The brain is an extraordinary part of the human body, controlling the central nervous system and giving rise to the conscious mind. Some people's brains have the ability to do extraordinary mental tasks, such as memorize copious amounts of information or recall days of the week from years ago. Learn about how the brain functions, how the mind works and some of the amazing things people can do just by thinking.
With more than 60 books to his name and countless speaking engagements, Dr. Deepak Chopra is widely known for his opinions on topics from spirituality to medicine.
For years, dermatologists have been aware of -- and baffled by -- people who feel a constant creepy-crawly sensation beneath their skin, which they believe is due to bugs, worms, or eggs below the surface.
It looks like a small "everything bagel" and lox. But bite into it and, to your amusement, it's ice cream.
As he cradled his wife's limp body in his arms, Tim Delgado told himself, "You have to do this."
After the shooting that left six dead in Tucson, Arizona, last Saturday, a portrait emerged of alleged gunman Jared Lee Loughner as an angry, disturbed young man.
Life doesn't always go the way you want, but sometimes dreams do.
For Carlton Davis, "the" always seemed to come out as "hte." Frequently having problems in school, he once threw a typewriter out of his fourth-floor window at college after making the "hte" mistake yet again.
In the German night sky, there were hundreds of parachutes falling in a routine army training exercise.
When Gavin Ovsak started multiplying double-digit numbers in his head in kindergarten, his mother, Cathy, was astonished.
Jim Dailakis still remembers how he stood below his then-girlfriend's balcony, held up a tape player and blasted a George Michael song that the two of them loved.
Nicole Carlotti already has her ticket to the midnight showing of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," but she can't wait to get to the theater three hours ahead of time so she can talk about the movie with other fans.
Violets are blue and roses are red, but maybe those colors are all in your head.
Watch out! It's 10 feet tall and hairy, and it could be coming to get you -- or your dogs!
David Weiss sat down on his therapist's couch on Thursday troubled by moments of emptiness that made him ask himself, "Is this it?" After talking it through with her, however, he realized that such experiences could be peaceful, and even welcome, if he viewed them with a different mind-set.
Sleep has long been known to improve performance on memory tests. Now, a new study suggests that an afternoon power nap may boost your ability to process and store information tenfold -- but only if you dream while you're asleep.
Political, religious and sexual behaviors may be reflections of intelligence, a new study finds.
Children are selling pink lemonade in Austin, Texas. A Minnesota couple is giving away money that they saved for their wedding. Chelsea Clinton hosted a spinning class in New York on Thursday with front-row "seats" going for $1,000.
A new decade is about to start, and you may be tempted to set a copious list of resolutions for yourself in order to broadly "make life better."
She was folding laundry when the call came at 5 a.m. After she hung up the phone, Dr. Carol Greider went upstairs to wake her children. She had to tell them, even if it meant getting them out of bed early.
Have you ever felt cut off from other people, even if there are plenty around you? Maybe you felt all alone in the world, but you were making other people feel lonely without even realizing it.
Henry Molaison, known as H.M. in scientific literature, was perhaps the most famous patient in all of brain science in the 20th century.
A Belgian car crash victim who was misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state for 23 years was conscious the whole time, it has emerged.
It was either mind-blowing or completely forgettable. Either way, Alice doesn't remember.
The meal you ate the first day you started working. The first exam you aced in high school. The shoes you wore to the prom.
As a large silver balloon floated its way over Colorado, millions of Americans spent hours glued to their televisions wondering if 6-year-old Falcon Heene, assumed to be inside the contraption, was alive.
For Laura Geraghty, April 1, 2009, started out just as any other day. It was sunny but cool, she remembers.
Michelle Mack has turned medical thinking upside down.
Can't find your keys ... again? Whether your momentary memory loss is linked to doing too many things at once or just a bad case of menopausal brain fog, you don't have to put up with it.
Your therapist's name is ELIZA, and she interacts with you through text on a computer screen. However embarrassing or difficult your problem may be, ELIZA will not hesitate to ask you a question about it, or respond graciously, "That is very interesting. Why do you say that?"
Ever find yourself chatting via instant messaging while checking your e-mail and surfing the Web? Well, don't pat yourself on the back for your super-productive behavior.
Space. Sound. Smell. Humans constantly process a slew of variables in their surroundings. According to new research, the wiring of the brain may be even more complex than we knew.
