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…
Category: Life
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…
Music Choice Can Harm Productivity
Summary: A new study shows that background music in workplaces can harm employee mood, energy, and job performance when it doesn’t match individual needs. This “music misfit” effect leads to…
Some tropical trees act as lightning rods to fend off rivals
Getting hit by lightning is not usually a good thing. But one tropical tree species seems to harness heaven’s wrath. Not only do the trees survive lightning strikes, but their…
The Subtle Power of Self-Deprecating Humor
Summary: Self-deprecating humor, when used thoughtfully, can help people regulate emotions, build trust, and foster connection—especially in therapeutic settings. Far from being purely negative, this type of humor signals humility,…
Serotonin Signals the Brain’s Best Guess About Future Rewards
Summary: A new study reveals that serotonin neurons in the brain may play a crucial role in helping us estimate the value of future rewards. Rather than simply responding to…
How Psilocybin Lifts Mood Without the Hallucinogenic Trip
Summary: Researchers have uncovered two key brain mechanisms—specific neurons and a serotonin receptor—that help explain how psilocybin produces long-lasting antidepressant effects. Their study identified pyramidal tract neurons in the medial…
