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Mo Costandi
Moheb Costandi is a freelance science writer based in London. His work has been published in Nature, Science, Scientific American, The Guardian, and New Scientist, among other publications. His latest book is Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness (MIT Press, October 2022). He also authors the blog Neurophilosophy. Follow him on Twitter @mocost.
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In a study involving mice, scientists used two different techniques — one optogenetic and one pharmacologic — to recover "lost" memories.
Compared to people who took a placebo, the brains of those who took caffeine pills had a temporarily smaller gray matter volume.
Sniffing out a deal.
Over time, different structures in the brain come to play unique roles in the storage and retrieval of long-term memories.
"Jumping genes" exist in various forms, including as remnants of ancient retroviruses, and make up about 45% of the human genome.
Sleep less, sleep less, sleep more.
Belief in God and the afterlife increased, while belief in superstition decreased.
To prevent overloading the memory system, the brain may have a mechanism that tosses out certain types of memories.
What you see is what you hear.
The research could aid the development of more effective treatments for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Use words with plosives and affricates if you really want to make sure everyone knows you mean business.
A recent study reveals how nerve insulation becomes impaired in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
Bilingualism confers various mental health and social benefits. Perhaps knowing a second alphabet confers even more.
The genes responsible for facial features may also influence behavior.
New memories appear to be stabilized in the brain by a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Children who have a brain hemisphere removed — a procedure known as hemispherectomy — behave completely normally.
Giving speech to the speechless.