Summary: A new study reveals that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, temporarily disrupts brain networks involved in introspective thinking, like daydreaming and memory. These changes persist for weeks,…
Category: Life
Overestimation of Opponents’ Immorality Fuels Political Divide
Summary: A study reveals that Democrats and Republicans overestimate how much the opposing party approves of clearly immoral acts like theft or animal abuse. This “basic morality bias” is evident…
Understanding how biodiversity in ecosystems changes over time by considering the arrival and departure of species – Functional Ecologists
In this blog post, Lucie Kuczynski – a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oldenburg, Germany – presents her research “Functional diversity loss and taxonomic delays of European freshwater fish…
Reflective Thinking Boosts Teen Brain Resilience to Violence
Summary: Teens who engage in “transcendent thinking” can counteract the negative effects of violence exposure on brain development. This type of thinking involves considering broader ethical and societal implications of…
Adjusting Proteins Increases Ozempic’s Effectiveness
Summary: Adjusting melanocortin proteins in the brain enhances the effectiveness of GLP-1 diabetes and weight-loss drugs. By inhibiting MC3R or activating MC4R, mice showed increased sensitivity to these drugs, leading…
Beta Brain Waves: A Novel Brain Signature for Depression
Summary: A new study identifies beta frequency neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as crucial for recognizing rewards and shaping behavior. This neural signature is altered in patients…
Adolescent Boys Show Aggression When Masculinity is Threatened
Summary: A new study reveals that adolescent boys respond aggressively to perceived threats to their masculinity, particularly in environments with rigid gender norms. Researchers found that boys whose motivation to…
Viewpoint: Few topics in science, health and food elicit more fear and misconceptions than the phrase GMO, most of it based on intentional disinformation
Few topics in science, health and food elicit more fear and misconceptions than the phrase GMO, and most of it is based on intentional disinformation. Let’s dissect the science. GMO:…
Neural Biomarker for OCD Identified
Summary: Researchers discovered a neural activity pattern that can accurately predict and monitor the clinical status of OCD patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS). The study highlights how this biomarker…
Throw away your lead-soaked tampons? Clickbait headlines exaggerate misrepresented study
Another day, another wildly mischaracterized paper going viral online, eroding science literacy, exacerbating chemophobia, and making our jobs as scientists harder. If people didn’t scrape PubMed or academic websites for press…
