Understanding Addiction

That’s a quote from a recent reader, and I think it’s a fabulous metaphor. The idea is that brains and the chemicals that run them come from molecules that have been part of the evolutionary marketplace for a very long time. So the “code” that our brains use to operate (and to have fun) is […] (Read the rest.)

Last post, I lamented the fact that I spend most of my lunch looking forward to the next bite (and not tasting the present one). I blamed this habit on the role of dopamine in the ventral striatum: to anticipate rewards, work toward them, and focus attention on what’s next. Here’s a picture (a reconstruction, […] (Read the rest.)

I want to thank those of you who replied to my query. A lot of your advice converged to a few simple themes: 1. Keep blogging 2. Go with reviews of interesting research, bridges and connections between data and interpretation, opinions about where we are and where we’re going in the science and policy of […] (Read the rest.)

  I have to figure out this blogging thing. About 2 weeks ago I was invited to host a blog on the Psychology Today website. So I set up a sort of parallel blog there, with most of the same posts. I’ve been making them a bit shorter and punchier for PT, and I’ve been […] (Read the rest.)

Steven Pinker (the evolutionary biologist) recently released ANOTHER book, entitled “The Better Angels of Our Nature.” In it he shows how violence has declined over the last 30,000 years of human affairs. And he says that’s due to the rise of competing characteristics, like cooperation, self-control, and empathy. According to Pinker and others, human characteristics […] (Read the rest.)