Policy
Restrictions on Psilocybin ‘Magic Mushrooms’ Are Easing as Research Ramps Up
Here’s how the psychedelic substance’s legal status has been shifting
Stories by Simon Makin
Microbiology
How Viruses Hop from Wild Animals to Humans
A virologist explains what it takes for a virus to leap from an animal host into humans
Artificial Intelligence
Smart Algorithms Could Identify Animal Viruses with Pandemic Potential
Machine learning could find the viruses that are most likely to spill over from animals and cause future pandemics
Neuroscience
A Hormone May Boost Cognition in Down Syndrome
The hormone GnRH may have potential for improving language, memory and other intellectual functions in people with Down syndrome, according to a pilot study
Biotech
A Portable MRI Makes Imaging More Democratic
An open-source approach downsizes today’s clunking behemoths with permanent magnets and deep-learning algorithms
Medicine
Pathogen-Sensing Mask Could Detect COVID Infection
Freeze-dried genetic circuits could reveal the presence of SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, MRSA, and more
Neurology
An Inventory of All the Brain Cells That Let You Run, Jump and Roll
A project to map the motor cortex used the widest range of tools for probing brain cells ever deployed in a single, coordinated effort
Biotech
Using Light to Control Cells Holds Promise across the Body
Optogenetics could aid vision, blood glucose, and more
Biotech
Bionic Eye Tech Learns Its ABCs
An experiment stimulates monkeys’ brain to generate shape perceptions
Cognition
Hypnosis Experts Cast Doubt on Famous Psychological Experiments
Suggestibility may explain why people “feel” vicarious pain or sensation in a fake hand
Neuroscience
Construction Process Builds Brain Circuits
A novel technique turns brain cells into circuit components
Neuroscience
Switch in Mouse Brain Induces a Deep Slumber Similar to Hibernation
If such a snooze button exists in humans, it could protect against strokes, heart attacks and trauma
Biology
From Hamsters to Baboons: The Animals Helping Scientists Understand the Coronavirus
Different species are helping answer different questions about COVID-19 in humans in order to develop vaccines and treatments
Psychology
Effective Psychological Therapy May Slow Cellular Aging
Cognitive-behavioral therapy improved both symptoms and markers of senescence in people with anxiety
Cognition
“Event” Cells in the Brain Help Organize Memory into Meaningful Segments
Neurons in the hippocampus categorize what we experience into abstract, discrete events, such as taking a walk versus having lunch
Cognition
Constant Shifts between Mental States Mark a Signature of Consciousness
Both of two essential brain networks that switch roles—one is on when the other is off—shut down in unresponsive individuals
Neuroscience
Born Ready: Babies Are Prewired to Perceive the World
A study in infants adds to the debate about whether we come into the world prepped for higher cognitive abilities such as face recognition
Public Health
How Coronaviruses Cause Infection—from Colds to Deadly Pneumonia
The novel coronavirus outbreak raises questions about how such pathogens evolve and what makes infections mild or severe
Neuroscience
“Organoids” Reveal How Human Forebrain Develops
Studying gene expression in human brain tissue grown in the lab could offer insight into disorders such as autism
Neuroscience
Scientists Spot Addiction-Associated Circuit in Rats
Rats show changes in compulsive behavior when a brain connection is turned on or inhibited
