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Propel gift empowers aging business management innovation
A $50,000 gift from Propel Insurance is helping WSU’s Granger Cobb Institute expand brain health screenings, end-of-life care training, and workforce education to improve healthy aging outcomes in the region.
Propel gift empowers aging business management innovation
A $50,000 gift from Propel Insurance is helping WSU’s Granger Cobb Institute expand brain health screenings, end-of-life care training, and workforce education to improve healthy aging outcomes in the region.
Pioneers in warfighter brain health discuss research agenda at annual brain health symposium
The Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence Center hosted the 2026 Annual Brain health Symposium March 18, featuring forthcoming updates to the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative and the latest in military medical research.
More than 7 million have Alzheimer's. Can your brain health improve?
People have no control over Alzheimer's risk factors such as age, genes and family history. Diet, exercise and adequate sleep improve brain health.
On the frontlines of speech science with Liberty Hamilton and Alex
Last summer, UC Berkeley hired not one but two computational neuroscientists, Liberty Hamilton and Alex Huth, who study how the brain processes language. The pair has a lot more in common. Both
How chronic stress affects brain health over time
Chronic stress triggers brain changes linked to cognition and long‑term health. See what science reveals and changes that make a difference.
Footballs could be designed to reduce impact of heading
Scientists believe footballs could be designed to reduce the impact of heading after new research discovered the action caused a previously unreported pressure wave energy transfer to the brain.
Having more kids associated with reduced risk of stroke and brain damage, research co-led by UT Health San Antonio shows - UT Health San Antonio
Number of live births could be an important predictive factor Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, April 20, 2026 – While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of […]
How weed affects adolescent brains
The latest CDC director nominee, the ongoing measles outbreak, and other health news from Morning Rounds
Peak brain power comes after 50: here’s why your business can’t afford to ignore that
Science and data prove what we already know: that many of the cognitive capabilities that matter most in today’s complex, fast-moving organizations improve with age.
Tribune Editorial: Utah officials need to raise the alarm about measles
It’s a disease that can cause misery, hospitalization, birth defects, swelling of the brain, deafness, a weakening of the immune system that can last for years and, on rare occasions, death.
A New Museum in California Aims to Draw Children to Science
The $7 million KidSTREAM museum was the brainchild of a former teacher looking for a place to entertain her young daughters.
IMG Academy, Neuro Challenge Foundation host Parkinson’s wellness event focused on movement and brain health
A unique event at IMG Academy is helping people with Parkinson’s disease stay active while raising awareness about the importance of movement and community support.
Oscar Schmidt, Basketball Hall of Famer from Brazil, dies at 68
The Olympian and Basketball Hall of Famer died after a more than 15-year battle with a brain tumor, the family said.
Scientists say this type of olive oil could boost brain power
Extra virgin olive oil might help protect your brain by working through your gut. A two-year study found that people who consumed it had better cognitive performance and more diverse gut bacteria than those using refined olive oil. Researchers even identified specific microbes linked to these benefits. The findings suggest that choosing high-quality olive oil could be a simple way to support brain health as you age.
Dad brains: How fatherhood rewires the male mind
From before their babies are born, men undergo serious hormonal changes that can powerfully influence their behaviour – with consequences for their child's wellbeing.
Science history: Doctor autopsies the brain of a man who couldn't speak — and reveals the seat of spoken language
Dr. Paul Broca conducted an autopsy on a patient known as "Tan," who had aphasia, or the inability to speak. Broca's work identified a region of the brain that is key to spoken language.
Super-agers have healthy cognitive function
I just read about people who are called super-agers and how they don't have the memory problems that happen when you get older. Supposedly they have more brain cells. Do you know if that's true? The idea of super-agers is really interesting, and I want to know more.
Two scientists to receive 2026 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health
DALLAS and MINNEAPOLIS, April 17, 2026 — The American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association have awarded the 2026 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health to two neuroscientists, Sarah Kettlety, Ph.D., of Baltimore, Maryland, and...
4 Activities To Boost Brain Health While Sitting Down
In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, learn how to make your time spent sitting less damaging for your brain.
