Inside the Mind

A man in Cornwall, England, went 11 consecutive days without a wink of sleep. Find out how he did it, why he did it and why you shouldn't give it a try.

By Jacob Silverman

Kanye West says he says sees music in color. Other people can hear words that make them taste a particular flavor, or they actually feel another person's pain. Welcome to the world of the synesthete. It's a stimulating one.

By Kate Kershner

Nothing beats watching a blockbuster on the big screen, but today's home theater systems do an impressive job bringing that experience into your home. In this article, we'll explain how the components of a home theater system re-create the sounds and

By Jonathan Strickland

So you're at a family dinner, and your uncle stands up and dramatically announces that he has a brain tumor. How does he know? Because he researched his frequent headaches on the Internet.

By Emilie Sennebogen

Your little brother might think it's funny to put a rubber snake in your pocket or jump out from a closet in a dark hallway, but your heart rate might disagree. Is it possible to be scared out of both your wits and your life?

By Molly Edmonds

E=mc2. The theory of relativity. An understanding of the speed of light. These ideas all came from the brain of one man: Albert Einstein. But what happened to his brain after he died?

By Molly Edmonds

It's safe to say that no one particularly wants an ice pick through the eye socket. And yet, for years, people who were mentally ill or merely "difficult" had parts of their brains removed this way. The natural question: Why?

By Shanna Freeman

Religion is one of the three things you're never supposed to talk about if you don't want your dinner party to turn into a food fight. But what about looking at religion through the lens of science instead of faith? Is there a connection between our gray matters and pray matters?

By Molly Edmonds

We've all felt fury wash over us. Whether it's the guy who blurts the score to the game you TiVo'ed or the woman who lets the door slam in your face, anger is universal. You might as well learn how it works.

By Molly Edmonds

Everyone cries. For some it's an emotional response, while others just shed tears when chopping onions. Are tears a way for us to cleanse our bodies?

By Alia Hoyt

We've all heard of a "sixth sense" and extra-sensory perception. So how many ways can we actually sense the world around us?

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Every animal sleeps -- some more than others -- but why they do it is a mystery to scientists. Is sleep more than just beauty rest? Could skimping on it kill you? And how much do you really need?

By Marshall Brain

Addictions to substances such as drugs and alcohol have ruined the lives of people all over the world. Read about current views and ideas on addiction.

By Josh Clark & Sascha Bos

Antidepressants are the first line of treatment for depression. Sales of antidepressants total $50 billion annually, making this class of drugs one of the leading prescription medications. But are they effective?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Alien hand syndrome sounds like something from a B-grade horror movie, but it's a real condition. You could be completely at the mercy of your own renegade hand -- it could keep your other hand from functioning, punch you or even choke you.

By Charles W. Bryant

You might think that not being able to feel pain would be a blessing. No tears, no painkillers, no lingering aches. But really, not being able to feel pain is dangerous.

By Katie Lambert

You've just touched a hot stove -- and probably felt an immediate sharp pain, then a dull ache. How do we sense pain, and why does it eventually go away?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

That man dressed in animal skins and running around Jerusalem trying to baptize people isn't alone. Tourists in Jerusalem sometimes suffer from a strange conviction that they are Biblical figures. Are they mentally ill or is there more to it?

By Katie Lambert

Sleepwalking is an intriguing phenomenon. How can a person be unconscious but still coordinate his or her limbs? And how do we know when we're really awake?

By Katie Lambert

Alcoholism can be difficult to spot. Learn the difference between heavy drinking and alcoholism, how alcohol affects the body, what factors may lead to alcoholism and what treatments are available for this addiction.

By Stephanie Watson

What exactly is fear? In this article, we'll examine the psychological and physical properties of fear, find out what causes a fear response and look at some ways you can defeat it.

By Julia Layton

Dreams combine verbal, visual and emotional stimuli into mystifying storylines. Should we bother to interpret them? Are they random brain impulses, or do they offer insight into our waking lives?

By Lee Ann Obringer & Yves Jeffcoat

The more you know about your memory, the better you'll understand how you can improve it. Get details on how your memory works and how aging affects your ability to remember.

By Richard C. Mohs

Your co-worker just yawned in a meeting, and now everyone on his side of the table is yawning, too. Learn about what might've caused him to do it in the first place and why you're likely to yawn right along with them.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Collective hysteria can spread when a fear exists of exposure to a disease, combined with a contained environment. Learn more about collective hysteria works.

By Jacob Silverman & Austin Henderson