Neuroscience
People Love the Brain for the Wrong Reasons
Our fascination with brain-based explanations of psychology arises from intuitive ideas about the separation of mind and body—ideas unsupported by science
Neuroscience2892 articles archived since 1845
Neuroscience
How Brains Seamlessly Switch between Languages
Bilingual people engage the same brain region that monolingual individuals use to put together words—even when combining different languages
Neuroscience
Cannabis Use in Pregnancy Is Linked to Child Anxiety, Hyperactivity
Changes in the activity of immune system genes in the placenta could explain the association, researchers speculate
Memory
How Certain Gestures Help You Learn New Words
Researchers used headsets that release disruptive magnetic pulses to study how motor brain areas contribute to the effect
Neuroscience
The Brain Has a Special Kind of Memory for Past Infections
This form of recall may control immune responses beyond the central nervous system
Computing
Should Big Tech’s Plan for a Metaverse Scare Us?
Tech companies seek to create far more immersive digital environments, possibly mediated by brain implants
Neuroscience
What Chili Peppers Can Teach Us about Pain
U.C. San Francisco researcher and Breakthrough Prize–winner David Julius talks about capsaicin, opioids and snake vision
Neuroscience
A Car Crash Snaps the Daydreaming Mind into Focus
One researcher’s poorly timed attention lapse flipped a car—and pushed science forward.
Neuroscience
Inspired by Chronic Illness, She Made Award-Winning Art about the Brain
Scientific American presents the winner and honorable mentions of the 11th annual Art of Neuroscience contest
Neurology
Stuttering Stems from Problems in Brain Wiring, Not Personalities
Poor neural connections among areas that control movement and speech may be responsible and could be driven by genes
Neuroscience
A New Idea That Could Help Us Understand Autism
Some of the condition’s most challenging traits might be explained by deficits in predictive skills
Neuroscience
New Brain Implant Transmits Full Words from Neural Signals
No spelling out of letters is needed for a paralyzed person to use the first-of-a-kind neuroprosthesis
Neuroscience
The Neuroscience of Taking Turns in a Conversation
Research in birds suggests that when one partner speaks, the other partner’s brain is inhibited from talking over them
Neuroscience
Electrodes That Stimulate the Brain Reveal the Roots of Conscious Experience
Applying electric currents reveals the function of varying brain regions and helps to alleviate neurological disorders
Neuroscience
Injection of Light-Sensitive Proteins Restores Blind Man’s Vision
The first successful clinical test of optogenetics lets a person see for the first time in decades, with help from image-enhancing goggles
Cognition
Our Memory Is Even Better Than Experts Thought
In some respects, memory is poor. In others, it is astonishingly good
Neuroscience
Autism and the Social Mind
Social-cognitive neuroscience offers insights into the early course of brain development and its connections to autism spectrum disorder
Neuroscience
New Brain Implant Turns Visualized Letters into Text
The technology lets people with paralysis perform thought dictation at rates approaching the thumb speeds of texters
Behavior
Adolescent Brains Are Wired to Want Status and Respect: That’s an Opportunity for Teachers and Parents
Advances in neuroscience and psychology could lead to real-world benefits in education and mental health
Neuroscience
Forecast or Remember: The Brain Must Choose One
Trying to predict a situation impedes memory formation
