Category: Biology Philosophy
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Fighter! Ask not why!
A new study shows that norepinephrine-producing neurons in the locus coeruleus produce attention focus and impulse control via two distinct connections to prefrontal cortex. (1) Brain controlling attention. But if something else helps us stay focused on something, what are we paying attention to? Look at your image on the calm lake. There is no…
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Alone. Evolving. Crying…
North America’s beloved Monarch butterflies are known for their annual, multi-generation migrations in which individual insects can fly for thousands of miles. But Monarchs have also settled in some locations where their favorite food plants grow year round, so they no longer need to migrate. A new study of specimens collected over the last two…
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Genome. Life. Meaning.
Twenty years after the release of the human genome, the genetic ‘blueprint’ of human life, an international research team has now mapped the first draft sequence of the human proteome. (1) Genes mean nothing. Their expression through the proteome does. Proteome. But the proteome means nothing. Its manifestation through specific conditions is all that matters.…
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Wag the tail…
Even though dogs gaze into man’s eyes, dog brains may not process faces as human brains do. A new study suggests that the canine visual system is organized differently: the face network found in primates may not extend to all mammals. (1) Stupid humans. Believing all others see the world as they do. But dogs…
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Memories. Ephemeral. Have you forgotten?
Findings from genetically diverse mice challenge long-held assumptions about how the brain is able to briefly hold onto important information. In a paper in Cell, the researchers present evidence that working memory isn’t neatly confined to one brain area, but requires the synchronous activity of at least two. The findings challenge long-held assumptions that working…
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