PolicyAugust 1, 2022
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
Simon Makin is a freelance science journalist based in the U.K. His work has appeared in New Scientist, the Economist, Scientific American and Nature, among others. He covers the life sciences and specializes in neuroscience, psychology and mental health. Follow Makin on Twitter @SimonMakin
BiotechDecember 16, 2021
A Portable MRI Makes Imaging More Democratic
An open-source approach downsizes today’s clunking behemoths with permanent magnets and deep-learning algorithms
NeurologyOctober 6, 2021
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
MedicineOctober 1, 2021
Pathogen-Sensing Mask Could Detect COVID Infection
Freeze-dried genetic circuits could reveal the presence of SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, MRSA, and more
BiotechMay 1, 2021
Using Light to Control Cells Holds Promise across the Body
Optogenetics could aid vision, blood glucose, and more
BiotechDecember 4, 2020
Bionic Eye Tech Learns Its ABCs
An experiment stimulates monkeys’ brain to generate shape perceptions
CognitionOctober 21, 2020
Hypnosis Experts Cast Doubt on Famous Psychological Experiments
Suggestibility may explain why people “feel” vicarious pain or sensation in a fake hand
NeuroscienceAugust 1, 2020
Construction Process Builds Brain Circuits
A novel technique turns brain cells into circuit components
NeuroscienceJune 15, 2020
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
BiologyMay 14, 2020
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
CognitionApril 13, 2020
“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
PsychologyApril 1, 2020
Effective Psychological Therapy May Slow Cellular Aging
Cognitive-behavioral therapy improved both symptoms and markers of senescence in people with anxiety
CognitionMarch 12, 2020
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
NeuroscienceMarch 2, 2020
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 HealthFebruary 5, 2020
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
NeuroscienceJanuary 24, 2020
“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
NeuroscienceJanuary 1, 2020
Scientists Spot Addiction-Associated Circuit in Rats
Rats show changes in compulsive behavior when a brain connection is turned on or inhibited
NeuroscienceNovember 21, 2019
Brain Circuit Involved in Compulsive Drinking Identified in Mice
Activity in this circuit predicted which animals would keep drinking despite negative consequences
MedicineNovember 1, 2019
Molecules in Blood Spike Hours before Seizures
Researchers measured a predictive increase in transfer RNA in people with epilepsy
NeurologyNovember 1, 2019
Deep Sleep Gives Your Brain a Deep Clean
Slow-wave activity during dreamless slumber helps wash out neural detritus
HealthSeptember 17, 2019
A Newly Identified Protein May Be the Key to Vanquishing the Common Cold
Inactivating this protein in human cells and mice provided immunity to a range of viruses, but an effective treatment is still a long way off
BiotechAugust 2, 2019
Can an Illusory World Help Treat Psychosis’s Real-World Delusions?
Psychologists launch a clinical trial to gauge whether virtual reality can quell the fears of patients with the mental disorder
NeuroscienceAugust 1, 2019
Faster MRI Method Could Shake Up Brain Imaging
A new technique relies on measuring changes in tissue stiffness resulting from neural activity
CognitionJune 14, 2019
Better Memory through Electrical Brain Ripples
A study in mice shows improved cognitive performance when these bursting signals move around memory circuits