Brain health: Staying more active during the day helps retain brain volume
Older adults with a more fragmented circadian rest-activity rhythm lost more brain volume in areas typically affected by Alzheimer’s disease, research has found.
Stony Brook Medicine Spotlights Advances in Brain Health and Aging
President Andrea Goldsmith attended a series of presentations led by Stony Brook Medicine researchers, who shared emerging insights into brain health and aging.
The subtle science behind safer brain implants
In a recent publication appearing in Advanced Science, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience challenge the assumptions surrounding the design and materials used for brain implants. ...
With navigating nematodes, scientists map out how brains implement behaviors
An MIT Picower Institute study provides maps out exactly what happens in the brains of C. elegans worms when they “follow their nose” to savor attractive odors or avoid unappealing ones.
They Froze a Brain to −196°C. Then Brought it ‘Back to Life’ in a Groundbreaking New Study.
Human hibernation seems like pure science fiction, but it could make interstellar travel a reality.
Scientists discover natural hormone that reverses obesity
A hormone called FGF21 can reverse obesity in mice by activating a newly identified brain circuit tied to metabolism. Surprisingly, it works in the hindbrain—the same region targeted by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy—but through a completely different mechanism. Instead of suppressing appetite, FGF21 ramps up the body’s energy burning. This insight could pave the way for more targeted weight-loss and liver disease treatments.
This Superintelligent Brain Sleeps, Develops a Personality—And Eventually Dies. Is the Singularity Here?
AI could become much less artificial—and much more organic.
You’re Not Unlucky—Your Brain Is Sabotaging You. But There’s a Way to Claw Back Control, Scientists Say.
Multiple studies show it’s possible to “hack” your mind to improve your luck. Here’s how to do it.
Taxing millionaires and billionaires is a political no brainer for Democrats
The American financial elite have benefited from tax breaks while the rest of the population struggles, leading to a push for tax reform and increased taxation on the wealthy.
Scientists Think They Could Design Entire Cities That Heal Your Brain
Biophilic designs—buildings that mimic natural forms—may help reduce psychological stress.
5 Everyday Breakfast Foods to Support Brain Health
Start the day with foods that may sharpen memory, focus, and cognitive performance.
The surprising reason you’re so productive one day and not the next
Feeling mentally “on” isn’t just in your head—it can significantly boost what you accomplish. Researchers found that sharper thinking on a given day leads people to set bigger goals and actually follow through. That edge can equal up to 40 extra minutes of productivity. But push too hard for too long, and the effect reverses.
A new approach to brain health, one neuron at a time
Neuroscientist Paul Nuyujukian likens the brain to a stadium full of people. To eavesdrop on the crowd you could put a microphone in the middle of the stadium. But to understand the conversations you need to record individual people. He thinks about the brain the same way. To understand brain disease, he studies neurons—one at a time. And his insights are shedding light on a big global issue—stroke. The World Health Organization predicts one in four adults will have a stroke in their lifetime. Strokes can cause death, or lead to paralysis or speech problems. But there’s still a lot researchers don’t know about how the brain recovers from an event like a stroke. Nuyujukian directs a lab at Stanford University that studies how the brain controls movement, including after neurological events like stroke. We get into how he does this, and why he hopes his research could eventually help people who’ve been paralyzed. Email us your questions about the brain – or anything else to do with science at shortwave@npr.org. We may turn it into an episode in the future!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Max Hodak’s Science Corp. is preparing to place its first sensor in a human brain
Human trials on the hybrid sensor are expected to begin in the years ahead.
Max Hodak’s Science Corp. is preparing to place its first sensor in a human brain
Human trials on the hybrid sensor are expected to begin in the years ahead.
Beyond brains: How CCHS’ science team grew, triumphed, and bonded
Built from scratch. the Concord-Carllsle team placed ninth out of 78 at the recent Massachusetts State Science Olympiad.
Scientists reverse brain aging, with a nasal spray
New therapy is turning back the clock in aging brains, healing inflammation, restoring memory and reshaping the future of brain age-related therapies.
