amygdala

Patients awaiting epilepsy surgery agreed to keep a running log of their mood while researchers used tiny wires to monitor electrical activity in their brains. The combination revealed a circuit for sadness.

Science
Health & Safety

Researchers Uncover A Circuit For Sadness In The Human Brain

11:21pm November 08, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

When people are feeling glum, it often means that brain areas involved in emotion and memory are communicating. Researchers have now observed the circuit in action in humans.

Queue Listen Now

The amygdala in the brain is larger in people who have altruistic tendencies, says guest blogger Abigail Marsh.

Science

What Drives Some People To Take Personal Risks To Help Strangers?

2:34pm October 10, 2017

by Abigail Marsh

Acts of altruism — like saving swimmers caught in a riptide from drowning or donating a kidney to a stranger — are among the thorniest puzzles of human nature, says guest blogger Abigail Marsh.