Tag Archives: neuroscience

June 03

Axolotls: First Ones to the Fountain of Youth

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Introduction If you look at today’s $50 Mexican peso (left), you won’t see the image of a past president or monument. Instead, you’ll see a lone salamander with outstretched arms and gills in the middle of a lake. For centuries, this small creature, known as the axolotl (ax-oh-lot-al), was well known to the people that […]

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May 26

Why does breathing slowly make us feel better?

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You’ve heard it before – during moments of overwhelm, take slow, deep breaths. But how exactly does controlling our breath influence our physiology and ultimately impact our mental well-being?

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May 11

Brains  ~in Space~

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[En Español] Brains have been evolving for 500 million years to exist on a planet with gravity. However, when astronauts enter outer space, their brains have to overcome some serious challenges contrary to the way they were designed. Astronauts report all types of side effects, both during their time in Space and upon their return […]

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April 14

“Fearless” climbers: how the amygdala mediates fear

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Rock climbing, both in a specialized gym and outdoors on natural rock formations, is a very popular hobby here in Southern California. Some people find it exhilarating and enjoyable, while others are simply terrified. Like with any athletic venture, climbers assess risk before embarking on new routes, and may quell their fears with the knowledge […]

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February 24

The Neuroscience of Stress

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Not to brag, but I would consider myself to be an expert in stress – not the study of it, but because of how often I’ve experienced it throughout my adult life (yay, grad school!). If you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you can think of a time when you’ve experienced stress, whether that’s cramming […]

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December 09

Mal de Débarquement: The Science of Land Sickness

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Recently I was lucky to spend seven days on a catamaran out at sea with a small group of (COVID-vaccinated) friends. We traveled around the Gulf of California, witnessing truly amazing sights like manta rays jumping out of the water, sea birds diving into the water, and turtles floating along in the swell. This was […]

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November 11

Are we ready for chips in our brains?

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[En Español] Anna is an Army veteran who served her country and recently lost her arm due to the blast from an improvised explosive device. While this is a life changing event for Anna, current technology in the US allows her to get a robotic arm controlled by a computer chip implanted in her brain. […]

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June 10

What is a topology and why is it in my neuroscience?!

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[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 […]

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April 22

Neuromorphic engineering: how electronics are learning from the brain

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[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 […]

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March 18

Join Dennis Eckmeier on an expedition from neuroscience to science communication

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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 […]

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