The Personality Gap Between Singles and the Partnered

Summary: Lifelong singles score lower on life satisfaction and show distinct personality traits compared to those in long-term relationships. Using data from 77,000 Europeans aged 50+, researchers observed that lifelong…

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning: The Brain’s Memory Tug-of-War

Summary: Classical and operant conditioning compete in the brain, preventing simultaneous learning of conflicting actions. Using fruit flies, researchers demonstrated that attempting to teach both types of learning simultaneously results…

Oxytocin Influences Social Behavior and Emotional Response

Summary: New research reveals how oxytocin profoundly influences social behavior and emotional responses in the brain. Animal models have shown how this hormone impacts social fear and how chronic stress…

Mapping Brain-to-Spinal Cord Pathways for Motor Control

Summary: Researchers have created a 3D atlas mapping brain regions that connect to V1 spinal interneurons, which shape motor output. By using a genetically modified rabies virus, they pinpointed connections…

Dogs team up with AI to sniff out cancer

Meghan Rosen is a staff writer who reports on the life sciences for Science News. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology with an emphasis in biotechnology from…

Rare Brain Cells Offer Clues to Aging and Rejuvenation

Summary: A study reveals how brain cell interactions influence aging, showing that rare cell types either accelerate or slow brain aging. Neural stem cells provide a rejuvenating effect on neighboring…

Structural Sexism Tied to Faster Memory Decline in Older Women

Summary: Women born in states with higher structural sexism experience faster memory decline later in life, with effects equivalent to nine years of cognitive aging. Structural sexism encompasses societal inequities…

These are the 5 most popular Science News stories of 2024

Science News drew millions of visitors to our website this year. Here’s a look back at the most-read and most-watched online news stories of 2024. Top news stories 5. Psilocybin…

survivability of herbs in the winter – Functional Ecologists

In this blog post Frederick Lubbe, postdoc at Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, presents his work ‘New opportunities for grassland species in warming temperate winters’. He…

Viewpoint: 15 explanations for why activists lie and try to scare people about ‘killer’ chemicals, genetically engineered crops and nuclear energy

We always hear NGOs saying that we cannot trust industry, that we have to exclude industry evidence or that industry lobbyists are spreading deception and falsehood. We are constantly reminded…