Summary: A new study into how different parts of memory work in the brain has shown that the same brain areas are involved in retrieving different types of information. The…
Category: Life
Spider silk-making organs evolved due to a 400-million-year-old genetic oops
Spiders’ ability to spin webs may be one consequence of a really big genetic mistake. A close look at the genetics and development of spinnerets — spiders’ silk-making organs —…
‘We are approaching a watershed moment for psychedelic health care with ‘magic mushroom’ psilocybin the star’
In the billion-dollar race to commercialize psychedelic medicine, psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogen better known as magic mushrooms, or “shrooms,” has decisively pulled ahead of the pack. The Food and…
Some vaccines are making progress in protecting vulnerable species
Southern elephant seal pups were among the first to die when a deadly strain of avian influenza arrived in the Crozet Islands in 2024. But as the virus spread across…
Brain Stimulation Method Can Evaluate Consciousness in Alzheimer’s Disease
Summary: A new study reports that a brain complexity measure, calculated by recording EEG signals after a magnetic stimulation pulse, is significantly reduced in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This method,…
How Greenland sharks defy aging
When it comes to bucking the biological ails of aging, humans could learn something from Greenland sharks.
Mandatory teaching of creationism: Oklahoma senator files state bill mandating teaching of ‘evolution science’
Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is pushing back against an evolution-only curriculum in Oklahoma schools with newly filed Senate Bill 1868. As reported by the Oklahoma Senate’s official site, the bill aims to…
Early Intervention Helps Most Autistic Children Acquire Spoken Language
Summary: New research reports that approximately two-thirds of initially non-speaking children with autism develop spoken language following evidence-based early intervention. The study identifies key factors, such as intervention duration and…
Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it
Citations S.L. Winkler et al. Bonobos tend to behave optimistically after hearing laughter. Scientific Reports. Published online June 26, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-02594-8. X.J. Nelson et al. Joyful by nature: approaches…
Breakthrough disruptive technology ‘flops’: What can we learn?
In some cases, the vision behind a breakthrough was prescient but the technology of the day was not the best way to achieve it. Social TV (featured on the list…
