brain

A hippocampal neuron seen in culture. Dendrites are green, dendritic spines are red and DNA is blue.

Sorry, Adults, No New Neurons For Your Aging Brains

6:15pm March 07, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

The brains of birds and mice continue to produce new nerve cells in the hippocampus throughout life. But research now suggests the human brain stops doing this around adolescence.

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A study in mice suggests that our brains tell us when to start and stop drinking long before our bodies are fully hydrated.

Still Thirsty? It's Up To Your Brain, Not Your Body

4:33pm February 28, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Thirst is what compels us to start hydrating. Now scientists have found a brain circuit in mice that seems to switch off thirst when they've taken in enough fluid and before it gets dangerous.

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A promotional still from Skunk Bear's newest episode "A Neuroscience Love Song."

Your Besotted Brain: A Neuroscience Love Song

12:47pm February 13, 2018

A Valentine's music video from Skunk Bear explores the ways your brain and body change when you fall in love — and change again as love deepens and matures.

Health & Safety

A Tiny Pulse Of Electricity Can Help The Brain Form Lasting Memories

5:22pm February 06, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Technology that uses electrical stimulation to tweak the brain may eventually help people with memory problems caused by a brain injury or Alzheimer's disease.

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Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A five-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

Eating Leafy Greens Each Day Tied to Sharper Memory, Slower Decline

12:07pm February 05, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

Scientists are keen to figure out how diet influences aging, including brain health. A 5-year study of healthy seniors found those who ate a serving or two of daily greens had less cognitive decline.

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I guess it's too late to change my mind.

Why Your Brain Has Trouble Bailing Out Of A Bad Plan

4:40pm December 07, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

Researchers say it takes a lot of brainpower to stop an action, once it's underway. A study found that when people have to change a planned movement, 11 different brain areas have to get involved.

Thoughts, feelings and their connection to the mind, body and science remain as mysterious as they were in Victorian times, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Science

Science And The Mystery Of The Mind

2:26pm November 29, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

We are still as ignorant about the "passage from the physics of the brain to the corresponding facts of consciousness" as John Tyndall and his Victorian colleagues were, says Marcelo Gleiser.

A chimpanzee skull, at left, and a human skull. Scientists are probing why our brains evolved so differently despite many similarities.

Human Brains Have Evolved Unique 'Feel-Good' Circuits

2:01pm November 23, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

A comparison of brain tissue from monkeys, chimps and humans suggests that our brains produce the chemical messenger dopamine, which plays a major role in pleasure and rewards, far differently.

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.

Pedestrians walk on a flooded street on Sept. 11 as tropical storm Irma hits Charleston, S.C.

Simulating The Bodily Pain Of Future Climate Change

9:03am September 23, 2017

by Lisa Feldman Barrett

People can't simulate realistic, internal sensations, like temperature change or pain — which is a reason why more people aren't terrified by climate change, says guest blogger Lisa Feldman Barrett.