My new column about the brain has just gone up on the Discover web site. In it, I take a look at what happens when our brains get stretched, smushed, and otherwise injured. Brains don’t break like bones or rip like skin. Their injuries lurk down in the realm of molecules. And perhaps that’s where scientists will find a way to treat brain injuries. Check it out.

Originally published August 18, 2010. Copyright 2010 Carl Zimmer.