BIG, WRONG AND BORING   ⏱09:52

the biggest brain scanning study ever, how the error bar was wrong, how magnetically stimulating the head is distracting & some vaguely-interesting news stories

episode #28, 23rd May 2022 #big #data #brain #scan #correction #language   image source

  ⇦ listen here   ⏱09:52


  ⇨ transcript here


our main brain stories this episode...

BIGGEST BRAIN SCAN STUDY EVER

in the largest brain scanning study of all time, two hundred researchers compiled 124 thousand brain scans into a single database. brain size, growth & composition, from birth to death, is comprehensively documented   [read more...]

this story was in episode #28. original article: Bethlehem et al., 2022 (Nature), reported in: The New Scientist by Carissa Wong on 6th April 2022 #brain #big #data #MRI #age #growth #lifespan

rating: The New Scientist: fact - scientific story reported well  


THE ERROR BAR WAS WRONG

in episode 27, the error bar incorrectly said that the new scientist said that "all brain studies are too small". the new scientist did not say that; that was my interpretation of the study & the news reports. i apologise for exaggerating.   [read more...]

this story was in episode #28. #brain #big #data #MRI #error #nitpicking


ZAPPING BRAIN IMPROVES LANGUAGE

studying the effect of distraction on language learning, researchers compared the effects of magnetic stimulation of a scalp location where stimulation can be quite uncomfortable, with another area where it is not at all uncomfortable.   [read more...]

this story was in episode #28. original article: Smalle et al., 2022 (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), reported in: The Scientist by Catherine Offord on 4th April 2022 #brain #stimulation #language #distraction

rating: The Scientist: fair - scientific story mostly intact  


BRAIN NEWS ROUNDUP

after a two month absence, the error bar rounds up several brain news stories that should otherwise have escaped your attention: the irrationality of worms, fifty years of perception & the best crisps to put in a sandwich   [read more...]

this story was in episode #28. reported in: The Daily Mail by Shivali Best on 5th May 2022 & The Daily Mail by Shivali Best on 21st April 2022 #worm #hangry #perception #crisp #sandwich