Weekly Science Picks

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Here we are at the end of one more exciting and fascinating week. It’s our time to summarise what have happened during the previous 7 days. The focus of today’s editor’s selection would be on psychology, neuropsychological and medical research. So, let’s start our journey!

Psychology: How many senses do we have?

We often talk of having five senses as a universal truth. In reality, there may be more – or fewer – depending on the way you look at the question. Christian Jarrett explains the controversy.

Smokers learn to cut down while they sleep

Any smoker can tell you how hard it is to kick the habit. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs that we know of, and smoking is one of the deadliest of habits, killing more than 5 million annually. Smokers are well aware of the risks, and every year more than one third of them make at least one attempt to stop, but only 2-3% manage to do so.

Training can lead to synesthetic experiences: Does learning the ‘color of’ specific letters boost IQ?

A new study has shown for the first time how people can be trained to ‘see’ letters of the alphabet as colors in a way that simulates how those with synesthesia experience their world.

Less Talk, More Therapy

Settled on her table that first day, I explained to her that I’d had many intractable physical problems in the last several years, the most recent being a pain in my knee that no medical professional could make heads or tails of. I couldn’t sit cross-legged on the floor or rise up out of a full squat, and I’d feel a sharp stab whenever I slipped that leg into my jeans. Some yoga practitioners that my husband knew had recommended I see her about this.

Thank you so much for your attention. We are coming with new stories soon!