Brains recognize a smell based on which cells fire, in what order – the same way you recognize a song based on its pattern of notes. How much can you change the 'tune' and still know the smell?
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Some treatments for neurodegenerative diseases involve inserting wires into the brain and zapping certain brain cells with electricity. But what if you could do the same thing using sound waves?
Our brains create new memories, and forget old ones, by forging and breaking connections between nerve cells. Now researchers can do something similar using a light-sensitive electronic chip.
There's both money and prestige invested in the simple idea that different brain areas are responsible for certain functions. But that doesn't make it true.
Using light to manipulate cells is leading to some startling findings.
Mate choice is one of the most highly selected traits in any animal. Just ask a fruitfly, which devotes a large share of its genes to choosing and attracting a mate.
Researchers have developed a method for “silencing” neurons using an external light source. Research done by the Massachusetts…
If you’ve ever been frustrated by erratic memories, spare a thought for the mice involved in a study published in the journal Science. Researchers have been able to consistently create a “false memory…
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Jenny Graves is a Friend of The Conversation.Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
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DPhil candidate, University of Oxford
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Cell biologist, University of Liverpool
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Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience, Lund University
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Associate Professor of Molecular Neurobiology (Salk Institute) and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Neurobiology, University of California San Diego
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Associate Professor, RMIT University
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Research Fellow, RMIT University
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Ph.D. Student in Neuroscience, New York University
