60-Second Mind artwork

60-Second Mind

338 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 9 years ago - ★★★★ - 215 ratings

Tune in every Saturday for quick commentary on the latest news in behavior and brain research—it'll just take a minute

Science Technology science technology minute brain behavior psychology psychiatry neuroscience scientific american 60-second
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Episodes

Up Your Online Dating Game with Evidence-Based Strategies

February 14, 2015 15:10 - 3 minutes

Choosing a user name starting with a letter appearing earlier in the alphabet is just one scientifically vetted way to increase the odds of turning an online encounter into a first date. Christopher Intagliata reports

Junk Diet Rewires Rat Brains

February 07, 2015 15:00 - 2 minutes

High-calorie and exceedingly pleasurable foods appear to change rat brain rewards circuitry, causing the rodents to continue to seek such fare. Erika Beras reports

High Price Tag on Meds May Boost Healing

January 31, 2015 14:00 - 2 minutes

Parkinson’s patients derived more benefits from a salt solution they were told was an expensive drug than from the same solution when it was described as being cheap medication. Karen Hopkin reports

Publication Bias May Boost Findings for Bilingual Brain Benefits

December 30, 2014 20:06 - 2 minutes

Of studies presented at conferences, those that found a cognitive benefit to bilingualism were almost twice as likely to get published in journals as were studies finding no benefit. Karen Hopkin reports  

Inclusion Illusion Lessens Racial Bias

December 20, 2014 09:00 - 2 minutes

Implicit bias against another race lessened after volunteers experienced themselves via virtual reality as a member of that race. Karen Hopkin reports  

Blood Test Forecasts Concussion Severity

December 15, 2014 19:00 - 2 minutes

Levels of a protein fragment in the blood paralleled how long head injuries benched hockey players. Ingrid Wickelgren reports

Bouncy Gait Improves Mood

December 08, 2014 18:34 - 3 minutes

If you're in an up mood, you may walk more energetically. But a study finds that purposefully walking more energetically may improve your mood. Christie Nicholson reports  

Synchronized Walking Reduces Opponent's Perceived Size

November 09, 2014 10:46 - 2 minutes

Subjects who kept pace with a walking colleague estimated a potential enemy to be smaller and lighter than did other walkers who were not marching. Karen Hopkin reports  

Big Parental Control May Stunt Kid Assertiveness

November 03, 2014 09:32 - 2 minutes

Young adults who’d had highly controlling parents were less able to stress their own viewpoints to a friend or partner in confident and productive ways. Daisy Yuhas reports  

Lots or Little Sleep Linked to Sick Days

September 29, 2014 13:00 - 2 minutes

Absence from work due to illness increased dramatically for those who slept less than six hours or more than nine hours per night. Christie Nicholson reports  

Can’t Take My Eyes off You—Your Face, That Is

September 06, 2014 12:00 - 2 minutes

The direction of your gaze when looking at someone offers an unconscious, automatic giveaway of whether your initial reaction is romance or sex. Christie Nicholson reports

Talking to Strangers Makes You Happy

August 30, 2014 18:00 - 2 minutes

People who had to strike up conversations on a subway later reported feeling happier than those who didn’t. Christie Nicholson reports.

People Think Experiences Bring Happiness, Still Opt for Things

August 24, 2014 16:15 - 2 minutes

Survey subjects rated life experiences as making them happier and as a better use of money than buying objects. But they actually spent their cash on material goods, whose value is more easily quantifiable. Erika Beras reports

Childhood Stress Decreases Size of Brain Regions

August 16, 2014 09:00 - 2 minutes

Children who experience neglect, abuse and/or poverty can have smaller amygdalas and hippocampuses, brain regions involved in emotion and memory, compared with kids raised in nurturing environments. Christie Nicholson reports  

Even Monkeys Believe In Hot Streaks

August 12, 2014 12:55 - 2 minutes

Monkeys trained to play fixed video games made moves indicating that they expected certain patterns to occur. Erika Beras reports  