New digital card connects service members to brain health resources in the Military Health System
Military Health System unveils a new digital resource card to support service members who may have experienced a concussive event. The tool serves as a centralized guide to quickly locate information on brain health, including recognizing symptoms, seeking care, and vital resources supporting cognitive health.
Indian American Neurologist Pria Anand wins literary science writing award
Boston-based physician earns PEN/E.O. Wilson prize for exploring the brain, the mind, and the soul.
STAR Seminar- Reimagining Youth Sport as a Brain-Based Environment for Mental Health
Youth mental health challenges are rising globally, yet one of the most accessible youth-serving systems — sport— remains underutilized as a public health strategy. This Stress, Trauma, and Resilience (STAR) Seminar explores how insights from developmental neuroscience, trauma research, and sport-based youth development can transform everyday sport experiences into environments that promote regulation, connection, and resilience.
Scientists Grow Electronics Inside the Brains of Living Mice
The technology harnesses the brain's own blood chemistry to assemble soft, light-controlled electrodes around neurons.
Fluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, major study shows
The new research is the first to measure community water fluoridation exposure during childhood in the U.S. and any potential impact on cognition up to age 80.
Scientists Uncover Brain Changes That Link Pain to Depression
A hidden process in the brain may quietly decide whether long-term pain results in resilience or depression.
2026 All-Juice Team: One play from Fernando Mendoza earned him instant entry to this squad
On a team and in a process that has always sought QBs who could lead and elevate players around them, Mendoza's inclusion became a no-brainer. With that in mind, we give you the 12th installment of the All-Juice Team.
Did Neuralink make the wrong bet?
The field of brain-computer interfaces is moving away from mind-controlled computer cursors to restoring speech.
USC Brain Health Center could be hub for Alzheimer’s treatment, new tech for mental health
A new $30 million Brain Health Center at USC in Columbia will be a magnet for advanced diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia but also deploy new technology for mental health.
FDA accepts previously rejected application for new PET imaging agent
The radiopharma firm hopes to soon begin selling Pixclara (Floretyrosine F 18), an investigational product for glioma, a type of brain cancer.
Bird brain: New study finds birdwatching may boost brain health, slow cognitive aging
A simple look out the window at your favorite bird could do more than brighten the day. In fact, according to a recent study, it may help keep the brain sharp.
Why you never forget how to ride a bike
The brain stores skills differently than facts, making them harder to forget.
Watch: Provost Dittmar, Project Metis leaders outline vision for brain health, brain economy
Four months after its launch, Project Metis is building momentum — with a new website and video offering a deeper look at the initiative’s vision to position the Houston-Galveston region as a global leader in brain health and the emerging brain economy.
How to keep your brain sharp and avoid overreliance on AI
A Workday report revealed that nearly half of workers are concerned about AI agents eroding their critical thinking skills.
Not All “Plant-Based” Diets Are Equal for Brain Health
A large study suggests healthier plant-based diets may be linked to lower dementia risk, while processed plant foods may not. The findings show association, not proof.
Your nose could detect Alzheimer’s years before symptoms begin
Losing your sense of smell might signal Alzheimer’s far earlier than expected. Scientists found that immune cells in the brain actively destroy smell-related nerve fibers after detecting abnormal signals on their surfaces. This damage begins in early stages of the disease, well before cognitive decline. The discovery could help identify at-risk patients sooner and improve treatment timing.
Splashdown party at Chabot Space and Science Center
The Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland hosted some of the brains behind the Artemis II operation from Nasa for a community-wide watch party of Orion's splashdown.
Scientists Successfully Made Advanced, Lab-Grown Brains—Could They Become Conscious?
Now, prototype spinal cords are part of the brain organoid assembly.
