fMRI’s birthday lesson: Don’t ignore weird things you don’t understand

For 20 years now, scientists have been spying on the brain. The technique they use, called functional MRI, has changed the face of brain science, illuminating aspects of the human mind at work without the need for brain surgery or radio­active tracers.

Just lie in a noisy metal tube for a while, and then presto — out pops a gorgeous image of a live brain.