Music is more than just hearing sound; it’s also feeling it. Scientists have shown that feeling the bass makes music more enjoyable and causes people to dance more.
The case for turning up the bass
When did you become you?
We all have something about us that makes us unique. Find out how scientists are using fish to uncover when in life this individuality emerges.
Sex differences in pain
Do males and females experience physical pain differently?
We have the technology!
Neuroscientists often develop entirely new tools to better understand the brain. Neuropixels is one such technology that is helping neuroscientists answer major questions.
2022 Neuroscience Year in Review
Read about what excited our writers about neuroscience this year.
Brush it real good!
Scientists find a link between oral bacteria and the brain
Video Supplement to Electroconvulsive Therapy: The Mystery of Mechanism
Do doctors still use electroconvulsive therapy?
When you add two halves, do you get a whole?
Who are you when you're split in two? When it comes to your brain, two halves do not make a whole. Learn about how the two halves of your brain communicate and what happens when they stop.
What is a headache?
Migraines impart an incredible amount of pain, but where is the pain coming from and how can it be controlled?
Cutting through the “noise”
Learn about 1/f, the static that’s anything but random
Why do we get the hiccups?
… and other brain reflexes that we may have inherited from our distant ancestors.
Octopus: the animal that keeps itself company
The fox’s nine tails and the cat’s nine lives are mythical. What about the octopus’s nine brains?
The lies our eyes tell us
What we think we see isn’t always what’s really in front of us. Scientists use optical illusions to demonstrate how our brains use quick tricks to shape how we see the world.
You are what you eat: Exploring fecal microbiota transplant
Microbes in our gut (and our poop) can impact our brain and our behavior. Could we treat brain diseases and disorders by swapping “unhealthy” microbes for “healthy” ones?
The placebo effect and pain relief
For a patient experiencing pain, the belief that a pain treatment will work can be enough to reduce their pain.
Much ado about microglia
Microglia are the brain’s immune cells, but what do they do when they’re not hunting down foreign bacteria or munching on debris in the brain? Can they even influence how you sleep?
How are neurons categorized?
There are 100 billion neurons in the human brain. How can we possibly categorize all of them, and why is it important?
What we can learn from the fly on the wall
They might be small, but fruit fly research has led to wide-reaching discoveries in science and six Nobel Prizes!
The curious thing about a tickle
Have you ever tried and failed to tickle yourself? Learn about how your brain stops you from tickling yourself by expecting what it will feel like.
What’s going on in an axolotl brain?
A recent study genetically sequenced the axolotl brain to understand how they can regenerate parts of their brain!
Glutamate: Hungry for more
A second helping of knowledge about this key ingredient in our bodies and brains.
Seeing the forest for the trees
Neurons come in all shapes and sizes, forming a diverse ecosystem in the brain.
A bug’s life: 3D vision in humans and praying mantids
Just like humans, praying mantids can see in 3D. Studying how their brains accomplish this might help us build machines that can do the same.
The sweet taste of lemon
A slice of lemon can taste like perfect lemonade. Just add miracle berry!
Use it or lose it: A look at cortical mapping, remapping, and implications for brain function
How our brains take into account our recent experience
Pain relief can be zen
How can mindfulness meditation help relieve physical pain?
Go with the flow
What is your brain doing when you’re ‘in the zone’?
Go with your gut: how your gut knows the difference between sugar and artificial sweetener
Think you have a sweet tooth just because you like the taste? A new study reveals a different reason for why you prefer sweet foods.
Trash in the brain leads to Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study found that plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients are formed when cells’ cleanup machinery becomes defective.
Meet Glutamate
The neurotransmitter and its receptors are even more exciting than you think!
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