New Preprint! We gave neural networks infant-like curiosity and let them free to explore. They grew brain-like architecture, followed human synaptic development, and even started to display compositional thought. So we think curiosity doesn't just come from a complex mind... it helps us build one 👇

Curiosity shapes brain-like architectures and functions

How does complex cognition emerge from simpler underlying processes? We show that two components are sufficient: infant-like curiosity and brain-like biophysical constraints jointly drive the emergenc...

biorxiv.org

New #preprint by @francescopoli.bsky.social, @duncanastle.bsky.social and colleagues. Infant-like curiosity and brain-like organisation drive the complexity of human #cognition. Exciting finding for #AI! Thanks for including Charlotte and me in the project!

bioRxiv Neuroscience@biorxiv-neursci.bsky.social · last mo.

Curiosity shapes brain-like architectures and functions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.735826v1

We're organizing a full-day Neuro-AI workshop at OHBM with a 90-minute-long hands-on session to cover all the nitty-gritty of it. If you're around, come join us. Besides the practical aspects, we have a stellar line-up of speakers to learn from and discuss with: kuffmode.github.io/OHBM2026Neur...

Our NeuroAI study made it onto the cover of Nature Machine Intelligence ❤️. In it, we demonstrate that a developmentally-inspired visual diet can drastically improve the robustness of ANN-based vision systems. www.nature.com/articles/s42... open access, open code, open weights, open science.

🚨 The actual paper is now out on @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... In this opinion piece, @duncanastle.bsky.social and I explore the human brain through the lens of optimality and Pareto-optimality theory.

Embracing the suboptimal organization of the human brain

Human brain architecture is guiding brain-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) and has been treated as an optimal template, whose deviations could ma…

sciencedirect.com

Kayson Fakhar@kayson.bsky.social · 4mo ago

For all the esteemed scholars out there who prefer gaining knowledge the correct way, here’s a summary of our upcoming opinion piece, delivered to you by Jesus himself. But seriously, science communication is about to get a lot worse and better at the same time.

Excited to share our new paper asking a simple question: Why do mental and metabolic health so often go hand in hand? We (@camillanord.bsky.social @hugofleming.bsky.social) tested whether shared neurocognitive signatures play a role in this relationship www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Computational phenotyping of effort-based decision-making in type-2 diabetes on and off semaglutide - Neuropsychopharmacology

Neuropsychopharmacology - Computational phenotyping of effort-based decision-making in type-2 diabetes on and off semaglutide

nature.com

University of Sussex overturns £585,000 fine as high court rejects free speech breach claim www.theguardian.com/education/20...

University of Sussex overturns £585,000 fine as high court rejects free speech breach claim

Ruling is blow to Office for Students after it issued record fine for allegations over professor’s trans rights views

theguardian.com

This defines success of the SEND reforms not in specific accommodations, “but by whether neurodivergent children fundamentally feel that they belong and are wanted in school, and that they are supported to achieve, attain and prepare for adulthood.

Alongside the government's #SENDwhitepaper the The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group have published their recommendations for mainstream education. assets.publishing.se...

A bit old now, but great Registered Report by Maya Raza (not on here)

MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge@mrccbu.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Do novel experiences shortly before or after learning improve memory for what was learned? They don’t according to Raza et al., but simply resting might. Read about novel VR experiences versus wakeful rest as ways to improve memory: https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218251346156

Quite apart from the policy issues here, why did UKRI choose to release this important letter on a Sunday teatime???

UK Research and Innovation@ukri.org · 6mo ago

Today, we're sharing an open letter from our Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, outlining changes to UKRI investment approach, and addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC. Read his letter here: www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

New preprint 🎉 Psych constructs are complex. Symptoms overlap, people rarely fit neat categories, and patterns are non-linear. Most methods compromise this richness. Self-Organising Maps don't. We provide a step-by-step tutorial with annotated R code to make them accessible. doi.org/10.31234/osf...

🚨new work with the dream team @danakarca.bsky.social @loopyluppi.bsky.social @fatemehhadaeghi.bsky.social @stuartoldham.bsky.social @duncanastle.bsky.social We use game theory and show the brain is not optimally wired for communication and there’s more to its story: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

A new study shows brain development isn’t as linear as expected. After analyzing nearly 4,000 scans from ages 0–90, researchers found major structural shifts at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83 — dividing life into five distinct phases.

New study shows how your brain changes at four key ages: 9, 32, 66 and 83

New research finds that brain development is not linear. There are distinct phases with unique characteristics.

wapo.st

Had a great time talking to Maggie Penman about new research on lifespan brain development led by @alexamousley.bsky.social in @duncanastle.bsky.social's group. This is a great summary of the study and a broader discussion of what brain research can teach us about important developmental phases.

