Head candy

FOR stimulating brain fodder, read this compendium of essays from the online journal Cerebrum. Covering topical issues arising from work in the modern brain sciences, it also includes weightier subjects such as the biological basis for ethical behaviour and the latest thoughts on treating autism and stroke, as well as curiosities such as why so many people believe in the supernatural and whether animals have a sense of aesthetics. The authors are all well-respected researchers in their fields, so you get innovative thinking but also a varied style, some compelling, some more plodding. Three book reviews sit a little…