“Brain activity” is thought to underlie everything we do – from walking to thinking to eating. But what actually is brain activity and where does it come from?
What does “brain activity” actually mean?
When sparks fly!
The skinny on three current controversies in neuroscience and why researchers sometimes disagree
Beyond the uterus: Uncovering endometriosis pain
Many people with severe menstrual symptoms may not realize they have a condition called endometriosis. Learn how this disease develops and what causes its pain.
The brain’s gatekeeper: A closer look at the blood-brain barrier
Explore how the barricade between your bloodstream and your brain supports brain health, malfunctions during disease, and might be an avenue for drug delivery.
Making a case for case studies in neuroscience
Some of the most important things we’ve learned about the brain have started with case studies of single patients. Read about the case studies that have defined our understanding of the neural basis of language, personality, and fear.
Reaching the boiling point
How do groups of neurons in your brain determine the intensity of your emotions?
If you want to diagnose mental illness, study… the body?
Not quite. But new research is highlighting how poor mental health often goes hand-in-hand with poor physical health, and how the two relate.
Moving and grooving with birds-of-paradise
Male birds-of-paradise perform dazzling displays to attract mates. How do their brains and bodies do this?
Caught up in your thoughts
An exploration into the ‘nets’ that surround your brain cells, and how they influence your thoughts and behavior
Bee-lieving in the brain
Bees have brains just the size of poppy seeds, yet they can do so much! These black and yellow critters are famous for being nature’s hardest workers, but they are also expert navigators, communicators, and decision-makers. So, maybe something far smaller can help us think bigger about what the brain is capable of.
Out-of-this-world impacts of spaceflight on the brain and body
If you’ve ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would be like to spend some time up there, you’re not alone. Here, we talk about the less-discussed aspects of space travel: the impact it can have on your brain and body.
Patient H.M.: Neuroscience’s favorite subject
He was neither a researcher nor a doctor, but Henry Molaison – better known as Patient H.M. – is one of the most famous people in the history of neuroscience.
When nature helps neuroscience
Scientists often look to nature for experiment inspiration. But how has nature helped build the neuroscientist’s toolbox?
Sniffing us out: How mosquitos seek their hosts
Why do mosquitoes have such a knack for finding you? These tiny bloodhounds use complex senses to zero in on their next snack. Unraveling the brainy secrets behind their host-hunting skills might just be the key to keeping them away and stopping the spread of mosquito-borne diseases!
Spinning silk: How do spiders build their webs?
From birds’ nests to termite mounds to spider webs, animals can create awe-inspiringly intricate structures. How do spiders know how to achieve this incredible feat?
What happens when the brain is out of a job?
Learn about the brain's amazing ability to repurpose itself when it loses its sight. Could this be the key to treating patients suffering from strokes or PTSD?
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.
Decide quickly or decide accurately- How your brain solves a classic decision-making problem
It is often difficult to do tasks both quickly and well at the same time. While the same applies to decision making, the brain has found an effective way to make decisions that are reasonably accurate and reasonably fast.
A drifting mind: How reliable are our brains?
New research finds that our brain is constantly changing the way it views the world – even when nothing around us is actually changing. Talk about a wandering mind!
Eating your way to better brain health: The science behind “brain foods”
There is no magic food that can make you smarter, but maintaining a balanced diet is necessary to keep your brain healthy. Learn how different foods and diets can support brain health.
Of mice and men (and brains)
What can and can’t we learn about the human brain by studying rodent brains?
How the ability to visualize the human brain has revolutionized neuroscience, and what comes next
Researchers have only been able to easily visualize the human brain in the last couple decades. Learn how that has changed the course of neuroscience research and what we might be able to do next.
The neurons turning the dial on inflammation
A new study uncovers how your brain balances inflammation in your body, opening the door to new treatment options for diseases characterized by inflammation.
A clear solution for cleaning your brain
New research suggests that large waves of electrical activity washing across your brain while you sleep help push garbage in the surrounding fluid out of the brain.
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?
A new hope in human prion diseases
A long-awaited first step towards a cure for a devastating brain disease
Interoception: The “sixth” sense that shapes our wellbeing
Have you ever noticed your heart rate increase while watching a scary scene in a movie? Or how one moment you feel totally fine, and the next moment there is a burning itch on your leg that you need to scratch? This all results from a sixth sense you may not know existed.
Glia in neurodegeneration: Gladiators or traitors?
Neurons are far from the only cell type in the brain; other cells like astrocytes and microglia are also crucial for brain function. In certain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s where we see irreversible neuron death, researchers are starting to ask: what role do these other cell types play?
Opioid drugs: Pain, pleasure…poison?
Opioid drugs have many effects – from medicinal to thrilling to deadly. How do they do so much at once?
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