Meditation and mindfulness offer an abundance of health benefits and may be as effective as medication for treating certain conditions

Mindfulness, one of the most common forms of meditation, is a skill that must be cultivated and practiced. With some training and discipline, it can help anyone live more fully in the moment.

Hilary A. Marusak, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University • conversation
Jan. 12, 2023 • ~11 min

New year resolutions: why your brain isn't wired to stick to them – and what to do instead

We need to understand our brains to achieve true change.

Pragya Agarwal, Visiting Professor of Social Inequities and Injustice, Loughborough University • conversation
Jan. 6, 2023 • ~7 min

This is your brain. This is your brain on code

MIT researchers are discovering which parts of the brain are engaged when a person evaluates a computer program.

Steve Nadis | MIT CSAIL • mit
Dec. 21, 2022 • ~9 min

Small studies of 40-hertz sensory stimulation confirm safety, suggest Alzheimer’s benefits

MIT researchers report early-stage clinical study results of tests with noninvasive 40-hertz light and sound treatment.

David Orenstein | Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Dec. 13, 2022 • ~9 min

Using light to manipulate neuron excitability

A new optogenetics-based tool allows researchers to control how neurons respond to electrical input.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office • mit
Dec. 7, 2022 • ~7 min

Harnessing the brain's immune cells to stave off Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases

Microglia, immune cells disguised as brain cells, are known as the janitors of the brain. Dialing up their usual duties just enough could provide an avenue to treat neurodegenerative disease.

Kristine Zengeler, Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience, University of Virginia • conversation
Dec. 7, 2022 • ~9 min

Excerpt from ‘Minding the Climate’ by Ann-Christine Duhaime

You believe in climate change but drive a gas-guzzler, don’t recycle. Why? Neuroscientist explores in new book.

Harvard Gazette • harvard
Dec. 6, 2022 • ~18 min

Brain-computer interfaces could allow soldiers to control weapons with their thoughts and turn off their fear – but the ethics of neurotechnology lags behind the science

From warfare to entertainment and VR, brain-computer interface development has extended beyond prosthetics for patients with disabilities. Missing is full ethical consideration of the consequences.

Andrew Ko, Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington • conversation
Dec. 2, 2022 • ~11 min

How touch dampens the brain’s response to painful stimuli

Rubbing an aching body part can bring some relief. Neuroscientists at MIT's McGovern Institute are looking to find out why.

Jennifer Michalowski | McGovern Institute for Brain Research • mit
Dec. 1, 2022 • ~5 min

Silent synapses are abundant in the adult brain

These immature connections may explain how the adult brain is able to form new memories and absorb new information.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office • mit
Nov. 30, 2022 • ~9 min

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