Revisiting reinforcement learning
A detailed new look at dopamine signaling suggests neuroscientists’ model of reinforcement learning may need to be revised.
MIT K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics celebrates Sierra Leone’s inaugural class of orthotic and prosthetic clinicians
MIT and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health launch specialized program to train future clinicians on the fabrication of artificial limbs and braces for people with disabilities.
3 Questions: Claire Wang on training the brain for memory sports
The MIT sophomore and award-winning memory champion explains what these competitions are all about and why you might want to build a “memory palace.”
When a cell protector collaborates with a killer
New research reveals what it takes for a protein that is best known for protecting cells against death to take on the opposite role.
Four from MIT named 2025 Rhodes Scholars
Yiming Chen ’24, Wilhem Hector, Anushka Nair, and David Oluigbo will start postgraduate studies at Oxford next fall.
Neuroscientists create a comprehensive map of the cerebral cortex
Using fMRI, the research team identified 24 networks that perform specific functions within the brain’s cerebral cortex.
Brains, fashion, alien life, and more: Highlights from the Cambridge Science Festival
Organized by the MIT Museum, the 2024 celebration of science, technology, and culture was the largest in its history, with over 50,000 visitors at 300 events.
Brain pathways that control dopamine release may influence motor control
The newly identified pathways appear to relay emotional information that helps to shape the motivation to take action.
Seven with MIT ties elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2024
Professors Matthew Vander Heiden and Fan Wang, along with five MIT alumni, are honored for their outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Model reveals why debunking election misinformation often doesn’t work
The new study also identifies factors that can make these efforts more successful.
Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes
The devices could be a useful tool for biomedical research, and possible clinical use in the future.
A new method makes high-resolution imaging more accessible
Labs that can’t afford expensive super-resolution microscopes could use a new expansion technique to image nanoscale structures inside cells.
Finding some stability in adaptable brains
New research suggests neurons protect and preserve certain information through a dedicated zone of stable synapses.
Harnessing the power of placebo for pain relief
MIT researchers investigate the neural circuits that underlie placebos’ ability to relieve chronic and acute pain.
Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales
In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words.