Mind Center for Outreach, Research and Education

06/16/2026

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5859393/ai-science-brain-humans-fruit-fly-danionella

One of the world's leading brain research centers is shifting away from fruit flies and toward a tiny, transparent fish. The goal: to understand how brains control the behavior of an animal or human.

06/16/2026

Summer is almost here! Celebrate the start of the season with a classic Philly summer treat--water ice! We will be serving frozen goodness in the Common Room from 12:00 until 2:00 PM, or until supplies run out. Water ices are first come, first served.

This event is open to graduate and professional students, their partners/spouses, and children.

Register at the link in our bio or visit gsc.upenn.edu/events.

06/16/2026

Penn Today highlights our podcast series, "Horizons,” which features Dean Mark Trodden talking with faculty experts and University leadership about the big issues shaping our world and higher education, such as climate science and AI. Together, they discuss how their work explores new ideas, inspires students, and drives meaningful change. https://buff.ly/z1vBGGU

Tags: University of Pennsylvania

06/16/2026

The Society for Neuroscience holds an annual Brain Awareness Video Contest to showcase entertaining and educational neuroscience concepts and activities.

06/10/2026

What makes messages persuasive?
Psychology researchers Dolores Albarracín and Yubo Zhou studied the relative persuasive impact of messages expressing attitudes, describing behaviors, or combining both.

Psychology researchers Dolores Albarracín and Yubo Zhou studied the relative persuasive impact of messages expressing attitudes, describing behaviors, or combining both.

06/10/2026

Key Takeaways from Penn Today:

Risk-taking evolved as a survival tool in uncertain environments where bold bets could mean survival.

Modern betting apps are built for speed, limiting reflection and amplifying impulsive decision-making.

Hormones like testosterone and social cues like celebrity endorsements can reduce caution and increase risk appetite.

The business model depends on a narrow equilibrium: enough wins to sustain engagement, not enough losses to end it.

A lightly regulated, rapidly scaling industry is colliding with psychological vulnerabilities tied to loneliness and impulsivity.

Neuroscientist Michael Platt discusses the biological basis of gambling as it relates to the over proliferation of gambling-based platforms.

06/10/2026

Gyrification: How the brain gets groovy
June 9th, 2026
Written by Meagan Olson

If you were to run your finger along the surface of your brain, it would feel warm, soft, and squishy. You would also notice that your brain has rounded ridges and steep grooves, giving the brain its characteristic wrinkly appearance. But why did the brain evolve this wrinkled appearance in the first place, and how do these folds form during development? In this article, we’ll explore how evolution and biology transformed the cerebral cortex into the folded structure that powers human thought and helps organize the brain into specialized functional regions.

More:

Why is the human brain wrinkled, rather than smooth like the brain of a mouse? Explore how evolution solved a space problem by folding the cerebral cortex, creating the ridges and grooves that help…

06/09/2026

This brain scan shows a tumor in the brain’s left occipital lobe, seen here in bright blue. Knowing exactly where a tumor is located can help doctors start the proper treatment.
📸Dr. Leon Kaufman. University Of California, San Francisco. National Cancer Institute https://vist.ly/56ztt

06/09/2026

This is your brain on drugs, but at different doses
written by Penn NGG Student Sophia Castellani

Why does the same drug act so differently depending on the dose? The brain does not always respond in a simple “more drug, stronger effect” way. Neuroscientists have recently begun to explore that …

05/28/2026

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5825984/cant-keep-a-habit-this-comic-shares-a-proven-formula-to-make-it-stick

In this illustrated guide, behavioral scientist BJ Fogg breaks down his Tiny Habits framework to help you rethink your approach to starting (or restarting) a habit.