FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 30, 2024·6 min readExtreme Political Views Drive Higher Belief in MisinformationA new study reveals that users with extreme political views are more likely to encounter and believe online misinformation. The research shows that misinformation spreads across the political spectrum, but its impact is most pronounced among those with conservative or liberal extremes.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceVisual Neuroscience·July 23, 2024·5 min readResearchers Use Game of Thrones to Study Face BlindnessResearchers used Game of Thrones to study how the brain recognizes faces, providing insights into prosopagnosia, a condition affecting facial recognition in 1 in 50 people. MRI scans showed increased brain activity in regions associated with character knowledge in fans of the series, but reduced activity in those unfamiliar with the show and in prosopagnosia patients.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 15, 2024·5 min readAdolescent Boys Show Aggression When Masculinity is ThreatenedA new study reveals that adolescent boys respond aggressively to perceived threats to their masculinity, particularly in environments with rigid gender norms. Researchers found that boys whose motivation to be masculine is socially pressured are more likely to exhibit aggression.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·June 26, 2024·5 min readDiscovery of Memory “Glue” Explains Lifelong RecallA new study reveals the role of the molecule KIBRA in forming long-term memories. Researchers found that KIBRA acts as a “glue,” binding with the enzyme PKMzeta to strengthen and stabilize synapses, crucial for memory retention. This discovery could lead to new treatments for memory-related conditions. The findings confirm a long-standing hypothesis about memory storage mechanisms.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·June 8, 2024·5 min readKey Protein Essential for Smell and Survival IdentifiedThe Orco protein is crucial for the survival of olfactory neurons in ants. Mutating the orco gene in Harpegnathos saltator ants drastically reduced their number of olfactory neurons, impairing their social interactions. This stud highlights the importance of Orco in neural development and social communication in ants. Understanding these mechanisms can provide insights into sensory-mediated social behavior in both animals and humans.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·June 7, 2024·4 min readBrains’ Decision-Making Mechanism RevealedA new study uncovered neural mechanisms used in planning, revealing an interplay between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The study shows how the brain imagines future outcomes to guide decisions. This research sheds light on the cognitive processes behind planning, with potential implications for treating disorders affecting decision-making.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceFeaturedNeuroscience·May 28, 2024·5 min readHow the Brain Distinguishes Music from SpeechA new study reveals how our brain distinguishes between music and speech using simple acoustic parameters. Researchers found that slower, steady sounds are perceived as music, while faster, irregular sounds are perceived as speech.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 30, 2024·4 min readThe Power of Music on Cognitive ArousalA new study explores the influence of personalized music on cognitive arousal and performance, drawing on the Yerkes-Dodson law's inverted-U theory. The study used participants' physiological and behavioral signals to map arousal levels against performance, revealing that music can significantly affect one's productivity by aligning arousal to an optimal level.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videos·February 1, 2024·6 min readAI Learns Language Like a ChildResearchers made a significant breakthrough by training a multimodal AI system using only the input one child received from birth through their second birthday, challenging the notion that AI requires vast data to learn language. Their study demonstrates that the AI model was able to learn words and concepts from a fraction of a child’s experiences, captured through headcam recordings.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·January 29, 2024·4 min readAncient Skulls Unveil Secrets of Human BipedalismA recent study using three-dimensional CT scans of the 6-million-year-old ape, Lufengpithecus, offers new insights into the evolution of human bipedalism. By analyzing the ape's bony inner ear region, researchers discovered a connection between its semicircular canals and locomotor behavior, suggesting a three-step evolution of human bipedalism from ancestral arboreal and terrestrial movements.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 25, 2023·5 min readCan AI Mimic Human Compositional Thinking?Researchers advanced the capabilities of neural networks to make compositional generalizations, similar to how humans grasp and expand on new concepts. This new technique, named Meta-learning for Compositionality (MLC), challenges decades-old skepticism about the capacity of artificial neural networks.Read More
Auditory NeuroscienceFeaturedNeuroscience·October 6, 2023·5 min readPrediction-Error Neurons Whisper Our MistakesA new study identified a distinctive class of neurons, termed "prediction-error neurons," which activate solely when audible expectations are breached, signaling an error in anticipation. These neurons remain dormant and unresponsive to typical sounds, springing to life only when an auditory outcome deviates from the expected.Read More