Neuroscience

Gert-Jan Oskam was paralyzed in a biking accident in 2011. After rehab with an implant, he's been able to walk more than 330 feet at a time and climb stairs.

Paralyzed Man Walks Again With Brain and Spinal Cord Implants

The experimental technology translates the patient's thoughts into voluntary movements

By recording activity of specific neurons in the brain, researchers aim to pick up signals of intended speech.

The Brain-Computer Interfaces That Could Give Locked-In Patients a Voice

Implanted devices record the brain waves associated with speech and then use computer algorithms to translate the intended messages

Brazilian reef octopuses, like other types of cephalopods, defend themselves against predators by inking and extending their mantles. 

Octopuses May Have Vivid Nightmares, Video Suggests

Costello, a male Brazilian reef octopus, had "bizarre" defensive outbursts while sleeping in a lab

This X-ray of a study participant shows recording electrodes placed in the brain in red, as well as two controllers implanted in the shoulders.

Scientists Decode Brain Waves Linked to Chronic Pain

A new way to objectively measure chronic pain could lead to new treatments for the common condition that can be debilitating

An MRI of the brain of a person with Alzheimer's not connected to the new study.

A Man's Rare Genetic Mutation May Have Prevented Alzheimer's for Decades

Scientists hope the findings could lead to treatments for the memory-destroying disease

By reading brain waves, researchers found support for the idea that dying people may see their life flashing before their eyes or have out-of-body experiences.

Surging Brain Activity in Dying People May Be a Sign of Near-Death Experiences

Researchers found that two of four comatose patients had brain waves that resembled consciousness after they were taken off life support

A spinning 3D view of one person's cerebral cortex. Pink indicates above average activity and blue shows below average activity.

Researchers Use A.I. to Decode Words From Brain Scans

A new tool translates "something deeper than language," generating text that captures the gist of podcasts or silent films viewed by participants

New mental health treatments employ psychedelics and virtual reality.

The Future of Mental Health

The Future of Mental Health

A renewed focus on our brain's ability to cope with trauma sparks a special series of stories about the latest advancements in treatments of mental illness

A medical illustration of the right half of a human brain from 1876.

Scientists Update Map of How Our Brains Control Movement

The traditional diagram showed brain regions linked to specific body parts, but we might also have areas connected to whole-body control

Zebrafish experience what's known as "emotional contagion" and react when their peers are afraid.

Fish May Sense Each Other's Fear

Zebrafish respond when their peers act afraid, an ability regulated by the same hormone that drives human empathy, a new study shows

A fruit fly sits on a grape. Adult fruit flies are typically only a few millimeters long.

See the First Complete Map of an Insect's Brain

Over 12 years, scientists charted more than 3,000 neurons and the nearly 550,000 connections between them in a larval fruit fly

The strategy an animal uses to track a scent depends upon a number of factors, including the animal’s body shape and the amount of turbulence in the odor plume.

Scientists Are Trying to Figure Out How Animals Follow a Scent to Its Source

Uncovering the varied strategies that animals employ could help engineers develop robots that accomplish similar tasks

The top row shows the actual images participants looked at, while the bottom row shows an A.I. recreation of each image based on the participant's brain scans.

This A.I. Used Brain Scans to Recreate Images People Saw

The technology, which was tested with four people, is still in its infancy but could one day help people communicate or decode dreams, researchers say

A just-hatched chick stands next to its egg.

Why Newborn Chicks Love Objects That Defy Gravity

A clever new study shows the cute critters will often scuttle toward a video of a rising ball

Researchers are studying psilocybin therapy to treat conditions like alcohol addiction and major depressive disorder.

Adults Can Now Use Magic Mushrooms With Supervision in Oregon

State-certified facilitators will guide patients in hallucinogenic trips, which may help treat mental health conditions

An impala runs away from a cheetah.

How the Brain Calculates a Quick Escape

Scientists are beginning to unravel the complex circuitry behind the split-second decision to beat a hasty retreat

A growing movement is underway to halt chronic disease by protecting brains and bodies from the biological fallout of aging.

Could Getting Rid of Old Cells Help People Live Disease-Free for Longer?

Researchers are investigating medicines that selectively kill decrepit cells to promote healthy aging

This year’s picks include Fresh Banana Leaves, Origin and Starry Messenger.

The Best Books of 2022

The Ten Best Science Books of 2022

From a detective story on the origins of Covid-19 to a narrative that imagines a fateful day for dinosaurs, these works affected us the most this year

Elon Musk at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida

Elon Musk Wants to Test Brain Implants in People

The device, which would sit in the skull, has not received regulatory approval for use in humans

A brain scan of a person with Alzheimer's disease

Second Death Tied to Experimental Alzheimer’s Treatment

While the new drug is seen as a breakthrough, these deaths highlight a possible risk to patients on blood thinners, experts say

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