Wired – Jaak Panksepp, a Washington State University neuroscientist renowned for his research on rat emotions, says these lines of research raise a fascinating question: How are empathy’s various forms driven by simple mental processes, and to what extent do they involve complex, high-level cognition? If some forms of empathy can be quite simple, Panksepp says, the same could well apply to many other abilities long considered the sole province of humans.
Science Newsline – A new study examining temperamental differences between U.S. and Dutch babies found infants born in the Netherlands are more likely to be happy and easier to soothe in the latter half of their first year. U.S. infants, on the other hand, were typically more active and vocal, said study co-author Maria Gartstein, a Washington State University associate professor of psychology.
The Spokesman-Review – OLYMPIA – If Washington State University wants to start its own medical school, it should do so without using $5.9 million set aside to expand University of Washington’s Spokane medical program, UW officials told legislators on Tuesday. That money was budgeted for WSU as part of a plan to expand the number of medical school students in Spokane when the two universities were cooperating on UW’s program, Ian Goodhew, chief information officer for the UW School of Medicine, told a House committee. WSU shouldn’t get to spend it on plans that could lead to future students; UW should be able to spend it on students coming this year.