Cognition
Can Animals Acquire Language?
Despite claims that this is possible, the evidence says no
Neuroscience2854 articles archived since 1845
Neuroscience
Astronomy Writer Confronts Mysteries of Inner Space
Science Journalist Michael Lemonick answers questions about his new book The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love.
Vision Needed to Curb Nearsightedness Epidemic
In urban Asian areas myopia among teenagers is topping 90 percent—but foresight may be able to bring those numbers way down.
Computing
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
Brain Imaging Identifies Different Types of Depression
Biological markers could enable tailored therapies that target individual differences in symptoms
Neuroscience
What Inequality Does to the Brain
Poverty may affect the size, shape and functioning of a young child's brain. Would a cash stipend to parents help prevent harm?
Little Learners, Trump’s Appeal and Brain Soup
A look inside the March/April issue of Scientific American Mind
Cognition
Forget Me Not: The Harrowing Tale of H. M.'s Brain [Excerpt]
Michael D. Lemonick explains how a postmortem study of the most celebrated amnesic in history went awry
Sleep Shrinks the Brain--and That's a Good Thing
Without a nighttime reset, synapses could burn out like an outlet with too many appliances plugged in
Medicine
Treating Addiction with Psychedelics
Researchers see some promise in ibogaine, a well-known hallucinogen, and related compounds
Neuroscience
Lucy in the Sky with Protein: Key to LSD’s Psychoactive Potency Found?
The discovery of how LSD changes a protein’s structure may explain why the drug is so powerful, and why its trips are so long and strange
New DNA-Like Drugs Show Promise in Treating Alzheimer’s
The small molecules cleared and prevented tau buildup in mice and monkeys
Neuroscience: Big Brain, Big Data
Neuroscientists are starting to share and integrate data — but shifting to a team approach isn't easy
LSD's Long, Strange Trip Explained
When LSD binds to serotonin receptors, it pulls a "lid" closed behind it, locking it in place for hours, and explaining its long-lasting effects. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...
Could Radiation Be a Deal Breaker for Mars Missions?
New studies show cosmic radiation could be even more damaging to astronauts' brains than we thought. Can humanity still live and travel among the stars?
Energy
Exit Interview: Presidential Science Advisor John Holdren
Scientific American executive editor Fred Guterl talks with Pres. Obama’s science advisor, John Holdren, about climate science, space travel, the issue of reproducibility in science, the brain initiative and more...
Neurology
Brain's “Helper” Cells Turn Toxic in Injury and Disease
The Jekyll-and-Hyde behavior of astrocytes may point the way to treatments for degenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s and MS
Neurology
U.S. High School Soccer Concussions on the Rise
More than one third of all injuries on the pitch occurred during practice
Autism Risk May Arise from Sex-Specific Traits
Genetic sequences that code for physical features that differ between boys and girls also seem to contribute to risk for the disorder
How Do Brain Cells Tell Us Where We’re Going?
New findings provide a more complex profile of the brain’s “internal GPS”
