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…
Psychological abuse leaves real trauma effects
Psychological abuse and coercive control are linked to PTSD, depression, and measurable trauma-related brain changes. The evidence is strong, but it does not show identical or permanent damage in every survivor.
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
Teen brain shifts toward new voices around age 13
A Stanford fMRI study suggests the teen brain becomes less uniquely tuned to a mother's voice and more responsive to unfamiliar voices around age 13. The finding fits normal social development, but it does not prove that teenagers stop listening to parents.
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.
Oxytocin social bonding: vole study shows how love and loss change the brain
A review of oxytocin social bonding in prairie voles shows the hormone helps form pair bonds and that social loss disrupts oxytocin, causing depression.
Level 3
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…
Clearing a protein buildup in the brain extended fly lifespan by 30%
A UCLA study found that preventing F-actin accumulation in the brain restores autophagy and extends fruit fly lifespan by 30%, offering new anti-aging hope.
Startup says two people sent a word to each other while dreaming
A California startup reports that two lucid dreamers exchanged a simple message while asleep. According to the announcement, sensors confirmed…
Scientists map every neuron and connection in an adult fly brain
Researchers have produced the first complete wiring diagram of an adult animal brain, a female fruit fly brain, showing how…