Pictured is the trajectory of a recording electrode (red) targeting locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC–NE) neurons (green), with all cell nuclei stained by DAPI (blue). Xuejiao Wang and colleagues precisely controlled LC–NE neurons projecting to the orbitofrontal cortex using optogenetics to reveal the critical role of the LC in enhancing neural activity, modulating behavioral response speeds, and influencing the precision of auditory discrimination. See the article by Wang et al. for more information. Cover image: Xuejiao Wang.