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Duke University

·November 30, 2023·6 min read

Brainless Brittle Stars Learn by Association

Researchers discovered that brittle stars, brainless marine creatures, can learn through experience, a finding that challenges our understanding of learning and intelligence. The study revealed that brittle stars, relatives of starfish, could learn to associate darkness with feeding times through classical conditioning, similar to Pavlov's dogs.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·November 22, 2023·5 min read

Ear Sounds Reveal Eye Movements

Researchers discovered that the ear emits subtle sounds in response to eye movements, allowing them to pinpoint where someone is looking. The study demonstrates that these ear sounds, potentially caused by muscle contractions or hair cell activations, can reveal eye positions.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·November 22, 2023·5 min read

How Blind People Recognize Faces via Sound

A new study reveals that people who are blind can recognize faces using auditory patterns processed by the fusiform face area, a brain region crucial for face processing in sighted individuals. The study employed a sensory substitution device to translate images into sound, demonstrating that face recognition in the brain isn't solely dependent on visual experience.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 6, 2023·6 min read

Neural Implant Translates Brainwaves Into Words

A new speech prosthetic offers hope for those with speech-impairing neurological disorders. By converting brain signals into speech using high-density sensors and machine learning, the technology represents a significant advancement over current slower communication aids.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 24, 2023·5 min read

Unraveling Curiosity: Why We Savor the Suspense and Shun Spoilers

A new study reveals a counterintuitive aspect of curiosity: it heightens our patience to learn an answer, yet intensifies our eagerness for it. Researchers utilized short line-drawing videos, akin to popular cooking clips on social media, to explore how curiosity influenced the urge to spoil the end.

This shows a man in a corridor of books.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 26, 2023·6 min read

Stealing a Brain Hack: Exploration vs Urgency Shapes Memory and Learning

Researchers showed that when participants imagined themselves as art thieves scouting a virtual museum for a future heist, they had a better memory of the paintings they observed than those imagining executing an immediate heist. This difference between exploratory and urgent mindsets could have implications for framing challenges such as vaccine promotion or climate action.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 10, 2023·4 min read

Eye to the Mind: AI Pinpoints Cognitive Impairment via Retinal Images

Researchers have devised an innovative machine learning model that uses retinal images to distinguish normal cognitive function from mild cognitive impairment. This model represents a new, non-invasive, and cost-effective method to detect early signs of cognitive decline, which could lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 17, 2023·7 min read

The Power of Friendship Counters Early Life Stress

A new study, based on 36 years of data from nearly 200 baboons, indicates that strong social bonds formed in adulthood can counteract the negative effects of adversity experienced early in life. These hardships, similar to human experiences of growing up in a tumultuous environment, can shorten their lifespan.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 18, 2023·5 min read

Revealing the Entire Mouse Brain in Unprecedented Detail: Brain Images Just Got 64 Million Times Sharper

Researchers dramatically improved the resolution of MRI imaging technology, leading to the sharpest images ever generated of the mouse brain.

This shows a little boy and an alexa echo dot

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 10, 2023·5 min read

Kids Judge Alexa Smarter Than Roomba, but Say Both Deserve Kindness

Children aged between 4-11 judge Alexa to have more human-like thoughts and emotions than other AI robotics like the Roomba vacuum cleaner, but believe neither device should be yelled at or harmed. These feelings dwindle as children reach their teenage years.