Research · 21 Sept 2026
Stanford scientists discover the human brain may actually be two separate organs
Source: ScienceDaily
What the research found
Scientists have found that the human brain develops from two distinct cellular systems, suggesting that evolution fused together two ancient nervous systems with very different jobs. The discovery also allowed researchers to grow human hindbrain neurons in the lab, opening new possibilities for studying ALS, spinal muscular atrophy, and other brainstem diseases.
More research news
- In mice, fear made hippocampal maps of a safe place and a dangerous place overlap
- In pregnant mice, immune activation at day 12.5 lined up with placental injury and autism-like traits in male fetuses only
- Support cells in brain tissue from 73 people with Parkinson's showed sex differences in energy-gene and myelin-gene activity
- In 10,362 adults, night-to-night swings in sleep timing lined up with a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events
- In a U.S. telephone survey of 442,906 adults, reported cannabis use lined up with higher odds of cardiovascular disease, especially stroke