Summary: Researchers have developed a personalized blood test that may offer a faster, less invasive way to track high-grade glioma progression. By identifying unique DNA junctions from each patient’s tumor, the test can detect tumor DNA in the bloodstream, even before changes appear on MRI scans.These DNA fragments bypass some...

Summary: Humans significantly outperform AI models in interpreting dynamic social interactions, a skill critical for technologies like autonomous vehicles and assistive robots. In a new study, participants reliably judged short videos of social scenes, while over 350 AI models struggled to match human accuracy or predict brain responses.Language models fared...

Summary: A new study reveals that mice instinctively display rescue-like behaviors toward anesthetized peers, offering powerful evidence that prosociality may be hardwired in mammals. Researchers identified oxytocin as a key driver, activating two brain pathways to coordinate emotional and motor responses.One path processes emotional distress, while the other initiates helping...

Summary: New research shows that exercise may protect brain function even when the body can’t produce ketones, a vital energy source for cognition. When liver function is impaired and ketone levels drop, memory and learning typically suffer—but physical activity can still counteract those effects.This suggests exercise triggers alternative brain-supporting mechanisms...

Summary: Mind blanking—the experience of thinking about nothing—has often been misunderstood or lumped together with mind wandering. However, new research suggests it’s a distinct mental state linked to physiological arousal levels, with its own brain and body signatures.Mind blanks are common during prolonged attention, sleep deprivation, or physical fatigue, and...

Summary: New research suggests that lingering cell wall fragments from the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, may be responsible for persistent symptoms long after antibiotic treatment. These fragments, made of a unique form of peptidoglycan, appear to accumulate in the liver and joints, triggering inflammation and immune responses even after...

Summary: A deep psychological need to feel significant drives much of human behavior, and can also lead people toward conspiracy theories and extremist beliefs. Drawing from decades of research and real-world examples, experts explain how feelings of insignificance, especially in uncertain times, make people more susceptible to narratives that promise...

Summary: A large-scale study has found that having metabolic syndrome in midlife—marked by excess belly fat, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol or blood sugar—is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing young-onset dementia before age 65. The analysis, based on nearly two million people, showed that the more...

Summary: A comprehensive analysis of all known U.S. school shootings reveals that most shooters grew up in social environments where guns were a central part of family bonding and identity. These cultural meanings of affection, fun, and belonging made firearms easily accessible to the shooters—often without barriers at home.In many...

Summary: Researchers have developed a tau-targeting vaccine that could help prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by generating a strong immune response against abnormal tau proteins. The vaccine showed effectiveness in mice and non-human primates, prompting researchers to pursue human clinical trials.It targets a specific region of the tau protein,...