
Why Do We Sleep?
There are plenty of theories, but nobody really knows for sure

Why Do We Sleep?
There are plenty of theories, but nobody really knows for sure

Why Rocking to Sleep Is a Matchless Sedative—and Elixir
Back-and-forth motions may tweak the sensory organs that control our balance and spatial orientation


The Cerebellum Is Your "Little Brain"—and It Does Some Pretty Big Things
A newly identified circuit connecting the cerebellum to the brain’s reward centers in mice could help scientists understand autism and addiction

"Mona Lisa Effect" Not True for Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa effect is the illusion that the subject of a painting follows you with her gaze, despite where you stand. But da Vinci's famous painting doesn't have that quality. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Fake Whiskeys and Octo-Ecstasy
Scientific American assistant news editor, Tanya Lewis, and collections editor, Andrea Gawrylewski, take a deeper look at two short articles from the Advances news section of the December issue, on counterfeit whiskeys and the effect of real ecstasy...on octopuses.

Does Weight-Loss Surgery Rewire Gut–Brain Connections?
Bariatric procedures are revealing new insights into the dialogue between bowel and brain

“Hunger Hormone” Ghrelin Aids Overindulgence
Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry, also makes food, and food smells, irresistibly appealing. Karen Hopkin reports.

You Gotta Scratch That Itch
A particular set of brain neurons may be behind registering itch and inducing us to scratch.

The Brain’s Autopilot Mechanism Steers Consciousness
Freud’s notion of a dark, libidinous unconscious is obsolete. A new theory holds that the brain produces a continuous stream of unconscious predictions

Computers Determine States of Consciousness
A machine learning algorithm uses EEG traces to find a patient’s odds of waking

Huge Brain Study Uncovers “Buried” Genetic Networks Linked to Mental Illness
Enormous genomic analysis yields tantalizing insights into mechanisms behind conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Prehistoric Viruses and the Function of the Brain
The exceedingly strange story of learning, memory and the “Arc” gene