As States Legalize Psilocybin, NIH Moves to Study the Real-World Impact
For the first time, federal researchers will study what happens when people access psychedelic treatment outside tightly controlled clinical trials.
Austin Burgess
Easter Island’s Enigmatic Collapse Was More Complex Than Past Theories Suggest, as Researchers Point to Compelling New Evidence
Researchers found that a severe drought began around 1550, leading to a significant drop in rainfall on Easter Island.
Recurring Drought Forced Ancient Bison Hunters to Abandon an 1,100-Year-Old Montana Hunting Ground
While bison still lived in the grasslands and the vegetation patterns remained unchanged, hunters stopped visiting the Bergstrom site, which had been used on and off for generations.
Neuroscientists Re-Examining a Classic Model Now Say Humans May Have As Many As 33 Senses
Neuroscientists and philosophers are re-examining Aristotle’s model of the five senses by investigating how the brain processes sensory information.
This Remote Greek Peninsula May Preserve a Living Link to the Ancient World
A remote peninsula in southern Greece may hold a living genetic link to the ancient Mediterranean world.
Exercise and Food Restriction Shape Psilocybin’s Effects, New Study Finds
A new study from Monash University, published in Genomic Press Psychedelics, found that psilocybin changes social behavior and immune signaling in female mice.
Thousands of Alien Plant Species Could Soon Take Root in the Arctic
A recent study published in NeoBiota indicates that thousands of non-native plant species could now find suitable conditions in the Arctic.
Modern CT Scans Are Helping Scientists Unwrap the Lives of Ancient Egyptians
Recent advances in medical imaging are providing new insights into the daily lives of ancient Egyptians.
Pairing THC With an Anti-Inflammatory Reduced Alzheimer’s Pathology in Mice
Scientists say combining a low-dose of THC with a common anti-inflammatory drug improved cognition and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in mice.
Clinicians Push Back on Common Myths About Dissociation
A new clinical handbook, Working with Dissociation in Clinical Practice, by Helena Crockford, Melanie Goodwin, and Paul Langthorne, explains that dissociation is more than a brief loss of focus or a rare mental health condition.
Scientists Deploy “Bat Accelerator Machine” to Unlock the Secret to How Bats Navigate in the Dark
In a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists from the University of Bristol reframe the concept of echolocation.
Could Cannabis Beverages Help Reduce Alchohol Consumption? New Survey Findings Say Its Possible
A recent survey found that cannabis-infused beverages may fit into a similar social context as alcohol, with participants reporting lower alcohol consumption after they began using cannabis drinks.
Closer to Home: New DNA Analysis Reframes the Story of the “Beachy Head Woman”
For over a decade, the Roman-era skeleton known as the Beachy Head Woman has fueled discussions about the identity of the remains as well as migration in ancient Britain.
This Wild Potato May Rewrite What We Know About Life Before Farming
New research shows that a wild potato was carried across the region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.
Global Study Finds Invasive Species Are Helping Drive Sharp Insect Losses
A recent global analysis shows that invasive alien species are linked to significant declines in insect populations and diversity worldwide.
Droughts and Floods Weakened the Tang Dynasty Before Its Collapse, Researchers Say
New research suggests that environmental stress played an important role in weakening the Tang dynasty before its eventual collapse.
Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Reveal How THC and CBD First Evolved
A team of scientists has taken a closer look at the origins of cannabis chemistry by reconstructing enzymes from ancient plants.
“Auto-Brewery Syndrome”: What Happens When the Body Starts Brewing Its Own Alcohol?
A very small number of people can naturally experience symptoms of intoxication despite not consuming any alcohol.
A Newly Discovered Species Offers Clues to the Great Salt Lake’s Past
Researchers have discovered a new species in the Great Salt Lake, offering scientists a new tool for monitoring environmental change.
A New Brain-Stimulation Tool Could Help Scientists Trace the Origins of Consciousness
Although researchers can monitor brain activity associated with perception, pain, and awareness, it remains unclear which neural pathways are tied to the origins of consciousness.
Ancient DNA Reveals a Virus That Learned to Live Inside the Human Genome
A virus that infects nearly all children early in life has, in rare cases, been present within human DNA for thousands of years.
Novel Compound Activates Key Psychedelic Receptor Without Behavioral Effects
Laboratory tests of a novel serotonin-binding compound have revealed an unexpected disconnect between receptor activation and behavior, raising new questions about how psychedelic effects emerge in the brain.
A Jurassic-Era Discovery Reveals How Earth’s Orbit May Help Explain Why Some Shale Layers Are Rich in Oil
New research reveals the role of our planet's orbit in why some shale layers are rich in organic material.
Ancient Teeth Reveal a Surprise That Challenges Our Ideas on Early Migrations Into England
A recent bioarchaeological study shows that human migration in England continued from the end of Roman rule through the Norman Conquest.
Fossilized Bones Can Reveal Chemical Traces of Ancient Biology, New Research Demonstrates
A new study in Nature led by scientists at New York University reports that fossil bones as old as 3 million years still contain thousands of preserved metabolic molecules.
Some Brains ‘Switch Gears’ More Efficiently Than Others—New Research Reveals Why
The brain’s ability to switch between fast and slow processes depends on communication between regions, new research reveals.
