Neuroscience
Prominent German Neuroscientist Committed Misconduct in “Brain Reading” Research
A German funding agency imposes strict sanctions on Niels Birbaumer, whose studies, it says, contained incomplete data—but Birbaumer stands by his work
Stories by Alison Abbott
Policy
Europe's Next Big-Budget Science Projects: 6 Teams Proceed to Final Round
AI enhancement and a virtual time machine are included in the short list of pitches
Computing
How the Brain’s Face Code Might Unlock the Mysteries of Perception
Doris Tsao mastered facial recognition in the brain. Now she’s looking to determine the neural code for everything we see
Policy
Discovery of Galileo’s Long-Lost Letter Shows He Edited His Heretical Ideas to Fool the Inquisition
Document shows he lied about his alterations
Neuroscience
The Bat Man: Neuroscience on the Fly
How does the brain know where it is? Nachum Ulanovsky hopes his flying friends can help him find the answer
Computing
AI Re-Creates Activity Patterns That Brain Cells Use in Navigation
Deep-learning algorithm spontaneously mimicked the activity of specialized neurons that tell us where we are in space
Neurology
Is “Friendly Fire” in the Brain Provoking Alzheimer's Disease?
Scientists want to combat dementia and neurodegeneration by keeping the brain’s immune system from going rogue
Biotech
Infusions of Young Blood Tested in Patients with Dementia
The controversial approach aims to rejuvenate old tissue
Policy
What Germany’s Election Results Mean for Science
New coalition could face battles over gene editing and climate regulations
Neuroscience
Researchers Unite in Quest for “Standard Model” of the Brain
Modeled on big physics projects, International Brain Lab will bring together preeminent neuroscientists to probe a single behavior
The Sciences
Fractal Secrets of Rorschach’s Famed Ink Blots Revealed
The simplicity of the stains' repeating patterns is key to why we see so many images in them
Neurology
Failed Alzheimer’s Trial Does Not Kill Leading Theory of Disease
The drug, and others based on the “amyloid hypothesis,” are still being tested in other, different trials
Mental Health
U.S. Mental Health Chief: Psychiatry Must Get Serious about Mathematics
New NIMH chief Joshua Gordon says he will focus on quick wins, brain circuits and mathematical rigor
Mental Health
Refugees Struggle with Mental Health Problems Caused by War and Upheaval
Europe is experiencing the largest movement of people since the Second World War. Researchers struggle to help the migrants cope with the trauma of displacement
Policy
Turkey Purges Universities after Failed Coup
Political turmoil spreads to the education sector
Policy
Researchers Reeling as the U.K. Votes to Leave the E.U.
Political and economic uncertainty fuels fears over the future of science funding and collaboration
Environment
Gridlock over Italy's Olive Tree Deaths Starts to Ease
A court ruling paves the way for disease-containment measures, but the risk of spread to other regions and nations remains
Neuroscience
Flagship Brain Project Releases Neuro-Computing Tools
The Human Brain Project asks wider neuroscience community to start using its hardware and software
Neurology
The Red Hot Debate about Transmissible Alzheimer's
A controversial study has suggested that the neurodegenerative disease might be transferred from one person to another. Now scientists are racing to find out whether that is true
Neuroscience
More Evidence Emerges for "Transmissible Alzheimer's" Theory
The disease is not normally infectious, but people who received grafts from cadavers did show telltale markers in their brains
