A Single Dose of Psilocybin May Produce Lasting Brain Changes, Study Finds
A new study shows that one psychedelic experience doesn't just alter how a person feels; it may also change the brain itself.
brain
Return of the Boltzmann Brains: Why a Bizarre Hypothesis Suggests the Past May Be Harder to Prove Than We Think
Physicists are revisiting the bizarre paradox of "Boltzmann brains," and whether memories could be illusions created by chance from "cosmic static."
Lucid Dreaming Could Allow People to Experience Other Genders, or Even Other Life Forms, New Research Suggests
A new peer-reviewed study suggests some lucid dreamers may be able to experience "dream-body transformation" into animals, or even another gender.
Vivid Dreams May Actually Make Your Sleep Feel Deeper, New Study Finds
A new study from the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca finds that vivid, immersive dreams can actually make sleep feel deeper, even when brain activity is higher.
As the Brain Stabilizes Dizzying Eye Movements, These Ghostly Images Appear—Now Scientists Know Why
Ghostly afterimages are the result of our brain stabilizing our vision, according to German researchers who investigated the process.
Our Brain’s “Fear Center” May Guide Complex Learning Decisions, New Research Reveals
The brain’s primitive “fear center” may be much more than that, according to new research on the amygdala.
Brain Researchers Finally Know Why Cannabis Use Increases Appetite
Researchers at Washington State University and the University of Calgary recently published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that cannabis use led to a measurable increase in food intake among human participants, regardless of body weight, sex, or when they last ate.
Scientists Have Long Searched for Evidence of Psychedelic DMT in the Brain—A New Study Challenges This Idea
For many years, researchers have questioned whether the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is produced naturally in the brain and if it might act as a signaling substance similar to serotonin.
Study Challenges Long-Held View That Habits Cause Compulsive Behavior
In a recent study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) found that inflammation in a key decision-making region of the brain led to more deliberate behavior, rather than more compulsive actions.
How Words Shape Consciousness: New Research Reveals the Deep Link Between Language and Awareness
Recent research from the University of Liège is offering new insight into that question, suggesting a deeper relationship between language and awareness than previously understood.
Strange Quantum Effects, Tracking Objects in the Atmosphere, and AI Mimicking the Human Brain
This week, quantum mechanics holds at the macroscopic scale, and scientists develop a novel method using shockwaves from sonic booms to track objects entering Earth's atmosphere.
A “Master Regulator” in the Brain, Unearthing a Major Archaeological Find, and How the Body Brews its Own Alcohol
This week in stories we're covering at The Debrief, scientists have identified a "master regulator" in the brain, and an ancient Roman factory is unearthed.
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.
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.
Neuralink Set to Launch ‘High-Volume’ Brain Implant Production as Competitors Weigh In
Elon Musk’s company Neuralink has announced plans to expand its brain-computer interface (BCI) chip, The Link, to “high-volume” production this year.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
Holographic Ultrasound Breakthrough Enables Scientists to Unlock a New Frontier in Brain Stimulation Research
An international team of researchers has developed a novel method of repurposing ultrasound technologies to manipulate neural activity.
Rare Case of ‘Autobiographical Hypermnesia’ Reveals How the Brain Travels Through Time
Scientists explore 'autobiographical hypermnesia,' a rare ability that allows people to recall of life events in exceptional detail.
She Lost Movement at 16. Neuralink Just Helped Her Write Again—Using Her Mind
Audrey Crews, the first female recipient of a Neuralink implant, has written her name for the first time after two decades of paralysis.
Neuralink Tests Show Monkey Can “See” Without Using Its Eyes
Neuralink reveals promising results from the company’s latest brain implant, Blindsight, allowing a monkey to perceive visual cues.
Human DNA Spliced into Mice Caused Them to Grow Abnormally Large Brains, Revealing Clues to Evolution of Intelligence
Genetic scientists have spliced human DNA into mice, resulting in rodents with increased brain mass, offering new clues to human evolution.
Apple Taps Synchron to Explore Mind-Controlled iPhone Technology
Apple is reportedly working with brain-computer interface (BCI) company Synchron to develop technology that allows users to control their iPhones and other Apple devices using their minds.
Neuralink Patient with ALS Edits and Narrates Video Using Only His Brain in Historic First
The first nonverbal patient to receive Neuralink’s brain implant has edited and narrated a video online using only his brain signals.
