Latest

PLOS

This shows a brain and online forum chat bubbles.

·July 29, 2025·6 min read

Online Hate Speech Resembles Mental Health Disorder Language

A new study using AI tools found that posts in online hate speech communities closely resemble the speech patterns seen in forums for certain personality disorders. While it doesn’t imply that people with psychiatric diagnoses are more prone to hate, the overlap suggests that online hate speech may cultivate traits like low empathy and emotional instability.

This shows the outline of two heads and smoke.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 23, 2025·4 min read

Tobacco Use Linked to Higher Depression and Anxiety

Adolescents who use e-cigarettes or conventional tobacco products are significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety than non-users, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from over 60,000 U.S. middle and high school students surveyed between 2021 and 2023.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 16, 2025·5 min read

When Tears Seem Honest: Context Shapes How We Judge Crying

New research reveals that our perception of others’ tears as sincere or manipulative depends heavily on context. Tears were judged more honest when shed in non-manipulative situations and by those less expected to cry, such as men or individuals perceived as less warm.

This shows an older man playing piano and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 15, 2025·5 min read

Playing Music Helps Older Brains Stay Sharp

Long-term musical training may help older adults maintain youthful brain patterns and better speech perception in noisy environments, according to new research. Scientists found that older musicians showed more efficient brain connectivity and better performance than non-musicians of the same age.

This shows a person sleeping and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2025·5 min read

Short Naps Linked to “Aha” Moments and Creative Insight

A new study suggests that a short nap, especially one reaching deeper N2 sleep, can significantly boost problem-solving insight. Participants who achieved N2 sleep were far more likely to discover a hidden shortcut in a task after napping.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 5, 2025·6 min read

Mice Experience Rubber Hand Illusion

A new study shows that mice, like humans, can experience a sense of embodiment toward an artificial limb—similar to the famous rubber-hand illusion. When their real limb was hidden and both real and fake limbs were brushed in sync, mice visually tracked a threat to the fake limb, indicating perceived ownership.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 29, 2025·4 min read

How Personality and Family Shape Athletic Self-Perception

A new study of Japanese undergraduates finds that students' perceptions of their own athletic ability are shaped by a mix of personality traits, childhood environment, and social feedback. Those who rated themselves as more athletic also tended to display grit, resilience, and a growth mindset. Factors like early walking age, athletic parents, frequent sports participation, and being called athletic by others were also linked to higher self-ratings.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 28, 2025·4 min read

Cats Can Recognize Their Owners by Smell Alone

A new study has found that domestic cats can distinguish between their owner’s scent and that of a stranger using their sense of smell alone. When presented with scent samples from familiar and unfamiliar humans, cats consistently spent more time sniffing the unfamiliar scent.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Visual Neuroscience

·May 20, 2025·4 min read

Color Knowledge Tied to Language-Visual Brain Circuitry

A new study shows that our ability to recall details about familiar objects—like a banana’s typical color—depends on strong connections between visual and language-processing areas of the brain. Researchers found that stroke patients with disrupted neural pathways between these regions had weaker object-color knowledge and altered brain activity.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 4, 2025·6 min read

Setting and Mindset Shape Ayahuasca’s Mental Health Effects

New research highlights how ayahuasca’s long-term mental health outcomes depend heavily on individual mental health history and the environment in which it is used. While the psychedelic has shown promise in easing anxiety and depression, adverse mental states—such as feelings of disconnection or hopelessness—were more common among users with pre-existing conditions or those in unsupportive, non-traditional settings. Interestingly, some negative experiences, like visual distortions, were linked to positive outcomes later on, suggesting that so-called adverse effects may hold therapeutic value.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 24, 2025·5 min read

Gun Culture a Key Factor in School Shooter Backgrounds

A comprehensive analysis of all known U.S. school shootings reveals that most shooters grew up in social environments where guns were a central part of family bonding and identity. These cultural meanings of affection, fun, and belonging made firearms easily accessible to the shooters—often without barriers at home. In many cases, parents purchased the firearms used or stored them in places their children could reach.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 18, 2025·5 min read

How Intent Shapes Perception of Action

A groundbreaking study used a brain-machine interface to explore how intentions, actions, and their outcomes are temporally linked in the human brain. By recording single-neuron activity from a paralyzed individual with implanted electrodes, researchers enabled intentional hand movement through machine-learning-driven muscle stimulation.