People who believe conspiracy theories tend to overestimate how many others share their views. New research suggests that this illusion of consensus may help conspiracy theories spread, and that concrete statistics may puncture it. dlvr.​it/TW2CWx

A natural experiment created by Britain’s postwar sugar rationing suggests that less sugar in the first years of life may be linked to lower risks of dementia, depression, and anxiety, along with slightly younger-looking brains. dlvr.​it/TW29Xq

People going through their first episode of psychosis may be especially vulnerable to chatbots that validate distorted beliefs, a new study suggests. At one large medical center, 61% of “AI psychosis” cases involved first-episode patients. dlvr.​it/TW27Jw

LSD speeds up the brain’s alpha and beta rhythms by about 2 and 5 hertz, respectively, while genuinely weakening them, according to a new brain imaging study. The drug also made brain signals more complex, especially in sensory regions. dlvr.​it/TW25Hc

When Americans get angry about the state of the country, their race and gender appear to shape whether they turn to the ballot box or the picket line. A new study reveals how overlapping identities influence political participation. dlvr.​it/TW1lrl

People who felt more scared inside a haunted house, and held hands or touched their companions, were more likely to say the experience brought them closer. But interviews suggest much of the bonding may happen in conversations afterward. dlvr.​it/TW1kF8

Older adults with depression tended to have a smaller volume in one part of the hippocampus, a brain region hit early by Alzheimer’s disease. The link did not appear to be explained by Alzheimer’s-related proteins. dlvr.​it/TW1hTs

Women with higher natural progesterone levels showed less distinct brain activity patterns when overriding automatic emotional impulses, according to a neuroimaging study of 116 young women. Estradiol, the other major ovarian hormone, showed no such link. dlvr.​it/TW1cLT

A new study identifies a stable, brain-derived RNA molecule in the bloodstream that accurately predicts whether a patient will respond to common SSRI antidepressants, potentially saving months of trial-and-error treatments. dlvr.​it/TW1WcR

Believing God is forgiving isn’t the same as feeling forgiven. A 16-day study of Christians found that a close, less conflicted relationship with God predicted faster gains in feeling pardoned after a wrongdoing, while beliefs about God did not. dlvr.​it/TW1TDd

Inconsistent discipline is often blamed for aggressive behavior in children. But a study of Norwegian extended families and U.​S. adoptive families suggests the arrow may point the other way: aggressive children may make parents less consistent. dlvr.​it/TW1Qyz

Psilocybin is often described as throwing the brain into disorder. A new study in Nature suggests that beneath the apparent chaos, brain activity becomes organized around what a person is doing, especially in those who feel a sense of unity. dlvr.​it/TW1Nr9

Chatting with a chatbot seems easy, but a small brain imaging study suggests six-year-olds don’t yet coordinate their brain’s control networks the way adults do during the conversation, which the researchers say is why adult guidance matters. dlvr.​it/TW1Lfq

Young people who met criteria for a psychotic disorder at 18 had slightly smaller heads from birth through age 15. But once height was taken into account, the difference largely disappeared, pointing to overall growth rather than brain-specific changes. dlvr.​it/TW10WM

A massive analysis of Swedish administrative records reveals that higher cognitive abilities strongly predict prosocial behaviors. Individuals with higher general intelligence are consistently more likely to donate to charity, vote in elections, and buy… dlvr.​it/TW0wtT

There may be a physical reason lying down feels good when you’re hurting. Pain sensitivity was modestly lower while lying flat, possibly because more blood returns to the chest and activates the body’s pressure sensors. dlvr.​it/TW0s8F

During psychiatric treatment, a patient's personality and depression symptoms change in tandem. A new study reveals that high neuroticism slows recovery across multiple symptoms, while extraversion and agreeableness may help patients bounce back faster. dlvr.​it/TW0mZD

Older adults described both one-time events and recurring routines with more general facts and fewer specific details than younger adults did, yet both age groups struggled similarly when they had to switch between memory types. dlvr.​it/TW0k6m

A large longitudinal study reveals that early childhood intelligence scores can predict the pace at which gray and white matter develop during adolescence, highlighting distinct patterns of brain refinement and network specialization. dlvr.​it/TW0gpF

A third of U.​S. teen boys in a new survey said they follow Andrew Tate at least a little. Those who did tended to favor emotional detachment, dominance, toughness, and rejecting femininity, even after accounting for their parents' messages. dlvr.​it/TW0dcj