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neurotransmissions  ·  2433 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Adam Ruben: Another tenure-track scientist bites the dust

And this is why so many PhDs will not go into academia. My wife included! She'll be getting her PhD in neuroscience next year, but is not even looking at becoming a PI.

neurotransmissions  ·  2328 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Something is Wrong on the Internet

I read this article the other day. I've seen these videos and the entire system is just messed up. I think YouTube needs better restrictions on their "Kids" content. Personally, I think I would curate the content my kids watch, but when there is an autoplay function, it can really lead down a dark hole.

Nice Wikipedia reference! Lol

neurotransmissions  ·  2433 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Video Game Therapy...is it a real thing?

Ohhhhhh, thank you kind person! That has been fixed.

Hey y'all! Thanks so much for watching and asking great questions. I'll try my best to reply to the concerns that were brought up and go from there.

First, it's important to say that optogenetics likely has no plans for human use. In order for optogenetics to work, your genetic code has to be manipulated. That means that someone would need to modify the genetic code of an embryo. Considering the level of controversy surrounding genetic modification of humans, this is extremely unlikely. If it were ever to be considered for human use, it would (of course) bring up a ton of ethical concerns. However, if you were to modify all neurons, it would be difficult to get a specific response. I guess I'm trying to say that optogenetics doesn't have many practical uses at this time.

So you might be asking, "well then why is optogenetics useful for humans?" This gets to your implications question. If we are able to identify the neuronal pathway of a mental health disorder, then we can better develop therapeutic interventions for it. For example, we could create better medications that target those specific neurons or more accurately use deep brain stimulation. Imagine having a medication that affects only the neurons in your amygdala and reduces your panic response to normal levels. The more we know about these pathways, the better treatment we can provide!

As a footnote, since it was mentioned, ethical considerations are extremely important. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of horrible, unethical studies conducted by researchers in the name of science. However, today, all scientists are responsible for ethical, responsible research. Almost all professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. Additionally, funding and approval processes are set up in a way to require ethical conduct in research and it eliminates studies where the benefits do not outweigh the damages. Failure to uphold an ethical code can result in loss of employment, formal disciplinary action, and criminal charges. It is not something that is taken lightly!

In any case, thanks again for watching! I'm glad you all liked it and I look forward to any other questions you may have!!

neurotransmissions  ·  2432 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Video Game Therapy...is it a real thing?

Haha, congratulations on getting over your fear of vomiting! That's a great story. It sounds like you had a pretty good therapist. NBA Jam was one of my favorites growing up. I have an SNES in my office and still play it to this day with my clients. Carrying on the tradition, I guess!

neurotransmissions  ·  2551 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 221st Weekly "Share Some Music You've Been Into Lately" Thread

Oh hell yeah! I've been loving Slip Away by Perfume Genius. There is a music video, but the Spotify version is better and the complete version:

neurotransmissions  ·  2551 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: I have completed drug and alcohol rehabilitation

Way to go! It's a big step and the road ahead may be bumpy, but you got this!

When a bot gets that good, does it matter anymore? :P

How can you be sure I'm not a bot? Lol, jk. I appreciate the compliment!

neurotransmissions  ·  2839 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Neuroscience of Eating Disorders [OC]

This is great. Sorry to be late to the party. You are right that telling someone to "get over" something is not the appropriate response, yet this can often be what uninformed friends or family offer as advice. It's not isolated to EDs either - addictions, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and most other mental health concerns can receive the same treatment.

In terms of contributing factors, we want to make it clear that we are not implying in any way that individuals are born with bulimic, anorexic, or binge-eating tendencies (there is no decisive science to support this). However, to what you said, social pressure, abuse or trauma, and mental health issues like body dysmorphic disorder can initiate these behaviors. However, we were most interested in how these behaviors persist, particularly given how detrimental they can be to a person's health.

However, on our channel, we cite existing, supported research. In this case, there is good research that indicates a change in brain patterns for individuals recovering from anorexia. This is not to discount the other environmental factors that also contributes to eating disorders. But the truth is that the neuroscience often does not get discussed with these disorders because they are so stigmatized. Our goal is to inform others that the brain is a vital key to coming up with new approaches to treatment.

Anyway, this is an awesome discussion! Your thoughts? Sorry again for jumping in late. Thanks so much for watching the video. :)

neurotransmissions  ·  2839 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Neuroscience of Eating Disorders [OC]

Heyo! Wow, all of a sudden there are comments on this. Sorry, I didn't have notifications set up so I didn't see this earlier. In any case, definitely not a bot. Just the friendly folks from NT posting and hoping to start great conversations like this.

