How the brain assigns objects to categories
New findings may explain why children with autism tend to fixate on details instead of seeing the big picture.
Daniel Schmidt, neurobiology postdoc, wins cancer fellowship
Brain-tumor researcher named among 18 fellows
Don’t show, don’t tell?
Cognitive scientists find that when teaching young children, there is a trade-off between direct instruction and independent exploration.
When things go wrong, who’s to blame?
New study shows that infants are surprisingly adept at figuring out whether they made a mistake or if something is wrong in the world.
When four is not four, but rather two plus two
MIT neuroscientists redefine the limits of visual working memory.
Inside the infant mind
New study shows that babies can perform sophisticated analyses of how the physical world should behave.
What makes an image memorable?
Hint: We tend to remember pictures of people much better than wide open spaces.
How to control complex networks
New algorithm offers ability to influence systems such as living cells or social networks.
Of minds and machines
Final installment of MIT’s 150th anniversary symposia explores intelligence — both human and artificial.
The benefits of meditation
MIT and Harvard neuroscientists explain why the practice helps tune out distractions and relieve pain.
Jerome Lettvin, MIT professor emeritus, dies at 91
Dynamic cognitive scientist made key contributions to neurophysiology and vision science.
Shedding light on a longstanding puzzle
Study of blind children in India helps answer a 300-year-old philosophical question.
Re-creating autism, in mice
Mice with a particular gene mutation avoid interacting with other mice and show compulsive, repetitive behavior.
Parts of brain can switch functions
In people born blind, brain regions that usually process vision can tackle language.