Cognitive Science bridges the gap between the brain and the mind - tracing how networks of neurons shape perception, attention, memory, and imagination. This section explores the science of thinking and awareness, from the role of the default mode network in creativity to the mechanisms of focus, flow, and altered states. By bringing together neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, we highlight the discoveries that reveal not only how the mind works, but how it can be expanded.
The tragic killing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train shocked the nation. But beyond the outrage lies a deeper mystery: what happens inside the brain when a person's awareness breaks, impulse takes over, and violence erupts without warning? Neuroscience reveals how fragile the line is between thought and action.
For years, scientists believed fearful faces had a special fast lane into awareness. But new research using a refined "tracking CFS" method finds no such privilege. Whether fearful, happy, or neutral, faces are suppressed equally, suggesting unconscious vision is more blunt and indiscriminate than we thought.
If you enjoy life, antidepressants may not be your friend. A new study finds that both medication and the mere belief in treatment can raise mood in people struggling with low pleasure - but for those already high in positivity, the same pill or expectation may bring them down.
For many LGBT older adults, stress is not just a passing discomfort - it is a lifelong companion. Decades of discrimination, family estrangement, and unequal access to care add weight to the everyday challenges of aging. A new national study shows that resilience in this community does not come simply from having "more friends." Instead, it is the composition of social networks - especially ties with LGBT peers and older adults - that determines whether stress grows into depression and loneliness, or whether it can be weathered with greater wellbeing.
What exactly makes an emotion about something? Fear of a snarling dog, joy at a reunion, shame after a mistake - each feels tied to a particular object. But how? A new philosophical paper argues that emotions are not free-floating feelings, but structured experiences grounded in what it calls cognitive bases. These bases supply the raw representations that emotions transform into value-laden experiences. And the key, the paper suggests, lies in a demanding principle: the unity condition.
Schizophrenia has long been described as a disorder of dysconnection - when neural circuits fall out of sync, producing hallucinations, cognitive difficulties, and distorted perception. A new study takes that theory deeper, using computational modeling of thalamo-cortical circuits to show how multiple receptor systems together create the brain's fragile balance of excitation and inhibition. The results suggest that restoring healthy brain activity may require coordinated changes across several synaptic pathways, not just a single "fix."
One sequence, two fates. DNA repeats in the C9orf72 gene, the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD, fold into different G-quadruplex knots. These hidden structures may determine whether neurons survive - or unravel.
Attention falters before memory. New research finds the prefrontal cortex blood - brain barrier is the first to weaken in ageing, offering a clue to why executive function and focus decline earlier than other cognitive skills.
Kendo is more than a sport with bamboo swords - it is a discipline where breath, focus, and movement merge into one. A new international study suggests that this martial art may also fortify the mind. Surveying nearly 600 participants across Japan and Europe, researchers found that kendo practitioners reported higher resilience, stronger life coherence, and greater self-esteem than non-practitioners. While cultural differences shaped the details, the results point to a compelling idea: martial arts that unite body and mind may hold unique promise for psychological well-being.