Why do people have different tastes in music? A music education expert explains why some songs are universally liked, while others aren't

Lots of factors can influence your music taste, from your age and where you’re from to the personality traits you have.

Jane Kuehne, Associate Professor of Music Education, Auburn University • conversation
Jan. 22, 2024 ~8 min

Alcohol and drugs rewire your brain by changing how your genes work – research is investigating how to counteract addiction's effects

Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of addiction can change how researchers and clinicians approach treatments.

Karla Kaun, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Brown University • conversation
Jan. 22, 2024 ~8 min


Evidence that gamma rhythm stimulation can treat neurological disorders is emerging

Researchers survey a broadening landscape of studies showing what’s known, and what remains to be found, about the therapeutic potential of noninvasive sensory, electrical, or magnetic stimulation of gamma brain rhythms.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Jan. 18, 2024 ~9 min

Study reveals a universal pattern of brain wave frequencies

Across mammalian species, brain waves are slower in deep cortical layers, while superficial layers generate faster rhythms.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Jan. 18, 2024 ~9 min

Is our sense of fairness driven by selfishness? We're studying the brain to find out

The preference for fairness emerges early in childhood, suggesting it is to some extent hardwired.

Patricia Christian, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet • conversation
Jan. 17, 2024 ~7 min

Freedom of thought is being threatened by states, big tech and even ourselves. Here’s what we can do to protect it

Corporate and political actors know more about how our minds work than we do. The right to free thought can no longer be our ‘forgotten freedom’

Simon McCarthy-Jones, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Trinity College Dublin • conversation
Jan. 8, 2024 ~34 min

Complex, unfamiliar sentences make the brain’s language network work harder

A new study finds that language regions in the left hemisphere light up when reading uncommon sentences, while straightforward sentences elicit little response.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Jan. 3, 2024 ~7 min

Do you eat with your eyes, your gut or your brain? A neuroscientist explains how to listen to your hunger during the holidays

You likely know that the sight and smell of food can trigger cravings. But internal cues from your gut and your brain play just as important a role in the decisions you make around food.

Alex Johnson, Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, Michigan State University • conversation
Dec. 20, 2023 ~8 min


A new supercomputer aims to closely mimic the human brain — it could help unlock the secrets of the mind and advance AI

Neuromorphic computers aim to one day replicate the amazing efficiency of the brain.

Domenico Vicinanza, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University • conversation
Dec. 18, 2023 ~7 min

Do you hear what I see? How blindness changes how you process the sound of movement

Detecting and tracking motion is key to survival. The ability to extract auditory information from a noisy environment changes when your brain isn’t wired to rely on vision.

Woon Ju Park, Research Scientist, University of Washington • conversation
Dec. 18, 2023 ~7 min

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