

Nosy filter: You are a research scientist in psychology, neuroscience, brain imaging, and/or related. What is your job like? Tell me anything and everything...before I apply to grad school. [more inside]
posted on Dec 11, 2007 - 11 answers

What are my options for combining neuroscience and computer science in a graduate school setting? [more inside]
posted on Nov 4, 2007 - 15 answers

New York Creative Writing/Critical Theory PHD: I am currently undertaking an MA in Creative Writing and Critical Theory in London, and plan to go on to PHD after I finish. I would ideally like to go to an East coast USA/New York university to do this (for several reasons). I'd like some help with finding a good list of possible institutions... [more inside]
posted on Oct 16, 2007 - 26 answers

Possible-Neuroscience-filter: How can I simulate the way things look through our fovea vs. through our peripheral? Using Photoshop. [more inside]
posted on Oct 1, 2007 - 4 answers

How can I decide if I should pursue my layman's interest in brain science? [more inside]
posted on Feb 20, 2007 - 13 answers

Is it foolhardy to pursue such different double majors as graphic design and neuroscience? [more inside]
posted on Feb 15, 2007 - 38 answers

I recently got into a graduate school program which would fund me for the next 5 years. The thing is, in the first year I am expected to do lab rotations (3 in total), and I talked with a professor about seriously wanting to join hs group rather enthusiastically without consulting others first. [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2006 - 9 answers

What, why and how are Brain Sparks? [more inside]
posted on Apr 19, 2006 - 28 answers

Assume you had a list of different animal species, and you wanted to order it from most intelligent species to least. (1) What measure of intelligence would you use to compare different species--average number of neurons, for example, or ability to solve certain kinds of tests? Or something else entirely? (2) Can you give some examples of how some common farm, food, or pet animals might rank on the list? [more inside]
posted on Jan 25, 2006 - 17 answers

I'm interested in the neuroscience behind decision making: specifically, do people have "random number generators" in their brains for breaking decision stalemates? [more inside]
posted on Oct 18, 2005 - 38 answers

Does anyone have any insights into the neuroscience behind alcohol's success in helping me overcome procrastination? [more inside]
posted on Aug 21, 2005 - 19 answers

memory-filter: Why or how does the body seem to remember learned physical action sequences before you can mentally recall what they are? [more inside]
posted on Jul 30, 2005 - 16 answers

This has puzzled me for a long time. People who've been blind since birth - how can they dream images? Do they? Without a visual history for reference, how can it happen?
posted on Jan 31, 2005 - 7 answers

I read Dennett's Consciousness Explained several months ago. What next? [more inside]
posted on Jan 11, 2004 - 18 answers