Every region has its place in the brain. However, it has been unclear why brain regions are located where they are. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich have defined two main axes along which brain regions are genetically organized, stretching from posterior to anterior and inferior to superior parts of the brain. These axes are mainly shaped by genes and evolution. To better know these principles helps to better understand a regions’ function and evolutionary past – and the brain architecture as a whole, setting the stage for our thoughts and feelings.