Latest

NYU

·November 9, 2024·4 min read

Cells Beyond the Brain Show Surprising Memory Abilities

New research reveals that cells outside the brain can store and process memories, challenging the view that memory is limited to neurons. Scientists found that non-brain cells, when exposed to spaced chemical signals, activated a "memory gene" similarly to neurons.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·October 23, 2024·6 min read

Brain Processes Sentence Structures as Fast as Visual Scenes

The human brain can detect the structure of a short sentence in as little as 150 milliseconds, the speed of a blink. Using brain imaging, scientists found that the brain's language comprehension system processes sentences flashed on a screen similarly to how it perceives a visual scene.

This shows people looking at screens with True and False written on them.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 30, 2024·6 min read

Extreme Political Views Drive Higher Belief in Misinformation

A 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.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 23, 2024·5 min read

Researchers Use Game of Thrones to Study Face Blindness

Researchers 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.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 15, 2024·5 min read

Adolescent Boys Show Aggression When Masculinity is Threatened

A 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.

This shows a brain surrounded by old objects.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 26, 2024·5 min read

Discovery of Memory “Glue” Explains Lifelong Recall

A 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.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 8, 2024·5 min read

Key Protein Essential for Smell and Survival Identified

The 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.

This shows a woman looking at a model of a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 7, 2024·4 min read

Brains’ Decision-Making Mechanism Revealed

A 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.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·May 28, 2024·5 min read

How the Brain Distinguishes Music from Speech

A 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.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 30, 2024·4 min read

The Power of Music on Cognitive Arousal

A 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.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·February 1, 2024·6 min read

AI Learns Language Like a Child

Researchers 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.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 29, 2024·4 min read

Ancient Skulls Unveil Secrets of Human Bipedalism

A 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.