The brain's code seems to be in constant flux. Neuroscientists are baffled
Recent research has revealed that neurons in the brain do not respond consistently to the same stimuli over time, challenging long-held beliefs in neuroscience. This phenomenon, termed representational drift, suggests that individual neurons may not have fixed roles, as their responses can change significantly. Understanding this drift could have important implications for memory formation and the development of brain-computer interfaces.
- ▪Neuroscientists have found that neurons fire more erratically than previously thought.
- ▪Research indicates that neuronal responses can shift over time, even for the same stimuli.
- ▪The phenomenon of representational drift raises questions about how the brain maintains stable behaviors despite these changes.
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NEWS FEATURE 20 May 2026 The brain’s code seems to be in constant flux. Neuroscientists are baffled Neurons fire much more erratically than researchers thought. What does that mean for how the brain works? By Diana Kwon0 Diana Kwon Diana Kwon is a freelance science journalist based in Berlin. View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Illustration: Ollie Hirst It is a dogma in neuroscience that certain brain cells respond in the same way to the same thing. Specific neurons always fire, for example, when we see particular shapes and colours; other neurons activate to swing an arm or wiggle a nose.
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