SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 3, 2026Nautilus

How Does Your Brain Know a Cat Is a Cat?

SMRTR summary

Neuroscientists Lisa Feldman Barrett and Earl Miller say the brain doesn't first detect a cat and then label it — instead, it generates a "cat hypothesis" before any sensing occurs, actively shaping what signals the body processes. Published in *Nature Reviews: Neuroscience*, their research draws on brain imaging, electrophysiology, and cognitive science, suggesting the brain predicts rather than reacts, with consciousness only catching up afterward.

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