The Brain's Hidden Fear Engineers: How Astrocytes Rewrote Everything We Know About Memory episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 16, 2026 · 10 MIN

The Brain's Hidden Fear Engineers: How Astrocytes Rewrote Everything We Know About Memory

from The Psychology of People

For 150 years, neuroscience told us neurons were the only cells that mattered for memory and emotion. Astrocytes? Just support staff - 'nerve glue.' A groundbreaking 2026 Nature study just proved that story completely wrong. These overlooked cells don't just support fear memories - they actively create them, help recall them, and critically, help extinguish them. This changes everything about how we might treat PTSD, anxiety, and phobias. This episode was generated with AI assistance.

NOW PLAYING

The Brain's Hidden Fear Engineers: How Astrocytes Rewrote Everything We Know About Memory

0:00 10:37

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Psychology of People?

This episode is 10 minutes long.

When was this The Psychology of People episode published?

This episode was published on April 16, 2026.

What is this episode about?

For 150 years, neuroscience told us neurons were the only cells that mattered for memory and emotion. Astrocytes? Just support staff - 'nerve glue.' A groundbreaking 2026 Nature study just proved that story completely wrong. These overlooked cells...

Can I download this The Psychology of People episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!