Brain/Neuroscience
No outrage: Why news of first cloned monkeys barely moved the needle
[Cloned monkeys] Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were created at the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai ...
Examining the curious genes behind ‘magic mushrooms’
"One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small,” sang Grace Slick in Jefferson Airplane’s classic White Rabbit, conjuring ...
Could LSD treat schizophrenia and depression?
A small new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience seems to offer some insight into what’s happening in the brain while we’re on ...
What’s stopping us from using CRISPR to gene edit humans to fight disease?
Emerging clinical applications of CRISPR editing include delivery of CRISPR systems into the body to repair genetic sequences. This is ...
Hatchery-raised vs wild-born coho salmon: Containment sites may alter epigenome, hurting survival in the wild
[Biologist Louis Bernatchez of Quebec’s Laval University] and his colleagues set out to search for evidence of a different kind of hatchery adaptation, ...
Colds and other infections may trigger mutation that causes Parkinson’s
Scientists report that the most common Parkinson's gene mutation may change how immune cells react to generic infections like colds, ...
Identify as straight? Gay? Transgender? That may be deeply influenced by genetics, study shows
Transgender men and women may carry genetic variants that influence their gender identity, a study suggests. It is the first ...
Here’s what we really know about transgender genetics—so far
The week started strangely. On [March 19], the author of a new book on transgender identity emailed me, asking about ...
Building an Alzheimer’s early warning system through artificial intelligence
[A flat white box attached to the wall] knows when [David Graham] gets out of bed, gets dressed, walks to ...
Recording and playing back dreams isn’t here yet, but may be on the way
[W]hat if you could record your dreams, and play them back for analysis, or even share them with friends? Theoretically, ...
Radiolab podcast: Can plants hear and learn?
Do you really need a brain to sense the world around you? To remember? Or even learn? Well, it depends on ...
As your testosterone levels go down, does empathy go up?
Charles Ryan has a clinic in San Francisco at which he regularly relieves men of their testosterone. This “chemical castration”, ...
Viewpoint: Autism research needs a better mouse
The autism risk genes discovered to date are especially amenable to study in mouse models. Mice have analogous versions of ...
Can’t sleep? Chronic insomnia could be due to genetics
Researchers have identified specific genes that may trigger the development of sleep problems, and have also demonstrated a genetic link ...
Dementia treatment shows promise in CRISPR lab tests
Salk Institute scientists reported [March 15] that they’ve invented a new version of the technology that works on RNA, combining CRISPR/Cas9’s ...
What makes us human? If your brain is frozen after death, information might be uploadable into an artificial body
Are you longing for your brain and all its memories to be preserved for ever? That once fanciful idea seems ...
Thousand-year mind preservation with a twist: Startup Nectome’s procedure is ‘100 percent fatal’
The startup accelerator Y Combinator is known for supporting audacious companies in its popular three-month boot camp. There’s never been ...
Strange case of the man with a ‘large black hole’ in part of his brain
When an 84-year-old man in Ireland showed up at the doctor with complaints about being unsteady, the team found a ...
Can Halo’s brain-zapping headsets improve athletic performance?
Equinox jumped at the chance to offer Halo Neuroscience’s brain-zapping, supposedly performance-enhancing headsets as part of its advanced personal training ...
Scientists question brain’s ‘regenerative’ capacity to boost cognition or treat injury
The observation that the human brain churns out new neurons throughout life is one of the biggest neuroscience discoveries of ...
Viewpoint: Exercise can be as effective as antidepressants for mild to moderate depression. So why do US doctors push pills?
Here’s the most important thing I learned while writing a book on running and mental health: In clinical studies, regular ...
Waaa! How do babies experience pain?
Researchers continue to look for ways to assess the pain experienced by babies. One recent study suggests that babies are ...
CRISPR can fix gene that causes intellectual impairment in men–fragile X syndrome
The fragile X syndrome is the most common form of intellectual impairment in men, affecting 1 out of 3,600 boys. Now, scientists ...
Are brains of transgender people wired differently?
In recent years, US society has seen a sea change in the perception of transgender people, with celebrities such as ...
Brain inflammation–encephalitis–in children linked to single gene mutation
For most children, an infection with a virus like herpes simplex or influenza (the flu) will cause the typical symptoms and run ...
Supercharged brains and the quest to think better and faster
For those seeking to enhance cognitive function based on hard evidence, the starting point is worked aimed at improving mental ...
Are humans genetically loaded for extinction?
Genetic load--the idea that we've had too many mutations to thrive--is making a comeback. A debate's brewing over whether it's ...
