Robert Burton, M.D., is the former chief of neurology at Mount Zion-UCSF Hospital and the author of "On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not." His column, "Mind Reader," appears regularly in Salon.
By airing another self-help show disguised as medical science -- the dubious "UltraMind Solution" -- the public network continues to undermine its credibility.
Even when faced with new facts and insights, most voters don't change their minds about their favorite candidates. A neurologist explains how they might.
People obsessed with their appearance suffer from a biological disorder, researchers now say. But not so fast: It's still our culture that warps our brains.
The documentary film "Unknown White Male," about a New York stockbroker who loses his memory, is medically implausible. But it offers an important lesson about an overlooked illness.
An extraordinary brain study concludes that a woman in a vegetative state is aware of herself. It's a dangerous claim that could throw families and physicians into turmoil.
Poker has been spoiled by TV tournaments and players schooled online. In the battle for the big payoff, wit and camaraderie have been trumped by computer logic and greed.
The pharmaceutical giant knew there were heart risks associated with its painkiller -- but its own studies were designed to avoid finding out how serious they were.
