Topic
Brain and cognitive sciences
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Study suggests animals think probabilistically to distinguish contexts
New statistical model may help scientists understand how animals infer whether surroundings are novel or haven’t changed enough to be a new context.
August 12, 2020 -
Key brain region was “recycled” as humans developed the ability to read
Part of the visual cortex dedicated to recognizing objects appears predisposed to identifying words and letters, a study finds.
August 4, 2020 -
Looking into the black box
Recent advances give theoretical insight into why deep learning networks are successful.
July 27, 2020 -
Mapping the brain’s sensory gatekeeper
New analysis could help uncover potential drug targets for attention deficits and sensory hypersensitivity.
July 22, 2020 -
A new way to control experimentation with dreams
Device not only helps record dream reports, but also guides dreams toward particular themes.
July 21, 2020 -
Neural vulnerability in Huntington’s disease tied to release of mitochondrial RNA
Unique survey of gene expression by cell type in humans and mice reveals several deficits affecting the most vulnerable neurons.
July 21, 2020 -
Seemingly similar, two neurons show distinct styles as they interact with the same muscle partner
Diversity in how cells talk to the muscle they innervate reveal distinct propensities for change, or “plasticity.”
July 20, 2020 -
Findings weaken notion that size equals strength for neural connections
Among study’s many surprises may be a new way to address Fragile X syndrome — by finding a “protein X.”
July 14, 2020 -
LEAH Knox Scholars Program kicks off fourth summer
The science program for local high school students is remote this year, as MIT instructors create at-home lab experiences.
July 14, 2020 -
COMMANDing drug delivery
A new computational method fine-tunes delivery of therapeutics to specific brain regions.
July 10, 2020 -
Nine MIT School of Science professors receive tenure for 2020
Professors earn tenure in the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
July 7, 2020 -
Universal musical harmony
Acoustic and biological constraints shape how we hear harmony across cultures.
July 1, 2020 -
How worms move: Dopamine helps nematodes coordinate motor behaviors
To spy on worms for days on end, Picower Institute scientists invent a new open-source microscopy platform.
June 30, 2020 -
Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand
Method could shed light on nitric oxide’s role in the neural, circulatory, and immune systems.
June 29, 2020 -
A focused approach to imaging neural activity in the brain
New molecule for imaging calcium in neurons reduces crosstalk from neighboring neurons.
June 26, 2020 -
Identifying a melody by studying a musician’s body language
Music gesture artificial intelligence tool developed at the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab uses body movements to isolate the sounds of individual instruments.
June 25, 2020 -
Like a treasure map, brain region emphasizes reward location
The lateral septum encodes spatial information with a special emphasis on where the reward lies.
June 23, 2020 -
MIT-Takeda program launches
Research projects will harness the power of artificial intelligence to positively impact human health.
June 18, 2020 -
Study sheds light on a classic visual illusion
Neuroscientists delve into how background brightness influences our perception of an object.
June 16, 2020 -
Study finds path for addressing Alzheimer’s blood-brain barrier impairment
MIT researchers pinpoint mechanism and demonstrate that drugs could help.
June 15, 2020