A new study proposes that human culture’s unique power lies not in its ability to accumulate knowledge, as once thought, but in its "open-endedness." Unlike animal cultures that reach limits in evolution, human culture continuously expands, adapting without bounds.

New research links childhood adversity with later attention deficits, sleep disruptions, and specific dopamine imbalances in the brain. Focusing on critical developmental windows, scientists found that disrupted care early in life affected males more than females.

Dogs and their owners show synchronized heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting shared emotional states during relaxed interactions, a new study reveals. Researchers observed that both heart rate and physical activity levels adapt between dogs and owners, but the strongest emotional connection appears during restful moments, indicating shared relaxation.

A new study finds that chimpanzees, like humans, are affected by being watched: their performance on computer tasks improved on difficult tasks with larger human audiences but declined on simpler ones. This phenomenon, known as the "audience effect," was previously thought to be unique to humans and linked to reputation management. The results suggest that sensitivity to being observed may have evolved before human society developed its complex reputation-based social structures.

Researchers have developed a potential diagnostic tool for schizophrenia by observing how patients process conflicting information. By analyzing neural activity between the cortex and thalamus, they found distinct patterns that make schizophrenia patients more sensitive to uncertainty.

New research has unveiled how gut bacteria play a key role in regulating stress by interacting with circadian rhythms, opening possibilities for microbiome-based therapies for mental health. Researchers found that depletion of certain gut bacteria can lead to time-specific increases in stress responses through the HPA axis, the body's central stress response system. Specific bacteria, such as Limosilactobacillus reuteri, were identified as crucial to modulating stress hormones throughout the day.

Childhood attention issues, coupled with genetic predispositions, increase the likelihood of experiencing psychotic-like symptoms in adolescence. By analyzing data from 10,000 youths, researchers discovered that variability in attention spans partially explains how genetic risk factors translate into psychotic-like symptoms.

Prenatal exposure to cannabis can negatively impact children’s thinking and behavioral skills, including impulse control, attention, and aggression, which are key for academic and social success. The study observed preschool-aged children with prenatal cannabis exposure and found they showed poorer control over impulses and emotions.

A study of global Wikipedia browsing patterns reveals three curiosity styles: the focused "hunter," the exploratory "busybody," and the creative "dancer." Data from 482,760 readers in 50 countries shows that cultural factors, such as gender equality and education levels, influence browsing styles, with more egalitarian countries showing greater exploratory browsing.

Scientists have identified how depression alters the brain’s response to positive and negative stimuli, particularly in the amygdala, a key emotional processing center. The study found that depression reduces neural activity linked to positive perceptions while increasing it for negative perceptions.

A new study finds that individualistic reward-seeking behaviors in mice can predict their responses to nicotine. Conducted in a semi-natural environment called Souris-City, the research observed how male mice developed distinct reward-seeking strategies when isolated from peers.

Researchers have developed a way to measure stress in baby chicks using vocalizations, offering new insights into animal emotions. The study found that chicks alone produced higher-pitched, louder calls, indicating anxiety-like states, while calmer chicks showed more relaxed vocal patterns.

New research has uncovered that brain signals for aggression in male mice and sexual arousal in female mice are encoded by similar neural mechanisms. The studies found that a specific type of neural signal, called a line attractor, represents the intensity and persistence of these emotional states.

A new study shows that humans use social information to guide their decisions, even when others’ preferences differ from their own. Researchers found that people treat social cues as helpful but less reliable than their personal experiences, using them as a tool to explore decision options.

A new study reveals that youth are vulnerable to various forms of harm in the metaverse, including bullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation. Using data from over 5,000 U.S. teens, researchers found significant incidents of hate speech, sexual harassment, and grooming behavior in virtual reality (VR) spaces.

A new study shows that X's verification system, which gives verified users priority in algorithms, can increase polarization and trigger the formation of echo chambers. Researchers used computational modeling to simulate how verified users affect the spread of political opinions on social media. They found that when verified users with entrenched opinions post, their influence can drive polarization, while centrist ideologues can reduce it if present in sufficient numbers.

Having a happy intimate partner can lower stress levels in older adults by reducing the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. Couples with higher relationship satisfaction experience an even stronger effect, suggesting that positive emotions in relationships act as a buffer against stress.

A new study links psychopathy with alexithymia, or emotional blindness, which may explain the emotional deficits seen in people with psychopathic traits. Individuals with strong psychopathic traits struggle to recognize and describe their emotions, which affects their ability to show empathy and regulate emotions.

New research reveals that mental fatigue makes rewards like unhealthy snacks more tempting. Both rats and humans who exerted cognitive effort sought out more rewards, with rats self-administering more cocaine and humans rating snacks as tastier.