Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no longer classified as a pandemic, a significant number of infections continue to be reported globally. The World Health Organization…
Category: Humans
Teen Brain’s Blunted Reward Response Predicts Depression Onset
Summary: A new study reveals that a reduced neural response to rewards in teens predicts the first onset of depression, but not anxiety or suicidality. Researchers used EEG scans to…
Ketamine Reduces “Giving Up” by Targeting Brain Support Cells
Summary: Researchers have found that ketamine’s antidepressant effects target astroglia, a type of brain support cell, rather than neurons, challenging conventional views. Using zebrafish, scientists observed that ketamine suppressed the…
AI Tweaks Personality Tests to Appear More Likable
Summary: Large language models (LLMs) can identify when they are being given personality tests and adjust their responses to appear more socially desirable. Researchers found that LLMs, like GPT-4, showed…
Being Watched Changes How Your Brain Processes Faces
Summary: A new study shows that knowing you’re under surveillance triggers a faster, automatic brain response to detect faces and gaze direction. Researchers found that participants monitored via CCTV became…
Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a…
Medical debt totaling $30 million to be paid off in Connecticut
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Connecticut has become the latest state to begin notifying its eligible citizens that some or all of their medical debt will soon be paid off, officials…
Disney princesses face hidden health risks, warn experts
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Although Disney princesses seem to live happily ever after, they face serious real world health hazards, warn experts in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. Sanne…
5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
The U.S. has made great progress in getting more people insured since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014. The share of uninsured Americans ages 18 to 64 fell…
Saintly figures found in Berlin
Archaeologists excavating in the Molkenmarkt, the oldest square in Berlin, have uncovered a rare collection of saint figures. The Molkenmarkt (meaning “whey market”) is located in the Alt-Berlin quarter of…
