Memories that last only seconds shape everyday thinking, and research in mice is revealing how a small brain structure supports an ability impaired in ADHD and schizophrenia. To understand a sentence, the brain has to keep earlier words in mind as new ones arrive. Working memory makes that possible, holding information for a few seconds […]
Scientists Reveal How a Mysterious Brain Structure Keeps Memories From Fading
Memories that last only seconds shape everyday thinking, and research in mice is revealing how a small brain structure supports an ability impaired in ADHD and schizophrenia. To understand a sentence, the brain has to keep earlier words in mind as new ones arrive. Working memory makes that possible, holding information for a few seconds […]
The Hidden Brain Mechanism That Makes You Love Coffee, Chocolate, Fat, and Sugar
Scientists have uncovered a previously understudied dopamine pathway that may explain how we learn to enjoy flavors we initially dislike. A food can become more appealing even when its flavor stays exactly the same. Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a previously understudied dopamine pathway that helps the brain learn which flavors are worth […]
A New Era of Bionic Vision? AI Helps Scientists Unlock the Brain’s Visual Cortex
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to improve how a brain implant stimulates the visual cortex of a blind person, potentially advancing the development of bionic eyes. Artificial intelligence could make future bionic eyes more precise and responsive by improving how electrical signals communicate with the brain. In a study published in Neuron, researchers used deep […]
Scientists Spent 7 Years Studying Moth Wings and Discovered Something Unexpected
A search to change the patterns on moth wings uncovered something unexpected: wider tails, suggesting that evolution may reshape insects’ defenses by modifying features they already possess. A luna moth’s leaf-like wings help it escape the notice of predators that hunt by sight. Other giant silk moths display prominent eyespots that can make them look […]
Scientists Discover Crows Make Decisions Twice As Fast as Humans
Quick decisions are essential for birds navigating the world at high speed, and new research suggests crows may have a remarkable advantage over humans in processing what they see. A crow can make a visual decision in less than a quarter of a second, about twice as fast as a human or monkey. Researchers at […]
A Tiny, Jelly-Like Implant Could Change How We Treat High Blood Pressure
A soft implant that attaches without stitches lowered blood pressure in rats, pointing toward a way to treat hypertension with less damage to surrounding tissue. Nearly half of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease. Medications and changes to diet or lifestyle can help, but roughly […]
Less Sugar in Early Life Could Protect Your Mental Health Decades Later
An observational study links sugar rationing in early life to lower adult anxiety and depression risks, raising the possibility that our earliest diets have lasting mental health implications. Could the amount of sugar we consume before birth and during infancy influence our mental health decades later? An experiment rooted in postwar Britain suggests that the […]
Animal vs. Plant Protein: New Study Reveals Unexpected Testosterone Differences
An observational study of middle-aged men links animal protein to lower testosterone and plant protein to higher levels, but the differences are small, and their health effects remain unclear. A protein-rich meal gives the body amino acids, the building blocks it needs to make and repair tissues, including muscle. Testosterone helps regulate muscle growth and […]
Scientists Unlock a Hidden Superconducting Power Inside a Strange Quantum Material
Researchers have discovered how pressure can unlock hidden superconducting properties in a complex quantum material. Applying intense pressure to an unusual quantum material can transform how it conducts electricity, allowing superconductivity to spread throughout its three-dimensional structure at temperatures roughly three times higher than normal. Researchers also found a sevenfold increase in the number of […]