Stories by Simon Makin

Do Brain Training Games Work?

Despite the hype, when science meets commerce, objectivity is often the loser

The Brain Cells behind a Sense of Direction

Goal-direction cells add to Nobel Prize–winning discoveries to reveal our internal navigation system

Save One File to Remember the Contents of Another

Committing information to your computer’s memory frees up your mental space to learn something new

Thought-Controlled Genes Could Someday Help Us Heal

Scientists combined a brain–computer interface with an optogenetic switch to create the first-ever brain–gene interface

Depression Tweaks the Brain's Disappointment Circuit

An unusual chemical balancing act helps explain why people with depression attend more closely to negative information

Massive Study Reveals Schizophrenia's Genetic Roots

The largest-ever genetic study of mental illness reveals a complex set of factors

Acting Classes Could Help Kids with Autism

Kids with autism may learn valuable social skills in drama-based therapies

Does Marijuana Harm the Brain?

Fish Flourish on Common Antianxiety Drug

Pharmaceutical pollutants in water seem to improve survival among hatchlings of at least one species

Blind Mice Cured by Running

Exercise combined with visual stimulation helps to quickly restore vision in unused eyes

Music Lessons Combat Poverty's Effect on the Brain

Music lessons may help close the socioeconomic gap in reading ability

New Theory of Antidepressants Could Help Predict Patients' Response

Antidepressants may work by providing a rosier lens through which to see the world

Can Brain Scans Diagnose Mental Illness?

THE CLAIM: Mental illness can be diagnosed with brain scans.
THE FACTS: Currently the technique might be able to diagnose people with a single, unambiguous, chronic illness but not tougher clinical cases...

To Predict Success in Children, Look Beyond Willpower

Delaying gratification is not always the rational choice