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pennneuroknow.bsky.social
Penn NeuroKnow 🧠
@pennneuroknow.bsky.social
990 followers 90 following 140 posts
Weekly neuroscience blog written by PhD students at the University of Pennsylvania breaking down the brain for everyone to understand.

Visit our blog: https://pennneuroknow.com/
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Popular culture loves the idea that men and women think differently, but the science is far less dramatic.

Here’s what the research shows about cognitive ability and brain differences between the sexes: pennneuroknow.com/2025/12/23/t...

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The battle of the sexes: Whose brain comes out on top?
Popular culture loves the idea that men and women think differently, but the science is far less dramatic. Here’s what the research shows about cognitive ability and brain differences between the s…
pennneuroknow.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:36 PM
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From new discoveries to enduring questions, 2025 was a fascinating year for neuroscience.

Read the neuroscience stories that excited each of our writers most in 2025: pennneuroknow.com/2025/12/30/2...

Thanks for reading along and see you in 2026!

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2025 Neuroscience Year in Review
Our writers share what got them excited about neuroscience in 2025.
pennneuroknow.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
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PMS or BS? For centuries, menstrual cycles have been blamed for emotional changes in women—but is this biology or baloney?

Read this week’s post from @pennngg.bsky.social student Eve Gautreaux to unpack the history and science of PMS.

pennneuroknow.com/2025/12/16/t...

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The science and stigma behind premenstrual disorders
The idea that women are naturally predisposed to mental and emotional disturbances during “that time of month” dates back centuries. Is it biology or baloney? PMS or BS?
pennneuroknow.com
December 16, 2025 at 8:54 PM
pennneuroknow.bsky.social
Normally T cells fight off germs- but what happens when they start to fight you?

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student @hayleylenhard.bsky.social’s post to explore the role of T cells in the immune system, the brain, and autoimmune disease.
pennneuroknow.com/2025/12/09/t...

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T cells in the immune system: Friend or foe?
T cells are a type of immune cell that defend your body against disease. While these mighty cells normally serve to protect you from foreign invaders, what happens if they turn on you?
pennneuroknow.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:10 PM
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What do Greek mythology and drug delivery to the brain have in common?

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student @annakasper1.bsky.social's post to see how scientists use Trojan-horse techniques to sneak medicine past the blood brain barrier.

pennneuroknow.com/2025/12/02/t...

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The blood brain barrier and its Trojan Horses
Ever wonder what delivering drugs to the brain and Greek mythology have in common? If so, come check out this article on Trojan Horses in science!
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December 3, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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How does your brain decide what you like and dislike— and why can those feelings flip after a bad experience?

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Lucas Tittle's post to explore the neural machinery behind valence and its flexibility.
pennneuroknow.com/2025/11/18/w...

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When good things turn bad: How your brain decides what you like and dislike
How do we decide what we like and what we don’t? Discover how the brain forms these judgments and how they can flip after just one bad experience.
pennneuroknow.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:04 AM
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There’s a lot of talk about vaccines and autism, but what does the science say?

This week @pennngg.bsky.social student Nita Rome unpacks the history behind these concerns and how modern studies have debunked this misconception.

pennneuroknow.com/2025/11/11/v...

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Vaccines and autism: Let’s talk about it
The conversation around autism and vaccines has become an increasingly hot topic of late (to put it mildly), but did you know that this debate began over 25 years ago? Here is a brief overview of t…
pennneuroknow.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Penn NeuroKnow 🧠
brainsinbriefs.bsky.social
Sophie Rogers of the Corder @flybottleescape.bsky.social lab studies how a psychedelic drug with growing therapeutic promise can alter the brain in ways that help overcome traumatic fear memories. Read more in this brief by fellow NGG student Jafar Bhatti! www.upennglia.com/briefs/bib-p...
How psychedelics remap the brain to help overcome traumatic fear — GLIA
or technically, Psilocybin-enhanced fear extinction linked to bidirectional modulation of cortical ensembles [See original abstract on Pubmed]
www.upennglia.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
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Why is it so hard to turn good climate intentions into real habits?

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Margaret Gardner’s post to learn how neuroscience could help bridge the gap between our values and our actions. pennneuroknow.com/2025/11/04/h...

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How to make a guy compost in 10 days
How can we use neuroscience to encourage environmentally-friendly decisions?
pennneuroknow.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
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The billions of neurons in our brain work together like an orchestra. Now tools let scientists listen to the whole performance across different parts of the brain.

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Abby Lieberman’s post to learn how: pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/28/r...

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Recording everything everywhere all at once
Neuroscientists can now record from many parts of the mouse brain at once, helping us see how millions of neurons work together to guide behavior.
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October 28, 2025 at 4:46 PM
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Your brain is more than a thinking machine. Even when you rest, your brain is busy monitoring, adjusting, and fine-tuning your existence.

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Serena Chen’s post to learn how your brain keeps you balanced pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/21/t...

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The brain behind the balance
Your brain is more than a thinking machine. Even when you rest, your brain is constantly monitoring, adjusting, and fine-tuning every heartbeat, breath, and chemical signal – keeping your body bala…
pennneuroknow.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:37 PM
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Mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell,” fuel your brain’s energy-hungry neurons. But that's not all they do!

Read @pennngg.bsky.social student Julia Riley's post to learn how mitochondria safeguard neurons and earn their moniker.
pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/14/m...

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Mighty mitochondria, the powerhouses of your nervous system
Neurons require a lot of energy to keep your brain functioning, and this energy is overwhelmingly generated by certain cellular components: the mitochondria. Here, we discuss how mitochondria actua…
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October 14, 2025 at 8:20 PM
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Ever wonder why conspiracy theories seem to spread faster than facts?

