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Neuroscience

A new review emphasizes associations between reading engagement and benefits such as better cognitive performance.

From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here’s Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Science

Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What’s more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others’ perspectives

Using their new knowledge, the researchers became the first to successfully coax human stem cells into becoming hindbrain motor nerve cells.

Scientists Say the Human Brain Might Be Made of Two Distinct Nervous Systems That Got Squished Together

Two separate types of progenitor cells give rise to the front and back of the organ, according to a new study. The findings can help researchers study human diseases that affect the hindbrain, since its nerve cells have previously been difficult—if not impossible—to make in the lab

Researchers looked at changes in the volume of gray matter, which is made mostly of nerve cell bodies and located in the brain's wrinkly outer layer.

The Brain Shrinks as We Age and During Major Transitions. But Surprisingly, It Seems to Take a Break From Rewiring During Menopause

Puberty, pregnancy and menopause are the three major hormonal transitions for the female brain. Researchers already knew that during the first two, the organ fine-tunes itself in response to hormonal shifts, but they haven’t been sure about the third

A side view of a "xenocortical" mouse brain, with the grafted human tissue seen in green and red.

Scientists Created Mice With Half-Human Brains. The Hybrid Animals Could Revolutionize Our Understanding of Neurological Disorders

Our brains and their associated diseases are notoriously hard to study. So researchers developed an animal model with a cortex—the brain’s outer layer—grown from human-derived cells

Wiring diagram of an adult male fruit fly's central nervous system

This New Brain Map Shows Every Nerve Cell in an Adult Male Fruit Fly’s Central Nervous System. Here’s Why That Matters

The recently released “connectome” joins a previously completed map of an adult female fruit fly’s brain. The digital 3D diagrams allow scientists to trace precise neural paths in the bugs’ brains, which can unlock secrets about the organ in humans

Schizophrenia is difficult for psychiatrists to diagnose. Can artificial intelligence help do it better?

Could Artificial Intelligence Help With Early Diagnosis of Schizophrenia?

The tool may pick up subtle differences in the speech of people with the mental health condition better than human psychiatrists

The researchers trained pet dogs to sit still during an MRI scan.

Scientists Gave Dogs MRIs and Learned That They’re Surprisingly Good at Distinguishing Between Human Emotions, Even Some Negative Ones

A recent study found that man’s best friend processes positive and negative human emotions differently and can distinguish between fearful faces and those showing sadness or anger

Scientists have discovered more than 4,400 ancient preserved human brains, some of which are 12,000 years old.

Archaeologists Have Found Thousands of Intact Ancient Human Brains. Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out Why the Organs Don’t Always Rot

Under the right conditions—wet and oxygen-deprived—the same chemical reactions that cause tissue to break down can instead have the opposite effect, according to a new study

Past studies have suggested that what’s good for the heart may also help protect the brain. But researchers hoped to frame that connection in a different way—not just as reduced risk, but as time gained without dementia.

Avoiding These Three Vascular Health Risk Factors in Midlife Can Help You Delay Dementia for About 13 Years, Study Suggests

High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are three major modifiable risk factors of dementia. New research tracked more than 12,000 participants to quantify how many years of healthy cognitive function you can gain by evading some or all of them during middle age

The belly is one of the most ticklish body parts across analyzed cultures.

From Armpits to Feet, Our Ticklish Hot Spots Are Surprisingly Universal. The Finding Offers Clues About the Sensation’s Evolutionary Origins

A new study probes the basics of gargalesis, a poorly understood type of tickling caused by firm, repetitive touches that typically elicits laughter and squirming

The mushroom Psilocybe pelliculosa is one of several species that produce psilocybin, a natural compound with hallucinogenic properties.

Could Psilocybin Help Treat Anorexia? A Small Clinical Trial Suggests the Psychedelic May Make Patients More Open to Recovery

The drug, paired with intensive psychological support, may loosen the rigid patterns of thought associated with the eating disorder, scientists say—but they caution that it is not a magic cure

The new work contributes to a broader shift in bilingualism research, which is moving toward the view that grammar is supported by a shared, flexible brain mechanism that operates across all languages.

How Does a Bilingual Speaker’s Brain Process Two Languages? New Research Suggests That Both Rely on the Same Neural Wiring

Scientists have long wondered whether different neural mechanisms govern each language within a bilingual speaker’s brain. A recent study of people who speak both English and Spanish hints at a single “grammatical engine”

The drug targets the tau protein, which accumulates and forms tangles (seen in blue) in nerve cells.

Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug That Fights a Tough-to-Target Protein Shows Promise at Slowing Cognitive Decline in a Clinical Trial

Recently FDA-approved treatments work to clear clumps of the protein amyloid beta in the brain. A drug that instead goes after tangles of the protein tau can yield similar cognitive outcomes, a new study suggests

A pregnant naked mole-rat queen, on the left, and a worker, on the right, sniff each other.

Naked Mole-Rat Queens Emit a Special Scent to Stop Their Rivals From Reproducing, a New Study Suggests

The strange-looking creatures are one of two known mammals that use a social structure like that of bees and ants. A ruling rodent maintains power over her colony via one key chemical compound, according to new research

Keith Thomas is now able to grasp, lift and drink from a cup on his own. 

A Man With Paralysis Has Regained Feeling and Movement in His Hands After an Experimental Brain Implant

After months of training, the patient can now move his arms and hands and feel the sensation of touch

The researchers tracked eye and body movements of larval zebrafish.

Fish and Humans Share Surprisingly Similar Sleep Habits, Including Daytime Naps

A recent study suggests that zebrafish have four sleep substates, just like humans do—and one of them is akin to an afternoon snooze

A swan swims on the Scharmützelsee at sunrise on July 2, 2025, when temperatures in the nearby German cities of Berlin and Brandenberg were expected to hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

‘Stupid Hot’: Heat Waves Muddle the Minds of Animals and Humans as Confusion and Aggression Seem to Rise With the Temperature

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 ecosystems

The study focused on brain cell activity in a structure called the hippocampus, which is important for memory and learning.

Is the Unconscious Mind Aware of Its Surroundings? New Research Suggests Anesthetized Brains Can Process Overheard Words

Seven participants had electrodes temporarily implanted in a brain structure important for learning. While anesthetized, their nerve cells learned to differentiate between distinct sounds—and could even predict upcoming words in phrases

By studying brain waves, heart rate and shifts in neurotransmitters and hormones, researchers aim to quantify the experiences of beauty and art.

Does the Experience of Beauty Show Up in the Brain? With Electrodes and a Museum Collection of Artifacts, These Neuroscientists Aim to Find Out

Researchers are tracing the brain and body’s response to aesthetic expression in search of a scientific value to art

Laboratory experiments involving pregnant mothers suggest that they can spread yawns to their soon-to-be-born offspring in the womb.

Fetuses Can ‘Catch’ Yawns From Their Mothers While Still in the Womb, New Research Suggests

Yawning is considered a social behavior. Although fetuses were known to yawn, scientists weren’t sure if it was a self-contained reflex or if they could somehow detect cues from their moms

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