
Why Binge Drinking May Wire the Brain for Alcohol Dependence
After surviving a series of benders, neural circuits get locked into a firing pattern that compels alcohol seeking

Why Binge Drinking May Wire the Brain for Alcohol Dependence
After surviving a series of benders, neural circuits get locked into a firing pattern that compels alcohol seeking

5 Therapy Myths and Fears Busted
While millions of people are comfortable seeking help from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other counselor, others—maybe you included—would rather pass a kidney stone than make an appointment with a therapist. This week, the Savvy Psychologist helps you (or someone you love) get over 5 common myths and fears about therapy


Scientists Use Bioengineered Yeast Instead of Poppies to Make Opioids
The speedy method makes potent painkilling opioids, but it still must be fine-tuned to make it commercially viable

Nicotine-Chomping Bacteria Could Help Smokers Quit
Researchers isolated a bacterial enzyme that could break down nicotine before smokers get the buzz that keeps them coming back for more. Christopher Intagliata reports

Traditional Medicine from Southern Mexico Offers Help with Addiction
The “divine sage,” Salvia divinorum, is a promising new scientific tool

Drug Needle Exchanges Gain Ground after Indiana HIV Outbreak
Needle exchanges, which exist in 34 states, are gaining wider acceptance as health officials nationwide have expressed alarm at the surge in opiate abuse

The Imagination Institute Awards Nearly $3M to Advance the Science of Imagination
We spend so much time on standardized testing and measuring learning ability that we don’t track how much we’re developing the key competencies that enable us to imagine what could be

Mentors Matter: In Loving Memory of Nicholas J. Mackintosh (1935-2015)
Today would have been my mentor's 80th birthday. Happy Birthday Nick and thanks for showing me that mentors really do matter.

U.S. Heroin Use Jumps as Costs Drop and Prescription Opiate Use Rises
Heroin overdose deaths in the United States nearly quadrupled between 2002 and 2013, fueled by lower costs as well as increased abuse of prescription opiate painkillers

The Problem with Artificial Willpower
The ethical threat posed by Adderall and other drugs that improve motivation

Is It Time to Rethink Life-without-Parole Sentencing?
If violent criminal tendencies peak during the teen years and seldom extend to midlife, should we still lock people up and throw away the key?

Marijuana Muddies Memory and Mixes with Alcohol to Make Trouble
People who smoke pot and drink are twice as likely to do both at the same time than to do just one, with the combo associated with bad decision-making; and chronic pot smokers who had not indulged in a month were still more likely to have faulty memories than were nonsmokers. Erika Beras reports