FeaturedNeuroscience·September 1, 2025·7 min readShrews Shrink and Regrow Brains, Offering Clues for Human DiseasesScientists used non-invasive MRI to study shrews that seasonally shrink and regrow their brains, uncovering water loss as the key driver of this rare phenomenon. Despite losing about nine percent of their brain volume in winter, shrew brain cells remain alive, with aquaporin-4 proteins playing a key role in regulating water movement.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 8, 2025·5 min readLater-Born Neurons Mature Faster to Keep Networks in BalanceThe brain depends on a delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons to function properly. A new study reveals that inhibitory neurons born later in development mature more quickly than earlier ones, allowing them to catch up and integrate evenly into neural networks.Read More
Neuroscience·June 25, 2025·4 min readCerebellum Shapes Children’s Empathy and Theory of MindUnderstanding others’ beliefs—especially false ones—is key to human communication and begins to develop between ages three and five. In a new study, researchers observed children’s brain activity while they watched movies in an MRI scanner to investigate the neurological roots of Theory of Mind (ToM).Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 12, 2025·4 min readSmelling Food Triggers Fullness, But Only in Lean BrainsResearchers have identified a new brain pathway in mice that links the smell of food to feelings of fullness—offering insight into how scent influences appetite. When lean mice smelled food, a group of nerve cells in the medial septum activated rapidly, signaling satiety and reducing food intake.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·June 10, 2025·4 min readHow the Brain’s RNA Rings Are FormedCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable, ring-shaped molecules that play crucial roles in brain development, cognition, and long-term cellular regulation. Unlike typical RNA, they form closed loops that resist degradation, making them ideal for neurons.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·June 6, 2025·6 min readStudy Links Gut Bacteria to MS Risk and Reveals Key TriggersA new twin study has identified specific gut bacteria that may contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. By comparing identical twins where only one has MS, researchers reduced confounding genetic and environmental factors and pinpointed 51 bacterial taxa with different abundances.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 17, 2025·6 min readHidden Patterns Shape Animal Behavior Across SpeciesDespite vast ecological differences, animals from meerkats to hyenas appear to follow a shared behavioral architecture in how they switch between activities. By tracking movement patterns with accelerometers and using machine learning, researchers discovered that the longer an animal stays in one behavior—like resting or foraging—the less likely it is to switch, a pattern known as a “decreasing hazard function.”Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 10, 2025·4 min readYour Brain Maps Actions Like It Maps SpaceA new study shows that the human brain organizes action-outcome associations in cognitive maps, much like how it maps physical space for navigation. These action maps are formed in the hippocampus and communicate with the motor system to support goal-directed behaviors and flexible decision-making.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·May 10, 2025·5 min readFrom Calls to Communication: A New Look at Language OriginsA new study reveals that wild chimpanzees combine vocal calls in structured ways to create new or more specific meanings, echoing key features of human language. Researchers documented over 12,000 calls from chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire and found that they formed at least 16 different two-call combinations.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 22, 2025·4 min readGestures Help Listeners Predict SpeechHumans use hand gestures during conversation, but until now, it wasn’t clear whether listeners actively use these gestures to anticipate speech. A new study using virtual avatars shows that listeners indeed use iconic gestures—like miming typing—to predict what the speaker will say next.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·April 11, 2025·6 min readHidden Neural Stem Cells May Hold Key to Brain RegenerationScientists have identified a previously unknown type of neural stem cell (pNSC) that exists outside the brain and spinal cord, overturning decades of neuroscience dogma. These peripheral neural stem cells, discovered in tissues like the lung and tail of mice, share key properties with brain-derived neural stem cells, including the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neurons.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·March 31, 2025·4 min readGenes Play a Role in Why We Love MusicA new genetic study reveals that our capacity to enjoy music is partly inherited, with 54% of music enjoyment variability linked to DNA differences. Researchers analyzed data from over 9,000 twins to explore whether genetics influence how much pleasure people derive from music.Read More
