Number Sense

Meet some of the people featured in the October 2021 issue of The Scientist.

COVID-19 has killed more than 4 million people around the globe and has sickened many millions more. The neurological toll on those of us continuing to live through the pandemic may stretch years or decades into the uncertain future.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

The myth of female variability is shaping what we know about our brains.

Researchers discover that when the mind wanders or goes blank, some parts of the brain behave as they do during sleep.

While exploring suspended animation in mice, scientists discover how an enzyme can protect the brain from dangerously low levels of oxygen.

Researchers have identified specific cells and neuropeptides involved in mediating the sneeze response in mice exposed to allergens or chemical irritants such as capsaicin.

Neurons in the hippocampus store information on the timing of experiences in addition to their content, helping to mediate sequential memory recall, a new study shows.

Mice have neurons that connect to both eyes but only propagate the signal from one or the other, simplifying the information sent to the cerebral cortex.

The Columbia University neuroscientist researches the biology behind some of our most human experiences, including building family relationships. 

Pharmaceutical companies ramp up efforts to get the brain’s immune cells to help treat Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions, but not everyone agrees the approach will be effective.

Plastic waste pervades every ecosystem on Earth and is likely affecting neurobiology as well.

Intrigued by an optical illusion he experienced while traveling in Scotland, Robert Addams wrote what is now considered one of the definitive observational accounts of so-called motion aftereffects.

A mouse study identifies the brain regions and specific signaling factors that regulate the sneeze response.

Research in recent decades has explored how animals other than humans perceive different numbers of objects

Some nerve cells in the brains of macaques respond selectively to particular numbers, hinting at a specialized pathway for extracting information about numerical quantity.

Conservation of structures and functions between single-celled fungi and human cells allow researchers to probe the brain.