Visual perception

Recent articles

Photograph of a chickadee.

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.

By Marta Hill
13 June 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of columns of text with eyes peeking out from behind the central column to look at a bright blue spot.

This paper changed my life: Bill Newsome reflects on a quadrilogy of classic visual perception studies

The 1970s papers from Goldberg and Wurtz made ambitious mechanistic studies of higher brain functions seem feasible.

By Bill Newsome
21 February 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of a group of books floating against a light blue and yellow background.

Six new neuroscience books for fall—plus five titles you may have missed

We highlight the most anticipated neuroscience books for the remainder of 2024 and recap notable releases since last December.

By Francisco J. Rivera Rosario
26 August 2024 | 6 min read
Portrait of scientist Tessa Montague standing next to an aquatic tank. A spray of black ink shoots onto her lab coat from off-camera.

Leaving lasting marks with Tessa Montague

When the postdoctoral fellow is not deconstructing cuttlefish camouflage and dodging ink squirts in the lab, you can find her teaching neuroscience courses in correctional facilities, mentoring high school biology students in Ghana and helping to launch DNA experiments into space.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
9 February 2024 | 7 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Novel assembloid illuminates serotonin changes linked to 22q11.2 deletion

The combination of a serotonin-producing organoid with an organoid based on the developing cerebral cortex offers a new way to investigate neuromodulation.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
30 April 2026 | 0 min watch
Conference attendees

Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2026

At the 25th annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, scientists, clinicians and self-advocates gathered to discuss topics such as autism genetics and the gap between clinical trials and real-world benefits.

By Diana Kwon
30 April 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of hand with letter.

Scientists push back against stricter European Research Council grant application rules

In an open letter, scientists call the ERC’s suggestion to block grant reapplications for an additional year “at odds with scientific excellence.”

By Lauren Schenkman
29 April 2026 | 5 min read