Humans are unique in our use of sophisticated spoken language to communicate. While other animals use communicative calls and sounds, human language features complex grammar and structure that allows us to convey a nearly infinite number of ideas. Homo sapiens, the species name for modern humans, appears to have been far superior to other hominid […]
January
07
Un-Consciousness
posted by Donovan Cronkhite
When you hear the word “consciousness”, what did you think it is? All of what you experience and what you believe it is? Let me demonstrate something to you before you make up your mind. Imagine a day at work, where you: Had someone tap you repeatedly to get your attention, but only felt it […]
December
31
Life After Death(?): From Strokes to Sci-Fi
posted by James R. Howe VI
Death is not a singular event, as implied when we refer to the “time of death” or “moment of death”. It is a relatively long, drawn out, active process: these terms merely simplify and provide a hard boundary. Not everything in the brain (or the rest of the body) dies at the same time, at […]
December
24
The Earth is Flat: A Psychology Perspective
posted by kelseysundby
Living in a world of “alternative facts” and misinformation is exhausting. A casual scroll through Facebook can spiral into a tiresome fact checking escapade and an emotional rollercoaster: “You mean we could have been free from COVID if we had all just injected ourselves with bleach?!” Misinformation is defined as false information that is spread, […]
December
17
The Big Sleep: How We Hibernate
posted by James R. Howe VI
As December deepens, we rapidly find ourselves coming up on the first day of winter. Though winter officially begins on the 21st, many animals began their preparations for the season far earlier this year. Any birdwatcher could easily tell you that most birds migrated south a long while ago, and any hiker could tell you […]
December
10
BRAIN ORGANOIDS AND ITS ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
posted by Jorge Urresti
We have already talked previously in this blog about stem cells, their applications in research and therapies, and how the field is advancing to produce organoids that resemble their ‘original’ counterparts more and more with every new discovery. However, we have not discussed the ethical implications that come with experimenting with human tissue. This is […]
December
03
Meet Christopher Lee – Shape matters! Stories of a “model” scientist
posted by Ariane Pessentheiner
What does Lotso, the bear from Pixar’s Toy Story 3, have in common with the research of computational scientist Dr. Christopher Lee? Lotso is created with a similar technology that Christopher uses to create real 3D models of neurons. For those who just started following this interview series, I am a researcher myself and conduct […]
November
19
Neuroscience… of the bladder
posted by Catie Profaci
When we think of neuroscience, we often think of the brain. […] But so much of neuroscience is concerned with happenings outside the brain itself. For instance, neural signaling controls and coordinates our muscle movements, alerts us when our stomach is empty, produces a physiological response to arousal, and sends a painful alarm when we damage our skin. Neural signaling is also important for telling us when it’s time to pee.
November
12
How Light Leads to Darkness: A Neural Link Between Nighttime Light and Depression
posted by Nicole Mlynaryk
Nighttime light exposure can lead to depression. A new study brings us closer to understanding why, and what we can do about it.
November
05
Why do we get hangry?
posted by Susan Lubejko
I’ll admit it – I get very hangry. “Hangry” (a colloquial combo of “hunger” and “angry”) describes the grumpiness and irritability I experience when I’ve gone a bit too long between meals. Hunger itself is an important physiological feeling that signals when our body is low on energy that needs to be replenished by eating. […]
