No, black newborns under the care of white doctors do not die at twice the rate of whites, as some controversial studies have attempted to claim. The difference is zero

The racial gap in infant mortality is a pressing public health concern … [However, we] find that the magnitude of the concordance effect is substantially reduced after controlling for diagnoses…

Perfect Pitch Can Be Learned: Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs

Summary: Absolute pitch, once thought to be an innate ability or only attainable through early childhood training, may be learnable in adulthood. Researchers trained 12 adult musicians in an eight-week…

AI vs. Human Therapists: Study Finds ChatGPT Responses Rated Higher

Summary: A new study suggests that ChatGPT’s responses in psychotherapy scenarios are often rated higher than those written by human therapists. Researchers found that participants struggled to distinguish between AI-generated…

A bacteria-based Band-Aid helps plants heal their wounds

Got a plant with a boo-boo? Try a plant Band-Aid. A pure form of cellulose produced by bacteria can act as a plant bandage, researchers report, significantly boosting healing and…

Migrating whale sharks make pit stops at oil and gas rigs

Like rolling into a gas station during a road trip, whale sharks use oil and gas rigs as a pit stop during their migrations of thousands of kilometers across the…

Cerebellar Serotonin Acts as a Brake to Reduce Anxiety

Summary: New research reveals that serotonin in the cerebellum plays a crucial role in anxiety regulation. Scientists found that mice with lower cerebellar serotonin levels displayed increased anxiety-like behaviors, while…

How the Brain Detects Novelty to Predict the Future

Summary: A new study shows that the cerebral cortex acts as a “memory machine,” constantly detecting novel stimuli to refine its predictions of the future. By imaging the auditory cortex…

A fungus named after Sir David Attenborough zombifies cave spiders

The new fungus species Gibellula attenboroughii forces reclusive cave spiders to exposed areas, likely to benefit spore dispersal.

Trump’s Ideological corruption of science: Political appointees censor formerly independent CDC report documenting soaring bird flu cases

Trump administration political appointees have taken steps in recent weeks to exert unprecedented influence over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s flagship medical research publication, the Morbidity and Mortality…

Mitochondria’s Role in Social Memory May Offer Clues to Brain Disorder

Summary: Researchers have identified a unique mitochondrial process in CA2 neurons that supports learning, memory, and social recognition. Mitochondria in different parts of these neurons vary in structure and function,…