Explore this deep dive into how SSRIs work

See how antidepressants were discovered

The decadeslong journey to the three major types of antidepressants began with medications designed to treat other maladies. Watch to learn more about how attempts to treat tuberculosis and blood pressure disorders led to new insights about neural chemistry and mood.

Watch what depression does to the brain

This video explores the neurobiology of depression and why unraveling the complexities of this disease and its etiology will potentially improve treatments. Effective depression treatment, as this video highlights, can eventually make a depressed brain look like a healthy one on brain scans.

JJ Schildkraut theorized depression is linked to brain chemical imbalances—in 1965

Schildkraut was one of the first to put forward this idea, which stemmed from lab animal research. A decade later, researchers published the first landmark paper on fluoxetine—better known by trade name Prozac—which increases serotonin levels in the brain.

Drugs 101: An interactive guide

What's the difference between opioids and psychedelics? This guide details specific drugs and their various associated effects. Drugs in this wheel fall into seven categories: stimulants, depressants, empathogens, psychedelics, dissociatives, cannabinoids, and opioids.

Bupropion is the only antidepressant approved for the preventive treatment of SAD

Clinical trials showed a 44% reduction in risk for recurrence of SAD for those who took the drug compared to a placebo group. Bupropion is a norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which increases dopamine (other common antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, sometimes can suppress dopamine, but not always).

'Susan's Brain': what happens to the brain during addiction

This engaging animation from Harvard Online breaks down the neuroscience of addiction through the story of “Susan’s brain,” demonstrating how addictive substances hijack normal reward pathways. Through clear visual metaphors and approachable narration, it explains complex brain chemistry in understandable terms.

A full crash course in psychology

This 40-episode crash course series mirrors the curriculum of an advanced high school class on the psychology with well-known creators the Green brothers. Browse each roughly 10-minute episode or watch them all.

Only a fraction of LSD reaches the brain, but it concentrates in key regions

When taken, LSD is absorbed quickly (often within an hour of ingestion) and exerts its effects primarily by binding to serotonin receptors. While only a small amount enters the brain, it's active in regions controlling the visual and auditory senses, potentially driving its psychedelic effects. The drug doesn't linger in the body, and is typically undetectable within a day.

What (and why) is ASMR?

ASMR podcasts and videos are appearing all over social media, so what exactly is it, and what does it do? This immersive article explains the phenomena of ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. ASMR is when certain sounds or...

What is the immune system? A quick 101

Your body’s immune system is designed to protect you from infection. Find out more about how the immune system works with this quick overview and set of diagrams.

Who was Freud and what did he say?

Sigmund Freud is one of the most famous psychologists and is widely cited—but do you really know the basics of what he taught? Here's a super brief breakdown of his major insights.

Researchers are studying roller coasters to improve mental health treatments

Scary rides stimulate our fight-or-flight response while simultaneously releasing feel-good endorphins like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Once we realize we're in a safe space, we can enjoy the ride and even feel confident and relieved by the accomplishment of overcoming a fearful feat.

One theory claims the retinae of SAD patients may fail to adjust to less light in winter

Most people’s eyes become more sensitive to light in the winter months, but some do not. This failure to adjust causes ripple effects on those individuals’ biological clocks. This Ted-ED video provides a clear, brief, narrative explanation of the condition in six minutes.

Take a deep dive into the neuron

Neurons are the basic unit of the brain and nervous system—electrically excitable cells that sends signals throughout the body. They can communicate with each other, fire in sequence, and conspire to do everything from drive body movement to help form memories. Check out this intro-level overview to learn more about their structure and how they work.

'Why'd I take speed for twenty years?': an exploration of stimulant ADHD medication

Many people with ADHD are prescribed stimulant medication to assist with symptoms ranging from time blindness to executive dysfunction. This hour-long podcast episode by Search Engine explores the host's experience with ADHD medication and the history of amphetamine and methylphenidate use in the US.

Semaglutides trigger the release of the appetite-suppressing hormone incretin

We've all heard about these new weight loss drugs. But what are they actually doing inside the human body to help people manage their weight? Health news site STAT has created a clear, concise video that explains what GLP-1 RAs are and how semaglutide works.

Induced pluripotent stem cells are "reprogrammed" cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells are used in a great deal of stem cell research, but many people are still unfamiliar with exactly what “iPS” cells are. This video provides a clear (and short) explanation of iPS cells for non-experts, and offers insights into why scientists are interested in these cells.

See how computer memory really works—from binary bits to modern RAM

The video explains how computers store information as 1s and 0s, how RAM functions as fast working memory, and why systems utilize different types of storage. The video demonstrates how this process enables computers to operate.

Engineer explains VR at five levels of complexity

While its possible to grab a virtual reality headset and hop into an immersive world with little effort, a significant amount of technical and biological science has gone into creating the effect of a 3D world. This video breaks down the technology in five layers of increasing complexity.

Superbugs evolve defenses against medication, then share them with neighbors

One reason antibiotic resistance spreads so quickly is that bacteria have multiple mechanisms allowing them to share genetic material. This short video offers a concise explanation for each of these mechanisms, and animation that helps viewers understand how antimicrobial resistance can quickly spread from one organism to another.

How a dose of MDMA transformed a white supremacist

A man leading a faction of the US white nationalist movement took part in a psychedelic trial on the pleasantness of social touch and came away from it with his beliefs reportedly upended. He left researchers a note on a form, stating, "this experience has helped me sort out a debilitating personal issue. Google my name. I now know what I need to do."

See this 201-level explanation about mitochondria and mitochondrial replacement therapy

This 2022 academic presentation from Stanford University's Dr. Gregory Enns offers a detailed overview about mitochondrial therapy approaches. Enns, a pediatric geneticist, explains how well-functioning mitochondria support the human body.

A parent explains 529 plans and why they decided to start one

The parent explains the basics of what a 529 is, its advantages, and how it works, breaking down portfolio options for investing in 529 plans using Vanguard as a provider.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

The science of springtime, 101

Dive into the basics on springtime including the astronomy that brings it about, natural signs of spring's arrival, and some of the cultural approaches to the season.

A quick technical overview of insomnia

Insomnia is one of the world's most common sleep disorders. Characterized by difficulties falling and staying asleep, long-term struggles with insomnia can prelude or contribute to health difficulties. Treatments range from sleep hygiene management and relaxation therapy, and medication, including antidepressants and melatonin.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

This poison ivy knowledge quiz—accompanied by photos of the plant's varied forms—may help you identify this common rash-inducing growth.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

All rainbows are 'raincircles' caused by water droplets separating white sunlight into a spectrum of colors, but Earth's surface blocks the bottom half of the circle from our line of sight.

Coral reefs get their colors from zooxanthellae—microorganisms that line corals' digestive tracts and provide them with sugars in exchange for a home within this protective tissue.

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

Explore the known asteroids, comets, and spacecraft involved in asteroid studies within our solar system with 'Eyes on Asteroids,' a 3D visualization from NASA.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

See how Ebola tore through Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia in 2014-2016.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

The 19th-century painters of the Hudson River School were among the first American romantics, with portraits that displayed the natural beauty of the young country.

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'