Nervous System | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/nervous-system/RSS feed for Nervous SystemenTue, 17 Mar 2026 15:36:33 +0000This Genetic Mutation Helps Yaks Survive at High Elevations. It Could Lead to Treatments for Nerve Damage in Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-genetic-mutation-helps-yaks-survive-at-high-eelavtions-it-could-lead-to-treatments-for-nerve-damage-in-humans-180988356/Animals that dwell at high altitudes have adapted to cope with low oxygen levels, a condition that damages a vital part of nerve cellsTue, 17 Mar 2026 15:36:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-genetic-mutation-helps-yaks-survive-at-high-eelavtions-it-could-lead-to-treatments-for-nerve-damage-in-humans-180988356/Even Though They Don't Have Brains to Rest, Jellyfish and Sea Anemones Sleep Like Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/even-though-they-dont-have-brains-jellyfish-and-sea-anemones-sleep-like-humans-180987966/Sleep may have evolved to help reduce DNA damage in nerve cells long before they became centralized in the brain, a study suggestsThu, 08 Jan 2026 14:27:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/even-though-they-dont-have-brains-jellyfish-and-sea-anemones-sleep-like-humans-180987966/This Invasive Vampire Fish Is Helping Researchers Understand the Human Nervous System in Jaw-Dropping Wayshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-invasive-vampire-fish-is-helping-researchers-understand-the-human-nervous-system-in-jaw-dropping-ways-180987356/The sea lamprey looks like it’s from another planet, but this ancient creature has a surprising amount in common with humansFri, 26 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-invasive-vampire-fish-is-helping-researchers-understand-the-human-nervous-system-in-jaw-dropping-ways-180987356/Our Teeth May Descend From Sensitive Bumps on Prehistoric Fish Armor, New Research Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-teeth-may-descend-from-sensitive-bumps-on-prehistoric-fish-armor-new-research-finds-180986675/Hundreds of millions of years ago, fish had sensory features on their exoskeletons that contained dentine, the material that makes our teeth sensitive todayFri, 23 May 2025 17:59:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-teeth-may-descend-from-sensitive-bumps-on-prehistoric-fish-armor-new-research-finds-180986675/Fish Have a Brain Microbiome. Could Humans Have One Too?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-have-a-brain-microbiome-could-humans-have-one-too-180985591/The discovery that other vertebrates have healthy microbial brains is fueling questions about our own brainsTue, 10 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-have-a-brain-microbiome-could-humans-have-one-too-180985591/These Frankenstein-Like Sea Creatures Can Actually Fuse Their Bodies Togetherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-frankenstein-like-sea-creatures-can-actually-fuse-their-bodies-together-180985218/Two comb jellies can merge their digestive and nervous systems and even sync their bodily functions, according to new research. The discovery could have implications for human medicineThu, 17 Oct 2024 15:16:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-frankenstein-like-sea-creatures-can-actually-fuse-their-bodies-together-180985218/Everything You Wanted to Know About the Longest Nerve in the Bodyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-longest-nerve-in-the-body-vagus-180985045/Like a highway system, the vagus nerve branches profusely from your brain through your organs to marshal bodily functions, including aspects of the mind such as mood, pleasure and fearFri, 13 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-longest-nerve-in-the-body-vagus-180985045/New Hampshire Resident Dies From Rare but Serious Mosquito-Borne Illnesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-hampshire-resident-dies-from-rare-but-serious-mosquito-borne-illness-180984984/It's one of four cases of Eastern equine encephalitis reported in the U.S. so far this year—and the state's first since 2014Wed, 28 Aug 2024 19:20:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-hampshire-resident-dies-from-rare-but-serious-mosquito-borne-illness-180984984/Eerie Lampreys Hint at the Origins of Our 'Fight-or-Flight' Response and Sympathetic Nervous Systemhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/eerie-lampreys-hint-at-the-origins-of-our-fight-or-flight-response-and-sympathetic-nervous-system-180984325/The jawless, parasitic fish largely haven't changed over the last 340 million years, but they might be better sources for studying our own evolution than thought, a recent study suggestsThu, 30 May 2024 17:52:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/eerie-lampreys-hint-at-the-origins-of-our-fight-or-flight-response-and-sympathetic-nervous-system-180984325/The Dirty Secret About How Our Hands Spread Diseasehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-dirty-secrets-about-our-hands-role-in-disease-transmission-180983919/The human hand is an incredible tool—and a deadly threatTue, 12 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-dirty-secrets-about-our-hands-role-in-disease-transmission-180983919/