Jon Hamilton appears in the following:
Brain Scientists Look Beyond Opioids To Conquer Pain
Monday, November 13, 2017
The search is on for opioid alternatives that can block pain without causing addiction. One promising candidate: snail venom.
In D.C., Brain Science Meets Behavioral Science To Shed Light On Mental Disorders
Sunday, November 12, 2017
The Society for Neuroscience meeting is taking place in Washington, D.C., this weekend. Researchers there are focusing on how to find the biological underpinnings of mental disorders.
Sleepless Night Leaves Some Brain Cells As Sluggish As You Feel
Monday, November 06, 2017
Scientists have found an underlying reason why it's dangerous to drive when you're sleepy. Brain recordings show cells involved in perception fire more slowly in somebody who has been up all night.
Brain Patterns May Predict People At Risk Of Suicide
Monday, October 30, 2017
A computer program learned to identify people thinking about suicide by studying brain activity patterns associated with words like "death" and "trouble."
Scientists And Surgeons Team Up To Create Virtual Human Brain Cells
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
By rushing live brain cells from the operating room to the lab, scientists have been able to create three-dimensional reconstructions of cells that reveal their electrical behavior and shape.
In Memory Training Smackdown, One Method Dominates
Monday, October 23, 2017
A comparison of two memory training methods often used by scientists found that one was twice as good as the other. But neither succeeded in turning people into cognitive superstars.
Brain's Link To Immune System Might Help Explain Alzheimer's
Tuesday, October 03, 2017
For centuries, scientists thought the human brain had no direct connection to the body's immune system. Now researchers seem to have found one, and say it may offer clues to multiple sclerosis, too.
Scans Show Former NFL Player Aaron Hernandez Had A Severe Case Of CTE
Friday, September 22, 2017
NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton about the Hernandez family's announcement and the connections between CTE, the degenerative brain disease, and violent behavior.
At Least 6 People Dead After Florida Nursing Home Loses Power
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Six people are reportedly dead and 12 other elderly patients are in critical care after being evacuated from a nursing home north of Miami. The home was reportedly left without power by Hurricane Irma.
Hurricane Center In Florida Keeps Watch Over Irma
Monday, September 11, 2017
Hurricane Irma is weakening as it moves away from the Florida coast and north toward Georgia. It's now a Category 1 storm, but it still poses a big threat to much of Florida.
Hurricane Irma Heads Toward Miami As Forecasters Downgrade Storm To Category 4
Friday, September 08, 2017
Miami is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irma this weekend. Forecasters downgraded the storm to Category 4 on Friday as it slammed through the Turks and Caicos Islands with winds at 150 mph.
Really? Really. How Our Brains Figure Out What Words Mean Based On How They're Said
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Scientists have identified the brain cells that detect pitch changes in speech, allowing us to understand whether someone is asking a question or making a statement.
From Rats To Humans, A Brain Knows When It Can't Remember
Friday, July 28, 2017
When we see a familiar face, we know instantly if we can remember that person's name. That's because the human brain has an ability called metamemory. Looks like rats may have that higher power, too.
Female Athletes Are Closing The Gender Gap When It Comes To Concussions
Monday, July 24, 2017
Gina "Danger" Mazany is a professional mixed martial arts athlete, and she's helping researchers learn more about head injuries and the female brain.
John McCain Was Diagnosed With A Glioblastoma, Among The Deadliest Of Cancers
Thursday, July 20, 2017
About 12,000 people are diagnosed with a glioblastoma each year in the U.S. Fewer than a third of them will survive beyond two years.
Stress And Poverty May Explain High Rates Of Dementia In African-Americans
Sunday, July 16, 2017
New research finds that African-Americans who grow up in harsh environments and have many stressful experiences are much more likely to develop Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia.
Forget Freud: Dreams Replay Our Everyday Lives
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Sigmund Freud thought dreams were all about wish fulfillment and repressed desire. But scientists now think they're linked to memory processing and consciousness. And they're often quite mundane.
Brain Cell Transplants Are Being Tested Once Again For Parkinson's
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
In 2003, researchers declared a moratorium on the use of transplanted brain cells to treat Parkinson's disease. Now, armed with better cells, they're giving the approach another try.
Cracking The Code That Lets The Brain ID Any Face, Fast
Thursday, June 01, 2017
People and other primates have an amazing ability to instantly recognize faces. Scientists at Caltech found that we do that by having 205 specialized brain cells divvy up the task.
As Brains Mature, More Robust Information Networks Boost Self-Control
Friday, May 26, 2017
Sometime between grade school and grad school, the brain's information highways get remapped in a way that dramatically reins in impulsive behavior.