Brain State Bread Crumbs Lead Way Back to Consciousness

July 28, 2014 19:00 - 2 minutes

Researchers studying anesthetized rats discovered a handful of activity patterns that may mark the path to consciousness after anesthesia. Karen Hopkin reports  

Body's Pain Perception Mapped for First Time

June 23, 2014 10:43 - 3 minutes

Our ability to pinpoint pain varies across the body, and in a specific pattern. Christie Nicholson reports  

Vision Involves a Bit of Hearing, Too

June 02, 2014 07:00 - 2 minutes

Researchers could tell what sounds blindfolded volunters were hearing by analyzing activity in their visual cortexes. Christie Nicholson reports  

Parents Who Support Corporal Punishment Do It a Lot

May 21, 2014 20:25 - 3 minutes

Thirty-three families allowed themselves to be recorded for up to six nights. Parents who said they supported corporal punishment did it often and with little provocation. Christie Nicholson reports  

Extroversion Extends Benefits across Cultures

May 14, 2014 13:20 - 2 minutes

In a study covering five different countries, subjects reported feeling best on the days when they practiced what are considered extroverted actions. Christie Nicholson reports  

Eaters Assume Crunchy Foods Have Fewer Calories

May 07, 2014 18:30 - 2 minutes

Food’s texture in your mouth—also called “mouthfeel” or “oral haptics”—influences estimates of calorie counts. And people might eat more crunchy stuff assuming (often incorrectly) it has fewer calories than softer fare. Christie Nicholson reports  

Stressed Teens May Be Better Drivers

April 28, 2014 19:00 - 2 minutes

Teenage drivers who have a high sensitivity to stress actually have lower rates of car accidents than their more mellow friends. Christie Nicholson reports  

Mobile Phones Exert Emotional Pull

April 21, 2014 11:07 - 2 minutes

What's being called "nomophobia," the anxiety of not having your mobile phone with you, may be a real condition among teens, at least according to two recent studies out of South Korea, the world’s most connected nation. Larry Greenemeier reports  

Barbie Exposure May Limit Girls' Career Imagination

April 12, 2014 11:45 - 2 minutes

Girls who played with dolls were then asked about future careers. Those who played with Barbie more likely to envision traditional pink-collar jobs than were girls who played with Mrs. Potato Head. Erika Beras reports  

Kids Books May Cause Confusion about Animals

April 08, 2014 18:51 - 2 minutes

Children who heard descriptions of animals behaving like humans were less likely to attribute to a real animal a newly learned biological fact than were kids who heard realistic information. Christie Nicholson reports  

Danger Explainers Convince Kids Better Than Do Edict Issuers

March 24, 2014 12:25 - 2 minutes

Moms were better able to sway a child's perception of risk when they explained the reasons an activity was dangerous and its possible consequences rather than just saying no. Christie Nicholson reports  

Youth Gang Membership Affects Mental Health Later in Life

March 19, 2014 18:36 - 2 minutes

Adults who had been members of gangs in their adolescence had poorer outcomes on a variety of measures, including physical and mental health, than those who'd never been in a gang. Christie Nicholson reports  

Infants Use Verbs They Know to Learn New Nouns

March 10, 2014 23:58 - 2 minutes

Babies learning speech figure out what an object is by listening to others talk about what that object does. Christie Nicholson reports  

Your Memory May Be Edited

March 02, 2014 19:51 - 2 minutes

Recent and easily retrievable information can overwrite the details of memories, thus altering them in your mind. Christie Nicholson reports

Young Musicians Reap Long-Term Neuro Benefits

February 22, 2014 09:00 - 2 minutes

People who played instruments as children responded a bit quicker to complex speech sounds as adults, even if they had not played an instrument in many years. Erika Beras reports

Movie-Watching Together Strengthens Marriages

February 08, 2014 22:00 - 2 minutes

Psychologists found that encouraging newlywed couples to watch romance flicks, and then discuss them cut the three-year divorce rate in half. Christie Nicholson reports

