Cognition
How the Brain Responds to Beauty
Scientists search for the neural basis of an enigmatic experience
Stories by Jason Castro
Neuroscience
Does the Nose Talk to the Womb?
Research suggests that the course of a pregnancy may be shaped by a man’s odor
Neuroscience
Cracking the Neural Code with Phantom Smells
Scientists used light to evoke an odor directly in a mouse brain—no nose involved
Biology
The Era of Memory Engineering Has Arrived
How neuroscientists can call up and change a memory
Biology
Where Does Identity Come From?
A fascinating new neuroscience experiment probes an ancient philosophical question—and hints that you might want to get out more
Mind & Brain
Eat Less by Altering Your Food Memories
Hunger is affected by how much you think you ate
Mind & Brain
Your Scientific Reasoning Is More Flawed Than You Think
New concepts don’t replace incorrect ones: they just learn to live together
Mind & Brain
The Brain May Disassemble Itself in Sleep
Slumber may loosen the links that undergird knowledge, restoring the brain daily to a vibrant, flexible state
Mind & Brain
You Have a Hive Mind
There is a deep connection between the way your brain and a swarm of bees arrives at a decision
The Sciences
Bees Appear to Experience Moods
Provocative experiments suggest that insects have something resembling emotions
Mind & Brain
Do Bees Have Feelings?
Provocative experiments suggest that the insects have something like an emotional life
Mind & Brain
The Neuroscience of the Debt Debate, or Why Cooperation Takes a Backseat to Mistrust
Our elected leaders are (probably) not distrusting jerks. Game theory suggests that cooperation is natural but that morality could undercut the tendency
Mind & Brain
Brain Scans Predict Pop Hits
Scientists monitor the brains of teens listening to songs and find the breakout hits tend to share certain neural signatures
Mind & Brain
The Learning Brain Gets Bigger--Then Smaller
New studies map the changing landscape of neurons as the brain masters a task
Mind & Brain
Understanding the Brain's "Brake Pedal" in Neural Plasticity
Push the pedal, and the brain is less able to rewire itself. Ease up and, perhaps, an old brain will turn young again
Mind & Brain
Her Tears Will Control Your Mind
A mysterious substance in a woman's tears subtly affects the male sex drive
Mind & Brain
Scientists Gain Insights into How to Erase Pathological Fear
Scientists close in on the process that records -- and erases -- memories of terror
Mind & Brain
A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy One
New research underlines the wisdom of being absorbed in what you do
