A parasitic fungus infects ants and manipulates their behavior. What’s happening behind the scenes?
10 Big Unanswered Questions in Neuroscience (Part One)
Now that we’ve peered into distant galaxies and put a man on the moon, the true final frontier may be our very own brains!
Can a racing heart lead to a racing mind?
In a recent study, neuroscientists found that the physical sensation of a rapidly beating heart is enough to cause anxiety.
Don’t move a muscle
Our body’s built-in brakes keep us safely still even while our brains remain active during REM sleep.
The lonely brain: The neuroscience of social isolation
The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in an abrupt, unprecedented social isolation. How do our brains react to social isolation? What do we know about the neuroscience behind social isolation and loneliness?
How did the chicken cross the road?
There’s a reason chickens have their unique strut. The “bob” of a chicken’s head as it walks allows it to see, and is enabled by some amazing neural systems.
The role of early life trauma in binge eating
Trauma puts individuals at higher risk for developing an eating disorder. But what’s happening in the brain to cause it?
The case for turning up the bass
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.
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?
2022 Neuroscience Year in Review
Read about what excited our writers about neuroscience this year.
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?
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!
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!
Your little brain loves to socialize
The cerebellum (Latin for “little brain”) plays a bigger role in our ability to socialize than you might think!
Are people who stutter really tongue-tied?
The exact cause of stuttering remains unknown, but it is probably the result of changes in certain brain structures.
Dopamine: More than just reward
How our brain signals when rewards differ from what we expect
Your body, your brain, and a continuum of arousal states
How the environment shapes our physical and cognitive experience
The neuroscience of worms
Why do some neuroscientists study worms and what can they tell us about how a human brain works?
Can Dietary Fat Boost Your Mood?
Despite what you may have heard, dietary fat isn’t all bad. On the contrary, some types of dietary fats, such as omega 3 fatty acids, can positively impact mood and have a protective effect against symptoms of mood disorders like depression.
Clownfish brains change during sex transition
Current research is trying to understand how the brain changes when male clownfish transition into females.
Meowza, that scared me!
Peeking inside a mouse’s head to understand PTSD
Owls, dolphins, squids, and … worms? Oh my!
Ever wonder why so much of neuroscience is done in animal models? What can animal brains tell us about human brains?
Memories of mealtime: how our memory influences how much we eat
Feeling hungry all the time? Your memory may be to blame!
Studying Animal Behavior Through the Ages
How do scientists study animal behavior? Discover how our methods have developed through the ages, and what we can learn about ourselves from studying other animals.
Familiar Faces
How does the brain determine if someone is a friend or a stranger?
Why getting better at baseball might require just a little sleep
A new study found that activating memories through learning-associated sound cues during sleep improved the performance of a motor task
What are our brains doing when we see something scary?
Recent research found brain regions that may recognize a fearful place and lead to defensive behaviors.
Your brain on a bender
Oxytocin, the “love hormone”, may help to reduce excessive drinking