Scans Show Learning 'Scripts' the Brain's Connections

Spontaneous brain activity formerly thought to be "white noise" is subject to change after an individual learns a new task. Scientists report that the degree of change reflects how well subjects have learned to perform the task. Even during sleep or anesthesia, the brain's spontaneous activity is not random, but organized patterns of correlated activity that occur in anatomically and functionally connected regions.

Reference:
Lewis et al. Learning sculpts the spontaneous activity of the resting human brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0902455106

Clue to Mysterious Biological Clock Cycle

Humans as well as living organisms have a circadian life rhythm, generated from an internal clock. Researchers have found tiny molecules known as miRNAs are central constituents of the circadian clock. This discovery holds an array of applications for the future such as the sleep deprivation and disorders related to daily life cycle.

Reference: Science Daily

Lie Detection Method Improvement using Handwriting Tools

In the issue of Applied Cognitive Psychology, researchers utilized a computerized tablet that measured the physical properties of a person's handwriting. For instance, the duration of time that the pen is on paper and the length and height and width of each writing stroke, the pressure on the writing surface and etc. These characteristics differ when an individual is in the process of writing deceptive sentences.

Reference:
Gil Luria, Sara Rosenblum. Comparing the handwriting behaviours of true and false writing with computerized handwriting measures. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2009; n/a DOI: 10.1002/acp.1621