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·March 19, 2020·4 min read

‘Feeling obligated’ can impact relationships during social distancing

Many of us feel obligated to perform acts for loved ones, such as calling more frequently or running an errand for an elderly friend, during this time of social distancing. Researchers report low-level obligations and acts of kindness can help strengthen relationships, while more substantive obligations can put a strain on relationships.

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Featured Neuroscience Videos Psychology

·September 11, 2017·4 min read

‘Power Poses’ Don’t Work, Studies Suggest

A popular TED Talk argues power poses helps to boost confidence and increases chances of success. A number of new studies challenges the assertions, reporting that power poses may make people feel more powerful, but that is where the effect ends.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 10, 2021·5 min read

A Discovery That “Literally Changes the Textbook”

Study of gar fish reveals the modern eye-brain connection may have evolved much earlier than previously believed.

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Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·June 16, 2021·3 min read

A Quarter of Adults Don’t Want Children, and They’re Still Happy

Study reveals few differences in life satisfaction and limited differences in personality traits between those who are child-free and those who are parents.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 5, 2025·6 min read

AI Can Spot Lies, But Not as Well as Humans Can

A large-scale study tested whether AI personas can detect when humans are lying—and found that while AI can sometimes spot deception, it’s still far from trustworthy. Across 12 experiments involving 19,000 AI participants, the systems performed inconsistently, showing a strong bias toward identifying lies rather than truths.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 22, 2024·5 min read

AI Summaries Simplify Science, Boosting Public Understanding and Trust

AI-generated summaries make scientific studies more accessible and improve public trust in scientists. Using GPT-4, researchers created simplified summaries that were easier to read and understand than human-written ones.

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Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 16, 2020·4 min read

Are bigger brains better?

Greater hippocampal volume is not always a reliable predictor of learning and memory ability in older adults. Faster learning was only found in older adults who had both greater hippocampal volume and more uniform white matter connections to other parts of the brain.

Featured Psychology

·June 6, 2017·3 min read

Are Friends Better For Us Than Family?

As we age, the value of friendships grows stronger and may be more important to us than family relationships, a new study reports.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 24, 2024·6 min read

Brain Mapping Unveils Secrets to Designing Livable, People-Centric Cities

Researchers have demonstrated how brain activity can predict behavior in urban environments, providing a roadmap for improving urban planning. Using functional MRI scans, the study identified activity in the brain's reward system, specifically the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, as a key predictor of why people visit certain urban areas. Participants rated photos of Lisbon's urban spaces, and their brain responses were linked to visitation patterns, showing that people are drawn to areas of perceived value.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 10, 2025·6 min read

Can Animals Feel? A New Roadmap for Consciousness

A philosophy scholar has developed a practical “decision tree” to help scientists and ethicists evaluate which creatures may be conscious.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2019·2 min read

Can Facebook improve your mental health?

Contrary to popular belief, using social media sites like Facebook can actually help improve mental health in adults. Researchers found adults who use Facebook regularly are 63% less likely to experience psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, over time.