Your Internet Brain

How the internet's architecture illuminates the workings of our brains.

Daniel Graham, Ph.D.

Is the Female Brain Superior?

To celebrate International Women's Day, we consider the remarkable but mysterious genetic diversity that exists in the bodies of genetic females, especially in their brains.

How Cats See the World

For millennia, humans have invited cats into our homes, yet they remain mysterious. Understanding how they perceive the world can bring us closer.

The Neuroscience of Light Therapy

As we approach the winter solstice, you are probably aware that decreasing daylight can have a substantial impact on mood and mental health. Here's what we know.

What Do You See Just Before You Are Born?

Think back to your earliest memory. It probably comes from early childhood, probably around age three. Maybe it’s a hazy image or a vague feeling.

To Avoid Thinking Hard, We Will Endure Anything—Even Pain

Scientists have known for some time that focusing your mind consumes considerable metabolic resources. Still, we discount the effort of thinking and attention.

What Acting Can Tell Us About Our Minds

Psychologists and artists are increasingly breaking down barriers between their disciplines. Yet science still has much to learn from actors and theater.

Can a Bigger Brain Be Engineered?

In Part 3 of a series on brain size and intelligence, we look at research on animals that have been artificially selected to have bigger-than-normal brains.

Why the Brain Is Shrinking, and What It Means for Us

Bigger brains don’t necessarily confer greater intelligence. Our species has lost millions of neurons over the past 30,000 years.

How to Tell If People Are Paying Attention on Zoom

We’ve all been there: you’re on a long Zoom meeting with several other people, and your attention starts to wander.

Are We Prisoners of Habit or Are We Fundamentally Flexible?

Though other species employ habit and flexibility, there is for us a heightened interplay between the two. Perhaps the way we balance habit and flexibility is what makes us human.

6 Degrees of Your Brain

How well connected are the different parts of your brain? Answer: very. And the way the brain is connected allows us to do amazing things.

A Bigger Brain is Not Necessarily Better

We assume a big brain means high intelligence, and vice versa. But there is little evidence for this. A smaller brain can be just as powerful—if not more so.

You Can't Use 100% of Your Brain and That’s a Good Thing

The brain has limitations on how many neurons can be active at once. It is now clear that the brain shows what is called sparseness. The 10% myth serves as a good reference point.

You Can't Use 100% of Your Brain—and That’s a Good Thing

A recent study shines light on large-scale patterns of brain activity. Results support the notion that using 100 percent of your brain is not achievable—or desirable.

Do You Really Need a Brain "Upgrade"?

Chances are you've recently heard or used phrases like “I’ve got to reboot” or “I’m searching my memory banks." But those analogies are flawed.

How Did the Internet Get So Good at Capturing Our Attention?

What the internet’s diabolically clever engineering teaches us about the brain.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Introducing Your Internet Brain

Neuroscientists are starting to realize that the brain must flexibly send messages over a wide network in order to accomplish basic tasks. Could it use internet-like strategies?