Neural Network

In a feat only a few non-human animals have accomplished so far, a common dark-furred mouse has passed what’s known as the mirror self-recognition test. Backed by supporting genetic cues, this suggests mice can actually recognize themselves.

A groundbreaking study has mapped dopamine, deep inside the brain, in real time. Surprising researchers, the "pleasure neurotransmitter" is more complex than earlier thought, shaping our brain to make better decisions based on prior experience.

For the first time, scientists have identified how the region of our brain that powers memory is made up of two very different sets of neurons: one that deals with previous associations, and one that is predictive, actively shaping future behaviors.

A new kind of high-frequency deep-brain stimulation has successfully stimulated neurons in the hippocampus, the region that forms, organizes and retrieves memories. This non-invasive, painless treatment is now being trialed on dementia patients.

A drug that treats excessive daytime sleepiness and obstructive sleep apnea could be repurposed to relieve debilitating symptoms of attention deficit hyperactive disorder, without the serious health risks that stimulants may hold for older adults.

Following years of controversy, including whistleblowers reporting of rushed experimental “hack jobs” that resulted in as many as 1,500 animal fatalities, Elon Musk's brain-chip implant company has begun recruiting for its landmark first human trial.

Believe it or not, male sexual desire actually begins in the brain. Scientists have found the neural circuit that triggers mating behaviors and the ensuing pleasure and reward feedback in mice. They hope it can lead to new drugs to treat dysfunction.

A new computer-trained scent model has done better than humans at identifying odors. In analyzing 500,000 potential odor molecules that had never before been synthesized, it also handily did work that would take 70 person-years to complete.

A new stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease, in which the donor would also become the transplant recipient, is one step closer to human trials after scientists were able to successfully grow and rebuild neurons in an animal model.

Scientists have speculated about the cognitive and dreaming abilities of the octopus. This study is a step closer in understanding their complex behavior. As does a study on cuttlefish from the same team, showing their color shifting like never before.

For the first time, through brain scans, assessments and therapies, researchers have identified a subtype of depression that features more pronounced cognitive dysregulation, with common treatment missing the mark on combatting debilitating symptoms.

Even with convincing deep fakes causing record-label panic and a flurry of new AI tech garnering plenty of interest, we’re still at the very beginning of learning just how modern machine learning will change art and pop culture, for both good and bad.