Human gene linked to bigger brains was born from seemingly useless DNA

Researchers discover how DNA sequences must mutate to free their RNA to make proteins

Distant Memories of Fear Lurk in Your Brain, And We May Have Found Their Hiding Place

Recollections of traumatic events can continue to resurface in the brain long after the moment has passed, leading to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Mindfulness Can Rival Antidepressants For Anxiety, Study Finds

Mindfulness exercises can, in some cases, be as effective as antidepressant drugs when dealing with anxiety disorders, new research reveals.

What Happens in The Brain When We Vomit? We May Have Just Found Out

When we eat food that's been contaminated by potentially harmful bacteria, vomiting is a key way the body expels the toxins.

Insects May Feel Pain, So What Does That Mean For Animal Welfare Laws?

At least a trillion insects are killed annually for food and animal feed.

Millions of 'Silent Synapses' Could Be The Key to Lifelong Learning

Newborns need to store vast amounts of new information quickly as they learn to navigate the world.

The Evolution of ADHD

The advantages of wandering attention.

Why Embarrassing Memories Can Trigger Feelings of Shame All Over Again

We've all done it – you're walking around going about your business and suddenly you're thinking about that time in high school you said something really stupid you would never say now.

Study shows bumble bees 'play'

Bumble bees play, according to new research. It is believed to be the first time that object play behavior has been shown in an insect, adding to mounting evidence that bees may experience positive 'feelings'.

AI is changing scientists' understanding of language learning – and raising questions about an innate grammar

Linguists have long considered grammar to be the glue of language, and key to how children learn it. But new prose-writing AIs suggest language experience may be more important than grammar.

Are 'core memories' real? The science behind 5 common myths

Do we really have ‘core memories’ that shape our personality? The science says things are a little more complicated.

Clockwork-Like 'Computer' Discovered Inside Brainless Microscopic Organism

Tiny single-celled critters obviously don't have room for a brain to tell them how to move in complex ways, so to get about, they usually roll, slither or swim.

An Early Warning Sign of Dementia Risk May Be Keeping You Up at Night, Says New Study

We spend a third of our lives asleep.

Another Path to Intelligence

Octopus brains are nothing like ours—yet we have much in common.

'Gifted' Dogs Seem to Have This One Characteristic in Common

There's a very special and very rare group of dogs known as Gifted Word Learners by researchers, and they have a particular talent: being able to learn the names of multiple toys.

Paper wasps form abstract concept of 'same' and 'different'

In a series of studies over more than 20 years, evolutionary biologists have demonstrated that paper wasps, despite their tiny brains, have an impressive capacity to learn, remember and make social distinctions about others.

Aphantasia Makes It Harder to Visualize Your Past And Future, Study Shows

A rare condition that makes people unable to visualize images in their imagination could have further-reaching effects on the mind than we knew, scientists report.