the brain

Stanford Medicine is reported to have revealed that the human brain functions as two distinct organs rather than a single one. The claim, picked up by the news outlet KRON 4, is drawing wide attention and debate about what the finding means for neuroscience and medicine.

A new autism study has identified two opposing molecular patterns in the brain, suggesting the condition may involve distinct biological signatures rather than a single shared profile. The findings point to different molecular pathways that appear to work in opposite directions, which could help explain the wide variability in autism and guide more targeted research into its underlying biology.

A Chinese robotics startup says it could achieve a ChatGPT-style breakthrough in robot intelligence as soon as next year. The company is working on a 'robot brain' — general-purpose AI that would let robots understand and perform a wide range of tasks, mirroring the leap large language models made in text. The claim highlights intensifying competition between China and the US in embodied AI, though the timeline is ambitious and independent verification is lacking.

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is running out of legal options as her execution approaches, with her lawyers arguing that severe childhood abuse and brain damage should bar the state from putting her to death. Pike, convicted of a 1995 murder, would be the first woman executed in Tennessee in decades if the sentence proceeds.

Elon Musk argued that enhancing human biology is key to closing the speed gap between human cognition and artificial intelligence. The comments renew his long-running warning that AI is advancing faster than people can keep up, and his interest in brain-computer interfaces as a way for humans to remain relevant alongside increasingly capable machines.

New research highlights a paradox in REM sleep: the brain's fuel supply appears to rise during dreaming, yet energy is still being drained. Scientists suggest that the intense neural activity behind vivid dreams may consume more energy than the increased supply can offset. The findings could reshape understanding of why sleep is restorative and how dreaming supports brain function.

German tech outlet heise online reports on a digital health podcast episode covering a robot that measures vital data in patients with concussion. The robot is presented as a tool to support diagnostics and monitoring of brain injuries, fitting into wider discussions about automation in healthcare. The item is being shared among German-speaking users interested in digitalisation, robotics and digital health.

A Stanford study argues that the human brain should be understood as two separate organs rather than a single unified structure, challenging long-held assumptions in neuroscience. The finding is drawing attention among science readers, with discussion centered on what it means for how brain function, development and disorders are studied going forward.

New research suggests that weight regained after dieting may be driven by brain biology rather than simply a lack of willpower, pointing to neural mechanisms that push the body back toward its previous weight after a diet ends. The findings are being discussed as a possible shift in how obesity and dieting failure are understood, with implications for treatment and public attitudes toward weight loss.

A psychiatrist has cautioned parents against sending young children away to boarding school, saying it puts 'underdeveloped brains together' without adult guidance at a crucial stage of development. The comments have sparked debate among parents and educators about boarding school culture and its emotional impact on children.

Slime molds, single-celled organisms with no brain, have become the focus of a heated scientific debate after showing abilities like solving mazes and optimizing networks. Researchers disagree over whether such behaviour counts as genuine intelligence or merely simple chemical processes, with the dispute touching on broader questions about how intelligence should be defined in biology.