A broad review of 281 studies from 36 countries concludes that some ultra-processed foods (UPFs), such as soft drinks, ice-cream and ready meals, can provoke the same loss of control, cravings and...
Psychology > Neuroscience
Genes may explain why some people go vegetarian
A large genome-wide association study suggests that the choice to follow a strictly vegetarian diet is influenced not only by ethics or culture but also by biology. Researchers analysed genetic data...
Learn new things all the time = your brain works like it’s 30 years younger
Scientists have identified methods to help older adults maintain cognitive function akin to that of a much younger brain. Strategies include cognitive training exercises, physical activity, and...
Japanese teams show MRI can decode simple dream content
For years, headlines said that Japanese scientists built an MRI dream machine. The research is real, but the claim is not. Two lines of work from Japan explain what is possible today. First, in...
Your brain automatically sorts people into “us” and “them”, but deliberate contact can override it
Our brains come with an ancient, automatic setting that divides the world into insiders and outsiders. Within milliseconds of seeing an unfamiliar face, the amygdala, a region linked to fear and...
Scientists slow aging in mice by restoring a brain protein called “menin” that declines with age
Scientists have pinpointed a single protein in the ventromedial hypothalamus, menin, that appears to act as a brake on the whole-body aging process. In mice, natural levels of menin fall as the...
Exploring more new places is linked to higher happiness
Most people cycle through a small set of familiar places. Research in human mobility suggests that, at any given time, our regular lives revolve around about 25 locations. This pattern seems stable...
Sam Harris & Waking up meditation guide
Sam Harris, an American neuroscientist and philosopher, created the Waking Up mobile app to offer a secular path to meditation and the deeper, “non-dual” form of mindfulness he describes in his book...
Why you suddenly spot something everywhere once it matters to you
The “frequency illusion”, also called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon The frequency illusion, also known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, occurs when something new catches our attention, leading us...
Benefits of forgetting: why memory sometimes lets go
We worry when memory slips. In fact, the benefits of forgetting often help us live better. The brain must sort the flood of daily input, keep what matters, and let go of noise so we can learn and...
Use your name, not I, to quiet your mind
When worry loops take over, it becomes harder to see problems clearly. A simple language shift can help. This method is called distanced self talk. Instead of thinking with I, you talk to yourself...
Sleep deprivation makes you angrier by disrupting brain control
A growing body of research confirms that losing sleep does more than make you tired; it directly fuels anger and aggression by breaking the brain's ability to process emotions. Studies show that...
Oxytocin social bonding: vole study shows how love and loss change the brain
Social relationships are fundamental to human health. A major review of research into oxytocin social bonding highlights how the neuropeptide, often called the "love hormone," is critical for...
Building muscle strength to boost brain health
Building muscle strength enhances cognitive function in older adults A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society demonstrated that high-intensity resistance training (PRT)...
Scientific theory suggests the universe may have consciousness
The "Orch OR" theory: quantum processes as the basis for consciousness in the universe (study) The "Orch OR" theory proposes that consciousness arises from quantum processes in brain microtubules,...