Early on, after graduating from Harvard with plans to become a psychoanalyst, he detoured into research after becoming fascinated with new methods for probing the electrical activity of brain neurons.

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They categorised facial dimensions such as the distance between the eyes, then recorded the electrical activity of one brain cell at a time while they showed cartoons to the macaques.

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Functional-imaging studies of the brain have revealed another tantalizing clue: During the aura phase, a wave of electrical activity sweeps over the outer, furrowed layer of the brain known as the cortex, at a pace of 2 to 3 millimeters per minute.

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The scientists used an EEG (electroencephalogram) to measure electrical activity in an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in judgment and motivation.

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Once this rat pressed the correct lever, its brain activity was delivered as electrical stimulation into the brain of the second rat - designated the "decoder".

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One would record the electrical activity coming from the rest of the brain, while the other would send out the necessary instructions back to the brain.

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They used a technique called transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS. If you pass a weak electrical current through part of the brain, it temporarily and safely disrupts neural activity.

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After being rewarmed, babies at UCSF are given an MRI to look at brain structure and for evidence of degree of injury, and EEGs, which measure the brain's electrical activity and seizures.

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