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Brain

Researchers show a mouse an image of cat while recording neuron activity in its visual cortex

New Research

Mice Watching “Touch of Evil” Teach Scientists About the Mind’s Eye

By tracking mice neurons, scientists hope to understand consciousness

Ducks: We rule the world.

Defying Stereotypes, Ducklings Are as Clever as They Are Cute

Newborn ducks understand abstract concepts such as sameness and difference with no training whatsoever

fMRI changed the way researchers look at the human brain.

New Research

New Study Calls the Reliability of Brain Scan Research Into Question

Three million analyses point to a problem with fMRI brain activity studies

Are these cylinders round or square?

Cool Finds

Check Out the Best Illusions of 2016

Baffle your brain with these contest-winning mind-benders

New Research

What Happens in the Brain When Music Causes Chills?

The brains of people who get chills when the right song comes on are wired differently than others

New Research

This Tropical Fish Can Be Taught to Recognize Human Faces

New study trained fish to spit at human faces

Using Virtual Reality To Walk in the Shoes of Someone With Alzheimer’s

A British nonprofit has launched an app that simulates life with the neurodegenerative disease

Poverty doesn't just affect a child's chances for the future—it appears to change poor kids' very DNA.

New Research

Poverty Linked to DNA Changes That Could Lead to Mental Illness

Could a better understanding of the biomarkers of lower socieconomic status help raise kids out of poverty?

How sleepy you are may depend on a number of factors, including age and where in the world you live.

Smartphone Study Uncovers Why So Much of the World is Short on Sleep

Age, gender and nationality impact how much we sleep, and social pressures rob many of needed rest

10 Things Science Says About Being a Mom in 2016

For one, a nurturing mother can help her child’s brain grow

How do we measure a bird's IQ?

Describing Someone as “Birdbrained” Is Misguided, Unless You’re Talking About Emus

A new book about birds explores how birds think

New Research

Scientists Use “The Moth Radio Hour” to Create Brain Atlas

Using a functional MRI, scientists created a visual dictionary to show how areas of the brain process language

Playtime with baby can help expand a child’s attention span, a new study shows.

Infants Learn to Pay Attention (or Not) From Watching Mom and Dad

Parents who focus on play may help babies develop critical skills that predict future success

Groggy after a night in a strange place? A night watchman in your brain may be to blame.

You Can’t Sleep While Traveling Because Your Brain Acts Like a Dolphin’s

On the first night in a new place, half your brain stays awake to watch out for danger

How to Plug In Your Brain

If neuroscientists are right, you’ll soon be able to sharpen your focus and boost your memory by recharging your brain—with electricity

New Research

Do Insects Have Consciousness and Ego?

The brains of insects are similar to a structure in human brains, which could show a rudimentary form of consciousness

Halo says its headphones can strengthen muscle memory.

Can Headphones That Shock Your Brain Help You Run Faster and Jump Higher?

They’re called Halo Sport, and they send electrical charges into the brain that their inventors say can boost athletic performance

Scientists keep finding new ways the brain can be deceived.

A New Way to Trick the Brain and Beat Jet Lag

For all its complexity, the human brain is not hard to deceive. Here are four studies where scientists have learned more about duping it

Brainstorming new helmet innovation.

Smart Startup

Can This New Football Helmet Prevent Head Injuries?

The team behind the Zero1, a new four-layer helmet design, hopes so

New Research

Infants Can See Things That Adults Cannot

Over time, our brains start filtering out details deemed unimportant

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