A Matter of Taste: Can a Sweet Tooth Be Switched Off in the Brain?
A study describes the complex brain circuitry that lets us identify, savor (or recoil from) a taste
Stories by Simon Makin
Being a Couch Potato May Change Your Personality
The largest study of its kind suggests long-term physical inactivity and character traits may be linked
How Perceptive Are You? Not Everyone Is the Same
The ability to quickly tally a number of items can predict performance on other visual tasks
Human Brain Gain: Computer Models Hint at Why We Bested Neandertals
Differences in the structure of the brain’s cerebellum may help explain our superior cognitive abilities
Brain's "Brakes" Suppress Unwanted Thoughts
Researchers identify a new target for disorders such as PTSD and schizophrenia
"Bar Codes" Could Map Errant Brain Wiring in Autism and Schizophrenia
A new, speedy technique affords scientists the ability to visualize the brain’s myriad connections at an unprecedented level of complexity
Getting the Inside Dope on Ketamine's Mysterious Ability to Rapidly Relieve Depression
The notorious party drug may act as an antidepressant by blocking neural bursts in a little-understood brain region that may drive depression
How to Bear a Bull Market: The Psychology of Volatile Securities Trading
The wild up-and-down swings of the markets this week reveals the underlying dynamics of herd behavior in the buying and selling of securities
An Electrical Brain Switch Shuts Off Food Cravings
Could the temptation to dish up seconds (or thirds) be curtailed with an implant under the skull?
Do Brain-Wiring Differences Make Women More Vulnerable to Concussions?
Female axons—brain cells’ output cables—are shown to have a thinner structure
An Inner Look into the Minds and Brains of People with OCD
Complex computer modeling demonstrates that obsessive-compulsive disorder patients learn about their environments but don’t use that information to guide their actions
Chip Reprograms Cells to Regenerate Damaged Tissue
A device that delivers infusions of DNA and other molecules restored injured limbs in mice
Possible Anti-Aging Brain Therapy Shows Promise in Mice
Old animals injected with the hormone component klotho learn and remember better
Using Big Data to Hack Autism
Researchers scour datasets for clues to autism—needles in a genetic haystack of 20,000 people
Scientists Think They're More Rational Than Other People
Researchers may have an overconfident view of their profession's objectivity
Scientists Surprised to Find No Two Neurons Are Genetically Alike
The genetic makeup of any given brain cell differs from all others. That realization may provide clues to a range of psychiatric diseases
Fountain of Youth? Young Blood Infusions "Rejuvenate" Old Mice
Elderly rodents that received human umbilical cord blood improved significantly in memory tests
Where Does the Brain Store Long-Ago Memories?
An internal filing system sorts events for short- or long-term use
National Corruption Breeds Personal Dishonesty
A shady government influences the moral behavior of its citizens
Brain–Computer Interface Allows Speediest Typing to Date
A new interface system allowed three paralyzed individuals to type words up to four times faster than the speed that had been demonstrated in earlier studies
