As one of the oldest and most prestigious science and technology awards programs in the world, The Franklin Institute Awards Program presented the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Medals in six fields of science and engineering. In addition to the Benjamin Franklin Medals, two Bower Awards were presented for achievements made in science and business leadership.

Imagine if words created a taste in your mouth, or music generated bursts of color. Some people have a rare condition called synesthesia, where their senses are somewhat crossed. Now scientists have found a new type of that condition: people who “hear” motion.

Psychologists have found that golfers who’ve played well perceive the hole as bigger than it really is. As this ScienCentral video explains, the researchers also found those who did poorly saw the hole as smaller than it really is.

Ghrelin, the chemical in your stomach that causes hunger, also changes how your
brain perceives food.

After a car accident or other scary experience many people report feeling like the event happened in slow motion. One neuroscientist set out to test whether our brains really see things slowed down in response to fear.