Is It Real or Imagined? Here’s How Your Brain Tells the Difference
New experiments show that the brain distinguishes between perceived and imagined mental images by checking whether they cross a “reality threshold.”
Use of AI Is Seeping Into Academic Journals—and It’s Proving Difficult to Detect
Ethics watchdogs are looking out for potentially undisclosed use of generative AI in scientific writing. But there’s no foolproof way to catch it all yet.
Why Songs Get Stuck in Your Head—and How to Stop Them
Maybe it’s a commercial jingle, a TikTok song, or a new summer bop. Here’s how to trick your brain into hitting pause.
Old Memories Can Prime Brains to Make New Ones
Creating a memory takes energy, and brains only have so much. A study using snails shows how they can be primed for future learning.
Meet the Psychedelic Boom’s First Responders
With more tripping will come more psychic terror. A new movement of volunteers will guide you through your brain melt.
How a Human Smell Receptor Works Is Finally Revealed
After decades of frustration, researchers have determined how an airborne scent molecule links to shapeshifting olfactory receptors in the nose.
The Psychedelic Scientist Who Sends Brains Back to Childhood
Kids soak up new skills, adults not so much. But neuroscientist Gül Dölen might have found a way—with drugs—to help grownups learn like littles.