Neuroscience

Adult humans, as well as mice, slept better when gently rocked.

By turning off certain brain cells, researchers were able to make mice sense painful stimuli—but not the associated discomfort. Karen Hopkin reports.

We need better molecular biomarkers to create targeted drugs

Brain regions that process faces reveal deep insights into the neural mechanisms of vision

There are plenty of theories, but nobody really knows for sure

Back-and-forth motions may tweak the sensory organs that control our balance and spatial orientation

A newly identified circuit connecting the cerebellum to the brain’s reward centers in mice could help scientists understand autism and addiction

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.

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.

Bariatric procedures are revealing new insights into the dialogue between bowel and brain

Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry, also makes food, and food smells, irresistibly appealing. Karen Hopkin reports. 

A particular set of brain neurons may be behind registering itch and inducing us to scratch.