One voice does not fit all when it comes to virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, according to researchers who examined how customization and perceived similarity between user and voice assistant (VA) personalities affect user...
What we pay for food and other goods doesn’t reflect the environmental and social damage they cause. But a radical new approach to economics could change that
Cannabis attitudes are undergoing a seismic shift but what do really know about the drug? Our three-part special podcast series is uncovering the science of marijuana
Rather than assuming medical conditions happen because something in the body has “gone wrong”, considering evolutionary explanations for illnesses and symptoms may help us better understand how to treat them
A study comparing weather records with climate model projections suggests that the latest models are underestimating how often future rainfall extremes will occur
Can aromatherapy help with dementia? Preliminary research suggests essential oils show promise for lessening the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers uncovered a brain molecule's role in triggering comfort food cravings after experiencing stress. Their research reveals that the molecule Proenkephalin, located in the hypothalamus, is crucial in inducing overeating following...
A new study reveals that children with reliable parental support are more inclined to take risks and explore. Analyzing decisions made by over 150 children aged 10 to 13 in game-based scenarios, the study found that children who...
The maximum lifespan of mammalian species such as humans can be estimated from so-called epigenetic markers - and altering those might extend our longevity
Researchers explore the lasting impact of COVID-19 on language. They analyze a range of sources, including scientific articles, news, social media, and advertising, using both computer-assisted methods and crowd-sourced examples.
A fundamental trade-off between the resolution of a clock and its accuracy could have important implications for quantum computers, which must measure short timescales accurately
Almost every element in the universe, including those that make up our bodies, was created by a process that began when the earliest stars exploded - and now the James Webb Space Telescope may have seen signs of those supernovae
A comprehensive study analyzing data from two million individuals across 168 countries, challenges the widely held belief about the negative psychological impact of internet technologies. Researchers found only small and inconsistent...
A new study challenges prevailing assumptions about food preferences, particularly regarding ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Engaging 224 adults, the study analyzed responses to images of 52 familiar foods, assessing factors like energy...
Researchers revealed that newborn babies inherently perceive musical beats, a skill separate from their statistical learning ability. The study involved 27 newborns and used EEG brain wave measurements to differentiate between beat...
The researchers studied decisions that more than 150 children ages 10 to 13 made while playing games that offered opportunities to risk a little and explore for potential gains.
Experiences of discrimination and acculturation are known to have a detrimental effect on a person's health. For pregnant women, these painful experiences can also affect the brain circuitry of their children, a new study finds. These...
Researchers have discovered that a part of the brain associated with working memory and multisensory integration may also play an important role in how the brain processes social cues. Previous research has shown that neurons in the...
Researchers discovered that the neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease, such as irritability, agitation, and depression, primarily stem from brain inflammation rather than amyloid and tau proteins. This study involved 109...
Researchers discovered that chronic stress induces depression-like behaviors in fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, affecting their motivation and activity. The study found that Ayurvedic medicinal plants, particularly Withania...
A new study reveals that discrimination and acculturation experiences during pregnancy uniquely impact the brain development of children, distinct from general stress or depression effects. Using MRI, researchers analyzed brain...
Researchers uncovered a crucial role of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) in processing social cues, expanding our understanding of this brain region beyond working memory and multisensory integration. Using a novel approach,...
In the real world/digital world cross-over of mixed reality, a user's immersive engagement with the program is called presence. Now, researchers have identified reaction time as a potential presence measurement tool. Their findings have...
The gene-editing technology CRISPR shows early promise as a therapeutic strategy for the aggressive and difficult-to-treat brain cancer known as primary glioblastoma, according to new findings.
An international team has shown that the injection of a type of stem cell into the brains of patients living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) is safe, well tolerated and has a long-lasting effect that appears to protect the brain...
Whether infants at five months of age look mostly at faces or non-social objects such as cars or mobile phones is largely determined by genes. The findings suggest that there is a biological basis for how infants create their unique...
Hospital MRI scanners, using 3 Tesla magnets, provide poor spatial resolution in brain imaging. More recent 7T MRIs are better but used mainly in the rare research lab. Scientists have now supercharged the standard 7T scanner to improve...
By mimicking how some insects use polarised light to navigate, a light-detecting compass can tell where magnetic north is even if clouds are covering the sun
Almost four years after the first cases emerged, we are accumulating evidence about the physiology behind this complex condition – from microclots to viral persistence
A new study reveals that personalized health and lifestyle changes can significantly delay or prevent memory loss in older adults at high risk of Alzheimer's. The study, involving 172 participants, showed that those receiving...
An international team has conducted a groundbreaking study on stem cell therapy for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The therapy, involving the injection of neural stem cells into patients' brains, was found to be safe and...
AI and a raft of revolutionary technologies are poised to transform how we communicate, says a new book by Philip Seargeant. Vijaysree Venkatraman explores the implications
Curious about shopping addictions? The urge to splurge is a temptation for many. Learn what causes compulsive shopping and how to curb a spending addiction.
The holiday season can be a stressful time, but new research suggests that self-gifting may help boost your mood — and it's particularly effective when you're already feeling strained.
Many artificial intelligence models available to the public are designed to refuse harmful or illegal requests, but it turns out that AIs are very good at convincing each other to break the rules
The spin of black holes may be harnessed by their magnetic fields, which release hundreds of millions of times the energy of the sun and could power their enormous jets