Summary: When a sound stops, your brain doesn’t just experience silence; it generates a precise “offset” signal. This “biological punctuation” is what allows us to process the gaps in human…
Category: Life
Grace Hirzel | Up to their eyes: seasonal changes in vision, behaviour, and wing colour in a temperate butterfly – Functional Ecologists
In this week’s blog post, we’re gearing up for a shift in seasons with author Grace Hirzel as we explore the behavioural changes in a temperate butterfly. Based on their…
Why Your Brain “Dreams” Even When You’re Awake
Summary: We usually think of wakefulness and sleep as two separate worlds, but new research proves the boundary is an illusion. Using an experimental setup inspired by Thomas Edison, researchers…
Mapping the Brain’s Hidden Hub for Creative Thought
Summary: What makes a brain creative? For years, neuroscientists have pointed to a “dynamic cooperation” between two opposing systems: the Default Mode Network (DMN), which handles spontaneous associations, and the…
“Warm” AI Chatbots Are More Likely to Lie
Summary: In the race to make artificial intelligence feel like a friend, companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are prioritizing warmth and empathy. However, a major study warns that this “cosmetic”…
Anina Coetzee | Colourful defenses against bees – Functional Ecologists
In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Anina Coetzee – a lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, George campus, South Africa – shares the ‘buzz’ about bee avoidance in bird-pollinated…
43% of Antipsychotics for Seniors Start in Hospitals
Summary: New research identifies acute and post-acute care settings, such as emergency rooms, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities, as the primary locations where risky, cognition-altering medications are first prescribed to…
Research Finally Decodes the Brain’s Smell Map
Summary: For over 30 years, the sense of smell has been the “black box” of neuroscience. While we have long understood the precise maps for vision, hearing, and touch, the…
The Rise of AI Chatbot Addiction
Summary: As AI chatbots become a staple of modern life, new research warns of a growing phenomenon: AI addiction. The study analyzed hundreds of user experiences to identify how “genie-like”…
