Neuroscience, neural computation, and artificial intelligence constitute an integrative research area that investigates the principles of information processing in nervous systems and applies them to computational models and algorithms. It encompasses the study of neural coding, synaptic plasticity, network dynamics, and cognitive architectures, with the dual goals of explaining brain function and developing biologically inspired machine learning methods. Neural computation formalizes neuronal and circuit-level processes using mathematical models and simulations, while artificial intelligence leverages these insights to design architectures such as neural networks and reinforcement learning systems, enabling tasks like perception, decision-making, and control in both biological and artificial agents.
Animal communication can look wildly different—flashing lights, chirping calls, croaking songs and elaborate dances. But new research from Northwestern University suggests many of these signals share a surprising feature: ...
Ecology
3 hours ago
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We associate nests with shelter, warmth, and a safe retreat—and usually picture a bird's nest made out of twigs, grass and feathers. Yet many other animals take advantage of such refuges, with nests being built by a diversity ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 10, 2026
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In December, The Conversation hosted a webinar on AI's revolutionary role in drug discovery and development. Science and technology editor Eric Smalley interviewed Jeffrey Skolnick, eminent scholar in computational systems ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 7, 2026
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For more than a century, the fruit fly has been a workhorse of the biological sciences that has helped scientists to make fundamental breakthroughs in fields such as genetics and neuroscience. As it turns out, human scientists ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 7, 2026
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Humans are creatures of rhythms. As far as we know, humans have always sung and always danced. We can recognize a song by its rhythm alone, regardless of whether it is played fast or slow.
Plants & Animals
Apr 3, 2026
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In a new study, Northwestern University neurobiologists discovered that gut bacteria and the nose work together to shape social behavior in mice, including who fights and who backs down. Using a combination of genetic and ...
Ecology
Mar 30, 2026
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It's long been assumed that for an organism to learn, remember or draw conclusions, it needs a brain. But mounting evidence, including a recent Cognitive Science study, challenges that assumption, suggesting that neurons ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 13, 2026
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Neuroscientists have uncovered new insights into a key evolutionary question: Why can humans talk when most animals can't? The journal Science published the research led by Emory University and the New College of Florida. ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 12, 2026
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Humans are fundamentally "musical animals"—and our capacity for music is rooted in biology, not just culture. This is the conclusion of new work by University of Amsterdam professor of Music Cognition Henkjan Honing. In "The ...
Evolution
Mar 12, 2026
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Researchers in China have developed magnetically controlled microrobots made from diatoms for the treatment of glioblastoma using photodynamic therapy. These microrobots exhibit excellent magnetic responsiveness and programmable ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 12, 2026
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