Scientists are growing increasingly large and sophisticated clusters of human brain cells. Ethicists are now wondering what to do if these minibrains start thinking.
The brains of birds and mice continue to produce new nerve cells in the hippocampus throughout life. But research now suggests the human brain stops doing this around adolescence.
Their first epiphanies came during musings over beer, and evolved into a decade of teamwork. Two Harvard researchers explain why they think Alzheimer's disease may be traced to an immunity glitch.
Imagine trying to play the piano or button a shirt, while one hand does something else, entirely of its own volition. Invisibilia explored this phenomenon. More stories are coming in the new season.
Scientists who identified specific brain cells in mice that control anxiety say the discovery could provide insights that might eventually help people with panic disorder and social phobia.
"Just the last few years alone have seen some serious breakthroughs in Alzheimer's research," Joseph Jebelli says. His new book is The Pursuit of Memory.
Scientists have found an underlying reason why it's dangerous to drive when you're sleepy. Brain recordings show cells involved in perception fire more slowly in somebody who has been up all night.
A comparison of two memory training methods often used by scientists found that one was twice as good as the other. But neither succeeded in turning people into cognitive superstars.