MITs excellence in brain research will be showcased next week in San Diego as Institute scientists give five of the 24 invited talks at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

One of the five MIT researchers, H. Sebastian Seung, professor of computational neuroscience, will give the Presidential Special Lecture on "The Once and Future Science of Neural Networks" In his talk, Seung will describe a revolutionary new way to create a nanoscale-level map of the brains axon and dendrite "wires" based on actual human brain tissue.

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It's also a volume that some readers will have to approach with a mixture of patience and an open mind, because its set-up - author Ignacio Ramonet's context-setting introduction to the pages that follow - makes many valid, historical-political points but also has a strong aroma of unabashed hagiography.

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Some treatment and beauty lines such as Mario Badescu, Molton Brown, and Laura Mercier can certainly be found at other stores, but I was surprised by the large selection of fragrances by Serge Lutens. The store also stocks a range of Tocca products (fragrance, home scents, candles, etc.). The in-store spa with two treatment rooms helps distinguish Blue Mercury from other beauty retailers. Clients can indulge in facials, microdermabrasion, and waxing services starting at $15.