The Hidden Stars: Rethinking the Brain Beyond Neurons

For more than a century, neuroscience has told a story of neurons as the main characters. They spike; they wire together; they form circuits; and by that logic, they must be the seat of mind. But what if that’s only half the story?

Scattered across the brain are cells that don’t fire spikes at all; astrocytes. They’ve been labeled “support cells” for decades; housekeeping staff for the “real” players. Yet evidence is steadily growing that astrocytes are far more than assistants.

This blog will explore that neglected half of the brain. Not with esoteric speculations or impenetrable math, but by asking straightforward questions:

• Are they simply passive support?
• What is the real role of astrocytes in mediating transient and long-term synaptic plasticity?
• Could astrocytes have a key role in integrating top-down and bottom-up signals, being active participants in shaping perception and thought?
• Are they the missing link in working memory, attention, hallucinations or PTSD?
• Could astrocytes explain why consciousness fades and returns?
• What happens when neuroscience stops “thinking in neurons” and sees the brain as a partnership?

They are the hidden stars. They shine quietly in the background, but they may hold the key to the biggest questions about mind.

Welcome; let’s rethink the brain, beyond neurons.

The main purpose of this blog is for me to learn and gain experience in the field. I’ll be sharing my progress along the way, highlighting what catches my attention and reviewing papers as I make sense of them, while clarifying my own understanding.
This blog is me learning out loud, exploring, reviewing, and sharing as I go.