How the brain decides what’s real—and why it sometimes fails. It’s a foggy day in New York City. Through my computer screen, I believe I’m seeing and hearing neuroscientist Nadine Dijkstra. But how ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Those aren’t just lyrics from the Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody.” They’re also the ...

Imagination relies on an ability to differentiate between what's real and what's not — and now, scientists have uncovered potential brain mechanisms that make this distinction possible. These, they ...