the human brain

Researchers report that large AI models are developing internal structures resembling those found in the human brain, reviving long-standing arguments over whether such systems could have forms of consciousness. Commenters are split, with some calling the findings a major step for neuroscience and AI alike, and others cautioning that structural similarity does not imply awareness or subjective experience.

Stanford neuroscientist and podcast host Andrew Huberman is drawing attention with the claim that the real competition in artificial intelligence is not just about chips or models, but about influencing and controlling the human brain. His comments, reported by Business Insider, are fuelling debate about how AI-driven media and technology could shape attention, behaviour and mental health at scale.

Researchers have found that first-person, or egocentric, video footage is a crucial ingredient for the AI models that act as the brains of robots. Much as large language models absorb vast amounts of human writing, robot models benefit from video captured from a human point of view, which helps machines learn how to perceive and act in the world.

The United Nations has issued a warning against the use of emerging neurotechnology that could be employed to read people's thoughts or mental states, raising concerns about privacy and human rights. The caution highlights growing debate over brain-reading devices and the potential for governments or companies to misuse them against citizens.

Researchers report that brains from rats to humans share mechanisms for decoding rapid click patterns on millisecond timescales. The work highlights how auditory neurons track extremely fast timing differences, offering insight into speech perception and hearing. Scientists say the cross-species findings could inform research into hearing loss and auditory processing disorders, and the study is drawing attention in the biology community.

A new mouse study indicates that aging brains respond differently in males and females, suggesting that biological sex shapes how the brain changes with age. The finding could have implications for understanding age-related neurological decline and for developing sex-specific approaches to treating cognitive aging and related conditions in humans.

A new essay explores how aging dogs could help Alzheimer's researchers. Dogs naturally develop cognitive decline and amyloid brain changes similar to those seen in humans, making them useful models for studying dementia. Because pet dogs live alongside people and share environmental exposures, scientists are considering whether canine aging studies could reveal earlier warning signs or test treatments faster than human trials allow.

Researchers highlight an evolutionary tempo mismatch: human brain size stopped increasing tens of thousands of years ago, yet technological capability continues to grow at an accelerating pace. The finding suggests that cultural accumulation and collective knowledge, rather than further biological evolution, now drive human cognitive advancement, raising questions about how our brains cope with tools far outpacing natural development.

A lesson covering the human central and peripheral nervous systems is circulating among science enthusiasts, presented as part of a full course on the study of cognition. The material introduces how the brain, spinal cord and nerves interact, and is tagged for audiences interested in psychology, neurology and brain science.

The United Nations has issued a warning against emerging technologies capable of reading citizens' thoughts, according to a New York Times report. The warning frames neurotechnology as a human rights and privacy concern, arguing such tools could enable unprecedented intrusion into mental privacy. Commenters online are sharing the story under discussions of privacy, technology and human rights, with the U.N.'s intervention drawing attention to how governments and companies might misuse brain-reading devices.