Sleeping While Awake? Scientists Unravel the Mystery of What Happens When Your Mind Blanks
Researchers looked at studies to try to determine what happens to your mind when you experience blanking, and think of nothing.
Neuroscientists Unveil Digital ‘Translator’ to Map the Mind Like Never Before
UCLA Health researchers have developed a new “digital toolbox” for brain network studies that allows them to map the mind like never before.
This is Your Brain During Sex: New Research Shows What Happens to Mice During Intercourse
Researchers found that when mice had sex, their brain chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine worked together to produce pleasure.
Mind-Shattering Discovery Reveals How a Human Brain Turned to Glass in the Ancient Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
An individual who perished in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE had his brain turned to glass under a unique set of conditions.
The X Factor: Study Reveals How Your Mother’s X Chromosome Could Impact Cognitive Health in Aging
New research is offering deeper insights into the role of the active X chromosome and its effects on brain health.
Elon Musk Claims Neuralink’s Third Implant Is a Success, But Controversy Over Animal Testing and Health Issues Raises Doubts
Elon Musk says the third implant of Neuralink's brain chip was successful amid growing concerns over animal testing and health complications.
Need to Clear Your Mind? New Research Suggests a Good Night’s Sleep Could Help
New research suggests that a good night’s sleep does more than just recharge your body—it literally clears your mind.
Breakthrough Study Sheds Light on the Complex Brain Science Behind Dyslexia
New insights into dyslexia reveal structural differences in the brain linked to the genetic predisposition for this neurodiverse condition.
Lucid Dreaming Breakthrough: Startup Claims First-Ever Two-Way Dream Communication
REMspace, a California-based neurotech startup, claims to have achieved the first two-way communication between individuals during lucid dreaming.
Brain Cells Are Responsible for Why You Perceive Time, New Study Reveals
A recent study by UCLA Health has shed new light on how the brain encodes and interprets the flow of time and human experience.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink Receives FDA Breakthrough Designation for ‘Blindsight’ Implant Aiming to Restore Vision
Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company, has received the FDA's “breakthrough device” designation for its innovative 'Blindsight' implant.
ALS Patient Uses Synchron Brain-Chip Interface to Control Smart Devices Through Thought
Synchron, a competitor to Neuralink, has announced one of its patients with ALS is now able to control devices using only his mind with its brain chip implant.
New Research Reveals Where Love Lives in the Brain
In a recent study, researchers at Aalto University used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to explore how different types of love activate the brain.
Neuralink’s First Patient is Learning French and Japanese Using “The Link” Brain Chip Interface
From playing video games with his mind to learning new languages, the first Neuralink patient shares his experience with the "The Link" brain chip.
Neuralink CEO Claims Its Second Brain Implant is “Working Very Well.” But Is It?
Neuralink has implanted its experimental N1 brain-computer interface (BCI) within a second patient, with Elon Musk, the company's CEO, saying the procedure is “working very well.”
“Speech” Using Only the Power of Thought May Soon Be a Reality, New Research Reveals
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that reveals a potential way for patients to "speak" using only the power of thought.
Brain’s Language Secrets Revealed in Groundbreaking New Investigations into Speech Processing
An investigation into how humans process speech is revealing new deep insights into what happens in our brains when we use language in our daily communication with others.
Begun, the Balloon War Has…
This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...
This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...
MJ Banias and guest co-host Micah Hanks discuss the U.S.'s recent war against balloons, a memory-enhancing new medicine, and more.
Science Textbooks May Be Wrong? Fossil Mystery Has Scientists Scrutinizing Brain Evolution
Half a billion years ago, an ancient wormlike animal was preserved in a seabed, whose fossil remains are now challenging our current theories about brain evolution.
Controversial Theory of Consciousness Challenged by New Study Involving Mysterious Brain Region
New research seems to show that a popular theory of consciousness centered on a region of the brain known as the claustrum is likely wrong.
Consciousness Mystery Could Be Solved By This Compelling New Physics Theory
A new physics theory proposes novel solutions to a longstanding mystery, which philosophers call the hard problem of consciousness.
Coffee Alters Brain Connectivity to Make You Smarter
Coffee improves the functional connectivity within the human brain, making it operate at a higher level of efficiency, new research says.
How Does Spaceflight Affect the Brain?
There are different effects that spaceflight can have on the human body. From more exposure to radiation to...