FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 17, 2024·6 min readPeople Empathize with Bullied AI BotsPeople empathize with AI bots excluded from a virtual game, treating them like social beings in need of fairness. Participants favored giving the AI bot a fair chance in play, with older adults showing a stronger inclination to rectify the perceived unfairness.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·October 4, 2024·6 min readCOVID-19 Affects Memory and Cognition for Up to a YearHealthy adults who contracted COVID-19 had subtle but measurable declines in memory and cognitive performance lasting up to a year. These differences were found through sensitive testing under controlled conditions, though all scores remained within normal ranges, and none of the participants reported lasting cognitive symptoms.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·August 25, 2024·7 min readAI Models Complex Molecular States with PrecisionResearchers developed a brain-inspired AI technique using neural networks to model the challenging quantum states of molecules, crucial for technologies like solar panels and photocatalysts. This new approach significantly improves accuracy, enabling better prediction of molecular behaviors during energy transitions. By enhancing our understanding of molecular excited states, this research could revolutionize material prototyping and chemical synthesis.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·July 15, 2024·5 min readNight Owls Have Higher Cognitive AptitudeA recent study links sleep preferences to brain performance, finding that "night owls" often score higher on cognitive tests than "morning larks." Researchers analyzed data from over 26,000 people, highlighting that sleeping 7-9 hours a night optimizes brain function.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·May 13, 2024·4 min readSleep May Not Aid Brain DetoxA new study challenges the prevailing theory that sleep aids in the detoxification of the brain. Researchers found that the brain's toxin clearance is significantly reduced during sleep and even more so under anesthesia, as shown by the slower movement and clearance of a fluorescent dye in the brains of mice.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience·April 8, 2024·7 min readInflammation Biomarkers in Blood of Long-COVID PatientsResearchers made significant progress in understanding long COVID by identifying distinct inflammation patterns in the blood of individuals who have experienced severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. This large UK study, which analyzed over 650 patients, found that long COVID sufferers exhibit immune system activation long after initial hospitalization, with specific patterns correlating to different symptom types.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 27, 2023·5 min readHair Follicles’ Hidden Role in Touch SensationA new study uncovered a previously unknown mechanism in hair follicles that allows us to detect touch. Previously, sensation was attributed only to nerve endings in the skin, but this study reveals that cells within hair follicles can also sense touch.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·September 21, 2023·5 min readThe Brain Wiring for Sleep PrepResearchers have discovered how mice's brains are wired to instinctively prepare for sleep by nesting, highlighting a survival feature likely shared among mammals. When mice were deprived of sleep, a robust urge to nest emerged, which is controlled by dedicated brain cells in the prefrontal cortex.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·August 27, 2023·5 min readUK’s First Womb Transplant Offers Hope for Childless WomenFor the first time in the UK, a woman born without a functioning womb has new hope for carrying her own child thanks to a groundbreaking womb transplant. The procedure was led by a team from Imperial College London and Oxford University Hospitals.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 20, 2023·5 min readHow DMT Psychedelic Alters Perception of RealityThe psychedelic compound DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) increases connectivity across the brain, allowing for greater communication between different areas and networks. The brain changes are most prominent in brain areas linked to higher functioning, such as imagination.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·February 3, 2023·7 min readKisspeptin Hormone Injection Could Treat Low Sex Drive in Women and MenA shot of the kisspeptin hormone can boost sexual desire in both men and women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder.Read More
Brain CancerFeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·January 31, 2023·4 min readUltra-Processed Foods May Be Linked to Increased Risk of CancerHigh consumption of ultra-processed foods, including soda, chips, and some white bread products, was associated with an increased risk of developing and dying from certain kinds of cancer, including brain cancer.Read More
