Summary: Despite its reputation as a safer chemical, PFHxA—a short-chain PFAS—may cause long-term behavioral changes when exposure occurs early in development. Researchers found that male mice exposed to PFHxA in utero and through breastfeeding displayed increased anxiety, memory deficits, and lower activity levels.These effects were not seen in female mice,...
Kids Outsmart AI in a Puzzle Game that Develops Critical Thinking
Summary: A new puzzle-based game helps children recognize where artificial intelligence still struggles. The game features ARC tasks—visual logic puzzles that are easy for humans but hard for AI—and allows kids to compare their answers with chatbot responses.Even when AI gets the right answer, its explanation is often wrong, teaching...
Drug-Coated Neurological Implants Lower Immune Rejection
Summary: A new study shows that coating neural prosthetic implants with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone helps reduce the body’s immune response and scar tissue formation. This strategy enhances the long-term performance and stability of electrodes used to connect prosthetic limbs to the nervous system.Researchers chemically modified the surface of polyimide...
Chronic Inflammation May Not Be Equal to Aging.
Summary: A new global study challenges the long-held belief that chronic inflammation is a universal marker of aging. Researchers compared industrialized populations with Indigenous groups and found that “inflammaging” is strongly tied to lifestyle and environmental exposures.While inflammation rises with age in industrialized societies, it remains stable and infection-driven in...
Blog Misinformation You Irresist Young Peoples ‘ Minds
Summary: College students increasingly turn to TikTok for information, including on mental health. A new study found that exposure to misinformation about ADHD on the platform reduced students’ factual knowledge but increased their confidence in that knowledge.Participants who viewed misleading content were also more likely to seek both scientifically supported...
During physical exercise, the brain uses liquids to store electricity.
Summary: A groundbreaking study reveals that neurons can burn fat, challenging the long-held belief that the brain relies solely on glucose for fuel. Researchers discovered that when glucose is scarce, synaptic activity triggers neurons to break down lipid droplets and use the resulting fatty acids for energy.This lipid metabolism process...
Universally Cool: Personality Traits That Cross Cultural Lines
Summary: What makes someone “cool” appears to be remarkably consistent across cultures, according to a global psychology study. Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 people from 13 countries and found that cool individuals are consistently described as extraverted, powerful, open-minded, adventurous, and independent.Though cultural norms vary, the idea of coolness has evolved...
cky Aging Brain May Adapt to Decode Tricky Social Cues
Summary: New research shows that older adults may compensate for age-related cognitive decline by enhancing activity in a specific brain region linked to attention—the locus coeruleus (LC). In a brain imaging study, older participants showed stronger LC responses when interpreting ambiguous facial expressions, compared to younger adults.This LC activity was...
Clearing Brain Sugar Stores May Protect Against Dementia
Summary: New research reveals that sugar metabolism in brain cells may be a crucial defense against Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Scientists found that neurons in both flies and human models of tauopathy accumulate excess glycogen, which disrupts cellular stress management when it can’t be broken down.Enhancing the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase...
Cough Medicine Shows Promise in Slowing Parkinson’s Dementia
Summary: A clinical trial has revealed that Ambroxol, a common cough medicine in Europe, may help slow cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease dementia. The 12-month study found that the drug stabilized psychiatric symptoms, protected against brain damage, and even improved cognition in genetically at-risk participants.Ambroxol boosts an enzyme...
