Neuroscience

Neuroscience

Imaging scans show where symbols turn to letters in the brain

Scientists watched brain activity in a region where reading takes root, and saw a hierarchy of areas that give symbols both sound and meaning.

Life

Electrodes show a glimpse of memories emerging in a brain

Nerve cells in an important memory center in the brain sync their firing and create fast ripples of activity seconds before a recollection resurfaces.

Life

Alzheimer’s targets brain cells that help people stay awake

Nerve cells in the brain that are tied to wakefulness are destroyed in people with Alzheimer’s, a finding that may refocus dementia research.

Humans

Even without concussions, just one football season may damage players’ brains

A group of college football players underwent brain scans after a season of play. The results suggest the sport could impact neural signaling.

Neuroscience

Plants don’t have feelings and aren’t conscious, a biologist argues

The rise of the field of “plant neurobiology” has this scientist and his colleagues pushing back.

Neuroscience

A frog study may point to where parenting begins in the brain

Two brain regions, including one active in mammal parents, lit up with activity in both male and female poison frogs when caring for their tadpoles.

Neuroscience

Boosting a gut bacterium helps mice fight an ALS-like disease

Gut bacteria may alter ALS symptoms for good or ill.

Health & Medicine

Manipulating nerve cells makes mice ‘see’ something that’s not there

Using optogenetics to stimulate about 20 nerve cells causes mice to perceive nonexistent vertical or horizontal lines.

Health & Medicine

Tiny glasses help reveal how praying mantises can see in 3-D

Newfound nerve cells in praying mantises help detect different views that each of the insects’ eyes sees, a mismatch that creates depth perception.

Neuroscience

Both fish and humans have REM-like sleep

Sleeping zebrafish have brain and body activity similar to snoozing mammals, suggesting that sleep evolved at least 450 million years ago.

Neuroscience

A 100-hour MRI scan captured the most detailed look yet at a whole human brain

Researchers report ultraprecise imaging of a postmortem human brain.

Planetary Science

Readers wanted to know about asteroids, lithium batteries and more

Readers had questions and comments about asteroids, lithium batteries, and pyroclastic flows.