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University of Waterloo

·June 30, 2025·4 min read

Songs Trigger Faster, Stronger Personal Memories

New research shows that full songs are far more effective than spoken lyrics in evoking personal memories. By comparing reactions to popular pop songs and spoken-word versions, researchers found that music helps anchor memories to specific times and emotions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 6, 2024·5 min read

Antipsychotics Worsen Behavior in Dementia

A study of 500,000 Canadian nursing home residents found antipsychotic medications significantly worsened behaviors in patients, with nearly 68% experiencing increased issues. Antipsychotics are often prescribed "off-label" for dementia-related symptoms, despite serious side effects like tremors and cognitive decline. Researchers advocate for person-centered care, emphasizing non-drug therapies like music, art, and exercise to address behavioral issues.

This shows two people, squiggly lines and the words "cause" and "effect".

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 22, 2024·3 min read

Why We’re Wired to Love Simple Solutions

People's preference for simple explanations stems from their desire for efficiency in both understanding situations and achieving goals. Researchers found that participants consistently favored explanations involving common, reliable causes over complex or rare ones.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 8, 2024·3 min read

Sex-Based Breakfast Choices May Boost Metabolism

A recent study using mathematical models suggests that breakfast choices may affect men’s and women’s metabolisms differently. Results indicate that men’s metabolisms respond better to carb-heavy breakfasts, while women’s bodies benefit more from higher-fat options like eggs or avocados, especially after fasting.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 25, 2024·4 min read

How Logical Thinking and Empathy Define Wisdom

A new study reveals that people across 12 countries and five continents perceive wisdom through two key dimensions: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness. Reflective orientation includes logical thinking and emotion control, while socio-emotional awareness focuses on empathy and social context. These dimensions consistently influence how individuals judge wisdom in leaders, scientists, and others. The findings highlight the universal principles that shape perceptions of wisdom and their implications for leadership and education.

This shows a man sitting alone on a bench.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 11, 2024·4 min read

Loneliness Worse for Memory Than Social Isolation

A new study finds that loneliness impacts memory more negatively than social isolation among older adults. Those who are both socially isolated and lonely experience the greatest memory decline, but loneliness alone also significantly harms memory.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·March 6, 2024·4 min read

Real Person or Deepfake? Can You Tell?

A new study reveals a significant challenge in distinguishing real from AI-generated images, with only 61% of participants accurately identifying them—far below the anticipated 85%. The study involved 260 people evaluating 20 photos, half sourced from Google and half produced by AI programs like Stable Diffusion or DALL-E, focusing on details like fingers, eyes, and teeth to make their judgments.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 22, 2023·3 min read

Why Our Brains Prefer Symbols to Words

Research reveals symbols are more memorable than words. This novel study dives into our brain's knack for recalling graphic symbols and logos over their word counterparts. Symbols, offering visual anchors for abstract ideas, outperform words in memory tests. This understanding could revolutionize visual communication and design.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 16, 2023·4 min read

AI Revolution: Simulating Human Behavior for Groundbreaking Social Science

A team of researchers predicts artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), could redefine social science research. They believe LLMs, trained on vast amounts of text data, can mimic human responses to aid in extensive and rapid human behavior studies.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 14, 2023·4 min read

Unmasking COVID-19’s Impact on the Brain

A revolutionary MRI technique, known as Correlated Diffusion Imaging (CDI), has been utilized to uncover previously unseen changes in the brain caused by COVID-19. The study revealed distinct changes in the diffusion of water molecules within the brain's white matter. These findings not only reinforce the fact that COVID-19 affects the brain but also suggest the cerebellum might be particularly vulnerable.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 1, 2023·4 min read

Cracking the Code of VR Sickness: Why Some Experience Motion Sickness While Gaming and Others Don’t

The way our senses adjust while playing virtual reality (VR) games affects the severity of cybersickness experienced. Researchers measured how participants perceived the orientation of vertical lines before and after playing two VR games, one high-intensity, and one low-intensity. They found that those who experienced less sickness were more likely to have the largest change in the subjective visual vertical following exposure to VR. The findings could be useful for VR designers and developers in creating more comfortable and enjoyable experiences.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 1, 2023·5 min read

Long COVID Linked to Lower Brain Oxygen Levels, Cognitive Problems and Psychiatric Symptoms

Long COVID is linked to reduced oxygen uptake in the brain, a new study reports. Researchers say the finding is significant as a lack of sufficient oxygen supply may be one of the mechanisms that cause brain fog, cognitive problems, and an increased risk of depression and anxiety in long COVID patients.