INSAR 2024

Recent articles

Picture of Melbourne, Australia at night.

Autism research is becoming more diverse but not yet more global

Hosting the International Society for Autism Research annual meeting—which starts tomorrow—in Australia takes a step in that direction, making it easier for researchers, clinicians and advocates from the Western Pacific Region to participate.

By Petrus de Vries
14 May 2024 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Headshots of Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel.

How Nobel Prize-winning optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience

The technique has enabled neuroscientists to target brain circuits and cells with unprecedented specificity, transforming the study of memory, interoception, brain disorders and reward, among other domains.

Illustration of two cats jumping to opposite buildings in a city.

Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?

In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.

By Ariel Zylberberg
5 October 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of a plate with a cherry in front of a computer server.

What AI can learn from hunger

To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.

By Anthony Zador
5 October 2026 | 6 min read