Summary: Peer pressure in adolescence is often described as a single, overwhelming force. New longitudinal research, however, shows that peer influence is specialized: different kinds of peers shape different aspects of a young person’s life. Following 543 middle-school students over a semester, researchers found that best friends predominantly affect private, emotional and academic domains, while … Read more

Summary: Each year, billions of nocturnal moths cross continents with remarkable accuracy. A new study reveals that one of the world’s most invasive crop pests, the fall armyworm, relies on an internal navigation system much like a GPS. By combining the Earth’s magnetic field with visual landmarks, these moths maintain direction during long seasonal migrations. … Read more

Summary: Recent research challenges the stereotype that older adults prefer nonsexual companionship. In interviews with single people aged 60 to 83, 97% said sex is an important part of a romantic relationship, and 72% said they would not pursue a relationship that excluded sexual intimacy. This study shows that many older adults are looking for … Read more

Summary: The U.S. criminal justice system has long considered intellectual disabilities and intoxication when evaluating the reliability of statements, but new research shows it largely ignores a far more common and consequential factor: sleep deprivation. A synthesis of studies finds that fatigue alters memory, judgment, and resistance to pressure — so much so that being … Read more

Summary: As traditional health services struggle with long waiting lists and rising costs, a large international survey reveals a marked shift in public trust toward artificial intelligence. The study of nearly 31,000 adults across 35 countries found that 41% of adults in the UK — and 61% globally — would be comfortable using ChatGPT-style tools … Read more

Summary: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is commonly viewed as a blood disorder, but new research shows it also reshapes brain network organization. Using high-resolution MRI and advanced directional analyses adapted from economics, researchers found that adult brains with SCD reorganize their networks to compensate for chronic reductions in oxygen delivery. Although many patients perform daily … Read more

Summary: For decades, neuroscientists thought that learning made the brain more efficient by forcing neurons to act more independently—reducing redundant signals to clarify information. A new study overturns that view. Researchers found that as we master a skill, sensory neurons become more coordinated, sharing information instead of acting in isolation. This coordinated activity helps the … Read more

Summary: Why do we feel compelled to help a stranger in distress? A new UCLA study suggests the answer lies in ancient caregiving circuitry. Researchers found that brain networks originally evolved for parenting are also used to comfort stressed adults, indicating that empathy and prosocial actions are built on the neural machinery of parental care. … Read more

Summary: For people with retinitis pigmentosa, vision loss often progresses like an unrelenting clock. New research from Cedars-Sinai reveals how transplanted human neural progenitor cells preserve vision: rather than simply replacing lost tissue, these cells function as a versatile repair system. Using single-cell transcriptomic analysis, investigators show transplanted cells deliver protective proteins, reduce cellular stress, … Read more

Summary: In brains affected by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, proteins such as Tau and alpha-synuclein can misfold and assemble into toxic aggregates that damage neurons. A new study identifies a surprising natural protector: tubulin, the main component of microtubules — the cell’s internal “railway tracks.” Researchers report that when tubulin is abundant, it interacts with … Read more