Biomedical scientists, including many neuroscientists, often get into the scientific research game with the goal of seeing a future in which their work can directly impact human health and wellbeing. There is often a disconnect, however, between the long hours in the lab working with cells, rodents, or computers and the eventual future applications of […]
Category Archives: Neuroscience
June
10
What is a topology and why is it in my neuroscience?!
posted by JC Gorman
[En Español] Time to go back to math class and into a world where a coffee mug and a donut are the same thing. If you ignore distances and shapes, and instead focus on continuity and relations, a donut can easily be morphed into a coffee mug, making them “topologically equivalent”. The hole is the […]
May
27
How to Write a Scientific Paper
posted by Nicole Mlynaryk
Most people learn how to write a scientific paper or proposal through trial and error. This guide hopes to make that process easier.
May
20
Magnetoreception – a Quantum Sixth Sense
posted by Seraphina Solders
Imagine you are dropped off hundreds of miles away from your home, deep in some unknown forest. Would you be able to find your way home using only your five basic senses – sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch? If you’re anything like me, you may struggle to navigate around your own city without help […]
May
07
Take a Trip Down Memory Lane: the study of nostalgia
posted by Susan Lubejko
Living through a global pandemic with limited access to friends, family, and fun has undoubtedly left many of us feeling emotional. Perhaps you’ve been listening to music during your many hours at home and a song has come on that forces you to reminisce on a particular trip you took with your best friend in […]
April
22
Neuromorphic engineering: how electronics are learning from the brain
posted by JC Gorman
[En Español] “As engineers, we would be foolish to ignore the lessons of a billion years of evolution” -Carver Mead Scientists have been pursuing artificial intelligence that rivals what the human brain can do for centuries. The brain is remarkable in some computer-like aspects; it processes multiple complex tasks in parallel with high efficiency and […]
April
01
How do we use magnets to take pictures of the brain?
posted by Seraphina Solders
Magnets are everywhere – they exist in our electronics, cars, refrigerators, and so on. The Earth itself is one giant magnet, which is why we can use compasses to navigate! They also have many incredible biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which allows us to take pictures of biological tissues and organs in a […]
March
25
Singing in the Brain: Bird Neuroscience
posted by Drew Schreiner
Many of us have adopted new hobbies or interests in this strange quarantine world. For me, I’ve started to really appreciate birds. Birds and birdsong are almost omnipresent and for those of us living in more developed areas, they are oftentimes one of our only real reminders of and connections to the natural world. So, […]
March
18
Join Dennis Eckmeier on an expedition from neuroscience to science communication
posted by Ariane Pessentheiner
Today I invite you to join me on an expedition with Dr. Dennis Eckmeier through the academic jungle to the realms of science communication. You will learn about the courtship calls of Chinese fire-bellied toads, a blowfly flight simulator, the vision of zebra finches (yes, finches, not fish!), and how the memory of smell might […]
March
11
The Future of the Neuroscience of Dreaming
posted by Susan Lubejko
What is the purpose of dreaming? What do the contents of your dreams mean? What is your brain doing during dreams to produce the sometimes surreal experiences that leave you confused upon waking? Why do we remember some parts of our dreams, but struggle to recall the events in others? The unsatisfying answer to these […]
