Late last week, we seen headlines suggesting we might have two brains instead of one. As so often with such reports, these were based on a single press release from a university where the research was conducted.

But you still only have one brain. This new paper is actually about how the brain segments develop, providing an insight into the fascinating world of developmental biology. It’s a complex process, but essentially, the vertebrate embryo knows its head from its tail by the time the first cells committed to becoming neurons appear.

The embryo has three tissues at the start: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. These tissues will later form the gut, muscles, and skin, respectively. The new research focuses on how these segments are formed, contributing to our understanding of brain development and the intricate processes that shape our bodies.

So, while the idea of having two brains might sound tempting, for now, we can stick to our single brain and marvel at its complexity. After all, with one brain, we can already do pretty amazing things!