Stories by Simon Makin

Audible sound can affect gene activity in mouse cells, boosting the attachment of muscle precursors to surrounding tissue and decreasing fat accumulation

We live in an era of constant surveillance. Psychology research shows how this might change how we perceive the world—even unconsciously

Desynchronizing a monkey’s brain with electricity caused a performance boost

Neuroscientist Lore Thaler speaks about her efforts to make echolocation training more accessible

Can taking a simple oath make you more trustworthy? That depends a lot on its exact wording

An AI analysis and a chemical sensor determine drinks’ dilution, freshness and type

Breakthroughs in synthetic biology could create mirror versions of natural molecules, with devastating consequences for life on Earth

These therapies dampen fears absent direct exposure—no need to be in the room with a live tarantula

Human echolocation repurposes parts of the brain’s visual cortex for sound, even in sighted people

A smell’s effect on facial recognition is key at first—but decreases as a baby’s eyesight improves

A long-running research endeavor reveals key chemical players that cement memories in place—and still more have yet to be discovered

Fear of phantom costs pushes us to avoid “free money” or “too good to be true” offers

The extent to which people experience “inner speech” varies greatly, and the differences matter for performing certain cognitive tasks

Gene-cutting diagnostic tests could be as easy as a rapid COVID test and as accurate as PCR

Programmable liquids could aid robot grippers, shock absorption, acoustics, and more

Certain brain layers specialize in particular waves—which might aid understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders

Bringing people together virtually doesn’t seem to boost disruptive research

Very young children’s developing immune systems respond to the COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 very differently than do those of adults

Distinctive meanings for a word like “risk” can have a big impact on public messaging, especially when it comes to issues like climate change

Scientists can finally predict a chemical’s odor without having a human sniff it

Some astrocytes, thought to play only a supportive role in the brain, can communicate with neurons

Scientists have developed an ultrasound device to detect aggressive breast cancer that may develop between screenings

A unique U.S. strain of leishmaniasis has just been reported

Researchers have created the first nerve-controlled prosthetic hand that can be used in daily life