Neuroscience
Insights into the biological foundations of consciousness and the human experience.
Level 1
Virtual avatars rewire body perception and ease trauma through brain plasticity
When people use virtual reality (VR) to embody avatars, such as taller, younger, or more muscular versions of themselves, their…
We create a false self in early life to meet external expectations and cope with childhood experiences – James Hollis
James Hollis explores the psychological and spiritual upheaval of midlife as a necessary and meaningful rite of passage. Drawing from…
Learning a second language early strengthens brain connections and efficiency
Learning a second language is linked to a more efficient brain network. A research team reports that people who speak…
Learning multiple new skills can produce test scores comparable to adults 30 years younger
Older adults who learn multiple new skills simultaneously can achieve cognitive performance similar to adults 30 years younger. A UC Riverside study found that 3 months of intensive learning improved memory, attention, and cognitive control, with gains maintained up to one year later.
Level 2
The best way to quiet your mind: reduce multitasking
Multitasking creates cognitive fatigue and reduces focus. Research shows task switching incurs measurable costs, and phone interruptions fragment attention. Reducing multitasking and creating distance from devices helps quiet the mind and improve concentration.
Exploring more new places is linked to higher happiness
Most people cycle through a small set of familiar places. Research in human mobility suggests that, at any given time,…
Why you suddenly spot something everywhere once it matters to you
The “frequency illusion”, also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon The frequency illusion, also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, occurs when something…
Benefits of forgetting: why memory sometimes lets go
Benefits of forgetting help the brain stay flexible. Learn how adaptive forgetting updates memories, protects focus, and why not every lapse is a loss.
Use your name, not I, to quiet your mind
When worry loops take over, it becomes harder to see problems clearly. A simple language shift can help. This method…
Sleep deprivation makes you angrier by disrupting brain control
New research confirms sleep deprivation triggers anger by disrupting the brain's ability to regulate emotions via the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
Level 3
Childhood trauma linked to smaller hippocampus after romantic breakups
A new study links romantic breakups to smaller hippocampal brain volume in adults with childhood trauma, showing how early adversity heightens stress sensitivity.
Gamified app helps reduce depression by breaking ruminative thought loops
A new gamified app reduces depression by speeding up thought progression and breaking ruminative loops, a clinical trial finds.
The self might be an illusion or a quantum process, say experts
Sam Harris and Roger Penrose debate if the self is real. Harris calls it an illusion, while Penrose looks to quantum physics and split brains.
Scientists reprogram astroglia into neurons to potentially treat epilepsy and repair brain circuits
Scientists successfully reprogrammed astroglia into fast-spiking neurons using a modified protein. This could help treat epilepsy by repairing brain circuits. Suggested slug: reprogramming-astroglia-into-neurons-epilepsy
Astrocytes act as essential partners to neurons for storing and recalling memories
Astrocytes, star-shaped brain cells, work with neurons to store and recall memories via the NFIA gene, a study finds, changing how we view memory loss.
Researcher maps the full spectrum of consciousness theories
Neurophysiologist Robert Lawrence Kuhn, best known as the creator of the PBS series Closer to Truth, has published a book-length…