Mind & Brain

A heart attack unleashes immune cells that stimulate neurons in the brain, leading to restorative slumber

Scientific American staff and sleep experts share advice on how to get better sleep in the stressful days leading up to the U.S. presidential election—and those that come after

Host Rachel Feltman and behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner explore our fascination with fear and what drives our obsession with all things spooky.

To heal political division, start with common moral ground, a study suggests

These therapies dampen fears absent direct exposure—no need to be in the room with a live tarantula

The Whip-Poor-Will’s shrill, death-proclaiming song populates the works of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. But the bird itself has fallen on hard times. Could it become a ghost of Halloweens past?

Human echolocation repurposes parts of the brain’s visual cortex for sound, even in sighted people

What we think about when we think about “zilch” is surprisingly complex, neuroscientists find

Phone apps can tell whether your kid is playing hooky. But remotely surveilling your child might not be great for navigating the trials of the teen years

Brain studies show that language is not essential for the cognitive processes that underlie thought

Despite high levels of innumeracy and math anxiety, people often appreciate numeric data

A smell’s effect on facial recognition is key at first—but decreases as a baby’s eyesight improves