Democracy presumes civic wisdom. When voters grasp truth, when facts prevail over misinformation, prudence prevails. When the electorate understands what actually advances (and threatens) human flourishing, it can inaugurate sensible policies and elect benevolent leaders. The collective wisdom of the…
California Psychiatry and Psychology Patient Services Resource
Time and again I am struck by two robust social science findings. The first, to which social conservatives nod their appreciation, concerns the benefits of successful marriages—which are a substantial predictor of health, longevity, personal happiness, and the well-being…
Researchers have launched an ultra-large virtual docking library expected to grow to more than 1 billion molecules by next year. It will expand by 1000-fold the number of such “make-on-demand” compounds readily available to scientists for chemical biology and drug…
Dr. Gordon discusses NIMH’s role in the HEAL (Helping End Addiction Long-term SM) Initiative — the National Institutes of Health(NIH)’s all-in, coordinated response to the opioid epidemic. Source: NIH
Psychology’s archives are filled with well-meaning, well-funded endeavors that were meant to change lives for the better but that—alas—made no difference. In one huge study, 500 Massachusetts boys deemed at risk for delinquency were, by the toss of a…
Concept Clearance » Building an Evidence Base for Rapid Acting Interventions for Severe Suicide Risk
The goal is to expand the evidence base for fast-acting treatments for youth and adults with severe suicide risk, testing existing and novel interventions. Source: NIH
This study has shed light on the neurocomputational contributions to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans, finding distinct patterns for how the brain and body respond to learning danger and safety depending on the severity of PTSD…
A lineage of young neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds trace their scientific roots to a “fear lab” in Puerto Rico that the National Institutes of Health has been supporting for two decades. Source: NIH
This www.TalkPsych.com entry offers three news flashes—samples of research that have captured my attention (and may wend their way into future textbook editions). NEWS FLASH # 1:Intergroup contact makes us “less inward looking and more open to experiences.” As…
At long last, artificial intelligence (AI)—and its main subset, machine learning—is beginning to fulfill its promise. When fed massive amounts of data, computers can discern patterns (as in speech recognition) and make predictions or decisions. AlphaZero, a Google-related computer system,…