Summary: The nature of thought remains one of philosophy’s greatest mysteries, with deep implications for neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Two main theories compete: materialism, which sees thoughts as brain states,…
Category: Life
Delusions Often Appear Before Hallucinations in Early Psychosis
Summary: A new study has found that delusions typically emerge before hallucinations in individuals at high risk for psychosis, overturning a long-standing belief that hallucinations drive delusional thinking. By analyzing…
When AI Becomes a Lover: The Ethics of Human-AI Relationships
Summary: As AI technologies grow more human-like, some people are forming deep, long-term emotional bonds with them, even engaging in non-legally binding marriages. A recent opinion paper explores the ethical…
Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions
The first bat-wearable microphone is helping biologists study the bats’ good safety record at avoiding collisions in rush hour air. On summer evenings, in around a minute, some 2,000 greater…
Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake
SlitherStephen S. HallGrand Central Publishing, $30 Snakes don’t often get to be the protagonists. From the biblical tempter in the Garden of Eden to the eponymous snakes on a plane,…
Viewpoint: RFK, Jr. declares he will personally determine the cause of autism by September—which means he will generate rigged and fraudulent research
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised that “by September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we will be able to eliminate those exposures.” This alarming…
Shared Brain Circuit Drives Political Passion Across Ideologies
Summary: A new study has identified a brain circuit that correlates with how intensely people engage in politics, regardless of their political beliefs. Researchers examined data from 124 male military…
The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction
Some question whether the pups are really dire wolves, or just genetically tweaked gray wolves. But the technology could be used to help at-risk animals.
Lip Size Shapes Beauty Perception, Preferences Differ by Gender
Summary: New research reveals that lip size significantly influences how people perceive facial attractiveness, and these perceptions vary based on gender and exposure. Female participants preferred plumper lips on female…
Elevated Dopamine in Cannabis Users May Explain Psychosis Risk
Summary: New research reveals that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) have elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis, such as schizophrenia. This may help explain why…
