Summary: Artificial intelligence is becoming a pivotal force in human lives, prompting questions about its evolutionary effects. A new study explores how AI may influence human evolution through everyday interactions,…
Category: Psychology
Robots Help Unlock the Mystery of Human Sense of Self
Summary: A new study explores how robots can model and test aspects of the human sense of self, offering new insights into this complex phenomenon. Robots can simulate processes like…
How Depression Alters Stress, Health, and Lifespan
Summary: Depression disrupts the body’s stress systems, causing physical health risks like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, and reducing life expectancy by 7-10 years. The condition triggers brain structure changes,…
How Stressful Events Alter Memories
Summary: Researchers have discovered how stress disrupts memory specificity, leading to generalized aversive memories—a hallmark of PTSD. Stress increases endocannabinoid release, enlarging memory engrams in the brain, which triggers fearful…
How Decision-Making Improves with Age
Summary: Adolescents are known for making less optimal, noisy decisions, but a recent study reveals that these tendencies decrease with age and are linked to improvements in complex decision-making skills.…
Schizophrenia Risks Tied to Psychedelic Use
Summary: A new study links hallucinogen-related emergency department visits to a 21-fold increased risk of schizophrenia compared to the general population. Even after accounting for other mental health disorders and…
Glial Cells May Influence Depression and Schizophrenia
Summary: New research highlights neuroglia (or glia cells) as critical players in mental health, potentially influencing conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Glia cells, long considered “support cells” in the brain,…
Astrocytes Play Role in Deciding the Fate of Memories
Summary: Researchers have uncovered a surprising role for astrocytes—cells surrounding neurons—in deciding which memories are kept or forgotten. By manipulating astrocytes in mice using optogenetics, scientists found that acidifying these…
