The power of weak ties in gaining new employment
An experiment using data from 20 million LinkedIn profiles shows how much we rely on people we know less well to land new jobs.
Study reveals how environment and state are integrated to control behavior
A simple animal model shows how stimuli and states such as smells, stressors, and satiety converge in an olfactory neuron to guide food-seeking behavior.
Divorce is more common in albatross couples with shy males, study finds
In a long-studied population of wandering albatrosses, females are less likely to stick with a shy mate.
Modeling the social mind
PhD student Setayesh Radkani studies the psychological and neural mechanisms at work when humans learn from and influence each other.
Analysis of email traffic suggests remote work may stifle innovation
At MIT, social networks with “weak ties,” which help foster new ideas, declined during the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers report.
These neurons have food on the brain
MIT scientists have discovered a population of neurons that light up whenever we see images of food.
When a task adds more steps, this brain circuit helps you notice
By tracking feedback during tasks, the anterior cingulate cortex notices when a new step has become necessary and signals the motor cortex to adjust.
Sprint then stop? The brain is wired for the math to make it happen
To ensure a quick halt, brain circuit architecture avoids a slow process of integration in favor of quicker differentiation, study finds.
Approaching human cognition from many angles
Senior Keith Murray combines his interests in neuroscience, computation, and philosophy to better understand human behavior.
What lies beneath
In a new book, an MIT scholar examines how game-theory logic underpins many of our seemingly odd and irrational decisions.
Study finds neurons that encode the outcomes of actions
These cells, located in the brain’s striatum, appear to help with decision-making that requires evaluating risks and benefits.
Babies can tell who has close relationships based on one clue: saliva
Sharing food and kissing are among the signals babies use to interpret their social world, according to a new study.
Systems scientists find clues to why false news snowballs on social media
A new model shows that the more polarized and hyperconnected a social network is, the more likely misinformation will spread.
Feast or forage? Study finds circuit that helps a brain decide
By integrating multiple sensory inputs, a loop of mutual inhibition among a small set of neurons allows worms to switch between long-lasting behavioral states.
Is watching believing?
In spreading politics, videos may not be much more persuasive than their text-based counterparts.