There is obviously something special about man, the most recent master of planet Earth. For starters, if we put our minds to it, we can dominate almost any other species out there. We […]
Author: Andres Laan
Interview with Richard Hahnloser
Richard Hahnloser leads the Birdsong Group at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich. His lab performs theory-driven systems neuroscience to investigate brain functions that can be characterized by a computational goal encompassing […]
Roots of curiosity: the cycle
Patrícia likes to enter an imaginary world, where she can observe the brain being modulated by a conductor, activating some areas, while inhibiting others. Rita wonders what behavior can tell us about how […]
Mr N’s last wish
“How are you feeling today?” “You know, they are always telling me to do stuff, all kinds of stuff, like I used to, but I just can’t. I don’t have the energy and […]
While Learning a Skill
The Neurobiology of Action Lab at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme is focused on the study of actions and how we do things. One main goal of action learning is to understand how brain […]
Do rats feel regret?
It’s last week, my fridge is empty. I hop onto a train with two restaurants in mind: restaurant 1 is just one station away, while restaurant 2 has a hazelnut mousse that sends […]
Oh man, learn to dance
Dance is a fundamental form of human expression and communication consisting of movements and shapes which can be induced through music, but also detached from any external source of sound. The motivation to dance throughout cultures […]
Without Science the World Stops
Saturday, 15th of February 2014, ten minutes before 15 o’clock. A bunch of people romp about at Praça Luis de Camões, Lisboa. There is a group of people playing rhythmic music, music that […]
Music and the Brain
Do you like music? One would be hard-pressed to find someone who does not enjoy any type of music. Musicality is a trait that we share with birds and some other mammals such […]
Telling fact from fiction: a rationalist’s job
We are bombarded with misleading or even downright false ‘facts’ all the time. These can range from a sensationalist headline, the claims of quacks and charlatans, or even to more serious absurdities proposed […]