New brain-imaging research shows that soccer fans experience rapid shifts in reward and self-control circuits when their team wins or loses against a rival.
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Why Did “Magic Mushrooms” Evolve To Be Hallucinogenic — What’s In It For The Mushrooms?
Given its versatile ability to help with these problems (research is, of course, ongoing), and the hallucinogenic properties of psilocybin, it’s no wonder they’ve earned the nickname “magic mushrooms”. But it may have crossed your mind at some point: what is in it for the mushrooms themselves? In short, why did these mushrooms evolve to be psychedelic?
The trait must be useful in some way to the fungi. In fact, it may be so useful that it has evolved this property several times.
“Nature has actually invented the same active compound twice,” Tim Schäfer, lead author of a recent genetic study which found this surprising result, said in a statement.
Severe solar storms may trigger widespread auroras and disrupt communications this week
Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications.
In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that could reach Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday. The potential severe geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the solar bursts get here and how they interact with Earth’s atmosphere. The vibrant displays could be visible across much of the northern U.S., and as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
Shared gut microbe imbalances found across autism, ADHD, and anorexia nervosa
A new study has identified distinct patterns in the gut bacteria of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anorexia nervosa. Published in the journal Neuroscience, the research also reveals altered levels of hormones that regulate appetite, suggesting a complex interplay between gut microbes, eating behaviors, and brain health in these conditions.
The human digestive tract is home to a bustling community of trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiota. This internal ecosystem communicates with the brain through a complex network of signals, often called the gut-brain axis. Researchers are increasingly recognizing that an imbalance in this microbial community, sometimes referred to as dysbiosis, may be associated with a range of health conditions, including those affecting the brain.
Neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), along with the psychiatric disorder anorexia nervosa (AN), are frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal issues and atypical eating patterns.
Oxygen Deprivation Alters Gene Expression, Raising Illness Risk
Oxygen is vital to the body. When levels of oxygen in the blood get too low, serious problems can arise. This can happen as people recover from some disorders that can drive oxygen levels down, such as repeated infections or severe lung disease. New research has shown that low blood oxygen levels can alter various aspects of DNA in important immune cells, and this can hamper the body’s ability to fight dangerous infections. The findings have been reported in Nature Immunology.
Functional Connectivity Changes in Traumatic Brain InjuryA Systematic Review and Coordinate-Based Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies
Importance There lacks data clarifying the meningioma risk conferred by depot medroxyprogesterone acetate in the US.
Objective To examine the relative risk of meningioma diagnosis in women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate and other related progestins.
Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective population-based cohort study used data from TriNetX, a US national database of 68 health care organizations. Data were analyzed from December 2004 to December 2024. The incidence of meningioma diagnosis was compared between treatment groups through propensity-score matched analyses. Participants included a sample of females with use of only 1 of the following progestins/contraceptives: depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, oral medroxyprogesterone acetate, combined oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, progestin only pills, or subdermal implantable contraceptive. The control group included females without use of these hormonal treatments. Of the 118 289 082 total patients in TriNetX at the time of analysis, 61 588 239 patients were female and eligible.
‘We’re already living in science fiction’: The neurotech revolution
From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralyzed people to walk, the field of neurotechnology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs—and profound ethical concerns.
Some observers even think that neurotech could end up being as revolutionary as the far more hyped rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
“People do not realize how much we’re already living in science fiction,” King’s College London researcher Anne Vanhoestenberghe told AFP.
Study finds users disclose more to AI chatbots introduced as human
“One of the most surprising findings was that participants disclosed more and felt more comforted by a chatbot introduced as a human, even though almost everyone knew they were still talking to a chatbot. This means the effect wasn’t driven by deception or belief that the chatbot was human, but rather by the framing itself, how the chatbot was introduced and named. That subtle change alone was enough to activate more social and affective responses. Therefore, people’s behaviour toward chatbots can be shaped not just by what the chatbot does, but by what they expect it to be, showing how powerful simple context cues are in guiding our interactions with AI.”
Not all the differences favored the chatbot presented as a human. Although participants disclosed less to Chatbot D12, they rated it as slightly friendlier. Their answers to D12 were also more sentimental, meaning they expressed stronger emotions, both positive and negative. Despite these differences, participants did not rate either chatbot as significantly more trustworthy, and both were rated similarly in terms of overall interaction quality.
“When framing a chatbot more like a person, by giving it a human name and introducing it as a human, people tend to open up more, attribute social traits to it, and feel more comforted when speaking with it, even when they suspect it’s still a bot. But there’s a catch: when a ‘human-like’ chatbot doesn’t fully meet our social expectations, people judge it as less friendly or trustworthy. So, design cues that make chatbots feel human can encourage self-disclosure, but they need to be balanced with transparency and realistic expectations.”
New enzyme network with competing peptides can make decisions based on external environment
The ability to respond to changing surroundings was once considered exclusive to complex living organisms. Then came computers, specially designed for stimulus–response tasks, which can take in signals from their environment and choose what to do next based on the instructions already written into them.
Scientists have long wanted to replicate this kind of behavior in chemical systems. Life and computers both need many parts working in sync to make decisions, so expecting a handful of chemicals in a test tube to do the same seemed quite far-fetched.
Not anymore. A team of researchers from the Netherlands and Australia has developed a novel chemical network where different peptides compete for enzymes—specifically proteases arranged in a network. This competition causes the chemical mixture to reorganize itself, forming an enzymatic network that adapts to the external environment.