Summary: A new study from Carnegie Mellon University finds that many AI chatbots overestimate their own abilities and often fail to adjust their confidence after poor performance. Comparing humans and large language models (LLMs) across trivia, prediction, and image-recognition tasks, researchers show that while people recalibrate their expectations after errors, several popular LLMs tend to … Read more

Summary: A randomized, double-blind trial suggests the antibiotic doxycycline can weaken the formation of fear-related memories that underlie conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Source: UCL The common antibiotic doxycycline can reduce formation of negative associations in the brain Researchers report that a single course of doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, significantly reduced the … Read more

Symmetry is a fundamental principle of development. During embryonic growth, an organism’s brain and spinal cord, like the rest of the body, form left and right halves. Yet a specialized group of nerve cells behaves differently: their axons cross the midline from one side to the other. New research in mice clarifies the molecular interactions … Read more

Summary: A West Virginia University study examined how use of specific social media platforms relates to depressive symptoms in adolescents. Drawing on data from 237 participants aged 14–16, researchers found that personality—particularly levels of extraversion—shapes how teens experience different apps. The study highlights that some platforms are more strongly associated with depressive symptoms than others … Read more

Summary: Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes show slower growth in total cortical and subcortical gray and white matter compared with children without diabetes. Study overview and key finding Source: NEMOURS A multisite study led in part by Dr. Nelly Mauras at Nemours Children’s Health System in Jacksonville, Florida, reports that children with early-onset type … Read more

Summary: Alcohol use disorder is linked to a substantial increase in suicidal thoughts among adults. Source: University of Otago New research linking harmful drinking to higher suicide risk has prompted calls to revise New Zealand’s national suicide prevention strategy. A study from the University of Otago, Christchurch, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal … Read more

Summary: Researchers have clarified the difference between feeling lonely and actually being alone, showing when and how solitude translates into loneliness—especially for older adults. The study found that loneliness becomes likely when people spend more than 75% of their time alone. While most adults spend a large portion of their day alone without feeling lonely, … Read more

Discovery may lead to relief for victims of a range of neurological disorders. Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified a protein complex that helps control the balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain — a balance whose disruption is linked to disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and neuropathic pain. … Read more

Summary: New research identifies a key mechanism by which disruption of the circadian clock promotes inflammation in immune cells, with implications for common chronic diseases. Source: RCSI Researchers at RCSI have uncovered how an irregular or disrupted circadian clock in immune cells can reprogram their metabolism and drive a stronger inflammatory response, a discovery with … Read more

Summary: Pregnant women who drank household water containing nitrate gave birth to infants who weighed, on average, about ten grams less than infants of mothers whose household water showed no detectable nitrate. Elevated nitrate in tap water can also cause infant methemoglobinemia, a potentially fatal condition in newborns. Source: University of Illinois A large population … Read more