Smart Drug Smarts: Brain Optimization | Nootropics | Neuroscience

Optical Illusions are interesting "glitches." But social illusions -- and there are MANY -- actually drive our behavior. Dr. Erica Boothby pulls back the veil on your own inner thoughts.

Ibogaine could be an effective therapy against addiction -- or it could be (literally) the cure that kills the patient. Hear about the many facets of this plant-derived substance from Dr. Emeline Maillet.

As biological imperatives go, sleep is the one we need less than air and water, but more than food and sex. Try to get by without it, and the problems start cropping up - fast.

Conventional wisdom holds that knowing more languages is "good for your brain." But what makes it so? And good in which ways? Dr. Ellen Bialystok is one of the world's foremost experts, and conducted many of the studies that has brought this "common knowledge" to the public.

The FDA has given a green light to a Phase 3 trial using MDMA as a psychologist-assisted therapy against PTSD. How might this "party drug" work in a non-party context?

Mind wandering is bad if you're operating a chain saw. But if you're stuck on a well-defined intellectual problem, it could be just the ticket. Christine Godwin explains the latest research in...um...what was I just talking about?

Can you be "addicted to Facebook"? And if so, is that much like being addicted to heroin? Two addiction researchers specializing in pharmacology and cyberpsychology weigh in.

If genes are the "Book of You," then epigenetics are the dog-eared pages marking the parts you're interested in right now. Dr. Daniel Stickler explains how to use this active overlay on genetic information to your advantage.

Giving LSD to fruit flies sounds like a fraternity prank. But with the right tools, it could be an approach that helps unlock the brain's secrets in perception, mood, and even consciousness.

Ayahuasca may mark the first time that a nausea-inducing beverage has gotten...popular. But there may be valid medical reasons why "Mother" Ayahuasca -- a brew featuring strong psychedelic effects -- is becoming well known outside the Brazilian jungle. Dr. Draulio Araujo explains.

Ambien is a well-known sleep aid, with over 40 million annual prescriptions in the US alone. It is not, however, a one-trick pony. Dr. Nick Bomalaski describes his review of numerous odd (and encouraging) examples of Ambien's effects on various neurological disorders.

A real-life scary story for Halloween: How nine healthy young hikers died suddenly, tragically, and mysteriously in 1959 in the Ural Mountains of Russia -- spawning five decades of questions and theories.

Moringa is a tropical tree that looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss... But it yields leaves so nutrient-rich, it's hard to believe it's not better known. Dr. Jed Fahey explains.

Neurogastronomy is the most intellectual way to be a foodie. How do we taste and smell? And could scientists manipulate our taste to make brussels sprouts taste like cotton candy and vice versa?

The Cognito Awards continue, with Best Physical Vitality Hack, Best Performance by Technological Gear, and more!