The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 8mo ago

A new study shows brain development isn’t as linear as expected. After analyzing nearly 4,000 scans from ages 0–90, researchers found major structural shifts at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83 — dividing life into five distinct phases.

Utterly delighted to have been awarded 5 years of research funding from the ERC to study low-activity brain states that could underpin flexible rule use. Let’s see what "pinging" can tell us about how task sets are assembled and changed!

School of Biological Sciences@cambridgebiosci.bsky.social · 8mo ago

📣 Four exceptional researchers in the School of Biological Sciences have been awarded prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants! Congratulations to all ERC awardees! @camzoology.bsky.social @pdncambridge.bsky.social @campsydept.bsky.social

Impact of demographic change in one image.

Our brain wiring seems to undergo four major turning points at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83, which could influence our capacity to learn and our risk of certain conditions

Your brain undergoes four dramatic periods of change from age 0 to 90

Our brain wiring seems to undergo four major turning points at ages 9, 32, 66 and 83, which could influence our capacity to learn and our risk of certain conditions

newscientist.com

Open access link to new study in Nature Communications: Topological turning points across the human lifespan. 🧪🧠 #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Topological turning points across the human lifespan - Nature Communications

Researchers discovered five phases of brain rewiring across the lifespan. The eras of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, early aging, and late aging each have characteristic rewiring of structural con...

nature.com

The human brain goes through distinct phases in life, with turning points at ages 9, 32, 66 & 83, scientists have revealed. ~4,000 people up to the age of 90 had scans to reveal the connections between their brain cells. We "peak" in our early 30s ... 🧪🧠 #neuroskyence www.bbc.com/news/article...

Four pivotal ages in your brain's development revealed in new scientific study

Brain scans on thousands of people reveal the dramatic shifts the brain goes through between birth and death.

bbc.com

One of our top-rated posts on @altmetric.com this past week was published open access in @natcomms.nature.com. You can read 'Topological turning points across the human lifespan' here: spklr.io/63329BX7zL #Neuroskyence #neuroimaging 🧠

Topological turning points across the human lifespan - Nature Communications

Researchers discovered five phases of brain rewiring across the lifespan. The eras of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, early aging, and late aging each have characteristic rewiring of structural connections across the whole brain.

spklr.io

New @mrccbu.bsky.social @campsydept.bsky.social study by Alexa Mousley, Richard Bethlehem, Fang-Cheng Yeh & @duncanastle.bsky.social shows four pivotal ages during brain development bbc.com/news/article... www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Four pivotal ages in your brain's development revealed in new scientific study

Brain scans on thousands of people reveal the dramatic shifts the brain goes through between birth and death.

bbc.com

Now it's the @mrccbu.bsky.social's @duncanastle.bsky.social's turn to excite our #COGNESTIC audience. No problem when you are "Building networks to understand neurodevelopment".

*New Paper* How genes for IQ shape brain organisation. Amazing work led by Alicja Monaghan @mrccbu.bsky.social reveals 2 ways. First, they’re associated w/ the ‘costs’ of network formation. Second, they define ‘high value’ areas within the network. How she did it…🧵 doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...

Brain wiring economics, network organisation and population-level genomics

Abstract. What role do our genes play in shaping the structural organisation of the living human brain? Across a sample of 2,153 children (9–11 years old), we address this question, focusing on common...

doi.org

*New Paper* How genes for IQ shape brain organisation. Amazing work led by Alicja Monaghan @mrccbu.bsky.social reveals 2 ways. First, they’re associated w/ the ‘costs’ of network formation. Second, they define ‘high value’ areas within the network. How she did it…🧵 doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...

Brain wiring economics, network organisation and population-level genomics

Abstract. What role do our genes play in shaping the structural organisation of the living human brain? Across a sample of 2,153 children (9–11 years old), we address this question, focusing on common...

doi.org

Alert! ... for the child development world! @fluxsociety.bsky.social @fitngin.bsky.social ‪ The Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study has released its first data wave - it’s massive. Check here: docs.hbcdstudy.org and here: nbdc-datahub.org Here’s why it matters 🧠🍼

Absolute honour to chair this panel of superstars @royalsociety.org yesterday, including @duncanastle.bsky.social & @tamsinford.bsky.social

New paper in Imaging Neuroscience by Alicja Monaghan, Danyal Akarca, and Duncan E. Astle: Brain wiring economics, network organisation and population-level genomics doi.org/10.1162/IMAG...