Summary: New research proposes a unified theory of brain function based on criticality—a state where the brain teeters between order and chaos, allowing it to learn, adapt, and process information…
Category: Life
One Gene Rewires Fear Circuits and Fuels Anxiety
Summary: Researchers have uncovered how losing the autism-linked gene PTEN in a specific set of inhibitory neurons reshapes brain circuits tied to fear and anxiety. Using advanced circuit-mapping techniques, they…
Exercise Proven to Boost Kids’ Mental Health
Summary: A massive analysis of over 375 trials shows that structured exercise significantly reduces depression and anxiety in children and teens. Low-intensity resistance activities like light weights were most effective…
How the Brain Forms Indirect Associations to Guide Complex Decisions
Summary: A new study reveals how the brain can make decisions based not only on direct experiences, but also on indirect associations between seemingly unrelated stimuli. In experiments with mice,…
Death Isn’t the End: AI Brings Lost Voices Back to Life
Summary: A new paper explores how generative AI is transforming the way we interact with the dead, from virtual reality reunions to lifelike digital avatars. These “generative ghosts” can remember,…
Brain Injury Could Explain Sudden Criminal Behavior
Summary: A new study has found that damage to a specific white matter pathway in the brain—the right uncinate fasciculus—may increase the likelihood of criminal or violent behavior following brain…
How should we regulate human-created stem-cell embryos
The stem cell-based embryo model (SCBEM) takes advantage of the flexibility of pluripotent stem cells (non-reproductive cells that can give rise to many different types of cells) to resemble that…
This bug’s all-in helicopter parenting reshaped its eggs
Parents will fret, even among bugs. And even among bugs, it’s complicated. Ferociously protective parenting has evolved four times among the pointy-faced, wide-bodied little leaf dwellers called shield bugs, researchers…
The impact of nocturnal warming and prey availability during reproduction in a viviparous lizard – Functional Ecologists
In this week’s blog post, we’re checking our calendars and addressing how climate change is causing shifts in breeding dates for reptiles! Discussing the article “A multi-trait evaluation of patterns…
How Brain Cells Coordinate to Make Complex Decisions
Summary: Every decision begins subtly, as the brain weighs options long before action. Researchers have now shown that, despite individual differences in neuron activity, a shared underlying structure guides the…