If you're working in a stressful environment, you and your colleagues may be communicating tension to one another without even realizing it.
Richard Rose used to challenge his wife, Joyce, if he thought she was misstating something, but these days he lets it go.
You're in a room with 10 other people who seem to agree on something, but you hold the opposite view. Do you say something? Or do you just go along with the others?
Want to keep your wits sharp as the years go by? You're not alone. Most people are worried about losing their memory as they age, and a new study shows it's a valid concern: In fact, at 53 percent -- more than half of all people -- have at least a minor mental decline in their 70s and 80s, and about 16 percent develop more serious problems with memory and other mental functions as they age.
A University of Georgia professor shot and killed his wife and two other adults in Athens, Georgia, in late April, according to police. A U.S. soldier fired on fellow troops in early May at a counseling center at a base outside Baghdad, Iraq, killing five comrades, according to authorities.
The intrusive voices popped into William "Bill" Garrett's head. "They're coming for you," the voices told the 18-year-old. "Find somewhere to hide; they're going to get you."
If you're feeling great today, you may end up inadvertently spreading the joy to someone you don't even know.
When Julian Asher listens to an orchestra, he doesn't just hear music; he also sees it. The sounds of a violin make him see a rich burgundy color, shiny and fluid like a red wine, while a cello's music flows like honey in a golden yellow hue.
Attention, single dudes: Women want you to make them laugh.
It may seem obvious that men perceive women in sexy bathing suits as objects, but now there's science to back it up.
For one person, the idea of spending a cold winter's night alone seems great -- a perfect time to catch up on novels, watch cheesy movies, and drink hot chocolate with marshmallows. For another, the prospect is less comforting -- feelings of depression, anger, isolation set in as the hours go by.
David Laibson knows that when he procrastinates, mere deadlines are not always enough to get him going. So, when this Harvard economics professor collaborates on a major project, he'll sometimes promise to deliver a finished product by a certain date -- or else pay his co-authors $500.
We all make bad decisions sometimes. In some contexts, to a certain extent, psychologists know why.
Would you get upset if you witnessed an act of racism?
If someone told you to press a button to deliver a 450-volt electrical shock to an innocent person in the next room, would you do it?
Even in tough economic times, you may find yourself with a bit of cash to spare. You've been working hard, and you want to treat yourself. Should you spend it on an experience, such as a baseball game or concert, or a material object?
Ever wonder how your fingers can tell that silk feels different from paper, which feels different from wood?
Placebos, or "sugar pills," have been used in medicine since ancient times. Today, most placebos are given in clinical trial studies for new drugs. A study in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that 45 percent of Chicago, Illinois, internists report they have used a placebo for patients at some time during their clinical practice. Only 4 percent of those admitted they were giving a placebo.
For years after his NFL career ended, Ted Johnson could barely muster the energy to leave his house.
People with a stable mood and better capacity to handle stressful situations without anxiety have a reduced risk of developing dementia, according to a study published this week in the journal Neurology.
When presented with a juicy cheeseburger, cinnamon bun, or other tempting treat, women may have a tougher time reining in their desire to eat when they are on a diet than their equally hungry male counterparts.
Susan Craig's brother Roger died of a pulmonary embolism in 2007, at age 38. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school, he had been on antipsychotic drugs for years. At the time of his death, he was carrying 280 pounds on his 6-foot-4-inch frame.
The new year represents a time to turn over a new leaf. Many Americans take advantage of January's symbolic clean slate to clean up their act, become better people, fulfill their secret dreams -- all lofty ideals. Unfortunately, most fail. Experts say the real problem is that people make the wrong resolutions. They aren't specific enough. Small and tangible, one-day-at-a-time goals work best. And understanding the "why" behind a resolution increases commitment and motivation.
Some monks have an amazing ability to generate a feeling of bliss and happiness when they enter a deep state of meditation. Experts are learning some surprising discoveries about happiness by studying what happens in the monks' brains when they lapse into that deep state of meditation.
Does wearing the color red give you a sexual edge? Maybe, according to a new study, which found that men find women sexier if they're sporting a crimson hue rather than, say, blue or green.
Can Google make you smarter? Is the more you Yahoo, the better? A new study suggests that searching online could be beneficial for the brain.
Answers to the quiz are in bold.
How powerful is your brain? Take this informal test, developed by Dr. Abbie F. Salny of Mensa, to see if you're among the mental elite. Then click here to see how well you did.
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