We are almost constantly surrounded by a variety of visual objects, all of which could, theoretically, be important for us. But only a very small area on our retinas, the fovea in the macula lutea, has high visual acuity; a large portion of our field of vision has only a low resolution. Therefore, our gaze must be directed toward a specific target in order to precisely identify the object. Continue reading “What catches our eye”
Unexpected link between immune cells and male-female differences
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have made a surprising discovery: during fetal development, a particular immune cell seems to play a key role in determining the male or female characteristics of the brain. Continue reading “Unexpected link between immune cells and male-female differences”
Earth could have supported continental crust, life earlier than thought
The early Earth might have been habitable much earlier than thought, according to new research from a group led by University of Chicago scientists. Continue reading “Earth could have supported continental crust, life earlier than thought”
How the brain performs flexible computations
Humans can perform a vast array of mental operations and adjust their behavioral responses based on external instructions and internal beliefs. For example, to tap your feet to a musical beat, your brain has to process the incoming sound and also use your internal knowledge of how the song goes. Continue reading “How the brain performs flexible computations”
How the brain constructs the world
How are raw sensory signals transformed into a brain representation of the world that surrounds us? The question was first posed over 100 years ago, but new experimental strategies make the challenge more exciting than ever. SISSA investigators have now uncovered the contributions to perception of a brain region called posterior parietal cortex. In two separate papers published in Neuron and Nature, they show that posterior parietal cortex contributes to the merging of signals from different sensory modalities, as well the formation of memories about the history of recent stimuli. Continue reading “How the brain constructs the world”
Why people become more prone to distraction with age
Older adults appear more easily distracted by irrelevant information than younger people when they experience stress or powerful emotions — and a specific network in the brain recently identified as the epicenter for Alzheimer’s and dementia may be to blame. Continue reading “Why people become more prone to distraction with age”
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