What's New
(Cool Articles About The Teen Brain)
Shortcomings of the Juvenile Justice System
Professor Baird sits down with David Scharfenberg from the Boston Globe to discuss the flaws within the American justice system regarding how we define adulthood. Click here to read more.
Post-'Slender Man' Trial
Professor Baird explains the susceptibility of age and explores the consequences of the "Slender Man" trial with Eric Killelea from Rolling Stone Magazine. Check it out here .
One Year Out
Larry Hertz of Vassar's Communications Office writes a profile on Teen Species Lab Manager, Emma Roellke, as part of their One Year Out series. Click here to read more about Emma's time at Vassar, her work in the lab, and her path towards medicine.
Brain Maturation and Defining "Adulthood"
Kayt Sukel sits down with Professor Baird and other leading scientists to discuss neurological development and how it can (and should) influence policy and judicial outcomes. Check it out here
Juvenile Sentencing Laws
Professor Baird discusses the Slenderman stabbing with Elaine Aradillas of People Magazine and highlights the crucial distinction between being "responsible" or "guilty" in a court of law. Check out the article here
The Adolescent Brain
Professor Baird sits down with Kayt Sukel of Discover Magazine to discuss her research on all things teen. From rapid neural and behavioral changes to risk-taking and reward seeking, one thing is for sure: though it may be rocky at times, adolescence is among the most important developmental periods in life |PDF|
Beware the Slenderman
Professor Baird teams up with HBO to provide insights on the tragic Slenderman stabbing, and to discuss juvenile sentencing laws. Watch the trailer for the upcoming documentary here
Brain Games
Professor Baird was recently featured on two episodes of National Geographic’s Brain Games (Season 7, Episodes 3 and 4). Check out her “Brains Behaving Badly” clip discussing lust and the seven sins and watch what happens in the “Life of the Brain” when Professor Baird proposes the idea of swimming with sharks to children, adults, and adolescents
Brain Activity in a Dead Salmon?
In response to growing concerns over reproducibility and ethics in scientific research, the New York Times covers some important new findings in the field, and also reminds us of Professor Baird’s influential fMRI study on the dead salmon. See for yourself here
Adolescence as a Second Toddlerhood
Crucial to human development, adolescence marks a period of rapid neurocognitive growth. Melissa Dahl of NY Magazine’s Science of Us interviews Professor Baird about this complicated developmental period as a sort of “second toddlerhood.” Check it out here
TASC Take 3
In their continuing collaboration with The After-School Corporation, Professor Baird and colleagues provide comments on what constitutes a healthy learning environment for developing teens. Read a brief summary here
Deconstructing the Myths of Adolescence
Can teens self-regulate without fully matured frontal lobes? This is the question many parents, teachers, and policymakers have been asking themselves for decades, often with mixed responses. Earlier this month, Professor Baird explained why teens have more self-regulatory power than we might think. Check out her interviews with the Dana Foundation and the Chicago Tribune to discover the truth behind some of society’s most common neurological myths
More from TASC
Interested in learning more about the teen brain? Professor Baird sits down with TASC’s Vice President for Policy and Research, Saskia Traill, to discuss the developing brain, the highly functional nature of adolescence, and the implications that science holds for the classroom. Check out the interview here
CNN Interviews Professor Baird About Minimum Drinking Age Laws
July 17, 2014 marked the 30th anniversary of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, prohibiting alcohol consumption for individuals under the age of 21. Professor Baird speaks to CNN about peer-mediated, experiential learning, and how these neuropsychological concepts relate to minimum age drinking laws. To read the article, click here
Professor Baird Attends TASC Conference
Last week, Professor Baird served on a research panel for The After-School Corporation where she and her colleagues discussed the intersections of learning and adolescent development. In collaboration with other experts in the fields of research, policy, and practice, she provided remarks about creating effective learning opportunities for young students. Saskia Traill, TASC’s vice president for policy and research, provides a brief overview of the panelists’ lessons.
The Teenage Brain
Vassar alums Lisa Kudrow ’85 and Abby Baird ’91 have a conversation about Baird’s research on the teenage brain and its implications for parenting strategies. Filmed before a live audience in the Alumnae House Pub on the Vassar campus. Check it out here