The Forgotten Childhood: Why Early Memories Fade
Childhood amnesia descends gradually — and later than you might think, researchers say. Many 7-year-olds have robust memories of experiences from when they were 3 or even younger.
Brain Candy
From Aztecs To Oscars: Popcorn's Beautiful, Explosive Journey
Long before it fueled moviegoers, popcorn helped lay the foundation for the Aztec empire. In our video, we look at popcorn under a microscope, where the rock-hard kernel's fluffy secret is revealed.
What's Creepy, Crawly And A Champion Of Neuroscience?
The new RoboRoach project allows users to influence the movements of cockroaches with a smartphone. Greg Gage of Backyard Brains says it's not brain control but more like the bridle of a horse. The RoboRoach just provides a sensation that makes the cockroach perceive an obstacle.
Living Gears Help This Bug Jump
Planthoppers are champion jumpers — launching themselves upward, hundreds of times their own height, in just a couple of milliseconds. They achieve this feat with the help of cog-like teeth on their legs — the first mechanical gear system ever found in nature.
How To Fight Racial Bias When It's Silent And Subtle
New research suggests that racial disparities and other biased outcomes in medicine, the criminal justice system, and other areas, can be explained by unconscious attitudes and stereotypes. But how do we get rid of subtle racial biases?
Decoding 'the Most Complex Object in the Universe'
The human brain contains some 100 billion neurons, which together form a network of Internet-like complexity. Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, calls the brain "the most complex object in the known universe," and he's mapping its connections in hopes of discovering the origins of consciousness.
The Patient Who Let Us Peek Inside A Brain In 'Present Tense'
For nearly 50 years, neuroscientist Suzanne Corkin worked with Henry Molaison, who lost most of his memory in 1953 after experimental surgery for severe seizures. Their work together taught us much of what we know today about memory, and she writes about Molaison and their work in her new book.
Girl Scout Troops Look To Sell Real Estate
Citing lower attendance and increased maintenance costs, Girl Scout groups across the country say their camps have cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars. The proposed closures have outraged many Scouts and troop leaders, who say the camps are a central part of the Scouting experience.
Criminologist Believes Violent Behavior Is Biological
In a new book, The Anatomy of Violence, Adrian Raine argues that violent behavior has a biological basis just like depression or schizophrenia. This raises questions about treatment, accountability and punishment, including the death penalty.
Searching For The Roots of 'Right' And 'Wrong'
In The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates, primatologist Frans de Waal explores traits like empathy and fairness in our closest relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, and argues that human morality is not the product of rational thought or religion, but evolved long ago.