BioFest Days event spotlights innovation at Center for Brain Health - UT Health San Antonio
The BioFest Days brought the community together April 7, for an evening of discovery and connection at the UT Health San Antonio Center for Brain Health. Hosted as part of the 12-day, citywide celebration of biomedical advancement organized by BioMed SA, the event invited attendees to explore how research, clinical care and community involvement […]
Neuroscientist To Lead Engineering-Driven Brain Health Research
Dr. Matthew Walker joined UT Dallas in January to build the future of sleep science. His research spans fundamental neuroscience and the development of innovative engineering tools to improve the quality of life. Dr. Matthew Walker is helping to transform sleep research from an observational field into one in which engineered solutions can measure and […]
Neuroscientist To Lead Engineering-Driven Brain Health Research
Dr. Matthew Walker joined UT Dallas in January to build the future of sleep science. His research spans fundamental neuroscience and the development of innovative engineering tools to improve the quality of life. Dr. Matthew Walker is helping to transform sleep research from an observational field into one in which engineered solutions can measure and […]
Scientists Found a Common Brain 'Fingerprint' Across 5 Psychedelics
"This is a breakthrough in how we think about psychedelic drugs."
Scientists say we’ve been treating Alzheimer’s all wrong
Alzheimer’s isn’t just one problem—it’s a tangled mix of biology, aging, and overall health. That’s why drugs targeting a single factor have fallen short, even as new treatments show modest benefits. Scientists are now pushing toward multi-pronged strategies, from gene editing to brain-cell rejuvenation and gut health interventions. The goal: stop treating Alzheimer’s as one disease and start tackling it as a complex system.
Women’s Brains Are a $1 Trillion Opportunity
Women’s health is a macroeconomic opportunity we have ignored, write Lisa Mosconi and George Vradenburg.
Goodwill closes behavioral health services program in Grand Island
Goodwill is shutting down behavioral health programs in Grand Island, which served those struggling with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, mental health, substance use and more.
City of Bryan provides health update on City Manager Andrew Nelson
The City of Bryan announced Thursday that City Manager Andrew Nelson is undergoing treatment for a mass found in his brain.
How a series of ‘left turns’ led to wearable health tech breakthroughs at UCLA
In an alternate world, UCLA professor Anne Andrews might be a CIA agent. But in this one, she’s a scientist breaking new ground measuring chemicals in the brain and body.
3L Rachel Sadler Charts Path in Brain Health, Technology, and Policy Through UC Law SF’s Health Law Concentration - UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)
3L Rachel Sadler studies health law and policy at UC Law SF while researching the legal implications of neurotechnology and other emerging tools that may affect human cognition. 3L student Rachel Sadler shares how UC Law SF’s Health Law Concentration prepared her for a career focused on the intersection of brain health, government policy, and technology. Gained a detailed understanding of how U.S. health care is regulated and where policy reform is needed through coursework and research. Interned with state and federal agencies that regulate health care services and worked with a major health care provider’s bioethics department. Plans to pursue a career focused on protecting cognitive liberty and mental privacy as new technologies reshape healthcare. 3L Rachel Sadler: The Health Law Concentration has given me fluency in one of the most complex regulated industries and the tools to become an effective advocate for better health policy. Before coming to law school, I spent a decade teaching and working with teachers and administrators on high school programming for multilingual learners. Healthcare kept emerging as the most powerful driver of student outcomes. I wanted to understand how to make effective policy change in this area and how to use existing law to defend people’s health rights in California. Through the concentration’s coursework, I gained a sophisticated understanding of how U.S. healthcare is regulated. I also learned where the pressure points for reform exist. The courses gave me space to develop what became my central research interest: how law and policy can be built to protect human cognition and healthy brain development, particularly regarding new technologies such as generative AI and neurotechnology. The health law faculty were instrumental in that process, genuinely invested in helping me and other students define and pursue our own intellectual vision. During law school, I interned at the General Counsel’s Office for Region IX of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I also externed at the California Department of Justice’s Health, Education and Welfare Division. Additionally, I externed at Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Bioethics Department. Alongside those placements, I conducted extensive independent research on mental privacy and emerging neurotechnology, working closely with Professors Emily Murphy and George Horvath. That research became the throughline