The Amazing Human Brain

Latest about Mind

A collage with the silhouettes of two heads. In one head, a picture of an apple is drawn. In the other head, there is only scribbles.

How do you see pictures in your brain?

By Lynne Gauthier, Jiabin Shen published

Here’s how your brain visualizes scenarios that you’re not actually looking at with your eyes.

Mind
an athletic man wearing shorts and a tank top kneels on a running track as if exhausted

What causes people to 'choke' under pressure?

By Anna Gora, Christoph Schwaiger last updated

People who "choke" under pressure underperform in high-stakes situations out of stress and worry. But what causes this phenomenon?

Wellbeing
Human brain with highlighted precentral gyrus, computer illustration.

Monkey study reveals science behind 'choking under pressure'

By Christoph Schwaiger published

When a person (or monkey) is facing stakes that are too high, the stress can interfere with neurons, affecting how they direct the body to execute movements, a study suggests.

Neuroscience
Brain MRI scan, Frontal Cut Away View

Men have a daily hormone cycle — and it's synced to their brains shrinking from morning to night

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A month-long study of a man's brain revealed that its volume consistently shrunk over the course of each day and then reset overnight.

Neuroscience
Profile image of psychologist, Dr Dinesh Bhugra

'What is normal today may not be normal in a year's time': Dr. Dinesh Bhugra on the idea of 'normal' in psychiatry

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Live Science spoke with leading psychiatrist Dr. Dinesh Bhugra ahead of his appearance at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in London.

Psychology
Two stylized images showing the amount of gray matter in the brain.

Pregnancy shrinks parts of the brain, leaving 'permanent etchings' postpartum

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study tracks how the structure of the brain changes during pregnancy, drawing on brain scans gathered before, during and just after one person's pregnancy.

Neuroscience
A computer monitor entirely covered in post-it notes

Why do we forget things we were just thinking about?

By Marilyn Perkins published

When the brain "juggles" information, things can fall through the cracks.

Memory
A black and white photo of Julia Childs with an array of fresh ingredients in the kitchen

Color-blind people may be less picky eaters. Here's why.

By Isabel Gauthier published

Seeing the world with a restricted color palate seems to tone down an emotion-based resistance to new foods.

Mind
Woman is showing cross-legged on the floor by a sofa. She has her eyes closed and is resting the back of her hands on her legs in an open position.

Mindfulness meditation really does relieve pain, brain scans reveal

By Emily Cooke published

A new study suggests that mindfulness meditation influences how the brain perceives pain in ways that are distinct from the placebo effect.

Mind
Abstract image showing a neuron up-close against a black background. The neuron looks like a tree with branches. The "trunk" of the neuron is a light blue color, while the tips are yellow. Yellow lines also run through the trunk in places.

New blood test detects ALS with 98% accuracy, offering hope for earlier diagnosis

By Emily Cooke published

Many patients with ALS die within three to five years of their symptoms starting, so early diagnosis of the disease is critical for treatment.

Neuroscience
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