Our brains may work best when teetering on the edge of chaos. A new theory suggests that criticality a sweet spot between order and randomness is the secret to learning, memory, and adaptability. When ...

Lifelong plasticity is a core principle of neuroscience, yet it operates within real limits shaped by effort, stress and ...

Life can be tricky. We have so many decisions to make. It's a good thing we have an orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus to help us. These areas of the brain work together to help us sort through ...

We usually don't think much about it, but our brain is pretty amazing! This three-pound organ is in charge of everything—from our thoughts and memories to our emotions and decision-making. And yet, ...

Stressful study sessions help us pass exams, but curiosity promotes long-term understanding and information retention. In A ...

Daily routines change, and many older adults find that learning new processes becomes more difficult over time. Slower ...

The Hechinger Report covers one topic: education. Sign up for our newsletters to have stories delivered to your inbox. Consider becoming a member to support our nonprofit journalism. That’s a key idea ...

If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: challenge the muscle, give it rest, feed it and repeat. Over time, it ...

Imagine you’re at your favorite coffee shop. Sadly, the barista only gets your order right about 75% of the time. According to most neuroscience research before 2025, your brain should release ...

Experts say the more we challenge our brains as we age, the more resilient it becomes—and “learning a new instrument is a full-brain workout.” After the age of 40, the average brain decreases 5 ...