Do colours appear the same to everyone?
Donders Wonders Summer Series As many of our readers are enjoying a well-deserved summer break,
Guest Blogger
The Hidden Factors That Shape Our Sense of Fairness
Imagine someone offers to split €10 with you but keeps €8 for themselves and gives you only €2. Most people would see that as unfair. Now imagine two different people making this offer. One person is usually generous. The other person is known for being selfish. Even though they both offer the same split, it feels different, doesn’t it?
How your brain turns fragments into a film
You see a car – wait… it’s not just a car. It’s red, it has a particular shape, and it’s moving fast. You hear the engine as it races past you. Maybe you even catch the smell of exhaust. Your amazing brain is able to combine all these different signals into a single red car, but how does it do that?
More than sensitive: the brain of highly sensitive people is tuned differently
Why does one person feel completely exhausted after being in a busy place, while another barely notices it? Why is one person deeply moved by a sad movie or quick to notice small details, while another hardly reacts? According to researchers, this has to do with how our brain processes sensory input. It can be explained with the ideas of predictive processing.
The brain’s illusion of what belongs to you
Look in a mirror. The face you see feels completely like your own. You rarely question it. But what if your brain could be convinced that another face also belongs to you?
When the mind’s eye is blind
Can you picture an apple? If the answer is no, you might have aphantasia. New research is shedding new light on to the purpose of visual imagination, helping us understand empathy, memory, and maybe even consciousness itself.
Ramadan: What does fasting do to your brain?
Ramadan is a holy month in Islam, focused on introspection. A key part is fasting between sunrise and sunset. What effect does this have on the brain? Esther Aarts, scientist and research program leader in Nutrition & Cognition, explains.
From your coffee cup to your brain: the hidden journey of microplastics
Microplastics from everyday containers can harm not only the environment but also the human brain by triggering inflammation and disrupting cognitive and emotional functions. While complete avoidance is difficult, switching to reusable alternatives like glass or stainless steel can help reduce exposure and protect brain health.
Mindfulness for young people: a promising remedy for worry and sadness?
Many young people between 16 and 25 years suffer from psychological symptoms such as anxiety or sadness. Research shows that mindfulness training can have positive effects in adults with mental disorders such as depression, but the effect in youth remains understudied. In this article, we discuss whether mindfulness could possibly help young people become more resilient to mental illness.
Climbing out of depression: the science behind boulder psychotherapy
It is time to rethink our approach to mental health treatment. As depression rates rise