PharmaceuticalsSeptember 23, 2022
Nitrogen Execution Method Touted as More ‘Humane,’ but Evidence Is Lacking
A legal battle over nitrogen hypoxia, a new potential method of execution, raises ethical questions
Stories by Dana G. Smith
Dana Smith is a freelance science writer specializing in brains and bodies. She has written for Scientific American, the Atlantic, the Guardian, NPR, Discover, and Fast Company, among other outlets. In a previous life, she earned a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge.
Artificial IntelligenceJuly 11, 2022
AI Learns What an Infant Knows about the Physical World
A computer model simulating how objects react to physical forces approximates how babies understand their surroundings
InequalityApril 1, 2022
A 630-Billion-Word Internet Analysis Shows ‘People’ Is Interpreted as ‘Men’
Gender bias turns up in the way we think of the most neutral of words
AnatomyMarch 17, 2022
Where Are Genitals Represented in the Brain?
The homunculus of textbook fame still does not take into account the relevant locations in the cerebral cortex that process touch for the sex organs
CognitionNovember 15, 2021
Infants as Young as Two Months May Be Able to Detect Faces and Scenes
Baby-brain-scanning experiments fuel the debate over whether humans are born with these abilities
NeuroscienceSeptember 11, 2019
No Bones about It: People Recognize Objects by Visualizing Their “Skeletons”
This basic ability gives humans a leg up on computers
ComputingMay 8, 2019
An AI System Spontaneously Develops Baby-Like Ability to Gauge Big and Small
On its own, the neural network seems to recap a process experienced by human infants
FitnessApril 4, 2019
Anti-Aging Discovery Could Lead to Restorative Skin Treatments
Loss of collagen protein depletes renewal cells that serve as skin’s fountain of youth
BehaviorMarch 8, 2019
The Wisdom of Crowds Requires the Political Left and Right to Work Together
Collaborations between followers of opposing ideologies lead to less biased, higher quality Wikipedia pages
EvolutionMarch 1, 2019
Susceptibility to Mental Illness May Have Helped Humans Adapt over the Millennia
Psychiatrist Randolph Nesse, one of the founders of evolutionary medicine, explains why natural selection did not rid our species of onerous psychiatric disorders
Public HealthJanuary 11, 2019
New App Uses Sonar to Detect Opioid Overdoses
The technology utilizes smartphone speakers and microphone to monitor breathing
Public HealthDecember 1, 2018
More Than a Third of Female Suicides Are Committed by Indian Women
The disturbingly high rate may arise from a disconnect between women’s ambitions and societal expectations, experts say
NeuroscienceNovember 9, 2018
Neuroscientists Make a Case against Solitary Confinement
Prolonged social isolation can do severe, long-lasting damage to the brain
NeurologyNovember 7, 2018
How Marijuana Harms a Developing Baby’s Brain
Three studies in rodents suggest prenatal exposure to the drug may pose risks for infants
BehaviorSeptember 18, 2018
Big Data Gives the “Big 5” Personality Traits a Makeover
An analysis of 1.5 million people tries to more accurately categorize people’s character traits
MedicineAugust 15, 2018
An Entirely New Type of Antidepressant Targets Postpartum Depression
A novel drug is intended to help women who suffer from depression after childbirth
BehaviorJuly 23, 2018
Global Warming Linked to Higher Suicide Rates across North America
A 1-degree Celsius rise corresponded to a 1.4 percent increase in suicides
Mental HealthMay 28, 2018
The Placenta Is Now a Suspect In Heightening Schizophrenia Risk
Genes and pregnancy problems combine to increase significantly the likelihood of developing schizophrenia
BehaviorMay 24, 2018
Daydreaming May Help You Become More Socially Adept
New research explains why relationships take up so much of our mental energy
CognitionMay 4, 2018
At What Age Does Our Ability to Learn a New Language Like a Native Speaker Disappear?
Despite the conventional wisdom, a new study shows picking up the subtleties of grammar in a second language does not fade until well into the teens
NeuroscienceMay 1, 2018
Sound Awake: “Noisy” Neurons May Repeatedly Disrupt Your Sleep
Study proposes novel sleep theory, but whether it can explain infant death syndrome remains less clear
CognitionFebruary 6, 2018
Brain “Pacemaker” Could Help You Remember Only What You Might Forget
An implant is the latest development in research on neural stimulation to boost cognition
ComputingJanuary 22, 2018
How to Hack an Intelligent Machine
AI scientists try to trick smart systems into making dumb gaffes
BehaviorDecember 5, 2017
Parents in a Remote Amazon Village Barely Talk to Their Babies—and the Kids Are Fine
Ignoring a Western child-rearing practice does not seem to matter for the Tsimané of Bolivia