STEM Chronicles October 2026: The Spectrum of Imagination
From the Founder’s Desk
When I was doing my PhD in Physics, I went through a phase of reading books about the brain! During that phase, one day I picked up a book called The Odd Brain by Dr. Stephen Juan. It talked about the various strange brain disorders and everyday quirks of the mind, such as déjà vu. This edition brings back that feeling as it explores one of the most intriguing questions about the brain: why some of us can picture a scene in vivid detail while others see nothing at all.
We rarely stop to ask whether the person next to us experiences the world in the same way we do. And that is exactly what the featured research article, The Spectrum of Imagination, explores: how different brains build different images of the same scene, and why no point on that spectrum is the right one.
Understanding the brain cannot happen at one level alone. It has to begin with the molecules and the synapses, and end with the person. That is exactly the journey Dr. Blanka Kellermayer has made in her own career. In Dialogues of Discovery, she speaks about her research from the genetics of brain diseases, to receptors at a single synapse, and eventually building a career helping parents understand their children’s brains. She talks about how the immune system can affect the way we think, why sleep matters for learning, and why AI must remain a tool and not a substitute for our own thinking.
The exploration continues with the review of the documentary, The Social Dilemma, which looks at the other side of the marvel, and how easily the same brain can be nudged by algorithms and dopamine hits. The students also bring you the latest in STEM from across the globe, including the discovery of immune hubs hidden inside the skull, this month in STEM history, DIY experiments and more.
What I find most remarkable is that the brain is the only organ trying to understand itself. Every question in this edition was asked by a brain, and every answer was reasoned out by one. I can think of no better reason for a student to stay curious.
If you are a researcher, educator or professional who would like to support the students with this initiative, consider this a personal invitation. Join them on Dialogues of Discovery, mentor a student writer, or share this edition with someone who will.
Happy reading.
Dr. Sonali Dasgupta
Founder, STEMonsters Education
In This Issue
- Featured Blog: The Spectrum of Imagination
Hyperphantasia, phantasia and aphantasia, and the brain networks behind how we picture a scene. Written by Pranati Sree G. Art by Kavya Das; cover art by Naina Carvalho. - Dialogues of Discovery: Dr. Blanka Kellermayer
Neuroscientist, on the immune system and the brain, sleep and learning, and the role of AI in research. Interview by Pranati Sree G and Eeshwar. - News Flash: The Monthly Buzz
Signs of a still-active nitrogen glacier on Pluto, and immune hubs discovered in the bone marrow of the skull. - Documentary Review: The Social Dilemma
The 2020 documentary on how social media platforms capture attention, shape behaviour and affect young people’s mental health. - Student Showcase: DIY Experiment
Draw a Penrose triangle, the optical illusion of a solid object that cannot exist in three dimensions. - Fun Zone: Previously This Month and The Mystery Hidden in Plain Sight
October in science history, and a mystery to solve.
Watch the full interview with Dr. Blanka Kellermayer (Neuroscientist)
Dr. Blanka Kellermayer, a neuroscientist whose career has taken her from molecular biology and neurological disease research to biotechnology and parenting coaching, speaks with the student editors about how antibodies affecting NMDA receptors can disrupt synaptic plasticity, how sleep shapes learning, and why AI must remain a tool rather than a substitute for our own thinking. Her advice to students: “Be curious. And stay curious. And stay open.”
From the Featured Article
Close your eyes and imagine… You’re standing on a beach. Do you see waves shimmer in the light of the sun? Do you see crabs and seashells scattered around the sand? Can you almost feel the coarseness of the sand between your toes? Some of you might have seen a movie in your head right now. Some of you might have seen a vague outline of a beach. Some of you might have seen nothing at all, and will be wondering what I’m talking about.
This is the spectrum of imagination. From hyperphantasia, where an individual experiences extraordinarily vivid imagery, to aphantasia, where an individual is unable to create mental images.
The full article explains how the visual cortex, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus work together to create mental images, what neuroimaging and pupil-response studies reveal about hyperphantasia, why phantasia remains the least studied part of the spectrum, and how congenital and acquired aphantasia differ.
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Behind the STEM Chronicles Magazine
STEM Chronicles is designed, researched, written and published by STEMonsters students, guided by Dr. Sonali Dasgupta (PhD, former research scientist). Explore our after-school STEM programs for Grades 3 to 12 or our programs for schools.
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