Why did humans evolve such large brains? Because smarter people have more friends
Our huge brains help maintain complex social relationships, suggests research.
L’expertise universitaire, l’exigence journalistique
Articles sur Neuroscience
Affichage de 1 à 20 de 308 articles
Science can be beautiful, but please don’t call it basic
Science is supremely beautiful, but can also be brutal and unforgiving if you stray from the well-worn pathways.
Helping or hacking? Engineers and ethicists must work together on brain-computer interface technology
BCI devices that read minds and act on intentions can change lives for the better. But they could also be put to nefarious use in the not-too-distant future. Now's the time to think about risks.
Ever thought a loved one was an imposter? That’s the Capgras delusion
A strange delusion which may have its origins in damage to a particular process in the brain, is also one that can help us to understand how we recognise each other.
Working memory: How you keep things ‘in mind’ over the short term
Both psychologists and neuroscientists are interested in how working memory holds on to items over brief intervals – and are investigating from different angles.
How using paint, pen on paper or song to revisit trauma helps us put it in the past
Using creativity and artistic metaphor to tap unconscious memories helps release pent up trauma.
The surprising science of fidgeting
There can be benefits to fidgeting, such as boosting attention or helping you burn up to 800 extra calories a day. But it comes at a cost...
How childhood trauma can affect mental and physical health into adulthood
We've known for years that childhood trauma can have lifelong effects on our health. It's time for medicine and public health to start addressing the problem head-on.
Delivery drones: swooping down to prey on our self-control
Amazon.com and others are eager to fill the skies with drones delivering packages at all hours. Convenient, yes, but it could transform – and not in a good way – our ability to make informed choices.
Electrically stimulating your brain can boost memory – but here’s one reason it doesn’t always work
Tinkering with the brain's electrical field shows tantalizing promise for boosting memory, but it doesn't always work. A new study offers one reason why.
It’s a myth that humans’ sense of smell is inferior to that of other animals – here’s why
Move over, dogs. The latest evidence suggests humans can match most other animals when it comes to smelling – and even outperform them for certain scents.
Brain-imaging modern people making Stone Age tools hints at evolution of human intelligence
We can't observe the brain activity of extinct human species. But we can observe modern brains doing the things that our distant ancestors did, looking for clues about how ancient brains worked.
Junk food packaging hijacks the same brain processes as drug and alcohol addiction
No wonder we're addicted to junk food. Neuroscience shows food packaging affects our enjoyment of these foods, and plays on the same brain processes as hard drug addiction.
Is talking to yourself a sign of mental illness? An expert delivers her verdict
What you say may matter more than how you say it.
A short history of anaesthesia: from unspeakable agony to unlocking consciousness
Terrifying accounts of surgery 200 years ago remind us how far general anaesthesia has come. Yet we still know little about how anaesthetics alter consciousness.
Study of one-handed people reveals how the brain adapts after losing a body part
Study shows that multiple body parts can make use of the brain's 'hand area' in people with only one hand.
Why brain stimulation isn’t what it’s cracked up to be
Electrical brain stimulation is used to treat a range of conditions, from depression to epilepsy. But how confident can we be that it works?
The science of laughter – and why it also has a dark side
Laughing at inappropriate moments could be an early sign of dementia, while injury to the front part of the brain could make you lose your sense of sarcasm.
‘Anumeric’ people: What happens when a language has no words for numbers?
From the Amazon to Nicaragua, there are humans who never learn numbers. What can these anumeric cultures teach us about ourselves?
Hypnosis may still be veiled in mystery – but we are starting to uncover its scientific basis
A review of studies in psychology and neuroscience shows we are well on the way to understanding what goes on in our brains when we are hypnotised.
Les contributeurs les plus fréquents
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Postdoctoral researcher, Pennsylvania State University
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Head of Developmental Psychobiology Lab, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
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Senior Research Fellow, Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
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Lecturer, ARC DECRA, RMIT University
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Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge
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Research Assistant Professor in Neuroscience, University of Western Australia
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Senior Lecturer in Visual Neuroscience, Western Sydney University
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Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Psychology, Southern Cross University
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Senior research fellow, University of Sydney
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Researcher in Brain Imaging, Imperial College London
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Senior Lecturer in Social Neuroscience, Monash University
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Research Associate in Perception and Memory, New York University
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford
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Professor of Clinical Neurosciences and Foundation Chair in Physiotherapy, University of South Australia
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Honorary (Professorial Fellow) at the Centre for Neuroscience, University of Melbourne
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