of my law school experience and the foundation of my current policy focus. I must also credit Nicole Ozer of the Center for Constitutional Democracy (CCD), whose deep knowledge of California privacy law and the public-interest privacy landscape deeply informed my work. I currently serve a research assistant with the CCD, where I spearhead the development of K-12 educational resources in partnership with law faculty and students. I’ve found UC Law SF to be an ideal place for second-career, nontraditional students. There is a tremendous diversity of life and career experience here, and I felt fully welcomed into the community, despite returning as a student at a different stage of life. I came to law school wanting to promote equity in California’s healthcare system. I am leaving with a sharper and more specific ambition: to build a policy career focused on protecting cognitive liberty and mental privacy from technological intrusion. This is both an urgent and underserved area of law, and I want to be part of defining this landscape going forward. Whether as a practicing attorney or a policy advisor, I plan to work on these issues after law school. I strongly recommend UC Law SF and the Health Law Concentration. When I arrived in law school, I worried the concentration would be narrow and that my non-clinical background would be a disadvantage. The opposite was true. The health law faculty thinks about health expansively, encompassing social determinants of health, structural inequity, and emerging technologies alongside the regulatory mechanics of the industry. The faculty are accessible, intellectually generous, and genuinely invested in students’ development. I found my research vision here, and I deeply appreciate the concentration’s role in this. The Evidence of Success series highlights UC Law SF students as they share how the College’s opportunities equip them with the experience, skills, and confidence to excel in the legal profession.
Scientists just found a hidden “drain” inside the human brain
A hidden waste-removal pathway in the brain has finally been caught in action. Using cutting-edge MRI scans, researchers discovered that fluid flows along the middle meningeal artery in a slow, lymphatic-like pattern—very different from blood. This confirms the presence of a previously unknown drainage hub in humans. The finding could transform how scientists approach brain aging, injury, and diseases like Alzheimer’s.
This detox may erase 10 years of social media brain damage, researchers say
Studies show that taking even short breaks could reverse measures of cognitive decline.
Scientists discover hidden gut trigger behind ALS and dementia
A new study reveals that gut bacteria may play a key role in triggering ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Harmful sugars produced by these microbes can spark immune responses that damage the brain. This breakthrough explains why some genetically at-risk people develop the diseases while others don’t. Even more promising, reducing these sugars improved brain health in experiments, hinting at new treatment possibilities.
These simple lifestyle changes could decrease dementia risk by 25%
New research is the latest to show that people don’t need elaborate or expensive longevity hacks to stay mentally sharp as they age.
This simple springtime activity may help keep you mentally sharp
Gardening isn’t just a hobby: It can challenge your brain and help reduce your stress levels, two factors that may help stave off cognitive decline.
Scientists Have Found a New Neurodevelopmental Disorder Hidden in Our Genes
And it may be relatively prevalent.
7 Foods With the Most Thiamin for Heart and Brain Health
Vitamin B1, aka thiamin, supports energy metabolism and a healthy nervous system. Eat more of these thiamin-rich foods to up your intake.
UT Health San Antonio researchers report breakthrough findings significantly reducing symptoms for combat PTSD victims - UT Health San Antonio
Adding navigated TMS to psychotherapy can ‘greatly improve’ quality of life Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, April 7, 2026 – An advanced version of a procedure using magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells in treating depression was significantly effective for 85% of active military and veterans suffering from combat post-traumatic stress […]
45-year-old longevity researcher: How I keep my body and brain healthy—it's what 'your grandmother probably told you to do'
Jamie Justice's research focus is how to "prevent or delay the onset of functional declines, disability or chronic diseases" as people age, she says.
Scientists map the brain’s hidden wiring using RNA barcodes in major breakthrough
Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with single-synapse precision. The method transforms brain mapping into a sequencing task, making it faster and more scalable than traditional approaches. In mice, it revealed surprising new connections between brain cells that were previously unknown. This could open the door to earlier detection and targeted treatment of neurological diseases.
Experts reveal hidden link between poor sleep and Alzheimer's disease risk
A new study links tau pathology to disrupted sleep in Alzheimer's disease. Sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel discusses how critical sleep is for brain health.
