FeaturedNeuroscience·May 8, 2024·8 min readSleep Enhances Memory with Less EnergyResearchers discovered a new mechanism in the brain that enhances memory formation while reducing energy consumption during sleep. The study finds that this process occurs in the entorhinal cortex, a key area for learning and memory and the initial site of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 4, 2024·6 min readLoneliness, Food Cravings, and the BrainA new study reveals the link between loneliness, cravings for high-calorie foods, and unhealthy eating behaviors in women, highlighting a significant brain activity pattern associated with social isolation. The research found that women feeling lonely show increased brain activation in areas related to cravings when exposed to images of sugary foods, alongside decreased self-control towards eating.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 19, 2024·5 min readBrain’s Food-Seeking Circuit Overrides Hunger SignalsResearchers identified a brain circuit in mice that drives them to seek food even when not hungry, focusing on a specific group of cells in the brainstem's periaqueductal gray (PAG) area. This discovery highlights how stimulating these cells causes mice to prefer high-calorie foods and engage in food-seeking behaviors, regardless of hunger.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·March 4, 2024·4 min readAstrocytes Play Critical Role in Regulating BehaviorResearchers made a groundbreaking discovery in identifying a unique group of astrocytes, located in the brain's central striatum, that play a crucial role in regulating behaviors linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. This distinct subset of astrocytes expresses the gene Crym, coding for μ-crystallin, a protein associated with various human diseases.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·February 13, 2024·4 min readChildhood Bullying Increases Mental Health Risk in TeensChildhood bullying can lead to significant distrust in others among young teenagers, greatly increasing their risk of serious mental health problems by adulthood. Analyzing data from 10,000 UK children over nearly two decades, the research found that those bullied at age 11 and developing interpersonal distrust by age 14 were 3.5 times more likely to face mental health issues at 17.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 21, 2023·6 min readMusic’s Emotional Rollercoaster Enhances Memory FormationResearchers reveal how fluctuating emotions elicited by music help shape distinct and durable memories. Using music to manipulate volunteers' emotions during tasks, they found that emotional shifts create boundaries between memories, making them easier to recall.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·November 15, 2023·5 min readNanowire Network Mimics Brain, Learns Handwriting with 93.4% AccuracyResearchers developed an experimental computing system, resembling a biological brain, that successfully identified handwritten numbers with a 93.4% accuracy rate. This breakthrough was achieved using a novel training algorithm providing continuous real-time feedback, outperforming traditional batch data processing methods which yielded 91.4% accuracy.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 31, 2023·7 min readMapping Time and Space: Neurons Decode Human Existence DimensionsResearchers unveil how neurons in the brain depict time and space, fundamental to human consciousness. Utilizing special depth electrodes, they studied patients undergoing treatment for epilepsy, revealing "place cells" for spatial awareness and "time cells" for temporal comprehension.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 26, 2023·4 min readYoung Viewers Desire More Platonic Bonds on ScreenA new report reveals that adolescents and young adults want fewer romantic and sexual storylines in media, with a focus on friendships and platonic ties. About 44.3% feel romance is overrepresented, while 47.5% believe sex scenes are often superfluous.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 15, 2023·5 min readNeighborhood Woes: How Living Conditions Impact Brain Structure and DietLiving in disadvantaged neighborhoods not only influences food choices and weight gain but can also alter the brain's microstructure. Researchers found that poor food quality, high-calorie intake, and inactive environments common in such areas disrupt brain regions crucial for emotion, cognition, and reward processing.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychologyVisual Neuroscience·September 6, 2023·4 min readJersey Numbers and Perception: How Numbers Impact Our View of Athlete PhysiqueA new study confirms that football wide receivers wearing jersey numbers between 10 and 19 are perceived as slimmer than those wearing 80-89, even with identical body sizes. This phenomenon suggests our brains use statistical associations between numbers and sizes to determine body size perception.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 31, 2023·6 min readAI vs Human Reasoning: GPT-3 Matches College UndergraduatesIn an eye-opening study, researcher revealed GPT-3, a popular artificial intelligence language model, performs comparably to college undergraduates in solving reasoning problems that typically appear on intelligence tests and SATs. However, the study's authors question if GPT-3 is merely mimicking human reasoning due to its training dataset, or if it's utilizing a novel cognitive process.Read More