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Ohio State University

·April 24, 2024·4 min read

Parenting Demands Make People Feel Lonely

A new study highlights the widespread feelings of isolation and burnout among parents, with 66% reporting feelings of loneliness due to parenting demands. The study, involving parents across various demographics, shows that 62% experience burnout, and 38% lack supportive networks.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 1, 2024·6 min read

Attitude Bias at Procrastination’s Root

New research delves into how valence weighting bias—people's tendency to prioritize negative or positive attitudes—plays a crucial role in procrastination. By studying individuals' responses to tasks like tax filing and academic research participation, the researchers found a strong link between a negative-leaning attitude and the tendency to delay tasks.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 7, 2023·6 min read

AI’s Vulnerability to Misguided Human Arguments

A new study reveals a significant vulnerability in large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT: they can be easily misled by incorrect human arguments. Researchers engaged ChatGPT in debate-like scenarios, finding that it often accepted invalid user arguments and abandoned correct responses, even apologizing for its initially correct answers.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 13, 2023·5 min read

Childhood Stress Has A Greater Genetic Impact Than Brain Injury

Researchers discovered that early-life stress alters more brain genes than childhood head injuries, as shown in a rat study. This research used a rat model to mimic human early-life stress and head injury, revealing significant genetic changes in the hippocampal region.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 27, 2023·4 min read

Curbing Overthinking in Teens Alters Brain Connectivity

Researchers revealed that Rumination-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RF-CBT) can significantly reduce overthinking in teens. This treatment method, originally designed for adults with recurrent depression, has been adapted for younger individuals.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 26, 2023·6 min read

Brain Protein Bonding Offers Fresh Pathways to Schizophrenia Treatments

Researchers have discovered an interaction between two brain proteins, MAP6 and Kv3.1, that affect movement, anxiety, and memory in mice. The connection between these proteins is critical for maintaining these functions.

This shows a lonely man and a shadowy figure.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 29, 2023·5 min read

Loneliness Merges Real and Fictional Friends in the Brain

Researchers discovered that lonely fans of "Game of Thrones" processed their favorite characters similarly to real friends in their brains. By using fMRI scans while participants considered the traits of show characters and real friends, a blurred boundary was observed between real and fictional friends for lonelier individuals.

This shows a happy child covered in paint.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 22, 2023·7 min read

How Creativity Training Helps Kids Tackle Life’s Hurdles and Boosts Resilience

Training elementary school students in creativity has shown potential in amplifying their resilience against real-world challenges. Researchers equipped third to fifth graders with literary techniques to enhance creativity when addressing problems.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 24, 2023·6 min read

Schadenfreude or Sympathy? Exploring Public Sentiments on Anti-vaxxers’ COVID-19 Fate

A new study reveals that public reactions to the deaths of anti-vaxxers due to COVID-19 are multifaceted. The study found that while very few people celebrated these deaths, some individuals, primarily vaccinated individuals, considered anti-vaxxers who contracted COVID-19 deserving of their fate.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 20, 2023·3 min read

Overcoming ‘Catastrophic Forgetting’: A Leap in AI Continuous Learning

Researchers are investigating a significant hurdle in machine learning known as "catastrophic forgetting," a phenomenon where AI systems lose information from previous tasks while learning new ones.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 19, 2023·6 min read

Motherly Love? Immune System Changes May Play a Role

Changes in the immune system during pregnancy, specifically the decrease of immune cells known as microglia, may contribute to the onset of maternal behavior. Depletion of microglia in female rats, who typically dislike being around offspring, led to accelerated care for newborn rats placed in their cages.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 30, 2023·7 min read

Sniffing Out the Secrets: The Science Behind Cats’ Superb Sense of Smell

Researchers have uncovered the intricate structure within a cat's nose that aids in their exceptional olfactory abilities. Through a 3D computer model and simulations, it was observed that inhaled air splits into two distinct streams within a cat's nose, aiding both respiratory and olfactory functions.