When Descartes postulated that Res Cogitans and Res Extensa are two separate entities, he could not have foreseen the advances that would be made over the next 300 years, making it apparent that mind and body are intertwined. It is fascinating that neuron-specific adaptations of fundamental cell signalling pathways and concepts form the basis of the Res Cogitans. Synaptic plasticity — the ability of synapses to change in strength in response to a stimulus — is an important foundation for learning and memory.

On page 101, a timely and comprehensive review of our knowledge of the AMPA receptor family focuses on how these receptors are regulated by intracellular signalling pathways and what determines subunit expression and therefore influences synaptic plasticity. The authors discuss outstanding questions, the answers to which would complete our knowledge of the role of these receptors in synaptic plasticity and move us closer to understanding how we learn and remember.

Neuroscientific findings such as these have a potentially high impact on the public. The communication interface between the scientific community, the media and the public therefore has to be marked by careful interpretation and discourse. The public rely on the media for the communication and interpretation of scientific breakthroughs, and in turn scientists also rely on publicly funded grants. Therefore, good communication is of mutual benefit. In a Science and Society article on page 153, Singh et al. discuss examples of positive and negative interactions between the science community, the media and the public. Breaking down borders and entering a constructive discussion will contribute to a highly effective system for disease prevention and intervention.