Summary: A new study shows that acetate delivered directly to the large intestine, combined with specific gut bacteria, can significantly reduce body fat and liver mass in both normal and obese mice. Researchers used an acetylated cellulose supplement called AceCel to release acetate in the colon and promote the growth and activity of Bacteroides species. … Read more

Summary: Propaganda is usually viewed as a manipulative force, but in today’s connected world it has also become an unavoidable tool for public persuasion. Rather than trying to erase propaganda, people should learn to recognize its techniques and use them responsibly to counter disinformation and advance positive social goals. In an era of viral videos, … Read more

Summary: A new study finds that mathematical, data-driven models can influence human decisions more effectively than traditional psychological techniques. Researchers introduce the concept of “choice engineering”—a systematic, model-based alternative to the intuition-driven “choice architecture.” In a multi-team international challenge, computational models built to reflect real human behavior, notably the CATIE model, outperformed both intuitive psychological … Read more

Summary: Mice, like people, navigate social hierarchies by reading subtle signals from unfamiliar individuals. A new study from the Francis Crick Institute shows that male mice determine the dominance status of strangers using chemical cues—both airborne odours and contact-dependent scents—rather than fixed behavioural traits or visual attributes. Researchers used a transparent tunnel or tube test … Read more

Summary: Our brains do more than store separate sights and sounds; they bind them into unified memories. New research shows that when visual and auditory speech cues are synchronized, they evoke rhythmic brain activity that supports stronger memory formation. When those cues are out of sync, that rhythmic activity is reduced and memories are weaker. … Read more

Summary: Certain personality traits strongly affect the likelihood of developing insomnia. High neuroticism—a trait linked to emotional instability—was far more common among people with insomnia, while greater openness to experience appeared to protect against sleep problems. Anxiety was identified as the main mechanism that explains how neuroticism leads to insomnia; depression did not play a … Read more

Summary: Input-Driven Plasticity (IDP) is a new memory model that extends the classic Hopfield network by explaining how incoming stimuli actively reshape the brain’s internal dynamics during recall. Rather than assuming recall begins from a fixed starting point, IDP describes how sensory input alters the network’s energy landscape in real time, steering neural activity toward … Read more

Summary: New research shows that babies born with low vitamin D levels face a higher likelihood of developing neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions later in life, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Analysis of more than 71,000 individuals links neonatal vitamin D deficiency to elevated risks for several mental health disorders, reinforcing … Read more

Summary: A new national study shows that all forms of cyberbullying—not only direct threats—can produce trauma in adolescents. The research indicates even subtle behaviors such as exclusion from group chats, online gossip or rumors can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms as severe as overt harassment, suggesting cyberbullying should be treated as a serious adverse childhood experience … Read more

Summary: Although tech companies promote AI companions as a remedy for loneliness, research indicates that reading provides deeper, more lasting benefits. Fiction and shared reading strengthen social connection, reduce stress, boost empathy, and even influence brain regions involved in social cognition, making reading a powerful, low-tech answer to modern isolation. Book clubs and group reading … Read more