Overlooked for a Century, Forensic Scientists Unveil an Unexpected Game-Changer for Solving Crimes
New forensic research reveals that fragments of moss as small as an eyelash can serve as a powerful tool in solving crimes.
‘Action Crisis’ Unraveled: New Research Tackles the Psychology of Doubting Your Doubts
Researchers found that prompting people to question their own doubts, a process called meta-cognitive doubt, can actually strengthen commitment to goals that are central to their identity.
“This Was a Remarkable Observation”: Deep-Sea ‘Zombie Worms’ Have Gone Missing, and It Has Ocean Scientists Concerned
A team of researchers led by Ocean Networks Canada conducted an experiment to lure a species of deep-sea worms to colonize remains placed on the seafloor.
Consciousness May Depend on the Physics of the Brain, Not Just Code
A new theoretical study argues that many standard beliefs about consciousness are rooted in a misleading concept of how the brain functions.
Scientists Reveal How Dinosaur Eggshells Can Function as Natural Clocks for Measuring Deep Time
New research shows that fossilized dinosaur eggshells can be used to help scientists more precisely date prehistoric nesting sites.
A Century Later, Ramanujan’s Pi Equations Are Helping Physicists Unlock the Secrets of Nature
In 1914, Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published a short paper detailing several unusual formulas for calculating the value of the number π.
An Ancient Sewer System is Revealing How Disease Spread Among Roman Soldiers
Roman soldiers living along Britain’s northern frontier used communal bath and toilet facilities that depended on a sewer system to remove waste from their fort.
A New Theory Suggests Mass May Emerge From Invisible Dimensions
A recent study published in Nuclear Physics B examines how hidden dimensions might influence the physical reality that we observe.
Giant Marine Predators Once Hunted in Freshwater Rivers, New Study Suggests
Large prehistoric marine reptiles known as mosasaurs dominated the oceans until their extinction 66 million years ago.
Combining These Two Cannabis Compounds Reveals a Promising Tool in the Fight Against Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal gynecological cancers because it is often detected at an advanced stage and can be resistant to treatment options.
A Thousand-Year Drought May Have Driven “Hobbits” to Extinction, New Research Reveals
A recent climate study from the University of Wollongong suggests that Homo floresiensis, the small early human species from Liang Bua cave, endured centuries of increasingly severe drought on Flores
4000-Year-Old Discovery Offers Breakthrough in the Mystery of What Fueled a Bronze Age Plague
Scientists have unraveled how an early form of Bronze Age plague that differed from the Black Death spread across Europe.
Radiocarbon Study Redraws the Timeline of Ancient Egypt’s First Pharaohs
New data from radiocarbon dating is offering deeper insights into ancient Egypt and its relationship with the volcanic eruption at Thera.
New Research Has Revealed a Big Surprise About Baby Dinosaurs, Upending Past Thinking About These Ancient Reptiles
Emerging research suggests that dinosaur babies didn’t just grow into adults—they transformed their environments.
Engineered Rabies Virus Reveals How Psilocybin Reshapes Neural Pathways
New research reveals how psilocybin reshapes connections across the brain, helping explain how it can ease depression symptoms for weeks or even months.
Your Brain Rewrites Your Memories Each Time You Recall Them, New Study Finds
A recent neuroscience review questions the long-held belief that memories are unchanging records of past events.
New DMT Study Reveals How the Brain Loses Its Sense of Self Under the Psychedelic Compound’s Influence
A new neuroscience study reports that the psychedelic compound DMT disrupts a key brain rhythm linked to self-awareness.
This Tiny Worm Could Hold a Major Clue to How the Brain Regulates Aging
A surprising discovery from aging researchers shows that dietary restriction isn’t enough to extend lifespan on its own.
Yellowstone Quakes Offer Clues to Finding Underground Life on Other Worlds
A recent study published in PNAS Nexus reports that a swarm of small earthquakes beneath Yellowstone National Park set off a burst of biological activity deep underground.
Forensic Investigators Using Cutting-Edge Science Have Finally Solved a Medieval Murder Mystery
Researchers have used cutting-edge forensic science to solve a medieval mystery that has perplexed scholars for more than a century.
Engineered ‘Nanopores’ Displayed Learning-Like Traits in Recent Breakthrough Experiments, Scientists Say
A team of researchers from EPFL has discovered that biological nanopores exhibit electrical signal responses that resemble learning-like behavior.
A Medieval Poem Misled Historians About the Black Death for Centuries—Scholars Now Reveal the “Spider’s Web” of Plague Myths
A new study in the Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies shows that a widely accepted belief about the Black Death’s rapid spread from Central Asia to the Mediterranean is not based on records or eyewitness accounts, but on a single medieval poem.
Could Toothpaste Made From Hair Help Teeth Regrow Enamel? Scientists Think So
Scientists at King’s College London have developed a sustainable biomaterial derived from hair that could help rebuild tooth enamel.
Lost for 3,000 Years, an Ancient Babylonian Hymn Has Been Restored Using Artificial Intelligence
A team of researchers has used artificial intelligence to restore a 3,000-year-old Babylonian hymn inscribed on cuneiform tablets.