Brain | Science News for Students

Brain

An artists interpretation of a person smelling and directions (arrows) in their brain

The brain tangles up senses of smell and direction, a new study suggests.

E. Otwell

Brain
 
Nov 21, 2018
People may be literally led by their noses
A black and white illustration of a cross section of the brain. The hippocampus is highlighted in blue.

In a new study, the hippocampus (blue) was active during parts of films when one event ended and another began. Marking such boundaries may help the brain package ongoing experiences as separate memories.

Henry Vandyke Carter - Henry Gray/Wikimedia Commons (PubDom)

Brain
 
Nov 7, 2018
How your brain is like a film editor
a gray rat and a white rat sitting right next to each other and looking toward the right of the screen

When rats are the human equivalent of teenagers, they love to wrestle with their BFFs. As they grow up, they chill out. A new study now offers clues to why. 

GlobalP/iStockPhoto

Brain
 
Nov 6, 2018
The immune system has a say in how hard ‘teen’ rats play
a girl using a smartphone while sitting outside

How much screen time is too much? Kids who spend less than two hours a day on screens perform better on cognitive tests.

filipefrazao/iStockPhoto

Behavior
 
Nov 2, 2018
Less screentime linked to better memory, learning in kids
A young woman is smiling and talking on her cell-phone

A new study finds that teens who get more exposure to cell-phone radiation — and hold their phones on the right — do worse on one type of memory test.

DMEPhotography/iStockphoto

Health
 
Oct 16, 2018
Teens’ cell phone use linked to memory problems
a computer generated image of a football player tackling another football player holding the football

Football tackles can leave players sore — and sometimes suffering a concussion. But new data from professional athletes suggest that not all players sustain serious long-term brain damage from years of play.

master1305/iStockphoto

Brain
 
Sep 11, 2018
Football and hockey don’t necessarily doom players’ brains to serious damage
a hand holds a bowl of yogurt with fruit on someone's lap, the person is wearing running clothes, their torso is out of the frame

Not really up for a post-workout snack? Scientists have found an area of the brain that appears to explain why.

Rasulovs/iStockPhoto

Body functions
 
Aug 27, 2018
Body heat due to exercise may reduce hunger
a woman soccer player heading a soccer ball

In a head-to-head comparison, soccer balls appeared to damage women’s brains more than men’s.

Henry Huey/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Brain
 
Aug 21, 2018
Soccer headers may hurt women’s brains more than men’s
a girl with braces enjoying a slice of pizza

All our senses inform what we taste. 

MarianVejcik/iStockphoto

Body functions
 
Aug 2, 2018
Taste good? Senses inform the brain — but don’t tell everyone the same thing
a photo of an assortment of lunch foods on a white background

What gives all of these foods a different flavor? For starters, each produces a different combination of tastes — information that the brain will sort through as it decides whether it likes a food (or doesn’t).

klenova/iStockphoto

Body functions
 
Aug 2, 2018
Explainer: Taste and flavor are not the same