Auditory system

Recent articles

neural networks illustration.

This paper changed my life: Appreciating John Hopfield’s brilliant neural network

In a 1982 paper, the Nobel laureate created his namesake recurrent neural network—work that taught Maria Geffen to always ground research questions in biology.

By Maria Geffen
15 May 2026 | 5 min read
Research figure of neural patterns in the brain during speech encoding.

Shifting neural code powers speech comprehension

Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.

By Claudia López Lloreda
5 March 2026 | 5 min read
A James Hudspeth.

Remembering A. James Hudspeth, hair cell explorer

Hudspeth, who died 16 August at age 79, devoted his 50-year career to untangling how the ear converts sound into electrical signals.

By Calli McMurray
21 August 2025 | 7 min read
Human head drawn in profile, brain area is red and connected to words spelled out in connected lines with nodes.

Individual neurons tune to complex speech sounds and cues

Neuropixels arrays implanted in people reveal nuances of speech perception and production that confirm results from brain-surface recordings and can even predict what someone is about to say.

By Elissa Welle
15 March 2024 | 7 min read

Tiny eardrum sounds may help sync visual, auditory perception

Studies of the oscillations reveal that horizontal and vertical eye movements generate distinct sounds.

By Shaena Montanari
26 January 2024 | 0 min watch

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Argentine protesters condemn science funding shortfall

Demonstrators across the country called for the government to increase public university salaries and funding for scientific research.

dialogue illustration.

How basic neuroscientists can connect with autistic people and their communities

A first-of-its-kind workshop offers a template for autism researchers who want to incorporate community perspectives into their work.

By Juliana Chase, Hannah R. Monday, Lea Witkowsky
14 May 2026 | 6 min read

Long-sought walking circuit found in fruit flies

The neuronal circuit controlling repetitive locomotion patterns in any animal has been a mystery until now.

By Natalia Mesa
13 May 2026 | 0 min watch