Helen Pearson is a science writer based in New York City.
Helen Pearson
Freelance writer
Simons Foundation
From this contributor
Father’s advanced age feeds autism risk
Are older fathers more likely to have children with autism? A series of epidemiological studies is giving credence to the idea, suggesting that, with age, sperm may accumulate damage that increases risk in the next generation.
Sense of ‘self’ impaired in autism
People with autism struggle to see their own role in social situations. That's the conclusion from the first study to scan individualsʼ brains while they interact with another person - a technique that could lead to a diagnostic tool.
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Single-neuron recordings zoom into ‘blurry map’ of human motor cortex
The motor cortex is organized into an "intermixed jumble of tiles" to generate meaningful movement.
Single-neuron recordings zoom into ‘blurry map’ of human motor cortex
The motor cortex is organized into an "intermixed jumble of tiles" to generate meaningful movement.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
17 June 2026 | 5 min read
Exclusive: Neuroscience journal editor resigns over automation concerns
The editor resigned after the publisher’s artificial-intelligence system overrode his selection of referees for a manuscript. His move prompted an internal review of the system.
Exclusive: Neuroscience journal editor resigns over automation concerns
The editor resigned after the publisher’s artificial-intelligence system overrode his selection of referees for a manuscript. His move prompted an internal review of the system.
By
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
17 June 2026 | 5 min read
Are computational complexity principles relevant for explaining brain activity?
Cristopher Moore discusses the nature of computation and whether we should think of neural activity as computing.
Are computational complexity principles relevant for explaining brain activity?
Cristopher Moore discusses the nature of computation and whether we should think of neural activity as computing.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
17 June 2026 | 1 min read