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Allison Whitten

Contributing Writer

Latest Articles

A stylized illustration showing half the heads and brains of a lizard and a mouse in cross-section side by side.
evolution

Gene Expression in Neurons Solves a Brain Evolution Puzzle

By Allison Whitten
February 14, 2023
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The neocortex of our brain is the seat of our intellect. New data suggests that mammals created it with new types of cells that they developed only after their evolutionary split from reptiles.

Illustration of electrified brain embedded within a computer chip.
artificial intelligence

New Chip Expands the Possibilities for AI

By Allison Whitten
November 10, 2022
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An energy-efficient chip called NeuRRAM fixes an old design flaw to run large-scale AI algorithms on smaller devices, reaching the same accuracy as wasteful digital computers.

Green cross section of a brain with a large bright area in its left hemisphere.
neuroscience

Lab-Grown Human Cells Form Working Circuits in Rat Brains

By Allison Whitten
October 12, 2022
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Letting human brain organoids grow in animal brains could be an ethical new option for experimental studies of neurological disorders.

A man in a blue suit walking down the stairs outdoors.
Q&A

The Computer Scientist Challenging AI to Learn Better

By Allison Whitten
August 2, 2022
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Christopher Kanan is building algorithms that can continuously learn over time — the way we do.

A blue virtual being, made of neural networks, plays with colorful blocks inside a glowing sphere
machine learning

By Exploring Virtual Worlds, AI Learns in New Ways

By Allison Whitten
June 24, 2022
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Intelligent beings learn by interacting with the world. Artificial intelligence researchers have adopted a similar strategy to teach their virtual agents new tricks.

A human figure’s brain with a “low battery” icon on it.
neuroscience

The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses

By Allison Whitten
June 14, 2022
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Neuroscientists uncovered an energy-saving mode in vision-system neurons that works at the cost of being able to see fine-grained details.

A video that shows washes of light moving across a model of a human brain.
neuroscience

Brain Chemical Helps Signal to Neurons When to Start a Movement

By Allison Whitten
March 22, 2022
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Dopamine, a neurochemical often associated with reward behavior, also seems to help organize precisely when the brain initiates movements. It’s the latest revelation about the power of neuromodulators.

neural networks

AI Overcomes Stumbling Block on Brain-Inspired Hardware

By Allison Whitten
February 17, 2022
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Algorithms that use the brain’s communication signal can now work on analog neuromorphic chips, which closely mimic our energy-efficient brains.

artificial intelligence

AI Researchers Fight Noise by Turning to Biology

By Allison Whitten
December 7, 2021
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Tiny amounts of artificial noise can fool neural networks, but not humans. Some researchers are looking to neuroscience for a fix.


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About the author

Allison Whitten is a cognitive neuroscientist and science writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2020, she was an AAAS Mass Media fellow at Discover magazine. She spent 10 years studying neuroscience and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.
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