SA Special Editions

Scientists are discovering how the brain navigates

Scientists copy nature’s most complex organ in the hope of solving the mysteries of brain disorders, from autism to Alzheimer’s

The field of nutritional psychiatry is taking off as scientists home in on the ingredients for good mental health and cognitive staying power

Research has provided a host of clues to age-proofing our brains and making them more resistant to dementia

Even after his death, the famous amnesic H. M. is revolutionizing our understanding of how memory works and how we maintain it as we age

Experts debate the origins of fatty acids in our ancestors’ diets

Contemplative practices that extend back thousands of years show a multitude of benefits for both body and mind

Big science lights the way to an understanding of how the world's most complex machine gives rise to our thoughts and emotions

Some people who are blind because of brain damage have "blindsight": an extraordinary ability to react to emotions on faces and even navigate around obstacles without knowing they can see anything

Even the youngest children know, experience and learn far more than scientists ever thought possible

Communicating with patients who appear to lack consciousness is becoming a reality

Your nightly rest turns out to affect your mind and health more than anyone suspected

Despite skepticism, research shows how cognitive exercises benefit cancer survivors, children with attention deficits, people with schizophrenia and others

Our subjective experience of the world may be better explained as art than as illusion

While we are working through a problem, the brain’s tendency to stick with familiar ideas can literally blind us to superior solutions

Neurons fire in your head before you become aware that you have made a decision. But this discovery does not mean you are a “biochemical puppet”