Cognitive Science

People with a strong preference for intensely sweet tastes tend to choose immediate, smaller rewards over delayed ones. New research suggests this impatience is largely explained by a general aversion to risk rather than an overpowering desire for rewards.

A new study reveals how dopamine and insulin receptors interact in the brain's emotional center to regulate compulsive eating. These findings offer biological clues to the strong link between food addiction and metabolic diseases like diabetes.

New research indicates that adolescents who begin using cannabis may experience slower cognitive development than their non-using peers. While future users often start with slightly higher cognitive scores in late childhood, their rate of mental improvement falls behind.

Building physical stamina isn't just about training your muscles. A new study reveals that specific cells in the brain coordinate the body's metabolic adaptations to exercise, playing a central role in boosting athletic endurance over time.

Losing deep belly fat rather than just overall body weight is linked to slower brain aging and better memory years later. New research suggests targeting visceral fat might protect cognitive function by improving long-term blood sugar control.

The scent of a father can help infants synchronize their brain activity with unfamiliar adults. A recent study reveals that paternal body odor boosts positive arousal and neural coupling, helping babies expand their social connections.

A recent study found that both high-salt and severely low-salt diets impair memory in mice. While high salt triggers inflammation, extreme salt restriction starves the gut microbiome of metabolic byproducts needed for optimal brain function.

A new study finds that environments forcing people into an upright posture—like a high desk—can subtly boost their willingness to take risks and feelings of pride, even without them realizing their posture was manipulated.

A new study reveals how the human brain processes conversations across different timelines. Researchers found that speaking relies on short-term neural context, while listening requires the brain to integrate information over much longer stretches of time.

A new behavioral genetics study of twins finds that about one-fifth of our belief in our own creativity is inherited. Ultimately, your unique individual experiences shape your creative confidence far more than your DNA.

New research explores how our brains react to seeing others in pain. The findings reveal that a person's physical attractiveness and moral history alter our empathy levels, shifting how our minds process compassion in fractions of a second.

A new analysis of longitudinal data reveals a surprising cross-generational connection: mothers whose children excel in math and reading tend to experience better physical and mental health during their middle-aged years.

Being smart, focused, or detail-oriented won’t stop you from missing unexpected objects hidden in plain sight. New research suggests that inattentional blindness is a universal quirk of the brain.

A recent brain imaging study reveals that standard fMRI scans can yield backward metabolic readings in nearly half of responding brain regions, challenging conventional interpretations of how neural activity is mapped.