FeaturedNeuroscience·August 28, 2025·5 min readHow the Brain Weighs RisksA new study shows that the brain uses two distinct mechanisms to drive exploration under uncertainty. Recording single-neuron activity during a learning task, researchers found that amygdala and temporal cortex neurons modulate their firing before exploration in both gain and loss situations.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·August 10, 2025·6 min readHow Upbringing Shapes Risk DecisionsA new study suggests that the way you take risks as an adult may depend less on how risky you are by nature and more on the types of resources you had growing up. Researchers found that people who were “socially rich” (strong social support, less money) and “economically rich” (more money, less social support) took similar risks but used different brain regions to get there.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·December 14, 2023·2 min readGen Z’s Mind Maze: Navigating a World of Perceived ExtremesA new study delves into the mental health crisis among Gen Z. The study, based on 40 interviews, highlights key risk factors like mass shootings, social media, and climate crisis, impacting young people's mental well-being.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·October 19, 2023·5 min readThe Risky Brain: Unraveling the Neural Codes of Lottery ChoicesResearchers pinpointed a key brain region in rats that determines their economic decisions when facing lottery-like uncertainties. The frontal orienting field (FOF) was identified as a major player in encoding the value of risky decisions, while the posterior parietal cortex had a minor effect.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 15, 2022·4 min readThe More Specifics People Have On Potential Dangers, the Less Fearful They BecomeDetailed knowledge of probabilities can make dangerous risks seem far less risky, a new study reports.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·August 3, 2018·5 min readFollow the Leader: What Sets Leaders Apart?A new study reveals the cognitive and neurobiological processes that influence whether a person is likely to be a leader or follower.Read More
FeaturedOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·April 14, 2017·3 min readHigh Stakes, High Risk, and a Bad Bet: Inside the Brains of Gambling AddictsA new neuroimaging study finds those with gambling addition have a poor ability to assess and adapt to high risk situations.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·December 13, 2016·3 min readBrain Structure Best Explains Our Dwindling Tolerance of RiskA new study links risk aversion to changes in gray matter volume in the right posterior parietal cortex.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 18, 2016·2 min readFood or Flight? Molecular Mechanics of Risk-Reward Equation DescribedA new study provides insight into the neural circuit computations that underlie risk-reward decision making.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·September 17, 2016·3 min readFish Lose Their Unique Personalities When They Go To ‘School’Despite having individual personalities, researchers report that differences get suppressed when fish are in a group.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·March 25, 2016·7 min readBrain Circuit for Risk Preferences in Rats PinpointedResearchers report DR2 neurons in the nucleus accumbens of rats may control risk taking behaviors.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·June 30, 2015·3 min readWhy the Promise of Reward Outweighs Risk for the Teenage BrainDopamine neurons are activated less than in adults brains when teens are faced with the prospect of a reward, a new study reports.Read More
