Scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, areas of their brains associated with inhibition quiet down, and those involved with self-expression heat up. [Popsci]
While Mom—and studies—agree that you won’t perform your best without a good night’s sleep, skipping slumber may be a good idea for people with severe depression. For decades, spontaneous reports from patients suggested that sleep deprivation can alleviate depression. [Psychology Today]
It turns out playing with a robot pet can be just as soothing as interacting with the real thing. Saint Louis University researchers conducted a study in three U.S. nursing homes to see how elderly people would respond to Sony’s Aibo, the robo-dog, versus a flesh-and-blood mutt. The subjects were divided into three groups. One got regular visits from the mutt, the second played with Aibo and the third was deprived of both. After nearly two months, the researchers found that there wasn’t much difference between the attachments residents formed to the mechanical pet and the real one. [Popsci]
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