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
A fully synthetic scaffold grows brain-like tissue without animal coatings
UC Riverside researchers report a fully synthetic scaffold that grows functional brain-like tissue without animal-derived materials or added biological coatings.
Long COVID brain fog linked to higher AMPA receptors in the brain
Long COVID brain fog linked to higher AMPA receptors on PET scans; new study points to a biological marker and possible AMPAR-targeted treatments.
Scientists study near death events, but proof of life after death is still missing
Near death reports now meet modern tools in hospitals. We see short windows of organized brain activity while the heart is stopped, and we see rare moments of mental clarity before death. These observations keep the debate open, but they do not prove life after death.
AI enables first recorded 20-minute interactive exchange between humans and a humpback whale
An artificial intelligence system has enabled humans to engage in a 20-minute interactive exchange with a humpback whale, marking a…
Normalizing GRIK4 gene dosage reverses anxiety by rebalancing amygdala neurons
Researchers identified regular-firing neurons in the centrolateral amygdala that drive anxiety behaviors. Normalizing GRIK4 gene dosage in basolateral amygdala pyramidal cells reversed anxiety, depression, and social deficits in mice overexpressing the gene, suggesting a targeted treatment approach for anxiety disorders.
Neurons employ multiple learning rules simultaneously
Brain learning involves multiple simultaneous synaptic rules, challenging traditional models New research reveals that the brain does not use a…