Brain waves

Recent articles

Snoozing dragons stir up ancient evidence of sleep’s dual nature

Deep-sleep cycling between brain waves of higher and lower amplitude dates far back on the evolutionary tree, according to a new comparative study of mammals and reptiles.

By Lauren Schenkman
29 December 2025 | 0 min watch
Research image visualizing brain waves.

Dispute erupts over universal cortical brain-wave claim

The debate highlights opposing views on how the cortex transmits information.

By Claudia López Lloreda
12 December 2025 | 5 min read
A man with glasses reads from a paper with a graph-like pattern of peaks and valleys on it.

The buzziest neuroscience papers of 2023, 2024

The field took note of work on brain-computer interfaces for speech, the mechanism of psychedelics, a broader definition of hippocampal representations, and more.

By Calli McMurray, Francisco J. Rivera Rosario
15 November 2025 | 18 min read
A photograph of Paul-Antoine Libourel.

At the end of the earth with Paul-Antoine Libourel

The French researcher’s accomplishments working with chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic highlight the importance of recording sleep in the wild.

By Yves Sciama
11 June 2024 | 18 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

The illusion of AI consciousness: Lessons from human unconscious processing

Complex, goal-directed and even emotionally responsive behavior can unfold without awareness, providing a useful lens for interpreting artificial systems.

By Vanessa Hadid, Karim Jerbi, John W. Krakauer
8 June 2026 | 0 min watch
Research image of cell-surface protein LPHN2.

‘Push-pull’ recipe for neural wiring used in multiple brain regions

A versatile pair of proteins steers neurons toward their targets and helps establish the brain’s sensory maps, new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
5 June 2026 | 5 min read
Research image showing dopamine level spikes.

Reward-learning algorithm hardwired into dopamine circuit

The finding bolsters the canonical model of reward prediction error, which has come under scrutiny in recent years.

By Natalia Mesa
5 June 2026 | 5 min read