Scientists solve 30-year mystery of a hidden nutrient that protects the brain and fights cancer
Scientists have finally uncovered the missing link in how our bodies absorb queuosine, a rare micronutrient crucial for brain health, memory, stress response, and cancer defense. For decades, researchers suspected a transporter had to exist, but it remained elusive—until now. By identifying the gene SLC35F2 as the gateway into cells, this breakthrough opens new possibilities for therapies and highlights how diet and gut microbes profoundly shape human health.
Human echolocation step echo by step
Experts in echolocation use multiple clicks and echoes to sense objects, offering insight into how the brain builds perception.
Scientists identify ‘neural fingerprint’ of psychedelic drugs in the brain
Analysis of more than 500 brain scans finds LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics increase cross-talk between brain systems
Brain Matters: Equity In The Age Of Cognitive Health
The strategy, articulated at the dome-shaped “Brain House” here in Davos, underpins a series of new DAC initiatives being rolled out in Africa, India and
‘Passive’ screen time may raise dementia risk. How to keep your brain engaged
People who spent more time in mentally passive activities while sitting had a significantly higher risk of developing dementia later, according to a new study.
Scientists discover hidden brain switch that tells you to stop eating
Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling appetite. After a meal, glucose triggers tanycytes, which send signals to astrocytes that then activate fullness neurons. This newly discovered pathway could lead to innovative treatments for obesity and eating disorders.
The brain might not create consciousness after all
Is consciousness something the brain produces, or is it woven into the fabric of reality itself? Renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch is challenging long-held scientific assumptions by confronting the “hard problem” of consciousness — why and how subjective experience exists at all. He highlights growing tensions between neuroscience, physics, and unexplained phenomena like near-death experiences and sudden moments of clarity before death.
Healthwatch: Study shows how coffee could benefit brain health
As you’re drinking your morning coffee, you may be glad to hear that a cup of joe may help reduce your risk for dementia.
Want to improve your memory? The right type of exercise can give it a boost
A brief bout of physical exercise can create "ripples" of activity in your brain that help you store and retrieve memories.
Study Reveals the Single Cause of Cognitive Decline—and a Cure
Researchers pinpoint a lone protein that speeds up the dysfunction of an aging brain. Eliminating it, they claim, can reverse the damage.
Scientists find hidden brain cells helping deadly cancer grow
Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising weakness in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers. They found that certain brain cells—once believed to only support healthy nerves—can actually help tumors grow by sending signals that strengthen cancer cells. When researchers blocked this communication, tumor growth slowed dramatically in lab models.
Surprising links between autism, Alzheimer’s could change how we treat both
The idea that two conditions at opposite ends of life might be biologically linked is beginning to upend long-standing assumptions in brain science, blurring a divide that has shaped the field.
Surprising links between autism, Alzheimer’s could change how we treat both
The idea that two conditions at opposite ends of life might be biologically linked is beginning to upend long-standing assumptions in brain science, blurring a divide that has shaped the field.
Scientists found a protein that drives brain aging — and how to stop it
Scientists have uncovered a powerful new clue in the mystery of brain aging: a single protein called FTL1. In aging mice, higher levels of this protein weakened connections between brain cells and led to memory decline. But when researchers reduced FTL1, something remarkable happened — the brain began to recover, rebuilding lost connections and restoring memory performance.
Trump Slashed Funding for Science. Now the U.S. Faces a Costly Brain Drain.
The White House’s attacks on academia and budget cuts for research have provided an opening for other countries to poach leading scientists.
Baseball can be a home run for good brain health
Play ball, seniors. The spring sport, which officially ramps up in Toledo on Tuesday with the Mud Hens’ home opener, can stimulate the brain and create ...
The Future of Brain Health Is Architecture
We’ve long recognized the importance of buildings in meeting a basic human need: shelter. Now, research shows how buildings can improve our overall brain health.
This $8 Harbor Freight Gadget Should Be The First Thing You Pack For Hotel Stays
There are certain things you shouldn't leave home without when going on a trip. For under $10, bringing this Harbor Freight gadget is a no-brainer.
