How our brains give rise to consciousness is one of the biggest mysteries in neuroscience. But new research by Janis Hesse at the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues, may help fill in some of the details. The insights are coming from studies on macaque monkeys.

For years, neuroscientists have been divided over whether the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness lie primarily in the front or the back of the brain. Some researchers champion frontal regions through frameworks like global neuronal workspace and higher-order models. Others support posterior zones through models like integrated information theory and recurrent processing.

This new study suggests both camps might be arguing about the wrong thing.