Review Finds Meditation Somewhat Effective against Anxiety and Depression

January 27, 2014 17:21 - 2 minutes

A meta-analysis of 47 previously published studies concludes that there's moderate evidence for meditation offering some relief of anxiety and depression, and low or insufficient evidence for effects on other conditions. Christie Nicholson reports  

Brain-Training Games May Not Improve Overall Intelligence

January 14, 2014 00:00 - 2 minutes

Brain-training games seem to temporarily improve specific tasks, but claims that they can improve overall brain function have yet to be proved. Christie Nicholson reports

How Computers Affect Our Movements

January 07, 2014 00:00 - 2 minutes

Computer-use affects the brain's ability to generalize the skill of moving a mouse. Christie Nicholson reports

"Angelina Jolie Effect" Leaves Public with Inaccurate Knowledge of Breast Cancer Risk

December 27, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

A survey of 2500 Americans finds that despite many knowing about Jolie's preventive double mastectomy, most remain in the dark about breast cancer risk. Christie Nicholson reports

Test Prep Doesn't Help Raise Intelligence Scores

December 19, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

Scores on standardized tests may go up but a student's ability for abstract and logical thinking may not improve. Christie Nicholson reports

Pain Now Is Easier Than Pain Later

December 13, 2013 05:00 - 1 minute

Delaying inevitable pain may not be the best route when it comes to decreasing your anxiety. Christie Nicholson reports

We Are More Likely to Lie in the Afternoon

November 30, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

If you want to catch someone in a lie, you'll raise your odds in the afternoons, as most people are more likely to cheat or lie then as opposed to the morning. Christie Nicholson reports

Overeating Due to Stress?

November 17, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

If you over-eat or under-eat as a reaction to stress, don't worry, your body may compensate to balance you over time. Christie Nicholson reports

Music Helps You Work Harder

November 02, 2013 05:00 - 1 minute

Physical labor is often made easier when accompanied by music. But is it merely listening to music that helps, or is it more motivating to participate in the music itself? Christie Nicholson reports

Anxiety Increases with Online Health Searches

October 26, 2013 05:00 - 1 minute

A study of so-called cyberchondriacs finds that those who are uncomfortable with uncertainty only feel worse the more they search online for health symptoms. Christie Nicholson reports

Seeing Photos of Food Makes Actual Food Less Tasty

October 09, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

Looking at photos of food can lead us to become bored with other similar foods. Christie Nicholson reports

Reducing a Fear During Sleep

October 03, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

Exposure to a fearful memory while in deep sleep may help reduce the fear. Christie Nicholson reports

Generosity Can Breed Contempt

September 24, 2013 20:54 - 2 minutes

In a group experiment, members who donated the least and the most to the community were both ostracized. Amy Kraft reports

Babies Know Animals Have Gushy Insides

September 15, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

It appears we might be born with the knowledge that living things have insides and are not hollow. Christie Nicholson reports

When to Catch a Lie via Text

September 09, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

A recent experiment finds that when people are about to lie via digital text they take longer to construct their words. Christie Nicholson reports

We Probably Won't Recycle Shredded Paper

September 03, 2013 00:00 - 2 minutes

Turns out that if we think something looks like trash then we probably won't bother recycling it. Christie Nicholson reports

Food Is Tastier When Part of a Ritual

August 24, 2013 05:00 - 1 minute

A special occasion can often make food taste better, and the more you are personally involved in its preparation the better. Christie Nicholson reports

Limit Youth Football Practice Hits For Brain Health

August 18, 2013 15:13 - 2 minutes

Changes in youth football practices cut total hits to the head in half, while leaving game situations unaffected. Ingrid Wickelgren reports.

Portion-Size Label Influences Ingestion Intake

August 03, 2013 09:40 - 2 minutes

People ate less of a portion of food if it was labeled "double-size" rather than "regular." Karen Hopkin reports