These overlooked brain cells may control fear and PTSD
Astrocytes, once thought to be mere brain “support cells,” are now revealed to be key players in fear memory. Researchers found they actively help form, recall, and weaken fear responses by interacting with neurons in real time. Changing astrocyte activity directly altered how strong fear memories became. This breakthrough could lead to entirely new treatments for anxiety-related disorders.
UCSD part of team granted $15.8M to study Latino brain health
UC San Diego and UC Davis have received a $15.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund an extensive study on how the brain ages among Hispanic and Latino communities, it was announced Wednesday.
90 Painfully Relatable Programming Memes That Might Just Break Your Brain (New Pics)
Every job has its quirks. But some feel almost like a world of their own. Like programming—we (indirectly) interact with it every day, yet many of us know surprisingly little when it comes to what actually goes on behind the screens. The subreddit ‘Programmer Humor’ is the perfect place to bridge this gap. It allows them—and pretty much everyone involved in computer science—to air their frustrations and give the rest of us a better understanding of what their day-to-day really looks like. Here a
Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed
Having written a lot of model release blog posts, there’s something much harder about reviewing open models when they drop relative to closed models, especially in 2026. In recent years, there were so few open models, so when Llama 3 was released most people were still doing research on Llama 2 and super happy to get an update. When Qwen 3 was released, the Llama 4 fiasco had just gone down, and a whole research community was emerging to study RL on Qwen 2.5 — it was a no brainer to upgrade. Today, when an open model releases, it’s competing with Qwen 3.5, Kimi K2.5, GLM 5, MiniMax M2.5, GPT-OSS, Arcee Large, Nemotron 3, Olmo 3, and others. The space is populated, but still feels full of hidden opportunity. The potential of open models feels like a dark matter, a potential we know is huge, but few clear recipes and examples for how to unlock it are out there. Agentic AI, OpenClaw, and everything brewing in that space is going to spur mass experimentation in open models to complement the likes of Claude and Codex, not replace them. Especially with open models, the benchmarks at release are an extremely incomplete story. In some ways this is exciting, as new open models have a much higher variance and ability to surprise, but it also points at some structural reasons that make building businesses and great AI experiences around open models harder than the closed alternatives. When a new Claude Opus or GPT drops, spending a few hours with them in my agentic workflows is genuinely a good vibe test. For open models, putting them through this test is a category error. Something else to be said about open models in the era of agents is that they get out of the debate of integration, harnesses, and tools and let us see close to the ground on what exactly is the ability of just a model. Of course, we can’t test some things like search abilities without some tool, but being able to measure exactly the pace of progress of the model alone is a welcome simplification to a systematically opaque AI space. Share The list of factors I’d use to assess a new open-weight model I’m considering investing in includes: Model performance (and size) — how this model performs on benchmarks I care about and how it compares to other models of a similar size. Country of origin — some businesses care deeply about provenance, and if a model was built in China or not. Model license — if a model needs legal approval for use, uptake will be slower at mid-sized and large companies. Tooling at release — many models release with half-broken, or at least substantially slower, implementations in popular software like vLLM, Transformers, SGLANG, etc due to pushing the envelope of architectures or tools. Model fine-tunability — how easy or hard it is to modify the given model to your use-case when you actually try and use it. The core problem is that some of these are immediately available at release, e.g. general performance, license, origin, etc. but others such as tooling take day(s) to week(s) to stabilize, and others are open research questions — with no group systematically monitoring fine-tunability. In the early era of open models, the days of Llama 2 or 3 and Qwen pre v3.5, the architectures were fairly simple and the models tended to work out of the box. Some of this was due to the extremely hard work of the Llama, Qwen, Mistral, etc. developer teams. Some is due to the new models being genuinely harder to work with. When it comes to something like Qwen 3.5 or Nemotron 3, with hybrid models (either gated delta net or mamba layers), the tooling is very rough at release. Things you would expect to “just work” often don’t. I’ve been following this area closely since we released Olmo Hybrid with a similar architecture, and Qwen 3.5 is just starting to work well in the various open-source