Mirror neurons

Mirror neurons are nerve cells that become active while we watch someone else perform an action, as if we were performing it ourselves. Discovered by the Italian neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti and his team, these cells were proposed as a possible neural basis for imitation and empathy. This mechanism may contribute to our sensing another's emotion and intention. Mirror neurons offer a clue to how people understand one another at a bodily level. Though not yet fully understood, these cells open an intriguing field on the origin of connection and empathy.