We’re one step closer to reading an octopus’s mind
Nine brains, blue blood, instant camouflage: It’s no surprise that octopuses capture our interest and our imaginations. Science-fiction creators, in particular, have been inspired by these tentacled creatures. An octopus's remarkable intelligence makes it a unique subject for marine biologists and neuroscientists as well. Research has revealed the brain power of the octopus allows it…
How humans got a new gene that makes our brains larger
Enlarge / Building a bigger brain requires new genes, not a workout. On the DNA level, there's not much to distinguish humans from our closest relatives: chimpanzees and bonobos. At stretches of DNA that line up, human and chimp sequences are well over 90 percent identical. And, for the most part, the DNA does line…
Scientists induced hallucinations in mice to learn more about human psychosis
Enlarge / A computer game that induces mice to experience hallucination-like events could be a key to understanding the neurobiological roots of psychosis, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.J. Kuhl People suffering from psychotic episodes often experience both visual and aural hallucinations, due in part to the neurochemical…
Corvids seem to handle temporary memories the way we do
Enlarge / A jackdaw tries to remember what color it was thinking of. Humans tend to think that we are the most intelligent life-forms on Earth, and that we’re largely followed by our close relatives such as chimps and gorillas. But there are some areas of cognition in which homo sapiens and other primates are…
DNA parasite now plays key role in making critical nerve cell...
Human brains (and the brains of other vertebrates) are able to process information faster because of myelin, a fatty substance that forms a protective sheath over the axons of our nerve cells and speeds up their impulses. How did our neurons evolve myelin sheaths? Part of the answer—which was unknown until now—almost sounds like science…
What happens in a crow’s brain when it uses tools?
Enlarge / Sure, they can use tools, but do they know where the nearest subway stop is? "A thirsty crow wanted water from a pitcher, so he filled it with pebbles to raise the water level to drink," summarizes a famous Aesop Fable. While this tale is thousands of years old, animal behaviorists still use…
Understanding how we sense touch, temperature earns a Nobel
Enlarge / The protein that allows us to sense touch is big and complicated. Today's Nobel Prize is in "Physiology or Medicine," which often means "biology" these days. And 2021 is no exception, as two researchers have won for their discoveries of how humans detect their immediate environment through the sense of touch. David Julius won…
Human brain cells put much more energy into signaling
Indian elephants have larger brains than we do (obviously). Mice have a higher brain-to-body mass ratio, and long-finned pilot whales have more neurons. So what makes humans—and more specifically, human brains—special? As far as organs go, human brains certainly consume a ton of energy—almost 50 grams of sugar, or 12 lumps, every day. This is…
The science of smell is fragrant with submolecules
When we catch a whiff of perfume or indulge in a scented candle, we are smelling much more than Floral Fantasy or Lavender Vanilla. We are actually detecting odor molecules that enter our nose and interact with cells that send signals to be processed by our brain. While certain smells feel like they’re unchanging, the…
Musk’s most recent start-up is venturing into a series of difficult...
Enlarge / Elon Musk in Idaho in 2015. Tonight, Elon Musk has scheduled an event where he intends to unveil his plans for Neuralink, a startup company he announced back in 2017, then went silent on. If you go to the Neuralink website now, all you'll find is a vague description of its goal to…