tools that need to all play nice together for RL research. That’s 1.5 months after the release date! This is just to start really investing more into understanding the behavior of the models. Of course, others started working on these models sooner by investing more engineering resources or relying on partially closed software. The fully open and distributed ecosystem takes a long time to get going on some new models. All of this is lead-in for the most important question for open models — how easy is it to adapt to specific use-cases? This is a different problem for different model sizes. Large MoE open-weight models may be used by entities like Cursor who need complex capabilities in their domain, e.g. Composer 2 trained on Kimi K2.5. Other applications can be built on much smaller models, such as Chroma’s Context-1 model for agentic search, built on GPT-OSS 20B. The question of “which models are fine-tunable” is largely background knowledge known by engineers across the industry. There should be a thriving research area here to support the open ecosystem model. The first step is to understand characteristics of different base and post-trained models to understand what they look like. The second step is to tune pretraining recipes for open models so they’re more flexible. Interconnects AI is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe For The ATOM Project and other Interconnects endeavors, we’ve put in substantial effort to measuring adoption trends in the open ecosystem. Everything takes a long time to unfold after a model is first publicly available — and adaptability is why. What we know for sure now, when Qwen has been going from strength to strength with its releases, is that technical staff across the industry has gotten comfortable working with Qwen models. Countless research methods and datasets were made to work with Qwen. It’ll take patience for any other model family to get to this point — a patience I’m not sure many open model builders have. This takes us to Gemma 4, Google’s latest open models. Gemma 3 was released more than a year ago, in March of 2025, and is a bit underrated. Gemma 4 comes in 4 sizes for now, with a bigger, MoE model of over 100B total parameters rumored but not released yet. The models we have today come in sizes of ~5B dense, 8B dense, 26B total 4B active MoE, and 31B dense. I’m most excited that they’re finally adopting a standard Apache 2.0 open source license. This’ll massively boost adoption. The standard of better licenses for strong open-weight LLMs was set by mostly Chinese open model labs in the last 1-2 years, and now U.S. companies are following suit. I will personally be so happy if the horrible Llama licenses and Gemma terms of service were an ~18-month transient dynamic of the industry being nervous about releasing strong open models. The Gemma 4 scores look very solid, the small models have incredible benchmark scores (especially in general domains like LMArena) and the 31B model rivals the recent Qwen 3.5 27B, which is the leading member of that class. The ~30B size range is an important one, as it’s accessible both to researchers and to enterprises looking to deploy the model in real use-cases. Where the 7B model scale is the default for tinkering and research, a 30B model is the default for seeing if an open model can unlock substantial value in your specific workflow — a good mix of intelligence, low price, tractability for downstream training, etc. This takes us back to the above adoption criteria I mentioned for open models and the bigger question — do I think Gemma 4 will be an overwhelming success? Previous Gemma models have been plagued by tooling issues and poorer performance when being finetuned. Gemma 4’s success is going to be entirely determined by ease of use, to a point where a 5-10% swing on benchmarks wouldn’t matter at all. It’s strong enough, small enough, with the right license, and from the U.S., so many companies are going to slot it in. I’m cautiously optimistic that Gemma 4 is going to work better here. Winds are shifting for open models built in America. We saw GPT-OSS go through a bumpy launch to become an overwhelming success. There’s a collective energy around the likes of Reflection, Arcee, Nemotron, Gemma, Olmo, and peers that show substantial demand for building new stacks around open models. There’s capital to be spent on AI stacks across the economy by those who want more ownership of everything, including the model. After launching The ATOM Project 240 days ago, the conversation is shifting into the next stage. Summer of 2025 was a crisis moment where the U.S. AI scene realized it can’t wait and figure out open models after building AGI. The two markets will capture different areas and proceed in parallel. Now that more companies in the U.S. are releasing strong models, we need to improve the ecosystem so that these models are easy to use, understand, and build value around. It’s the hard work to build another inflection point in these adoption plots I’ve been updating consistently, but that’s the work to be done. Join me in it. More data coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek: