Genetics Point to a New Type of Suicide Risk

Summary: New research shows that many people who die by suicide without prior suicidal thoughts or behaviors are not simply “missed cases”—they may have an entirely different underlying risk profile.…

Stress-Like Behaviors Traced to a Single ATP Circuit in the Brain

Summary: New research reveals that reduced ATP signaling in the hippocampus plays a causal role in both depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. In stressed male mice, ATP levels and the ATP-releasing…

Psychedelic ‘Ego Death’ Tied to a Collapse in Alpha Brain Waves

Summary: A new study using DMT as a scientific tool reveals how psychedelics alter the brain’s alpha-wave dynamics and weaken our sense of self. The researchers found that DMT pushes…

Rats are snatching bats out of the air and eating them

Bats beware. The ability to fly won’t save you from hungry, determined rats. In a first, brown rats were filmed hunting bats by catching them midair. The finding, published in the…

AI Reveals Lions Don’t Just Roar, They Have a Second Call

Summary: A new study reveals African lions produce two types of roars, overturning long-held assumptions and opening the door to more precise wildlife monitoring. Using machine learning, researchers automatically distinguished…

What Triggers Tantrums? Sensory Overload May Be To Blame

Summary: New research reveals a distinct brain activity signature in children who become overwhelmed by sensory input such as noise, touch, or bright lights. Using functional MRI, scientists found that…

Brain Circuit That Forces Behavior Into “Repeat Mode” Identified

Summary: A new study has identified a specific brain circuit that can push behavior into a compulsive “repeat mode,” forcing mice to continue digging and sniffing even when rewards are…

Viewpoint: The Washington Post’s ignorant article suggesting corn country deaths are driven by the herbicide glyphosate

Several weeks ago, the Washington Post ran an article titled “The mysterious rise of cancer among adults in the Corn Belt.” It leads with Mackenzie Dryden, Winterset, Iowa, who was diagnosed with…

Dr. Russell Bonduriansky – Functional Ecologists

In this week’s blog post, Dr. Russell Bonduriansky, professor at University of New South Wales, discusses the story behind the cover for 2016’s Volume 30, Issue 10 of Functional Ecology.…

Here’s how Rudolph’s light-up nose might be possible

This time of year, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a nearly inescapable earworm. Rudolph, the old song goes, is bullied for having a nose so bright it glows (like a…