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Link feast

Our pick of the week’s 10 best psychology and neuroscience links.

19 March 2016

By Christian Jarrett

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
Amusing and highly insightful new TED talk from Tim Urban of the Wait But Why blog.

The Silent Companions
Ben Alderson-Day at The Psychologist considers explanations for “feelings of presence”.

The Eternal Appeal of the Underdog
New York Times op-ed column from L. Jon Wertheim, the executive editor of Sports Illustrated, and Sam Sommers, an associate professor of psychology at Tufts University.

Forensic Psychology – Witness Investigation
In this free online course from Future Learn and the Open University, discover how psychology can help obtain evidence from eyewitnesses in police investigations and prevent miscarriages of justice.

The Enormous Power of the Unconscious Brain
A lot of the things we do in everyday life don’t need to involve our conscious mind. In many cases, the more we use it, the less effective we become, writes Chris Baraniuk for BBC Future.

Who Killed Murder?
At The Spectator, a detective writer lines up the suspects on the mysterious worldwide decline of murder and robbery.

How to Beat Writer’s Block
There are four species of writer who suffer writer’s block, explains the gifted writer Monica Konnikova at the New Yorker.

In Our Time: Bedlam
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the early years of Bedlam, the name commonly used for the London hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem outside Bishopsgate, which was the first hospital in Europe to specialise in the treatment of people with mental illness.

Brain Stimulation in Sport: Is It Fair?
A company called Halo Neuroscience is now selling a tDCS product called Halo Sport, which promises to enhance athletic performance. Nick Davies at The Conversation reflects on the ethical implications.

The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind
Remarkable first-hand account of the effects of brain cancer on a neuroscientist’s mind and personality, by Barbara K. Lipska for the New York Times.

(Link Feast will return after the Easter break).