Learning

By exposing mice to a unique combination of light and sound, MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can improve cognitive and memory impairments similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s patients. At left, the mouse cortex shows a reduction in amyloid plaques following visual and auditory stimulation, compared to the untreated mouse at right.

Brain wave stimulation may improve Alzheimer’s symptoms

Noninvasive treatment improves memory and reduces amyloid plaques in mice.

March 14, 2019

As it moves from a raw perception to a categorical judgement, information is processed via a gradual progression among many areas of the brain's cortex.

As brain extracts meaning from vision, study tracks progression of processing

Six brain regions participate in a more blended way than has been appreciated.

July 18, 2018

J-PAL North America’s Education, Technology, and Opportunity Innovation Competition supports education leaders in using randomized evaluations to generate evidence on how technology can improve student learning, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

J-PAL North America’s Education, Technology, and Opportunity Innovation Competition announces inaugural partners

July 6, 2018

An example of a therapy session augmented with humanoid robot NAO [SoftBank Robotics], which was used in the EngageMe study. Tracking of limbs/faces was performed using the CMU Perceptual Lab's OpenPose utility.

Personalized “deep learning” equips robots for autism therapy

Machine learning network offers personalized estimates of children’s behavior.

June 27, 2018

The image of a dendrite and its spines was reconstructed with electron microscopy (foreground) after it was imaged with two-photon microscopy in an intact brain (background).

MIT scientists discover fundamental rule of brain plasticity

Study reveals how, when a synapse strengthens, its neighbors weaken.

June 22, 2018

Brighter fluorescence (at right) represents greater expression of the protein neurogranin in the hippocampus of mice exposed to new contexts (versus mice not exposed to new contexts, at left). The quick production of neurogranin is believed to help in the creation of new memories.

Protein pair quickly makes memories of new places

MIT researchers find that encountering novel contexts cues the brain to churn out neurogranin.

June 6, 2018

Ravi Raju, a Picower Clinical Research Fellow, explains how gene expression differs as mice respond to circumstances modeling poverty.

Fighting toxic stress in children is tough but possible

Taking time to understand underlying causes of stress can help children escape debilitating health effects, symposium speakers argue.

May 31, 2018

It’s often said that experience is the best teacher, but the experiences of other people may be even better.

Brain circuit helps us learn by watching others

Scientists pinpoint neural interactions that are necessary for observational learning.

May 3, 2018

Cognitive scientists define critical period for learning language

Study shows children remain adept learners until the age of 17 or 18.

May 1, 2018

MIT graduate student Hilary Richardson helps a child into an MRI scanner for a study of how children's brains develop the ability to think about the mental states of other people.

Study finds early signatures of the social brain

Children as young as 3 have brain network devoted to interpreting thoughts of other people.

March 12, 2018

Research shows that students who fail to read adequately in first grade have a 90 percent probability of reading poorly in fourth grade, and a 75 percent probability of reading poorly in high school.

MIT and Harvard join forces to address early childhood literacy

Reach Every Reader aims to end early literacy crisis.

March 6, 2018

MIT cognitive scientists have found that conversation between an adult and a child appears to change the child’s brain.

Back-and-forth exchanges boost children’s brain response to language

Study finds engaging young children in conversation is more important for brain development than “dumping words” on them.

February 13, 2018

The 2018 Festival of Learning was a day of learning with national thought leaders, MIT innovators, an interactive learning expo, food, fun, and more. Hundreds of attendees experienced the catalyzing power behind initiatives designed to transform education.

Lessons in learning

MIT's second annual Festival of Learning engages and inspires.

February 7, 2018

To evaluate infants’ intuition regarding what other people value, researchers showed them videos in which an agent (red bouncing ball) decides whether it’s worth the effort to leap over an obstacle to reach a goal (blue cartoon character).

How badly do you want something? Babies can tell

Ten-month-old infants determine the value of a goal from how hard someone works to achieve it.

November 23, 2017

Brain waves reflect different types of learning

For the first time, researchers have identified neural signatures of explicit and implicit learning.

October 11, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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