Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung

How the brain’s blue spot helps us focus our attention

How can we shift from a state of inattentiveness to one of highest attention? The locus coeruleus, literally the “blue spot,” is a tiny cluster of cells at the base of the brain. As the main source of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, it helps us control our attentional focus. Synthesizin ... more

Taking the brain out for a walk

If you’re regularly out in the fresh air, you’re doing something good for both your well-being and your brain. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. During the Corona pandemic, walks became a ... more

We Wouldn’t Be Able to Control Superintelligent Machines

We are fascinated by machines that can control cars, compose symphonies, or defeat people at chess, Go, or Jeopardy! While more progress is being made all the time in Artificial Intelligence (AI), some scientists and philosophers warn of the dangers of an uncontrollable superintelligent AI. ... more