In terms of treatment, you are correct that there is a connection between OCD and eating disorders for some individuals. It is not necessary for the disorder to exist, but there is high comorbidity. Thanks for stepping in! :)

neurotransmissions  ·  2299 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Is Luke Skywalker's Robotic Hand Possible?

That sounds cool. You're right that it would be a good fit for something like the Luke arm. The future is bright for prosthetics, that's for sure!

neurotransmissions  ·  2313 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does 280 characters feel so long on Twitter?

I think that from a logical perspective, that makes sense. But I still couldn't find any research about it, which is kind of silly. There's no research on the impact of "luxury" or the perception of "more".

But you are totally right. Any increase will be noticeable until you adjust to it. The friend that gave me the idea says he's already used to the 280 characters now, so...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

neurotransmissions  ·  2313 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does 280 characters feel so long on Twitter?

You and me both! I'm imagining a video that starts like, "If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does a cheeseburger a day do?" :D

That's so interesting! Yeah, alcohol can do some crazy things to your brain. While it does help you fall asleep faster and you sleep more deeply (generally speaking), it reduces the amount of REM sleep, which is thought to be really important for the cleaning process and helping you have that "refreshed" feeling in the morning. Thanks for watching, btw!

neurotransmissions  ·  2433 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: I guess that's the closest I can get to 'realistic' painting

This looks like Degas met Goya and got depressed. I like it!

What questions or comments do you hate getting from people about your trans experience?

neurotransmissions  ·  2551 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Can tilapia skin be used to bandage burns?

Gross, but also cool.

neurotransmissions  ·  2593 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The birth of psychology...in 6 minutes.

Yeah, the issue with phrenology was the idea that you could read skull bumps. But you're right, atrophy of the brain often has some serious consequences, but by no means have we "mapped" the brain to traits. But the future is full of opportunity!

As for Socrates, it's more just that the dialectic method is a big contributor to the scientific method. Aristotle definitely developed it far beyond that.

Thanks for watching! :)

Hey there! Thanks for watching this intro to our new segment! If you have any questions or would like to suggest a topic for future videos, feel free to respond here!

Hey y'all! If you have any questions or comments, we'll be checking back here frequently. We hope you like the video!

neurotransmissions  ·  2663 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Seeing without the Force: How Chirrut Imwe from Rogue One can see

Hey Hubskiiers! Thanks for checking out our little video. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! We'll be around. :)

neurotransmissions  ·  2678 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What do you do at the world's largest neuroscience con?

Hey Hubskidoos! Thanks for checking out the video. If you have any questions, comments, or something else, feel free to put it down here! We'll be checking back in frequently!

neurotransmissions  ·  2692 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Oh SH**, it's time to learn about Tourette's Syndrome!

Hey Hubskiers (is that what we call ourselves?), we're the crew from Neuro Transmissions. Thanks for checking out the video! Let us know if you have any questions about us or about Tourette Syndrome in particular. Have a good one!

neurotransmissions  ·  2741 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What is the future of science media?

Hey there! Thanks for check out our little video. Feel free to leave comments if you have any questions or want to talk!

neurotransmissions  ·  2783 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Comic Con Psychology: Linking Dark Triad Traits To Your Favorite Villains

Hey jadedog!

Sorry for the late reply. I saw it before, but totally blanked on responding.

Yeah, the primary focus of the video was the interview, but we wanted to talk about all the cool stuff we saw! We don't have any plans right now for going into depth on any of the topics at this point, unless there's interest! We could look at the droid/slave question as a video topic if you'd like!

Yeah, that's Bill. He's so fascinated by the robot. :)

I can see what you mean about the snap judgment. I have a similar reaction. I'm not sure how practical it actually is. As for the job interviews, we didn't see any data on that, so can't speak to its reliability. Marketing...yeah, I don't care if it's used for marketing. Lol. If it's wrong, then the ads won't work, which I'm okay with.

The researchers actually showed the demographic breakdown for their participants. There should be an in-depth article going up on NeuWrite in October, so keep your eyes open! In general, it was mostly white, mostly female, mostly heterosexual.

Awesome comment. Thanks for watching!

neurotransmissions  ·  2797 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Comic Con Psychology: Linking Dark Triad Traits To Your Favorite Villains

Well hello nice stranger! We are Neuro Transmissions, a two-person team making videos about topics that we find interesting, particularly neuroscience. We'll be here to talk to you if you wanna talk about this video or if there is something that you'd like to see discussed in a future video, please let us know! Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the support both of you! It really means a lot to us. :)