Stories by Simon Makin

Some studies show that the purported “bilingual advantage” may be only a myth

A revolutionary technique that switches brain circuits on and off has taken neuroscience by storm and is now undergoing a new round of innovation

A range of mutations—common, rare, inherited and spontaneous—in more than 70 different genes are now linked to the disorder

New research suggests hallucinations can occur in relatively healthy people

Researchers identify people by the way their brains are wired

Animal experiments show how a just-discovered prion triggers a rare Parkinson’s-like disease

Like humans, animals seem to have an innate preference for small numbers on the left and larger numbers on the right

The brain can learn to associate certain images with more or less pain, even if the images never reach our awareness

That thunderstruck feeling is linked to lower inflammation

Despite the hype, when science meets commerce, objectivity is often the loser

Goal-direction cells add to Nobel Prize–winning discoveries to reveal our internal navigation system

Committing information to your computer’s memory frees up your mental space to learn something new

Scientists combined a brain–computer interface with an optogenetic switch to create the first-ever brain–gene interface

An unusual chemical balancing act helps explain why people with depression attend more closely to negative information

The largest-ever genetic study of mental illness reveals a complex set of factors

Kids with autism may learn valuable social skills in drama-based therapies

Pharmaceutical pollutants in water seem to improve survival among hatchlings of at least one species

Exercise combined with visual stimulation helps to quickly restore vision in unused eyes

Music lessons may help close the socioeconomic gap in reading ability

Antidepressants may work by providing a rosier lens through which to see the world

THE CLAIM: Mental illness can be diagnosed with brain scans.
THE FACTS: Currently the technique might be able to diagnose people with a single, unambiguous, chronic illness but not tougher clinical cases.

Delaying gratification is not always the rational choice