Celebrating Brain Awareness Week

Cell has joined forces with The Dana Foundation and others to celebrate Brain Awareness Week. Here is only a small sample of what they are offering for your eduction and entertainment - your edutainment. Follow the link to see more of what they have available.

The Amazing and Beautiful Brain: Celebrating Brain Awareness Week

Right now, your 3-pound brain is getting quite a workout. It is deciphering these words you are reading and retrieving their meaning from memory. It is sending messages to your muscles to keep you upright but actively repressing the feel of your clothes against your skin. It’s listening for new cues that might need attention such as a ringing phone or the beep of an arriving email. And all the while, it is overseeing all the internal processes of the body, such as heart rate, breathing, blinking and digestion. Neuroscientists strive every day to understand how the brain manages such diverse tasks, and Cell Press is proud to publish some of the most cutting-edge, exciting findings in journals such as Neuron, Cell, Current Biology, Trends in Neurosciences and Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

 

This month, Cell Press is partnering with The Dana Foundation and others to celebrate Brain Awareness Week. Designed to promote global awareness about the progress and benefits of brain and nervous system research, Brain Awareness Week includes open days at neuroscience labs; exhibitions about the brain; lectures on brain-related topics; displays at libraries and community centers; classroom workshops; and more. Visit The Dana Foundation website to find events taking place in your area.

How does the brain work? In this section, you can take a look at some of the specialized neurons of the brain to see how they form intricate connections. Read the latest thinking on what it means to have a "male" or "female" brain, and discover how the brain is hard-wired to enjoy music. Also: the truth & myths about hypnosis.

 

VIEW The "Brainbow" Slide-show

Check out amazing microscopic images of neurons displayed in brilliant colors.

CREATE Make your own brain cap

Print out a literal thinking cap with this brain hat from Elsevier.

 

READ Are Bigger Brains Better? Size matters, but not as much as you might think. Learn how even tiny insect brains are capable of surprisingly complex cognition

READ The Trouble with Sex Differences

While sex differences in the brain are very real, have these differences been overly exploited and distorted by nonscientists? And to what extent are these differences due to our cultural experiences?

READ Quick guide: pyramidal neurons

Pyramidal neurons comprise about two-thirds of all neurons in the mammalian cerebral cortex, which makes them crucial for many important cognitive processes. Learn what they look like, how they function, and what can happen when they are damaged.

Read more.