What A Tea Party With A Bonobo Taught Us About Imagination
Is the capacity to imagine unique to humans? Scientists thought so—but a pretend tea party with a bonobo named Kanzi suggests otherwise.
How Dating Apps Challenge Our Human Nature
“The Intimate Animal” explores how dating apps cause people to raise their expectations—and walk into first dates with preconceived notions.
How Is Screen Time Affecting My Kid?
Researchers have correlated brain and behavioral changes in kids to increased time on phones and other screen devices.
What’s Lost When We Trade Play For Metrics And Optimization
For C. Thi Nguyen, rock climbing brought joy and satisfaction—until he started chasing scores and focusing on “leveling up.”
How One Gene Affects Alzheimer’s Risk
An epidemiology study finds variations in one gene, APOE, play a major role in determining the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Memories Change. But Can We Change Them On Purpose?
Neuroscientists are manipulating memories in mice in an effort to develop treatments for brain disorders.
Two Neuroscientists Envision A ‘Repair Shop’ For The Brain
In “How to Change a Memory,” neuroscientist Steve Ramirez embarks on a project to find and reactivate memories in the brains of mice.
Investigating ‘Flow State’ With The Bassist From Phish
Phish bassist Mike Gordon is teaming up with neuroscientists to try to understand the transcendent experience of musical flow state.
Why Morbid Curiosity Is So Common—And So Fun
Why do we find joy in the scary and the macabre? Two psychology experts weigh in on humans’ affinity for horror and desire to get spooked.
‘Tron: Ares’ And What Happens When AI Gets The Feels
What does AI do with human feelings? To investigate its readiness to serve as a therapist, a neuroscientist took ChatGPT for an emotional ride.