Summary: Scientists have completed the first full connectome of the adult fruit fly, including both the brain and ventral nerve cord, revealing how neural signals travel between these two structures. This breakthrough uncovers never-before-seen neurons in the neck that transmit brain commands to the body.By comparing male and female connectomes,...
Wasp Mothers Build Nests Using Memory That Is Rival to Human Scheduling
Summary: A new study reveals that digger wasp mothers can keep track of up to nine burrows, feeding their offspring in precise order and adjusting schedules based on need or survival. Despite nesting among hundreds of nearly identical burrows, these wasps rarely make mistakes, delivering food with an error rate...
One in 50 people who suffer from facial deafness are affected.
Summary: A new study reveals that people with developmental prosopagnosia, or face blindness, struggle daily to recognize even close friends and family, despite having normal vision and memory. Many participants described coping strategies like keeping spreadsheets or using voices and clothing to identify others, but these are often exhausting and...
The developing brains is rewired by cannabis misuse in children.
Summary: New neuroscience research highlights how verbal abuse in childhood can alter brain development and increase the risk of mental health issues later in life. Children who are routinely shamed, threatened, or belittled by adults may develop a hyperactive threat system and a blunted reward response, making trust and emotional...
Adult-like Brain Systems Help Five-Year-Olds Navigate Maps
Summary: New research shows that the brain region supporting map-based navigation is active in children as young as five years old. Using a child-friendly virtual environment called Tiny Town, researchers demonstrated that young children can build and mentally hold maps to guide navigation.Brain scans confirmed that the retrosplenial complex—a region...
Teen Obesity Related to Brain Changes in Memory and Emotion Centers
Summary: A major new study shows that adolescents with abdominal obesity have significantly larger brain regions involved in memory and emotional regulation, raising concerns about how obesity affects brain development. MRI scans revealed that the hippocampus and amygdala were enlarged in teens with obesity, especially those with high waist-to-height ratios.The...
Head Cells That Decide What Will Come Then, Even When It’s New
Summary: A new study reveals that the brain uses special neurons to track where we are in a sequence of actions, not just where we are in space. In mice, researchers found “goal-progress cells” that fire based on how far along the animal is in a behavioral task, enabling them...
Your Brain May Be Harmened By Three Terrible Nights
Summary: A new study shows that even short-term sleep deprivation activates inflammatory proteins in the blood linked to cardiovascular disease. After just three nights of sleeping four hours per night, healthy young men showed increased levels of proteins associated with heart failure and coronary artery disease.While exercise still triggered beneficial...
Considering Beauty Promotes Abstract Thinking
Summary: A new study finds that actively engaging with artistic beauty, rather than just looking at art, enhances abstract thinking and psychological distancing, helping people see the bigger picture beyond daily concerns. Participants who focused on rating the beauty of ceramic artworks scored significantly higher on cognitive tests measuring abstract thought...
Big Social Media Use Linked to Believing and Spreading Fake News
Summary: Individuals who experience high levels of distress and functional impairment from excessive social media use are significantly more likely to believe fake news and interact with it. Researchers found that problematic users were more inclined to click, like, comment on, and share false news stories, regardless of their accuracy.The...
