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neurobiology

This shows the outline of a person and vertebrates.

·November 3, 2025·6 min read

Why Warm-Blooded Animals Evolved the Biggest Brains

A global study of vertebrates reveals that body temperature is the key driver behind brain size evolution. Warm-blooded species like mammals and birds can maintain the energy demands of larger brains, while cold-blooded species are limited by fluctuating external temperatures.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 3, 2025·4 min read

Brain Circuit Found to Shape Risk and Impulse Differently by Sex

Researchers exploring risky decision-making in rats found that a specific reward-related neural circuit influences impulsivity and risk-taking in complex ways that depend on timing and biological sex. Manipulating the circuit during the learning phase of a gambling task altered risky choices differently in males and females, while manipulation after learning affected motor impulsivity in both.

This shows a brain on a pillow and food.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 3, 2025·4 min read

Losing Sleep Might Make You Hungrier and Sleepier Later

New research using fruit flies reveals that sleep loss can trigger both increased eating and sleeping—if the deprivation leads to energy depletion. Flies that lost energy while sleep-deprived compensated with extra rest and food intake, while those deprived without losing energy showed no such rebound.

This shows a child working on a tablet in a classroom.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 3, 2025·9 min read

Why Kids Still Struggle With Capital Letters After Grade School

New research reveals that English-speaking children continue to refine their capitalization skills well past the early grades, despite being taught the rules early. Across two studies, students in Grades 3–6 made more errors than older students and relied more heavily on having “two clues”—such as a proper noun at the start of a sentence—to capitalize correctly.

This shows a woman sitting in a dark room.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 2, 2025·4 min read

Don’t Ignore the Winter Blues, It Could Be Seasonal Depression

As daylight fades, many experience fatigue or low mood—but for millions, these symptoms signal seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a serious form of depression. Reduced sunlight disrupts serotonin, melatonin, and the body’s circadian rhythm, leading to feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest, and sleep or appetite changes.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 1, 2025·6 min read

How Chocolate’s Puckering Taste May Stimulate the Brain

Japanese researchers have uncovered how the astringent “bite” of cocoa flavanols can activate the brain—even though little of the compound enters the bloodstream. In mice, the sensation of astringency triggered sensory nerves that stimulated neurotransmitters linked to motivation, alertness, and memory.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 31, 2025·6 min read

Rotating Brain Waves Help the Mind Refocus After Distraction

Neuroscientists have discovered that when the brain is distracted, coordinated “rotating” waves of neural activity help it steer back to focus. Using electrical recordings in animals, the team found that neurons in the prefrontal cortex synchronize in circular patterns—like starlings in flight—to recover from cognitive interruptions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 31, 2025·7 min read

How “Frazzled” Keeps the Brain Wired for Lightning-Fast Communication

Scientists have uncovered a key role for the protein “Frazzled” in building and maintaining the rapid neural connections that allow fruit flies to react in milliseconds. When Frazzled is missing, neurons lose vital gap junctions, slowing communication and weakening muscle responses.

This shows a person looking at an oversized head.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 31, 2025·5 min read

Human Mind Prefers Simple Explanations Over Complex Truths

New research shows that people tend to prefer simple explanations even when complex ones are more accurate. The study found that individuals focus mainly on visible or known causes while neglecting hidden or absent ones, leading to oversimplified reasoning.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 30, 2025·7 min read

Newly Mapped Brain Circuit Reveals How Memories Stay Stable During Learning

A new study reveals how brain circuits between the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus stabilize memories during learning. Researchers found that synchronized signals between excitatory and inhibitory neurons in these regions help strengthen “place maps,” ensuring memories remain consistent even as new information is learned.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 30, 2025·6 min read

Common Antidepressant Eases Core Symptoms Within Two Weeks

A new analysis of the PANDA clinical trial reveals that sertraline, one of the most prescribed antidepressants, improves key emotional symptoms of depression—such as sadness, self-loathing, and suicidal thoughts—within just two weeks of treatment. Using network analysis to assess individual symptoms, researchers found that the drug also eased anxiety early on, while somatic effects like fatigue and low libido appeared but later stabilized.

This shows a child surrounded by bacteria.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 30, 2025·6 min read

Toddler Gut Bacteria Linked to Childhood Anxiety and Depression

A new study suggests that a child’s gut microbiome at age 2 may influence their emotional health years later. Researchers found that higher levels of bacteria from the Clostridiales order and Lachnospiraceae family were linked to stronger connectivity across emotion-related brain networks and a higher risk of anxiety and depression symptoms by age 7½.

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neurobiology

Why Warm-Blooded Animals Evolved the Biggest Brains

Brain Circuit Found to Shape Risk and Impulse Differently by Sex

Losing Sleep Might Make You Hungrier and Sleepier Later

Why Kids Still Struggle With Capital Letters After Grade School

Don’t Ignore the Winter Blues, It Could Be Seasonal Depression

How Chocolate’s Puckering Taste May Stimulate the Brain

Rotating Brain Waves Help the Mind Refocus After Distraction

How “Frazzled” Keeps the Brain Wired for Lightning-Fast Communication

Human Mind Prefers Simple Explanations Over Complex Truths

Newly Mapped Brain Circuit Reveals How Memories Stay Stable During Learning

Common Antidepressant Eases Core Symptoms Within Two Weeks

Toddler Gut Bacteria Linked to Childhood Anxiety and Depression

Why Memories Change: How the Brain Rewrites the Past

Astrocytes Found to Drive Key Brain Changes in Nicotine Addiction

Warmth and Hugging Strengthen the Feeling of Being You

Microplastics Accelerate Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Damage

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