Kernel raises $53 million to bring neuroscience insights to businesses (VentureBeat):
Kernel has raised $53 million to accelerate development of a new generation of brain tech, helping companies leverage insights from the latest advances in neuroscience.
Fun to (remotely) talk at the Startup Impact Summit in Hong Kong to discuss the latest on brain health and mental fitness and to highlight a key point: in such a rapidly-and-profoundly-evolving field, we need to prioritize effectiveness over efficiency; otherwise we simply keep doing –faster, cheaper– the wrong things time and again.
Think of the many ways we (mis)diagnose and (mis)treat depression and Alzheimer’s Disease for example.
Let’s escape from the “efficiency trap” and promote brain health for all. [Read more…] about Brain health innovators needs to escape from the “efficiency trap”
Freedom of Speech: A Right for Everybody, or Only for Like-Minded People? (Heterodox Academy):
Freedom of speech is often considered key to a well-functional democracy. In many countries, freedom of speech is considered a more important democratic value than regular elections. But do people genuinely believe in the virtues of open debates by supporting freedom of speech for every social group? Or do they support free speech only for their own groups? In a recently published paper in Social Psychological and Personality Science, we aimed to answer these questions, and we sought to explore whether higher cognitive ability was associated with more principled positions on free speech. We expected that people with higher cognitive abilities would be more inclined to embrace the open exchange of ideas, wherein viewpoints can be scrutinized and challenged in order to foster informed decision making and knowledge…
The coronavirus pandemic has led to the practice of social distancing, creating feelings of stress and isolation in many of us. Some groups have been hit particularly hard, including the elderly, parents juggling work and child care, and people who have lost their jobs. Against this backdrop, many people have turned to volunteering to help make a difference, even at a distance.
New research suggests that volunteers aren’t just helping the communities they serve. People who volunteer actually experience a boost in their mental health—good news at a time when [Read more…] about Volunteering can not only strengthen your community but boost your mental well-being by the equivalent of $1,100
Brain damage, psychiatric problems reported in severe coronavirus cases, study says (Miami Herald):
A new study shows that severe cases of the coronavirus can cause strokes and other neurological issues, or an “altered mental state” for patients.
The research, published in the British medical journal Lancet Psychiatry, looked at a small pool of severe COVID-19 cases. The researchers found more than 100 patients who had either neurological or psychiatric problems from the coronavirus.
