September / October 2009
Scientific American Mind

Cover; September / October 2009; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; September / October 2009; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

From the Editor; September / October 2009; by Mariette DiChristina; 1 Page(s)

Social Saviors

Letters; September / October 2009; by Staff Editor; 2 Page(s)

Letters to the editor about the April / May / June 2009 issue of Scientific American MIND

Head Lines; September / October 2009; by Robert Goodier; Christina Frank; Siri Carpenter; JR Minkel; Aimee Cunningham; Elizabeth King Humphrey; Jordan Lite, Nicole Branan; Melinda Wenner; Harvey Black; Corey Binns; R. Douglas Fields; 8 Page(s)

Who Said That?; You Snooze, You Lose; Early Risers Crash Faster; Men Are Choosy, Too; Memory Maintenance; Pack Your Bags for Creativity; Say Cheese; Dancing with the Starlings; Smile! It Could Make You Happier; Abruptly Forgotten; Confidence Wins Over Smarts; Underwater Suffering; Inflammation Brings on the Blues; Marijuana Hurts Some, Helps Others

Perspectives: Forget Survival of the Fittest: It Is Kindness That Counts; September / October 2009; by Interview by David DiSalvo; 2 Page(s)

A psychologist probes how altruism, evolution and neurobiology mean that we can succeed by not being cutthroat

Consciousness Redux: When Does Consciousness Arise?; September / October 2009; by Christof Koch; 2 Page(s)

In the womb, at birth or during early childhood?

Illusions: Two Eyes, Two Views; September / October 2009; by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran & Diane Rogers-Ramachandran; 3 Page(s)

Insights into the nuances of depth perception provided by our two eyes' slightly different views of the world

Calendar; September / October 2009; by Frederik Joelving; 1 Page(s)

Exhibitions, conferences, movies and more

The Social Cure?; September / October 2009; by Jolanda Jetten, Catherine Haslam, S. Alexander Haslam and Nyla R. Branscombe; 8 Page(s)

Membership in lots of groups—at home, work, the gym—makes us healthier and more resilient. Here's how—and why

When Pain Lingers; September / October 2009; by Frank Porreca and Theodore Price; 8 Page(s)

Researchers are revealing the biological basis of persistent, pathological pain—and providing clues to better treatments

The Psychology of Pain; September / October 2009; by Howard L. Fields; 8 Page(s)

Our expectations, mood and perspective on pain powerfully influence how much something actually hurts—and the decisions we make every day

I Do Not Feel Your Pain; September / October 2009; by Ingrid Wickelgren; 8 Page(s)

Researchers are unraveling why some people are more sensitive to pain than others. Their efforts could lead to more accurate diagnoses, better pain prevention and safer, more powerful painkillers

Why Don't Babies Talk Like Adults?; September / October 2009; by Joshua Hartshorne; 4 Page(s)

Kids go from goo-goo to garrulous one step at a time

A New Vision for Teaching Science; September / October 2009; by J. Randy McGinnis; Deborah Roberts-Harris; 6 Page(s)

Recent studies from neuroscience and psychology suggest ways to improve science education in the U.S.

Facts & Fictions in Mental Health: Environment and Weight; September / October 2009; by Hal Arkowitz; Scott O. Lilienfeld; 2 Page(s)

Researchers point to external causes of—and fixes for—the obesity pandemic

We're Only Human: Don't Know Much Biology; September / October 2009; by Wray Herbert; 2 Page(s)

Learning to categorize the living world is surprisingly difficult for the human mind

Reviews and Recommendations; September / October 2009; by Robert Epstein; Jascha Hoffman; Robert Goodier; Nicole Branan; 2 Page(s)

Beyond the Placebo Effect; Infant Intelligence; Neuro-Economic Boom; Madness and Music

Ask the Brains; September / October 2009; by John Bock; Josh McDermott; 1 Page(s)

Compared with other animals, human babies take much longer to learn to walk. Does this have something to do with our big brains?; Physiologically, why is the sound of fingernails on a blackboard so unnerving? Is this effect particular to human beings, or are other creatures similarly affected?

Head Games; September / October 2009; by The Editors; 1 Page(s)

Match wits with the Mensa puzzlers

MIND in Pictures; September / October 2009; by Dwayne Godwin; Jorge Cham; 1 Page(s)

Headaches