neuroscience

Japanese researchers have used NIR spectroscopy to investigate whether the ability to classify colours into distinct categories, such as green and blue, is innate or a function of language.

Korean researchers have used functional NIR spectroscopy to investigate how the brain’s auditory cortex responds to various different sounds, from English speech to rain.

Swiss researchers have used NIR spectroscopy to monitor risk taking in financial decisions.

Multi-tasking takes a bit more effort as we get older, but the benefits are probably worth it, say US and Japanese scientists.

Even newborn babies just a few days old can remember words, although they're better at remembering the vowels in those words than the consonants, say Italian scientists.