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![A series of brain scans](/sites/default/files/cta-images/MIT-Temporal-Window-01.jpg)
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), neuroscientists have identified several regions of the brain that are responsible for processing language. However, discovering the specific functions of neurons in those regions has proven difficult because fMRI, which measures changes in blood flow, doesn’t have high enough resolution to reveal what small populations of neurons are doing. Now, using a more precise technique that involves recording electrical activity directly from the brain, MIT neuroscientists have identified different clusters of neurons that appear to process different amounts of linguistic context. These “temporal windows” range from just one word up to about six words.
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![Mehrdad Jazayeri and Steve Flavell](/sites/default/files/cta-images/steve-mehrdad.jpg)
Every three years, HHMI selects roughly two dozen new investigators who have significantly impacted their chosen disciplines to receive a substantial and completely discretionary grant. Steven Flavell and Mehrdad Jazayeri are among 26 investigators selected this year out of a pool of nearly 1,000 applicants.
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![A gavel on top of legal documents](/sites/default/files/cta-images/MIT_Layperson-legalese-01.jpg)
Legal documents are notoriously difficult to understand, even for lawyers. This raises the question: Why are these documents written in a style that makes them so impenetrable? MIT cognitive scientists believe they have uncovered the answer to that question. Just as “magic spells” use special rhymes and archaic terms to signal their power, the convoluted language of legalese acts to convey a sense of authority, they conclude.