Science & Technology

$900K NSF Grant to Help Researchers Probe the Cognitive Brain Mechanisms Behind Free Will

Picture this scenario: You and a friend are walking around your neighborhood when you stop at a crosswalk. As you wait, the noises of the world and your internal thoughts all vie for your attention. Pedestrians chatter as cars rumble by when suddenly, you see a motorist nearly hit a bicyclist.   

“Whoa, did you see that?” you say to your friend.  

“I sure did; that was a fully restored 1967 Ford Mustang,” your friend replies, referring to a car separate from the near-traffic collision you almost witnessed. 

UC Davis Health Offers First Comprehensive Robotic Neurosurgery Program in the Region

 

(SACRAMENTO) One day in early 2022, as Haytham Almunir got into his friend’s car to join him for lunch, he noticed the fingers on one of his hands suddenly stiffened and stuck together. He separated them with the other hand, but they immediately stuck back together.

As his friend drove, he asked Almunir questions. Almunir noticed he couldn’t find the words to respond.

“My friend was asking me questions, but I couldn’t answer. When no words were coming, I got really scared,” he said.