In our latest article, @pennngg.bsky.social student Emma Noel explains how our brain’s reward systems and social nature fuel belief in conspiracy theories. pennneuroknow.com/2025/10/07/w...

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Why our brains find conspiracy theories appealing
Discover why conspiracy theories grab our attention, and how the brain’s reward systems and social instincts make them so hard to resist.
pennneuroknow.com
October 7, 2025 at 7:54 PM
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Artificial sweeteners are supposed to be a guilt-free way to get your sweet fix, but are they?

This week Stephen Wisser explores a recent study suggesting that artificial sweeteners are associated with faster cognitive decline: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/30/s...

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Sweet but not innocent: Artificial sweeteners and brain health
A recent study suggests artificial sweeteners are associated with a faster cognitive decline. How might that be happening?
pennneuroknow.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Penn NeuroKnow 🧠
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That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

Learn how your brain controls your bladder in this week's post by Andrew Nguyen: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/23/t...

#PsychSciSky #SciComm 🧠🟦 🧪
To pee or not to pee: How the brain controls the bladder
That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.
pennneuroknow.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
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That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.

Learn how your brain controls your bladder in this week's post by Andrew Nguyen: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/23/t...

#PsychSciSky #SciComm 🧠🟦 🧪
To pee or not to pee: How the brain controls the bladder
That urge to pee? It’s not so simple. Behind it is a complex brain-bladder conversation that decides when to hold and when to go.
pennneuroknow.com
September 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Penn NeuroKnow 🧠
pennmindcore.bsky.social
Is That Right?!
Dr. Prateekshit "Kanu" Pandey & Cara Hammer
Friday, Sept 19 show features Penn Biology Prof Marc Schmidt!

Is That Right?! is a science comedy show hosted at CSz Philly at 2030 Sansom St. Show starts at 7 PM.

Tickets start at $5 buy here or on site: phillyfringe.org/events/is-th...
September 16, 2025 at 4:19 PM
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Viruses are experts at getting new DNA into cells. Every day, neuroscientists take advantage of this ability to help us understand the brain.

Learn how neuroscientists go viral in this week's post by Omer Zeliger: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/16/g...

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Going viral: How scientists use viruses in research every day
Viruses are experts at getting new DNA into cells. Every day, neuroscientists take advantage of this ability to help us understand the brain.
pennneuroknow.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:45 PM
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Did you know that our eyes spontaneously move 3–5 times per second? While seemingly simple and mostly unconscious, these eye movements can tell us a lot about how our brains work.

Dig into the fascinating world of eye movements!
pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/09/e...

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Eye movements: A window into cognition, disease, and individuality
id you know that our eyes spontaneously move about 3 – 5 times per second? These eye movements, while seemingly simple and mostly unconscious, can tell us a lot about how our brains work. In this P…
pennneuroknow.com
September 9, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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Even though it is a myth that people are either “left-brained” or “right-brained,” certain complex functions, such as spoken language, are primarily found on one side of the human brain.

Learn when and why the brain picks a side: pennneuroknow.com/2025/09/02/t...

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Two sides of the matter: The human brain may be symmetric in form, but not in function
Even though it is a myth that people are either “left-brained” or “right-brained,” certain complex functions, such as spoken language, are primarily found on one side of the human brain. How and wh…
pennneuroknow.com
September 2, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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Have you ever wondered why some people need total silence and darkness to fall asleep, while others prefer to listen to white noise or watch their favorite TV show? Is there a “best” way to fall asleep?

Learn more in this week's post: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/26/c...

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Counting sheep: How should we fall asleep?
Have you ever wondered why some people need total silence and darkness to fall asleep, while others prefer to listen to white noise or watch their favorite TV show? Is there a “best” way to fall as…
pennneuroknow.com
August 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Penn NeuroKnow 🧠
pennmindcore.bsky.social
THIS Thursday, Aug 21, 5:30-7:30 PM
Be a Brain and Language Scientist for an Evening

Pennovation
3401 Grays Ferry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19146 US
Free for ages 12+

Registration required: actionnetwork.org/events/be-a-...

Please share.

@standupforscience.bsky.social @ninaahmadphl.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
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This week, Joseph Stucynski dives into the exciting world of a new and powerful treatment for neurological diseases: electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve.

Learn more: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/19/v...

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Vagus nerve stimulation: A new frontier
Electrical stimulation is proving to be a powerful treatment for neurological diseases – especially when it comes to the vagus nerve
pennneuroknow.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:56 PM
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What do worms, mice, and leafcutter ants have in common? They're helping to uncover the power of neuropeptides — brain messengers that shape behavior and may hold the key to future drug discovery.

@kara-mcgaughey.bsky.social explains: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/12/y...

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Your brain’s behavioral blueprint: The chemicals behind how we eat, sleep, feel, and socialize
What do worms, mice, and leafcutter ants have in common? They’re helping scientists uncover the power of neuropeptides — chemical messengers in the brain that shape behavior and may hold the …
pennneuroknow.com
August 14, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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Whether it’s on paper, screen or audio, there are more ways than ever to enjoy a good book. But do different formats engage the brain in the same way?

Co-editor @catrinahacker.bsky.social explores in this week's post: pennneuroknow.com/2025/08/05/t...

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Turning pages, swiping screens, and hitting play: Is reading always the same to our brain?
Whether it’s on paper, screen or audio, there are more ways than ever to enjoy a good book. But do different formats engage the brain in the same way?
pennneuroknow.com
August 5, 2025 at 1:41 PM