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Max Planck Institute

·March 31, 2025·4 min read

Genes Play a Role in Why We Love Music

A 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.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 29, 2025·4 min read

Infomorphic Neurons Bring AI One Step Closer to Brain-Like Learning

Researchers have developed a new kind of artificial neuron—called infomorphic neurons—that can independently learn and self-organize with nearby neurons, mimicking the decentralized learning of biological brains. Inspired by pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, these neurons process local signals to adapt and specialize in tasks without external control.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·February 18, 2025·4 min read

Prenatal Stress Hormones Alter Brain Development

Environmental factors like stress and medication exposure during pregnancy can shape brain development, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Researchers used brain organoids to study the effects of synthetic glucocorticoids, commonly given to prevent complications in premature births.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 9, 2025·6 min read

How We Make Life’s Toughest Choices

A new study presents a novel framework for understanding transformative life decisions, focusing on their complexity and emotional impact. Researchers identified five key dimensions—conflicting cues, change of self, uncertain experiential value, irreversibility, and risk—that shape these decisions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·December 18, 2024·4 min read

Genes Behind Dyslexia Linked to Brain Changes in Motor, Vision, and Language

A large-scale study revealed that genetic variants linked to dyslexia are associated with differences in brain areas controlling motor coordination, vision, and language. Using data from over a million individuals, researchers calculated genetic "polygenic scores" for dyslexia and analyzed their relationship to brain structures. Higher genetic risk for dyslexia was tied to lower volumes in brain regions related to speech processing and movement, and increased volumes in the visual cortex.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 31, 2024·5 min read

Echolocation Map Helps Bats Navigate Kilometers in the Dark

Researchers have shown that echolocating bats use an acoustic map of their environment to navigate long distances, even after being displaced. In a study on Kuhl’s pipistrelle bats, scientists tracked the bats’ return journeys across a three-kilometer radius using echolocation alone.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 22, 2024·4 min read

Emotional Blindness Drives Empathy Deficits in Psychopathy

A new study links psychopathy with alexithymia, or emotional blindness, which may explain the emotional deficits seen in people with psychopathic traits. Individuals with strong psychopathic traits struggle to recognize and describe their emotions, which affects their ability to show empathy and regulate emotions.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 9, 2024·6 min read

How Brains Learn Over Longer Timescales

Researchers have discovered a novel brain mechanism, behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity (BTSP), that enables neurons to encode information over seconds rather than milliseconds, aligning more closely with learning timescales. Previously, encoding models like Hebbian plasticity focused on neuron activity within mere milliseconds, but BTSP extends this window, allowing neurons to integrate information over seconds.

This shows a person standing still at a crosswalk.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 2, 2024·7 min read

Stop! Neural Mechanisms for Halting Identified

Scientists have identified two neural mechanisms, "Walk-OFF" and "Brake," that control stopping behavior in fruit flies. Using optogenetics, they activated specific neurons to halt fly movement under red light. These mechanisms are context-dependent, with "Walk-OFF" controlling stopping during feeding and "Brake" during grooming.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 23, 2024·6 min read

Blue Light Exposure Induces Behavioral and Epigenetic Changes in Fish

Artificial light at night (ALAN), particularly blue light, disrupts fish behavior and affects their offspring. After just a few nights of blue light exposure, zebrafish displayed anxiety-like behaviors, such as reduced swimming and wall-hugging, and their offspring exhibited decreased activity despite never being exposed themselves.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 12, 2024·4 min read

Glial Cells Play Key Role in Alzheimer’s Development

New research reveals that glial cells, specifically oligodendrocytes, produce amyloid beta, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, challenging the long-held belief that neurons are the sole contributors. This discovery opens new possibilities for therapies aimed at preventing plaque formation in the brain. Targeting both neurons and glial cells could slow the disease’s progression by inhibiting amyloid beta production before plaques form.

This shows statues with This and That written on them.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 29, 2024·3 min read

How “This” and “That” Shape Language and Social Cognition

A study reveals that demonstratives like 'this' and 'that' not only indicate distance but also direct attention, linking language to social cognition. Researchers found that the meaning of demonstratives varies across languages and is influenced by the listener's focus. This study involved speakers of ten languages and used computational modeling to understand these dynamics. The findings suggest that attention manipulation is an inherent part of language, embedded in demonstratives.