Behold the nerdiest cocktail party ever!

Figure 1. EEGs of ten ambulatory participants simultaneously measured during a cocktail party.EEGs were recorded and transmitted to PCs while the partiers chatted, ate sushi and hors d'oeuvres and drank vodka martinis or vodka and cranberry cocktails according to their personal inclinations. Participants also measured breath alcohol contents, took photos and checked the data collection (lower photos). There are numerous studies that investigate how drinking alcohol affects our brains. However, most of these studies take place in laboratories and medical settings that have almost nothing in common with the bars and parties where most of us drink. This raises the question of how applicable the results are to drinking in more typical settings. So, these scientists tried to measure brain activity while socializing and drinking in a more "normal" setting. To do this, they devised special electroencephalography (EEG) hats that let participants roam and interact with each other like they ...