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…

A closer look to roots in drylands – Functional Ecologists

In this new post Angela Illuminati, postdoc at University Rey Juan Carlos, Spain, presents her work ‘Functional differences between herbs and woody species in a semiarid Mediterranean plant community: a…

Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network

Science is helping researchers judge books by their covers — and revealing surprising beneficiaries of medieval trading routes in the process. Dozens of rare, fur-covered volumes from 12th and 13th…

Brain Scans Reveal Political Leanings During Grocery Shopping

Summary: Researchers have discovered that people’s political affiliation can be identified with nearly 80% accuracy based on brain activity while making routine decisions like buying milk and eggs. Although actual…

Oral Bacteria May Help Detect Autism with 81% Accuracy

Summary: A new study has identified a strong link between oral microbiota and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), revealing 11 bacterial species with potential as biomarkers. By analyzing oral samples from…

Mechanistic understanding of how temperature and its variability shape body size composition in moth assemblages – Functional Ecologists

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Stephanie Chia discusses her paper “Mechanistic understanding of how temperature and its variability shape body size composition in moth assemblages“, which has been shortlisted for Functional…

Viewpoint: Trump says he’s targeting health care fraud. He’s pardoned or commuted sentences of 68 people convicted of interfering in fraud investigations

Five years ago, the CEO of one of the largest pain clinic companies in the Southeast was sentenced to more than three years in prison after being convicted in a $4…