What's up in

Brains

Latest Articles

The Brain Uses Calculus to Control Fast Movements

November 28, 2022

Researchers discover that to sharpen its control over precision maneuvers, the brain uses comparisons between control signals — not the signals themselves.

New Chip Expands the Possibilities for AI

November 10, 2022

An energy-efficient chip called NeuRRAM fixes an old design flaw to run large-scale AI algorithms on smaller devices, reaching the same accuracy as wasteful digital computers.

Q&A

Human Brains Are Hard to Study. He Grows Useful Substitutes.

October 12, 2022

With stem cell technology and lab-grown brain organoids, Sergiu Paşca seeks the causes of autism and other neuropsychiatric conditions.

Lab-Grown Human Cells Form Working Circuits in Rat Brains

October 12, 2022

Letting human brain organoids grow in animal brains could be an ethical new option for experimental studies of neurological disorders.

A Good Memory or a Bad One? One Brain Molecule Decides.

September 7, 2022

When the brain encodes memories as positive or negative, one molecule determines which way they will go.

Why and How Do We Dream?

August 24, 2022

Dreams are subjective, but there are ways to peer into the minds of people while they are dreaming. Steven Strogatz speaks with sleep researcher Antonio Zadra about how new experimental methods have changed our understanding of dreams.

Neuronal Scaffolding Plays Unexpected Role in Pain

July 28, 2022

Perineuronal nets, rigid structures that hold certain neurons in place, affect a surprising amount of brain activity, including some associated with chronic pain.

The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses

June 14, 2022

Neuroscientists uncovered an energy-saving mode in vision-system neurons that works at the cost of being able to see fine-grained details.

Brain Chemical Helps Signal to Neurons When to Start a Movement

March 22, 2022

Dopamine, a neurochemical often associated with reward behavior, also seems to help organize precisely when the brain initiates movements. It’s the latest revelation about the power of neuromodulators.

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox