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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Looking for inspiration for the undergrad Art in Neuroscience competition? Check out last year's winner, by Eve Dickerson, senior neuro major from Ohio State University. It's called Beneath the Surface. Read more about Eve's work and see the runnersup here: drive.google.com/file/d/1H7vU...

Digital art work featuring a human head outline with image of an iceberg inside. A brain is shown as part of the top of the iceberg with various pills, a cigarette and alcohol poured on it. The bottom of the ice berg has more drug imagery, barbed wire, distorted/pained human faces and a noose. The head is surrounded by outreached human hands.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Announcing the 2nd annual Art in Neuroscience competition! The editors at Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience welcome submissions of art related to neuroscience from undergrads. 1st place gets $100! Submissions open now, close 1 Nov. Learn more and submit here: drive.google.com/file/d/18miY...

drive.google.com

2026 Art in Neuro announcement.pdf

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Just a few more day to submit to the undergraduate Art in Neuroscience competition! Students, get your art work submitted. Winners are published on the Intro to BN textbook website!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Attention, undergrad neuro enthusiasts! We are excited to announce our first annual Art in Neuroscience competition. We are seeking art submissions related to #neuroscience from current undergrads. Winners are published on our textbook website! Due Nov 1. Guidelines here: tinyurl.com/AiNrules

tinyurl.com

Art in Neuroscience Competition Guidelines

Announcing the inaugural 2025 Art in Neuroscience competition for undergraduates! The editorial team for Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience, an open-access textbook resource, is inviting submiss...

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Re-upping this post as a reminder for all those instructors starting to realize (read: panic) that Fall is almost here. Intro to BN has great (and free!) in class application problems you can add to your Neuro classes.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Did you know: 25% of US college students worked extra hours to pay for textbooks; 11% skipped meals! 65% didn't get a textbook because of cost! Instructors, you can stop this madness. Use open ed resources. Eliminate book cost as a barrier to education. Source: educationdata.org/average-cost...

educationdata.org

Average Cost of College Textbooks [2023]: Prices per Year

We examined all the factors involved with the average cost of college textbooks and materials to find out why they're so expensive.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Bonus: Meet Dr. Wilson and hear some of his advice for undergrads in this meet-the-author video interview! youtu.be/9_Z1UmkmC-o

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Kevin Wilson (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Spotlight: How do you miss a gorilla in the room? How do you decide to skip the big party so you can study for an exam? These seem like different questions but they are both tied to Attention & Executive function. Learn about it in Ch 19 from author Kevin Wilson! tinyurl.com/itobnch19

Cartoon of students in a lecture hall watching a video with a gorilla in the middle of a crowd. One student has a thought bubble that says "What gorilla?"

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Calcium imaging. It kinda sounds like scifi to say you can see calcium. But it's real! Calcium imaging tools fluoresce when lots of calcium is around and watching these glowing waves can help tell us what brain cells are up to. Check out this video by Jamie Jontes to see how! youtu.be/xAmpopXWXuY

youtu.be

Explaining calcium imaging (An OpenStax resource)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Bonus: meet Dr. Griffin and learn more about her research and some advice she has for young scientists! youtu.be/6kDovvk52I8

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Amy Griffin (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

I can remember my preschool best friend's birthday but not where I parked my gosh darn car. What's up with that? Memory is weird. And cool! Learn more about it in Ch 18 Learning and Memory by Amy Griffin. tinyurl.com/ItoBNch18 #Neuroscience

Diagram of a human brain showing the location of major systems associated with memory. Striatum in middle of brain: procedural memory. Amygdala in temporal lobe: emotion association. Hippocampus in temporal lobe: Episodic memory.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Bonus: check out our methods video appendix to help explain core neuroscience techniques and see them in action. We've also got author interviews. You can learn about the authors of each chapter. Their science journey. Their golden nuggets of advice. And yes, that's all completely free too!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Looking for a textbook for your fall course in #Neuroscience? How about a free one? Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience is a completely free, online text perfect for many introductory, college-level neuroscience classes. Use one chapter or all 19. openstax.org/details/book...

openstax.org

OpenStax | Free Textbooks Online with No Catch

OpenStax offers free college textbooks for all types of students, making education accessible & affordable for everyone. Browse our list of available subjects!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Spotlight: That Neuroimmunology, it's so hot right now. But how can you teach it to students who may not be ready to dive into a Nature paper? We've got you covered! Ch 17 by @sbilbo.bsky.social covers #neuroimmunology basics for entry level undergrads. Free to anyone here: tinyurl.com/itobnch17

media.tenor.com

a group of people sitting in a theater with the words so hot right now written on the bottom

Alt: a group of people sitting in a theater with the words so hot right now written on the bottom

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Hey, that's us! Read more here about our open access neuroscience textbook and what we have to offer for your courses.

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OpenStax @openstax.org · 18/02/2025

Have you ever wondered how #OpenStax books are made? Anthony Palmiotto, our director of higher education, describes each step from author recruitment to review to publication: openstax.org/blog/how-ope...

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Spotlight: Balance is important. From the levels of oxygen in our blood to our caloric intake, maintaining a stable internal environment is critical for our survival. Learn more about this process of Homeostasis in Ch16 by Matt Carter. #neuroscience #homeostasis tinyurl.com/itobnch16

Image of human torso with text “Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable environment for factors necessary for survival” Icons to present balance in blood oxygen levels, body temperature, caloric intake and fluid intake are shown."

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Sydney Ashton @sydneyeashton.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Using this textbook for my Biological Psychology course this semester and can highly recommend. Open educational resources are the way to go!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Video 3(of 3) in our series on changing brain activity in animal models: #Chemogenetics. This video by Corina Damian & Juan Song explains how small molecules coupled with genetically modified receptors can activate or inhibit neurons and thereby teach us about the brain! youtu.be/LOIlPlfB8u8

youtu.be

Explaining Chemogenetics (An OpenStax resource)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Video 2 in our series on changing brain activity in animals models: Optogenetics! This video by Belgin Yalcin explains how we can use light to activate or inhibit neurons and thereby learn about the brain and what it does! youtu.be/5wlmO8TTjhE

youtu.be

Explaining optogenetics (An OpenStax resource)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Today we start a method series focusing on ways to change brain activity in animal models. Let's start with neurotoxic lesions. Watch this video by Daniel McCallum to learn about how we use lesions of tiny bits of brain to figure out what behaviors different regions support. youtu.be/EqQwjmsktbA

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Dr. Liz Kirby @thekirbylab.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Reposting with the regular reminder that if you are a #neuroscience instructor, you likely have the power to choose what textbooks you use. Assigning open educational resources like this is one way we can make the way clear for students to succeed.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Bonus, meet the authors and hear how they got into science and why they think bio rhythms and sleep are so fascinating: Dr. Mahoney: youtu.be/0MTDfSJ0Kn8 Dr. Mintz: youtu.be/1hRNIN2GUI4

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Spotlight: Are you sleeping well nowadays? Sleep is an integral part of our #circadianrhythm. Organisms that don't sleep also show biological rhythms, even bacteria! Learn more in Ch 15 Biological Rhythms & Sleep by @mahoneymeg.bsky.social & @docofclocks.bsky.social tinyurl.com/itobnc15

Top is a diagram of a sagittal human brain with projections from the TMN (histamine), raphe nucleus (5HT), locus coeruleus (NE) in brainstem. Projections extend widely throughout the cortex. LDT/PPT (ACh) sends projections to the thalamus. Bottom shows a cartoon of a balance with VLPO/sleep on one side and TMN, Rn, LC and PPT/LDT with Wake on the other side. Sleep transitions are regulated by this 'flip flop switch'.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Synaptic vesicles are ~40 nm wide. How do we even see something that small, much less measure it? Transmission electron microscopy! Learn more about TEM in this methods video by Samuel Kim and Louisa Dal Cengio. #electronmicroscopy #neuroscience youtu.be/FtVvpRKGJsw

youtu.be

Explaining transmission electron microscopy (An OpenStax resource)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Bonus: Meet Dr. Robinson and hear about her science journey and current research in this meet-the-author video: youtu.be/ls_rJ3EuTRM

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Shivon Robinson (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Spotlight: Drugs can powerfully change the brain. Sometimes this is a medical miracle, relieving pain or anxiety. But too much of any drug can be toxic and some drugs lead to addiction. Learn more in Ch14 Psychopharmacology by Dr. @shivonrobinson.bsky.social! tinyurl.com/itobnch14

Cartoon representations of drugs being administered intravenously (1min), intranasally (1-2 min), via inhalation (1-2 min), orally (20min-1hr) and transdermal (hours)

Graph of plasma concentration (ng/L, y axis) versus time (hours). 3 curves show the plasma concentration of a drug over time for low, middle and high dose, revealing different absorption rates. Only the middle curve shows plasma concentrations within the therapeutic range (above “ineffective”) without inducing toxic effects.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

We almost let the day slip away without posting about an open ed. resource in #Neuroscience. Almost! Check out this Neuroanatomy lab: nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroanatomy... It's got oodles of illustrations and self-quizzes where you click on pictures of brains! Appears to be for undergrad-level neuro.

nba.uth.tmc.edu

Neuroanatomy Online: An Open Access Electronic Laboratory for the Neurosciences | Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy - The University of Texas Medical School at Houston

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

We're glad you're finding open resources useful! Fun fact: we at Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience welcome feedback from instructors and students, from anyone really. So spread the word! openstax.org/details/book... Scroll to the bottom at the above link and the button looks like this:

Screenshot of a website section titled Errata. A button "Suggest a correction" is circled and signaled with arrows.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

We're glad you're finding open resources useful! And if you are using our Intro to Behavioral Neuroscience book, remember there is an Errata button on the title page for your corrections and feedback. openstax.org/details/book... Scroll to the bottom and the button looks like this:

Screenshot of a website, showing and Errata section with a "suggest a correction" button circled and signaled with arrows.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Today seems like a good day to promote more open educational resources in #neuroscience. Reducing costs to students reduces barriers to success. Here's one: This free resource covers a breadth of neuro topics with a notable cell/molecular focus. nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience...

nba.uth.tmc.edu

Neuroscience Online: An Electronic Textbook for the Neurosciences | Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy - The University of Texas Medical School at Houston

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Bonus: Meet Dr. Williams in his Meet-the-author video. Hear about his science and even get some advice for undergrads interested in science in the video below! youtu.be/kfZTxtPopPA

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Cedric Williams (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Spotlight: How are you feeling today? Our brains produce a wide range of emotions. Mostly those emotions are adaptive and help us make decisions. But sometimes they are not. Learn more about the #neuroscience of Emotion in Ch 13 Emotion and Mood by Cedric Williams. tinyurl.com/itobnch13

A group of people with different facial expressions.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

We're so happy you are finding ways to use our open materials to support your teaching!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

We're delighted to be here, saving students money while spreading neuroscience education!

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

The electrochemical dance of the brain underpins what we think and how we move. But how do we measure the electric part? Watch & learn how electrophysiology reveals electric activity in whole circuits or even single cells in this methods video by Meretta Hanson and Jason Wester! youtu.be/5bHBi-U6jlk

youtu.be

Methods video: Electrophysiology

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Spotlight: Exams. Deadlines. Traffic. Feeling stressed yet? There is fascinating neuroscience behind stress. And many misconceptions too. Some stress is actually beneficial, for ex. Learn all about it in Ch 12 Stress by S. Muroy, MJ Ko, H Jaques &D Kaufer! #neuroscience #stress tinyurl.com/itobnch12

A line graph with y axis “behavioral performance” from low to high and x-axis “stress/stimulation” from too little to too much. An inverted-U curve is plotted. At too little stress, symptoms listed are impaired attention, boredom, confusion, apathy. In the middle, at the peak of the U, is eustress with symptoms focused attention, emotional regulation, rational thinking. At too much stress is distress, with symptoms of impaired memory, burn out, impaired executive functions.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Bonus: Meet Dr. Duque-Wilckens in this video and hear about some of her science and path to being a researcher. youtu.be/XmEKJ-NslU0

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Natalia Duque Wilckens (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Spotlight: Sex is complicated. It depends on genes, hormones and environment. And it is separate from the human construct of gender. Learn about the neuroscience of sex differentiation/differences in Ch11 Sex. Behav. & Devel. by @nduquewilckens.bsky.social #SABV #neuroscience tinyurl.com/itobnch11

Two distribution graphs. Sexual dimorphism: shows male and females as separate distributions for a hypothetical trait. Sex difference: shows male and female distribution of a trait as highly overlapping, with just a small separation.

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Campus Technology @campustech.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Open educational resources initiative @openstax.bsky.social from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved students nearly $3 billion in course material costs since its launch in 1999. campustechnology.com/Articles/202... #EduSky #HigherEd #HigherEducation

campustechnology.com

OpenStax Celebrates 25th Anniversary -- Campus Technology

OpenStax is celebrating its 25th anniversary as 2024 comes to a close. The open educational resources initiative from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved s...

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OpenStax @openstax.org · 13/01/2025

Are you new to OpenStax? Or are you a long-time user interested in learning more about our resources? Check out our blog post! We dive into an overview of our history, resources, and impact on courses across the globe. openstax.org/blog/what-is...

Graphic illustrating the three divisions that make up OpenStax: K12, HigherEd, and Research.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Bonus: meet Dr. Sandstrom here and learn a bit about his journey and what he thinks is extra cool about the motor system. youtu.be/vnbpBSml8ms

youtu.be

Meet the author: Dr. Michael Sandstrom (Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience)

YouTube video by OpenStax

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Spotlight: Want to flip like Simone Biles? Or run like Noah Lyles? Well, this chapter won't actually help with that. But, Ch 10 Motor Control by Michael Sandstrom will show you how our brain cooks up motor plans and gets our muscles to execute them! Check it out! #neuroscience tinyurl.com/itobnch10

Left top: Lateral surface view of human brain with primary motor cortex highlighted. Text box reads primary motor cortex (M1) produces the final motor output that descends into the body got implementation. Left bottom: Sagittal surface view of human brain with primary motor cortex highlighted. Right: Coronal view of major divisions of primary motor cortex, showing drawings of represented body parts lying along the surface of the cortex. Text box reads the homunculus distribution of control shows where M1 activation of movement in different body parts originates.

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Intro to BN open textbook @introtobn.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Transgenic organisms have transformed how life sciences research is approached. But what is a transgenic organism? And how do we use them in neuroscience? Our methods video by Carleton U. PhD student Andrea Smith helps explain this at the undergrad intro level! youtu.be/FRXbmH0MLRU

youtu.be

Methods video: Transgenic animals

YouTube video by OpenStax

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