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Brain Scans Show We Take Risks Because We Can’t Stop Ourselves

By Guest PostFebruary 7, 2014Healthadhd, austin, balloon analogue, bart, brain activity, brain scans, developing an addiction, drunk driving, executive function, external factor, health relevant, hunger, lack of sleep, magnetic resonance imaging, make decision, mri, patterns of activity, peer pressure, risk task, risky behavior, risky decisions, russell poldrack, sarah helfinstein, scanner, take risks, university of texas, unprotected sex, unsafe sex, video game

AUSTIN, Texas — A new study correlating brain activity with how people make decisions suggests that when individuals engage in risky behavior, such as drunk driving or unsafe sex, it’s probably not because their brains’ desire systems are too active, but because their self-control systems are not active enough.

This might have implications for how health experts treat mental illness and addiction or how the legal system assesses a criminal’s likelihood of committing another crime. (more…)

Reading the Classics: It’s More than Just for Fun

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Reading a classic novel such as “Pride and Prejudice” can be entertaining, but, according to new research by a Michigan State University professor, it also can provide many other benefits beyond that.

Natalie Phillips, an MSU assistant professor of English, and her team placed study participants in an MRI machine and monitored their brain flow while reading the works of Jane Austen. (more…)

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Brain Scans Show We Take Risks Because We Can’t Stop Ourselves

Reading the Classics: It’s More than Just for Fun