Science News: Our Weekly Picks From Around the Web

Bee Brain Study Links Reversal Of Aging-Related Decline To Social Involvement
When older honeybees take on tasks usually handled by younger bees, aging of their brains is effectively reversed, a new study finds.
www.huffingtonpost.com (07/05/2012)

Brain Bluffs Humans Differently Than Machines
The temporal parietal junctions of poker players behaved differently when they were bluffing another human versus bluffing a computer.
www.scientificamerican.com (07/05/2012)

Diabetes Drug Stimulates New Brain Cell Growth, Could Aid Alzheimer’s Patients
A common diabetes drug called metformin, has been shown to stimulate the growth of new brain cells in mice in a new Canadian study.
www.isciencetimes.com (07/05/2012)

July issue of Neurosurgery provides update on Human Connectome Project
A research effort called the Human Connectome Project is seeking to explore, define, and map the functional connections of the human brain. An update on its progress appears in the July issue of ‘Neurosurgery’.
www.news-medical.net (07/03/2012)

Some brains may be primed for pain
A signal in the brain can predict who will continue to suffer back pain more than a year after an initial injury. This early warning sign could reveal new ways to reverse or prevent pain that lingers long after an injury heals.
www.sciencenews.org (07/01/2012)

Headset Creates ‘Soundscape’ for Blind People to See
A new headset, still in its prototype stage, tells visually impaired people what’s in front of them by playing different sounds for different objects.
www.livescience.com (07/06/2012)

Birds Bolster Their Brains To Retain Song
Research published in the May issue of the ‘Journal of Neuroscience’, could influence research into neurodegenerative illnesses in humans, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
articles.courant.com (07/06/2012)