Hippocampus the brain - shutterstock

Avery Hurt is a freelance science journalist. In addition to writing for Discover, she writes regularly for a variety of outlets, both print and online, including National Geographic, Science News Explores, Medscape, and WebMD. She’s the author of "Bullet With Your Name on It: What You Will Probably Die From and What You Can Do About It," Clerisy Press 2007, as well as several books for young readers. Avery got her start in journalism while attending university, writing for the school newspaper and editing the student non-fiction magazine. Though she writes about all areas of science, she is particularly interested in neuroscience, the science of consciousness, and AI–interests she developed while earning a degree in philosophy. Find her on socials @AveryHurt

Avery Hurt

Anytime you learn something new, your brain changes. Driving and navigation relies on spatial learning, which has been linked with increases in a key brain region involved in memory.

How Learning to Drive Changes Your Brain 

(Image Credit: Brett Hondow/Shutterstock)

Longhorn Crazy Ants (Paratrechina longicornis) swarming

Discover how ant colonies act like a single brain, enabling them to anticipate and coordinate as a group.

Crazy Ants Lead the Way for Swarm Intelligence, Helping Colonies Plan Complex Tasks 

Human brain and thought

Learn why our brains evolved to process only one thought at a time, and how multitasking is often misunderstood.

When It Comes to Thinking, Our Brains Are Surprisingly Slow

Woman thinking about memories. (Credit: metamorworks/Shutterstock)

Woman thinking about memories

New brain-coding technology brings us one step closer to mind reading.

We Want to Hear Your Thoughts

A silhouette image imitating human evolution with blue and orange sunset background

How are we different from ancient humans? Since our species first appeared, we’ve been on a wild ride from the Stone Age to the Space Age.

What Is the Difference Between Early Modern Humans and Ancient Humans?

Female chimpanzee and baby

Curiosity is a fundamental trait of human nature. Discover the evolutionary reasons why humans are so curious and the benefits it brings.

Do Humans Have a More Curious Nature Than Our Ape Relatives?

AI chatbot theory of mind

Despite the eye-catching claim that large AI language models like ChatGPT have achieved theory of mind, some experts find their abilities lackluster.

Have AI Language Models Achieved Theory of Mind?

How Learning to Drive Changes Your Brain

Anytime you learn something new, your brain changes. Driving and navigation relies on spatial learning, which has been linked with increases in a key brain region involved in memory.

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