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 five-second pause: A simple strategy to prevent relationship conflicts
Recent psychological research demonstrates that taking just a five-second pause during tense moments in a relationship can significantly reduce aggression…
Our sense of now is a best guess the brain builds from the recent past
Our experience of the present is not a direct readout of the world. Signals from the eyes and other senses…
Bilingual brains show structural changes, and multilingual teams may innovate more
Research in brain imaging links bilingual experience to changes in brain structure. Studies using MRI report denser grey matter in…
AI unveils how the brain predicts thoughts and processes information
Researchers at FAU have used AI to analyze brain activity, uncovering that spontaneous brain signals (local field potentials) help predict…
Sleeping before a decision helps people avoid first impression bias
A series of Duke University experiments shows that quick choices lean heavily on first impressions, while choices made after a…
videoEnhance brain health: strategies to slow brain aging and boost cognitive health
the molecular and lifestyle interventions to slow cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s. Key points include the importance of longevity…
Level 3
AI enables first recorded 20-minute interactive exchange between humans and a humpback whale
An AI-driven study enabled a 20-minute conversation with a humpback whale named Twain. Scientists used call playback to test interspecies communication.
Match your hardest work to your body clock to think better
Most people have a clear internal daily rhythm, called a circadian rhythm, that sets natural peaks and dips in alertness.…
Genes may explain why some people go vegetarian
A large genome-wide association study suggests that the choice to follow a strictly vegetarian diet is influenced not only by…
Japanese teams show MRI can decode simple dream content
For years, headlines said that Japanese scientists built an MRI dream machine. The research is real, but the claim is…
Your brain automatically sorts people into “us” and “them”, but deliberate contact can override it
Our brains come with an ancient, automatic setting that divides the world into insiders and outsiders. Within milliseconds of seeing…
Scientists slow aging in mice by restoring a brain protein called “menin” that declines with age
Scientists have pinpointed a single protein in the ventromedial hypothalamus, menin, that appears to act as a brake on the…