A recent study suggests artificial sweeteners are associated with a faster cognitive decline. How might that be happening?
Sweet but not innocent: Artificial sweeteners and brain health
To pee or not to pee: How the brain controls the bladder
That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.
Do plants feel pain?
It may sound like a ridiculous question— but it’s worth asking. From Venus flytraps snapping shut to stressed plants releasing ultrasonic "screams," plants react to touch and damage in surprising similar ways to us.
The unique human ability to cry
Humans are the only species that display tearful, emotional crying. Why have we evolved this behavior? Does it benefit us? And if so, why don’t we cry more?
How bats are helping us rethink how the brain hears
Studying bats helps us understand how the brain processes and sorts sounds into categories.
Music on the brain
Whether punk rock or Puccini, everyone has music that they love. Why is music so compelling? And what’s going on in your brain when you’re jamming to your favorite song?
Do you hear what I hear? That ringing sound?
How does the brain generate the phantom ringing sound of tinnitus?
2024 Neuroscience Year in Review
Our writers share what got them excited about neuroscience in 2024.
The Silent Majority
A large number of neurons in the brain are “silent” even while we perceive and experience the world. A recent study sheds light on what they might be doing.
The experiments that opened the brain’s black box
Despite centuries of scientific advancements, the inner workings of much of the brain remained a complete mystery. A groundbreaking set of experiments changed this.
For cuttlefish, intelligence is skin deep
What can we discover from this clever creature whose smarts are nothing like ours?
Opioid drugs: Pain, pleasure…poison?
Opioid drugs have many effects – from medicinal to thrilling to deadly. How do they do so much at once?
ALL ABOARD! The mirror neuron hype train
Take a ride on the Mirror Neuron Express. Departing from: fascinating findings. Arriving at: valuable lessons. By way of: exaggeration, speculation, and overstatement.
Why haven’t we cured chronic pain?
Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic pain disorders, yet we have very few reliable treatments and no cure. Here are three reasons why.
2023 Neuroscience Year in Review
Our writers share what got them excited about neuroscience in 2023.
Tiny faces, big expressions: Reading rodent faces
How can you tell what a mouse is feeling? New methods give neuroscientists some clues.
What makes a musician?
An exciting new study untangles how nature and nurture influence musicianship from childhood to adulthood
Phonesick: fact or fiction? Your brain on EMFs
Every day we’re exposed to low energy electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) from devices like our phones. Can EMFs affect our brains?
Mixed Messages: How your brain deals with conflicting information
What happens when your senses don't agree? Learn how your brain handles conflicting information by changing what you see, altering what you hear, or even making you puke!
A dog’s eye view: Exploring the visual system from the kennel to the clinic
Ever wonder what the world looks like to your dog? Turns out, the canine visual system is a lot like yours, and it’s helping researchers explore cures for blindness.
Neuro MythBusters: The truth behind 10 common myths about your brain
Several myths about the brain are so popular that you might not realize they’re false. We’ll break down what these myths claim, where they came from, and whether there’s any truth behind them.
Taking a “trip” through the impact of psychedelics and the conscious experience
Psychedelic compounds are known for the mind-altering properties of their psychedelic “trips”. But does taking these drugs also have lasting impacts on the way we see the world?
Talking to ourselves: The neuroscience behind the voice in our heads
Your ability to communicate with yourself is an influential part of day-to-day life. Research is beginning to uncover how inner speech works, how you can leverage it to improve your life, and what happens when a brain can’t quite recognize its own voiceover.
Can you control your dreams?
Learn how controlling your dreams may allow scientists to unlock the mysteries of consciousness while you sleep.
Don’t move a muscle
Our body’s built-in brakes keep us safely still even while our brains remain active during REM sleep.
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.
A window of opportunity for learning
How our early life experiences during “critical periods” permanently shape our brain
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.
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.
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