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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 9, 2017·4 min read

Great Apes Know When They Don’t Know

Max Planck Institute researchers report great apes actively seek out new information to help fill gaps in their knowledge.

Featured Genetics

·August 23, 2017·8 min read

You and Some ‘Cavemen’ Get a Genetic Checkup

A new study looks at genomic changes through human evolution and finds, for the most part, evolution has improved the genetic foundations for human health in the most part. However, modern humans appear to be at more of a genetic predisposition to mental health problems than our ancestors.

Image shows a drawing of sumo wrestlers.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 17, 2017·4 min read

Recently Discovered Protein Controls Appetite and Body Fat Composition

NPGL, a recently discovered protein, influences fat storage in the human body, even when on a calorie restricted diet. Researchers believe this mechanism had evolutionary benefits and the protein could be a potential target to treat obesity.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 12, 2017·4 min read

Chimpanzees Learn Rock-Paper-Scissors

Study reveals chimpanzees are able to learn the circular relationship between hand patterns in the game 'rock-paper-scissors' as well as a four year old child.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·August 10, 2017·4 min read

How the Brain Recognizes Familiar Faces

Researchers discover two new areas of the brain involved in facial processing.

Featured Psychology

·August 4, 2017·5 min read

Cultural Activities May Influence the Way We Think

A new PNAS study reports cultural activities directly influence learning processes, affecting how we collect different kinds of data. Researchers developed a new learning model that explains how culture helped shaped our cognition. Understanding these principles may someday be useful in AI development, researchers say.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 4, 2017·4 min read

Origin of Human Genus May Have Occurred By Chance

Study challenges conventional ideas about why our human ancestors became smarter and more sophisticated.

Featured Psychology

·August 2, 2017·2 min read

How Infant Directed Speech Shapes Your Child’s Development

Babytalk not only provides a baby with comfort and encouragement, it can also help facilitate early language development, a new study reports.

Image shows a drawing of bees and people.

Autism Featured Genetics Psychology

·July 31, 2017·3 min read

Parallels Between Unresponsive Honey Bees and Human Autism

Researchers report genes implicated in human ASD are regulated differently in honeybees that are more unresponsive than their nest mates. The PNAS study provides insight into the genetic heritage shared across species and offers clues about the evolution of social behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 31, 2017·4 min read

How Mice Babies Ensure Mother’s Protection

A new study identifies neural cells that allow mouse pups to generate ultrasonic calls. Mice that lack the cells are mute. Researchers believe the cries of human babies could depend on similar connections.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 26, 2017·4 min read

‘Residual Echo’ of Ancient Humans in Scans May Hold Clues to Mental Disorders

A new study in Scientific Reports finds evidence from MRI scans suggests Neanderthal derived genetic variations affect how the brains of modern humans work. Findings may shed light on specific deficits seen in ASD and schizophrenia, researchers believe.