FeaturedNeuroscience·July 22, 2025·7 min readAI Chatbots Overestimate Themselves, and Don’t Realize ItAI chatbots often overestimate their own abilities and fail to adjust even after performing poorly, a new study finds. Researchers compared human and AI confidence in trivia, predictions, and image recognition tasks, showing humans can recalibrate while AI often grows more overconfident.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·July 22, 2025·6 min readSynaptic Tau and Astrocytes Drive PSP Progressionew research uncovers how tau pathology spreads and damages synapses in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Using human postmortem tissue and live brain slice models, scientists showed tau accumulates in both pre- and postsynaptic terminals, likely propagating neuron-to-neuron.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 22, 2025·6 min readHunger Sharpens Sleep Rhythms That Solidify MemoriesNew research shows that the brain’s slow oscillations and sleep spindles — key rhythms that consolidate memories during sleep — can be shaped by more than just age. While these rhythms have long been thought of as stable traits, studies reveal that metabolic state, like fasting before sleep, can enhance their timing and co-occurrence.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 22, 2025·7 min readWhy the Psychopathic Brain Struggles With Emotion and ControlNew research reveals how structural brain connectivity shapes psychopathic traits and externalizing behaviors. Using advanced connectome modeling, scientists identified two key networks: one tied to impaired emotional processing, the other to poor attentional control.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·July 21, 2025·7 min readMost Mental Illnesses Arise Without Family HistoryA massive Danish study shows that most mental illnesses—like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression—occur in people with no close family history of the condition. Analyzing data from over 3 million individuals, researchers found that while heredity increases risk, most diagnosed individuals do not have affected relatives.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 21, 2025·6 min readADHD-Linked Genes Raise Risk of Childhood MaltreatmentChildren with higher genetic risk for ADHD are more likely to experience childhood maltreatment, a new study shows. Researchers found that ADHD-associated genetic variants, especially when combined with parental psychiatric diagnoses, increase the likelihood of abuse and neglect.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeuroscience·July 21, 2025·4 min readHidden Genes in DNA “Dark Matter” Linked to Human Brain TraitsResearchers have identified two genes from the human genome’s “dark matter” that influence brain size and synaptic signaling. Using the complete human genome and zebrafish models, the team showed how these duplicated genes may contribute to what makes the human brain distinctive.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 21, 2025·5 min readOptimists’ Brains “Think Alike” When Imagining the FutureOptimists’ brains show strikingly similar patterns when imagining the future, while pessimists’ brains display more individual variability, a new study reveals. Using fMRI, researchers found that optimists process positive and negative scenarios in distinct, shared ways, which may explain their greater social connectedness.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 21, 2025·3 min readRight-Sided Brain Pathway Linked to Social DominanceA new study uncovers how brain anatomy relates to social dominance in primates. Researchers found that the uncinate fasciculus, a tract tied to emotion and memory, strongly correlated with dominance behaviors in squirrel monkeys. This link was especially pronounced in the right hemisphere, aligning with human findings on social aggression.Read More
AutismFeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 21, 2025·5 min readAutism Masking Leaves a Mark on the BrainSome autistic teens mask their traits to “pass” as non-autistic in social settings, but a new study reveals the hidden cognitive toll. Using EEG, researchers found these teens show faster automatic responses to faces and dampened emotional reactivity, suggesting their brains may adapt to cope with social demands.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 21, 2025·7 min readPregnancy Stress Disrupts Baby’s Microbiome, Increasing Depression RiskPrenatal stress in mothers can leave a lasting imprint on their offspring, predisposing them to depression-like behaviors. Researchers found that maternal stress disrupts the gut microbiome and metabolite production, which are vertically transmitted to the young.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·July 21, 2025·7 min readFoMO and Dark Personalities Drive Online Political EngagementA large cross-national study examined how psychopathy, narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO), and cognitive ability influence online political participation. Across eight countries, people high in psychopathy and FoMO consistently engaged more in digital political activities, while narcissism predicted participation only in some contexts.Read More
