Brains and Behavior
A New Study Helps Untangle the Role of Tau in Dementia
Understanding the protein’s role in the cell shows what's happening in neurodegenerative diseases before symptoms emerge.
These Lemurs Have Got Rhythm. Scientists Have Got Questions
Studying how and why rhythm evolved in these primates could help unravel the mysteries of human musicality.
Got Jet Lag? Consider Hacking Your Circadian Rhythm
Manipulating the master clock could help astronauts, pilots, shift workers, and even holiday travelers. The solution is simpler than you think.
Your Brain Is an Energy-Efficient 'Prediction Machine'
Results from neural networks support the idea that brains use predictions to create perceptions—and that they work that way to conserve power.
Researchers Want to Restore ‘Good Noise’ in Older Brains
Aging people lose variation in brain oxygen levels—a sign of declining cognitive flexibility. A new drug study probes whether that loss can be reversed.
The Long Search for a Computer That Speaks Your Mind
The trick is to use data from the brain to synthesize speech in real time so users can practice and the machine can learn. New brain computer interface systems are getting there.
Neuron Bursts Can Mimic a Famous AI Learning Strategy
A new model of learning centers on blasts of neural activity that act as teaching signals—approximating an algorithm called backpropagation.
This Protein Predicts a Brain’s Future After Traumatic Injury
A blood test of “NfL” proteins answers questions about damage severity that doctors—and families—desperately need.
How to Actually Remember People's Names
These tips can keep you from greeting someone with "Hey ... you!" ever again.
Psychologists Are Learning What Religion Has Known for Years
Social scientists are researching what humans can do to improve their quality of life. Their findings echo what religious practices perfected centuries ago.
‘Neurograins’ Could be the Next Brain-Computer Interfaces
Dozens of microchips scattered over the cortical surface might allow researchers to listen in on thousands of neurons at the same time.
How Computationally Complex Is a Single Neuron?
Scientists taught an artificial neural network to imitate a biological neuron. The result offers a new way to think about the complexity of brain cells.
You’re Not Alone: Monkeys Choke Under Pressure Too
Now you can blame the primate brain. And neuroscientists are eager for a deeper look.
How the Cuttlefish’s Robust Memory System Defies Old Age
This cephalopod is the only known animal that doesn’t exhibit age-related deterioration when recalling specific events.
Animals Can Count. How Far Does Their Number Sense Go?
Crows recently demonstrated an understanding of the concept of zero. It’s only the latest evidence of animals’ talents for numerical abstraction.
Why Humans See Faces in Everyday Objects
The ability to spot Jesus’ mug in a piece of burnt toast might be a product of evolution.
A New Way to Understand the Brain's Intricate Rhythm
Researchers have found evidence in humans that individual neurons time their firing to a deeper beat. But there’s a mystery: What does it mean?
Could Brain Training Help Address Police Brutality?
New neuroscience-based technologies aim to improve decisionmaking under pressure. But solving systemic problems will take a lot more than that.
How a Smartphone Can Help You Cope With Epilepsy
Epilepsy looks different depending on the person, but here are some strategies for managing symptoms and staying safe.
Sleep Evolved Before Brains. Hydras Are Living Proof
Some of nature’s simplest animals suggest that sleep evolved long before centralized nervous systems.
A New Brain Implant Translates Thoughts of Writing Into Text
In early experiments, a paralyzed man with implants in his premotor cortex typed 90 characters per minute—by envisioning he was writing by hand.
This Is Your Brain Under Anesthesia
For the first time, researchers were able to observe, in extra-fine detail, how neurons behave as consciousness shuts down.
The Brain ‘Rotates’ Memories to Save Them From New Sensations
Some groups of neurons process sensory data and memories at the same time. New work shows how the brain pivots those representations to prevent interference.