Researchers integrated four organoids that represent the four components of the human sensory pathway, along which pain signals are conveyed to the brain. Stimulation of the sensory organoid (top) by substances, such as capsaicin, triggers neuronal activity that is then transmitted throughout the rest of the organoids. Pasca lab/Stanford Medicine hide caption
Yale cognitive neuroscientist Nick Turk-Browne works with a baby and parent during a brain scan. 160/90 hide caption
Keith Thomas, who lives with paralysis, poses with the research team at Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research that worked with him for months to restore lasting movement and feeling in his arm and hand. The 'double neural bypass' system uses brain implants and artificial intelligence to allow signals to and from Thomas' brain to bypass the site of his injury. MATTHEW LIBASSI hide caption
The fruit fly connectome contains a wide range of information, from cell types and synapses to neurotransmitters and network properties. Here, cells are color-coded by their defining chemical messenger.
Amy Sterling for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald et al., Nature, 2024)
hide caption
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as a third party candidate for president. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption
Scientists have built an enormous atlas of the human brain that could help them chart a path toward preventing and treating many different neurological disorders. imaginima/Getty images hide caption
Scientists have engineered an albino squid that provides a window into the inner workings of the brain. Carrie Albertin/MBL Cephalopod Program hide caption
The silhouette of a person is seen in the middle of a large gallery space at ARTECHOUSE in Washington, DC. Panels covering the surrounding walls and floor are illuminated with artistic projections of neurons. ARTECHOUSE Team hide caption
NIH Director Francis Collins and Renée Fleming, who is Artistic Advisor at Large for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., sing a duet. Shelby Knowles/NPR hide caption
People play Pong in Cologne, western Germany. Researchers are teaching brain cells in a dish to learn the play the game, too. INA FASSBENDER / AFP via Getty Images hide caption
To study emotions in animals, scientists need to look beneath feelings to the brain states that produce certain behaviors. Fran Laurendeau/RooM RF/Getty Images hide caption
NIH Director Francis Collins and Renée Fleming, who is Artistic Advisor at Large for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., sing a duet. Shelby Knowles/NPR hide caption
Grief is tied to all sorts of different brain functions, says researcher and author Mary-Frances O'Connor. That can range from being able to recall memories to taking the perspective of another person, to even things like regulating our heart rate and the experience of pain and suffering. Adam Lister/Getty Images hide caption
A young girl in a yellow dress is standing in the middle of a large gallery space at ARTECHOUSE in Washington, DC. There's an image of a neuron projected onto her, the walls, and the ground. ARTECHOUSE Team hide caption
Researchers are studying athletes and military personnel to learn more about how a concussion can affect the brain's ability to understand sound. Callista Images/Image Source/Getty Images hide caption
Speech therapist David Romero uses software to compose words with Teodoro Leazma, who suffered COVID-19. Leazma recovered his mobility, but then realized the illness caused him to have dyslexia and other cognitive disorders. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images hide caption
Brain cells that monitor liquid, mineral and salt levels in the body influence what types of drinks we crave when thirsty. Krisanapong Detraphiphat/Getty Images hide caption
This image shows the buildup of toxic tau proteins in the medial temporal gyrus of a human brain. Though some drugs can now remove these proteins, that hasn't seemed to ease Alzheimer's symptoms. It's time to look more deeply into how the cells work, scientists say. UW Medicine hide caption
How does nicotine in e-cigarettes affect young brains? Researchers are teasing out answers. Research on young mice and rats shows how nicotine hijacks brain systems involved in learning, memory, impulse control and addiction. Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
