McGovern Institute

Associate Professor Josh McDermott (left) and graduate student Jenelle Feather generated physically distinct stimuli that are classified identically by models, rather than by humans.

Differences between deep neural networks and human perception

Stimuli that sound or look like gibberish to humans are indistinguishable from naturalistic stimuli to deep networks.

December 12, 2019

MIT neuroscientists have shown that people can enhance their attention by using neurofeedback to decrease alpha waves in one side of the parietal cortex.

Controlling attention with brain waves

Study shows that people can boost attention by manipulating their own alpha brain waves.

December 4, 2019

Clockwise from top left: Riccardo Comin, Joseph Davis, Lawrence Guth, Michael Halassa, Sebastian Lourido, Brent Minchew, Elly Nedivi, Andrei Neguț, Matĕj Peč, Kerstin Perez, Bjorn Poonen, Daniel Suess, Alison Wendlandt, and Julien de Wit

School of Science appoints 14 faculty members to named professorships

Those selected for these positions receive additional support to pursue their research and develop their careers.

November 4, 2019

MIT neuroscientists have identified two brain circuits that help tune out distracting sensory information.

Drug combination reverses hypersensitivity to noise

Findings in mice suggest targeting certain brain circuits could offer new ways to treat some neurological disorders.

October 21, 2019

MIT neuroscientists have shown that the core elements of an internal model also control purely mental processes.

Controlling our internal world

Design principles from robotics help researchers decipher elements controlling mental processes in the brain.

October 16, 2019

In the top row, neurons are labeled with a fluorescent probe that reveals electrical activity. In the bottom row, neurons are labeled with a variant of the probe that accumulates specifically in the neuron cell bodies, preventing interference from axons of neighboring neurons.

New method visualizes groups of neurons as they compute

Fluorescent probe could allow scientists to watch circuits within the brain and link their activity to specific behaviors.

October 9, 2019

Even relatively small differences in the duration, timing, and consistency of students' sleep may have significant effects on course test results, a new MIT study shows.

Study: Better sleep habits lead to better college grades

Data on MIT students underscore the importance of getting enough sleep; bedtime also matters.

October 1, 2019

Eduardo Undurraga, an assistant professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, runs a musical pitch perception experiment with a member of the Tsimane’ tribe of the Bolivian rainforest.

Perception of musical pitch varies across cultures

How people interpret musical notes depends on the types of music they have listened to, researchers find.

September 19, 2019

Mehrdad Jazayeri, an associate professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (left), and Hazel Sive, a professor in the Department of Biology, are the 2019 recipients of the School of Science Teaching Prizes in Graduate and Undergraduate Education, respectively.

Mehrdad Jazayeri and Hazel Sive awarded 2019 School of Science teaching prizes

Nominated by peers and students, professors in brain and cognitive sciences and biology are recognized for excellence in graduate and undergraduate education.

September 18, 2019

The primary region of the human auditory cortex (outlined in white) responds differently (blue) to natural sound when background noise is present.

Hearing through the clatter

Study reveals brain regions that respond differently to the presence of background noise, suggesting the brain progressively hones in on and isolates sounds.

September 9, 2019