Archived articles

Cognitive science

Tom McCoy
Wordplay whiz
Eight letters: Prolific puzzlemaker
Published Dec 12, 2019
Tom McCoy started mapping crosswords on graph paper during his senior year in high school. Now a third-year graduate student in cognitive science at Johns Hopkins, McCoy has had 33 puzzles published in The New York Times and is the mastermind behind the university's end-of-year crossword.
Illustration of a giraffe and ostrich
Cognitive science
Conceptualizing color
Published Fall 2019
Studies from Marina Bedny and Judy Kim suggest people born blind have a rich understanding of visual concepts that is not based solely on what they've been told / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Illustration of stress in the brain
Alzheimer's disease
Stressors linked to cognitive decline in women
Published Aug 6, 2019
'We can't get rid of stressors, but we might adjust the way we respond to stress,' Hopkins neuropsychologist Cynthia Munro says
Avocado cut in half
Brain science
Study: Atkins-style diet may improve cognition
Published July 9, 2019
Findings of small pilot study warrant further exploration of dietary impact on brain function, Hopkins researchers say
Brain scan
Neuroscience
Drug combo preserves cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer's
Published May 16, 2019
Drugs combination reduces brain damage and inflammation, slows the pace of cognitive decline
4 versions of the letter g
Cognitive Science
Thrown for a loop(tail)
Published Summer 2018 Video
What letter of the alphabet can we read but not write? The answer's in the 'g'-tails / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Traditional Japanese-style illustration shows an octopus hunting shrimp
Brain science
Think tank
Published Summer 2018
Scientists write about what they'd most like the public to understand about the human brain / Johns Hopkins Magazine
Kimberly Wong
Cognitive science
'G' whiz
Published May 15, 2018
Junior Kimberly Wong's cognitive science study about the lowercase looptail 'g' goes global
4 versions of the letter g
It's a 'g' thing
Which is a real letter?
Published April 3, 2018 Video
Most people are unaware of the two versions of g, a finding researchers say suggests the important role writing plays in learning letters
Mmmmm chocolate
Junk food science
Published Oct 26, 2017 Video
Food has the power to sneak in and grab our attention—especially junk food, study finds