Brain | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/brain/RSS feed for BrainenMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:03 +0000Fish and Humans Share Surprisingly Similar Sleep Habits, Including Daytime Napshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/A recent study suggests that zebrafish have four sleep substates, just like humans do—and one of them is akin to an afternoon snoozeMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/Is Your Dog Right-Pawed or Left-Pawed? Here's How to Figure It Out, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-your-dog-right-pawed-or-left-pawed-heres-how-to-figure-it-out-according-to-a-new-study-180988941/Researchers devised a series of tests to measure your furry friend's laterality, which can be associated with behavior, emotion and cognitionFri, 12 Jun 2026 19:23:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-your-dog-right-pawed-or-left-pawed-heres-how-to-figure-it-out-according-to-a-new-study-180988941/Researchers Accidentally Discover That Humans Prefer to Turn Counterclockwise. But They Still Have No Idea Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/The effect transcends factors like culture, gender and handedness, causing the scientists, who were initially studying social distancing behavior, to scratch their headsFri, 12 Jun 2026 16:30:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/'Stupid Hot': Heat Waves Muddle the Minds of Animals and Humans as Confusion and Aggression Seem to Rise With the Temperaturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/Wide-ranging research suggests that as temperatures increase, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The findings hint at consequences that may ripple through ecosystemsFri, 05 Jun 2026 17:52:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/This Playful Interactive Reveals the Medical Advances That Have Made Life Better … and Sometimes Longerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-playful-interactive-reveals-the-medical-advances-that-have-made-life-better-and-sometimes-longer-180988867/From replacing lost limbs to helping a heart find its rhythm, the work of American doctors and researchers has improved lives in incalculable waysFri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-playful-interactive-reveals-the-medical-advances-that-have-made-life-better-and-sometimes-longer-180988867/Happy, an Asian Elephant Who Demonstrated That Her Species Might Be Self-Aware, Dies at 55 at the Bronx Zoohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-an-asian-elephant-who-demonstrated-that-her-species-might-be-self-aware-dies-at-55-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988861/In research reported about 20 years ago, Happy appeared to recognize herself in a mirror. She was later the subject of a failed lawsuit claiming that elephants should have certain fundamental human rightsFri, 29 May 2026 18:23:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-an-asian-elephant-who-demonstrated-that-her-species-might-be-self-aware-dies-at-55-at-the-bronx-zoo-180988861/Why Is Nearly Every Person Right-Handed—but Not Every Ape and Monkey? New Research Explores the Evolutionary Origins of Human Handednesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-nearly-every-person-right-handed-but-not-every-ape-and-monkey-new-research-explores-the-evolutionary-origins-of-human-handedness-180988776/Brain size and bipedalism are the most likely drivers of our species’ right-hand dominance, according to new researchThu, 21 May 2026 16:28:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-nearly-every-person-right-handed-but-not-every-ape-and-monkey-new-research-explores-the-evolutionary-origins-of-human-handedness-180988776/