Spatial cognition and navigation
Recent articles
‘Completely new learning mechanism’ drives navigation in fruit flies
The neuromodulator octopamine, the insect counterpart to norepinephrine, helps flies get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.
‘Completely new learning mechanism’ drives navigation in fruit flies
The neuromodulator octopamine, the insect counterpart to norepinephrine, helps flies get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.
Head direction cells stably orient mice to outside world
The cells’ representations show little drift over time—unlike those of other navigation system neurons—and may provide a “rigid backbone” for more flexible sensory and cognitive responses.
Head direction cells stably orient mice to outside world
The cells’ representations show little drift over time—unlike those of other navigation system neurons—and may provide a “rigid backbone” for more flexible sensory and cognitive responses.
Neuroscience has a species problem
If our field is serious about building general principles of brain function, cross-species dialogue must become a core organizing principle rather than an afterthought.
Neuroscience has a species problem
If our field is serious about building general principles of brain function, cross-species dialogue must become a core organizing principle rather than an afterthought.
This paper changed my life: John Tuthill reflects on the subjectivity of selfhood
Wittlinger, Wehner and Wolf’s 2006 “stilts and stumps” Science paper revealed how ants pull off extraordinary feats of navigation using a biological odometer, and it inspired Tuthill to consider how other insects sense their own bodies.
This paper changed my life: John Tuthill reflects on the subjectivity of selfhood
Wittlinger, Wehner and Wolf’s 2006 “stilts and stumps” Science paper revealed how ants pull off extraordinary feats of navigation using a biological odometer, and it inspired Tuthill to consider how other insects sense their own bodies.
Neuroscience’s leaders, legacies and rising stars of 2025
Here are seven stories from the past year about some of the field’s most engaging figures.
Neuroscience’s leaders, legacies and rising stars of 2025
Here are seven stories from the past year about some of the field’s most engaging figures.
Diving in with Nachum Ulanovsky
With an eye toward realism, the neuroscientist creates microcosms of the natural world to understand animal behavior.
Diving in with Nachum Ulanovsky
With an eye toward realism, the neuroscientist creates microcosms of the natural world to understand animal behavior.
Gazing at a location from afar activates place cells in chickadees
The results help explain how the hippocampus can recall information about a place without an animal physically revisiting it.
Gazing at a location from afar activates place cells in chickadees
The results help explain how the hippocampus can recall information about a place without an animal physically revisiting it.
Remembering Eleanor Maguire, ‘trailblazer’ of human memory
Maguire, mastermind of the famous London taxi-driver study, broadened the field and championed the importance of spatial representations in memory.
Remembering Eleanor Maguire, ‘trailblazer’ of human memory
Maguire, mastermind of the famous London taxi-driver study, broadened the field and championed the importance of spatial representations in memory.
‘Place cells’ help guide freely swimming zebrafish larvae
The newly found cells function like those in mammals, revealing that spatial cognition evolved earlier than previously thought.
‘Place cells’ help guide freely swimming zebrafish larvae
The newly found cells function like those in mammals, revealing that spatial cognition evolved earlier than previously thought.
Postdoc’s grad-school sleuthing raises questions about bee waggle-dance data
A journal has flagged two papers with expressions of concern, which note a co-author acknowledged errors.
Postdoc’s grad-school sleuthing raises questions about bee waggle-dance data
A journal has flagged two papers with expressions of concern, which note a co-author acknowledged errors.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Reverse engineering neural circuits; success stories from computational neuroscience
Kevin Mitchell talks with Timothy Behrens about ring attractors, the role of innate structure, and an expanded view of cognitive maps.
Reverse engineering neural circuits; success stories from computational neuroscience
Kevin Mitchell talks with Timothy Behrens about ring attractors, the role of innate structure, and an expanded view of cognitive maps.
Alison Barth discovers how different neuron types contribute to cortical function
Barth uses learning tasks in mice as a tool to drive synaptic plasticity in the sensory cortex, hoping to unlock more general principles of how the cortex works.
Alison Barth discovers how different neuron types contribute to cortical function
Barth uses learning tasks in mice as a tool to drive synaptic plasticity in the sensory cortex, hoping to unlock more general principles of how the cortex works.
Virus-like particles deliver gene-editing tools into Duchenne mouse model
The approach uses a protein found in fruit flies to ferry the gene editor Cas9 into muscle cells.
Virus-like particles deliver gene-editing tools into Duchenne mouse model
The approach uses a protein found in fruit flies to ferry the gene editor Cas9 into muscle cells.