Summary: A new study introduces a multilingualism calculator that quantifies how multilingual a person truly is, offering a clearer alternative to vague labels like “bilingual.” By combining age of acquisition…
Category: brain research
Brain Blends Fast and Slow Signals to Shape Human Thought
Summary: Researchers mapped the brain connectivity of 960 individuals to uncover how fast and slow neural processes unite to support complex behavior. They found that intrinsic neural timescales—each region’s characteristic…
Early Screen Time Linked to Long-Term Brain Changes, Teen Anxiety
Summary: New research following children for more than a decade links high screen exposure before age two to accelerated brain maturation, slower decision-making, and increased anxiety by adolescence. Infants with…
Doubting Your Doubts Can Boost Motivation
Summary: When people facing uncertainty about an important identity goal are nudged to question the validity of their own doubts, their commitment to that goal actually increases. The research demonstrates…
AI Brain Model Shows How Neurons Learn, and Where They Fail
Summary: A biologically grounded computational model built to mimic real neural circuits, not trained on animal data, learned a visual categorization task just as actual lab animals do, matching their…
Numbers in Vision Can Shift How We Perceive Space
Summary: New research reveals that numbers in our visual field can subtly distort how we judge spatial positions, showing that perception is shaped by both numerical magnitude and object-based processing.…
Guilt and Shame Shape Behavior Through Separate Brain Pathways
Summary: Guilt and shame arise from different cognitive triggers and rely on distinct neural systems to guide compensatory behavior. Using a controlled game that manipulated both harm and responsibility, researchers…
Emotional Stress Triggers Instant Arousal From Deep Sleep
Summary: A new study uncovers a precise brain pathway that rapidly converts emotional stress into sudden wakefulness during NREM sleep. Researchers found that GABAergic neurons in the BNST activate glutamatergic…
Depression Quietly Damages the Heart Through Stress Circuits
Summary: Depression and anxiety may heighten cardiovascular disease risk through chronic stress pathways in the brain and body. In a large analysis of more than 85,000 adults, those with depression…
