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?
You are what you eat: Exploring fecal microbiota transplant
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!
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
Life from the machine
Researchers are taking what we know about how neurons communicate and digitizing it.
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.
What’s in a framework?
Does the way we define and categorize psychological concepts match the organization of our brains, and why does it matter when studying mental illness?
Bacteria tell you when you’re full
Bacteria are more powerful than you think - scientists uncovered that they can turn off neurons.
Keeping a cool head
Hypothermia is an effective treatment to protect the brain after a lack of oxygen.
The problem of brain size
Why the relationship between brain size and intelligence is so complicated
Meowza, that scared me!
Peeking inside a mouse’s head to understand PTSD
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