PennNeuroKnow – Breaking down the brain for everyone to understand

PENN neuroknow

Breaking down the brain for everyone to understand

Pins and needles

Why do your limbs go numb or “fall asleep” after sitting in the wrong position?

April 28, 2026
Clever creatures and the tools they use

Tool use is often seen as a defining human trait, but animals from chimpanzees to crows also use tools. Explore how diverse species use tools and what that may reveal about intelligence across the animal kingdom.

April 21, 2026
Play on the brain

What can rats playing hide-and-seek tell us about the brain?

April 14, 2026
“What was I doing again?” The neuroscience behind losing your train of thought

Have you ever walked into a room, been momentarily distracted, and then completely forgotten why you went into that room in the first place? You may be surprised that a seemingly small part of your brain is responsible for derailing your train of thought.

April 7, 2026
How our brains may influence our physical endurance

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Find out how our brain may be operating in the background to mediate our physical endurance.

March 31, 2026
Tunnels between neurons: How dendritic nanotubes are reopening an age-old debate

Most neurons communicate by releasing chemicals across a small gap. But newly discovered tube-like structures are causing neuroscientists to reconsider whether direct connections between neurons may play a more important role than previously thought.

March 24, 2026
Cognitive aging and neurogenesis: Insights from SuperAgers

Age-related memory loss and cognitive decline are increasingly prevalent in our rapidly aging population. However, some “SuperAgers” seem to escape developing these deficits–but how? Studying the brains of SuperAgers is helping neuroscientists learn even more about our brains and how they age.

March 17, 2026
Driving you mad: Understanding the rabies virus

People have lived in fear of rabies for thousands of years, but it’s only recently we’ve started to learn how it works.

March 10, 2026
Your daily D.O.S.E of happiness: Uncovering the complexities of the “happy hormones”

A group of brain chemicals that play a role in promoting happiness have earned the nickname the “happy hormones”, but there’s much more to them than that! Let’s dive into their diverse biological functions.

March 3, 2026