Researchers are exploring neural links between Alzheimer's and autism

Gene expression patterns are similar between ASD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder

Postmortem brain tissue analysis suggests there are genetic and epigenetic similarities between individuals with autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. All three conditions appeared to have activation of genes in astrocytes and suppression of specific genes that function at the junction between neurons, called synapses. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Scientists are reevaluating the causes of Alzheimer's beyond the amyloid hypothesis

The cause of Alzheimer's disease has been debated for decades. The amyloid cascade hypothesis—where plaques build up in the brain, triggering neurodegeneration—has long been the leading theory. But after a number of failed drug trials, researchers are beginning to reevaluate various culprits. [Untreated hearing loss is linked with dementia risk](https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext) Hearing loss does not cause dementia, but it does increase the risk of developing dementia and research suggests that people who wear hearing aids for age-related hearing loss also maintain better brain function than those who don't.

Some dementia cases may be linked to microorganisms in the brain

Researchers now know that, much like the gut, the brain is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms—the brain microbiome. While this area of study is still new, some scientists believe 50% of bacteria-caused dementia cases could be treated. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

A growing number of autism researchers with the disorder are reshaping the field

People with autism are now leading research on the effects of stigma and discrimination and promoting more studies on public services for autistic people. They also serve as editors, reviewers, and board members on autism academic journals, creating a new chapter in a field littered with painful stereotypes and prejudice.

Scientists identify hundreds of genes responsible for OCD

Researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 53,000 people with OCD and identified 30 areas in the genome linked to the disease, containing 249 genes of interest. Of those, several were linked to other brain disorders, paving the way for genetic treatments of various mental illnesses.

Genetic blood test offers an estimated clock on when Alzheimer's symptoms may appear

The 2026 research finding from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis—if validated in broader populations—suggests that an already available blood test could estimate when Alzheimer's symptoms may begin within a margin of several years. The test detects a protein called p-tau217 found in blood plasma and the researchers incorporated the findings from that blood test into a statistical model to come up with the symptom timeline predictions.

Autism and ADHD may have overlapping symptoms and someone can have both disorders

This video explores similarities and differences between these two disorders, which both have genetic causes. Challenges with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are typical of ADHD. Fidgeting, problems picking up on social cues, emotional dysregulation, and being oblivious to time may occur with both disorders—though the impetus for these behaviors may differ.

Risk factors linked with ASD include older parents, preterm births, and toxic prenatal exposures

Though researchers agree that there is a strong genetic component to ASD development, certain environmental factors heighten that risk, with studies suggesting older parents, premature birth, maternal obesity, and air pollution exposure in utero all elevate risks of ASD development. There is no connection between receiving vaccines and ASD development.

Advance genetic research by playing these scientific video games

Computers produce so much information that researchers can’t properly analyze all the data produced, and the overload can also lead computers to make mistakes. Researchers are increasingly turning to citizen scientists—members of the public who are willing to volunteer—to help them make sense of data when computers can’t. This article details a few of the ways you can contribute to genetics research by playing video games.

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

How epigenetics blurs the line between nature and nurture

An exploration of the study of how behaviors and environment affect the way genes work — and how that complicates the nature-versus-nurture debate.

Like fingerprints, brain anatomy is unique too

Researchers have discovered that a combination of experiences and genetic factors shape the anatomy of the human brain. They found even quick experiences affect the brain’s genetic makeup, which—over time—means every person develops a completely unique brain anatomy. While brain imaging could be used to identify individuals, it remains much more expensive than fingerprinting for now. Read to found out more about this study from the University of Zurich.

Read the original 1907 paper on the first known Alzheimer's patient

Alzheimer's disease was first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1901, following a postmortem brain examination of a patient experiencing memory loss and other symptoms. Alzheimer's original paper was largely lost until 1995, when an English translation was published in a medical journal.

Neural replays in mice help explain food aversions

Princeton University scientists published research in 2025 analyzing how mice learn to associate certain foods or flavors with feeling ill—even when there’s a time gap between eating something and feeling sick. The work, performed with grape Kool-Aid and injections of a substance that made mice sick, traced the literal “gut reaction” of how gut distress signals are linked to neural replays of what the mouse ate.

Using deep learning to analyze tumors

The explosive growth of life sciences data is driving artificial intelligence methods to gain traction in biology and medicine — including cancer research.

How ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) might work, and what scientists are learning about it

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nerve cells (neurons) controlling muscle movement. As the motor neurons degenerate, they stop sending signals to the muscles, causing progressive muscle weakness and, eventually, death. This three-minute animation focuses on the mechanisms within the motor neurons that cause them to degenerate. By understanding these mechanisms, researchers hope to one day find a cure for ALS.

GLP-1 drugs are under investigation for treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and drug addiction

Researchers are investigating GLP-1 applications for a variety of chronic conditions. One area of interest stems from how study participants using GLP-1 for diabetes and obesity reported describing less longing for wine and cigarettes while taking the medication—intriguing researchers about using the drugs for addiction applications. The drug, they theorize, could bind to receptors that mediate desire. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Neural interfaces offer major medical potential but raise serious ethical concerns

Although brain-computer interfaces can help people recover lost functions and allow direct brain-to-computer communication in the future, surveys have shown little public support for using them to boost abilities like memory or focus in healthy people.

'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.

The Golden State killer case spotlights how genetic testing can affect your—and your relatives'—privacy

Police managed to use consumer DNA test results to close a case 32 years after a killer was believed to have committed at least 12 murders and 50 rapes. Their "smoking gun": They compared a DNA sample from the crime scene to genetic data relatives had shared on an open-source genealogy database. The suspect was caught after investigators explored family trees on this database and connected the dots from over 100 distant relatives who had some percentage of DNA that matched the killer. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Research links the gut microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis is a potentially disabling joint condition that currently affects nearly one in five adults across the globe. Doctors still don't know what causes rheumatoid arthritis, but the answer may be partly determined by chemicals produced by bacteria in the gut.

The Armamentarium is a set of new gene therapy tools to fight brain diseases

Research from 29 universities and institutions across North America has resulted in the development of 1,000 tools that provide large-scale, cell-type specific targeting for the first time. These tools may be used to alter the activity of brain cells to address some neurological diseases and sleep disorders.

Explore an animated list of nine scientific breakthroughs funded by NASA, the NSF, and the NIH

Among the technologies made possible by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health were the CAPTCHA digital puzzles to block bots from accessing sites, the set of diabetes and obesity drugs that fall under the umbrella of GLP-1 receptor agonists, and various cordless appliances, including the handheld vacuum cleaner. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

How Nobel Prize-winning research unraveled why the immune system doesn't always attack itself

The 2025 Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists who discovered how immune system soldiers are typically stopped from attacking healthy tissue. The work furthered autoimmune understanding and cancer therapies.

Fully sequenced human genome will help scientists better understand disease

April marks the 20-year anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project, a monumental achievement that provided the first map of the human genetic code and advanced our understanding of human biology, disease, and potential treatments....

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

Recent research found that the brain doesn't seem to massively rewire following amputation—upending earlier beliefs about the cause of phantom limb pain.

See the challenges of navigating Alzheimer's caregiving

This 2025 PBS documentary provides a window into the experiences of three families navigating the struggles and beauty of caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

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.

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.

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.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

Watch how algorithms can be designed to train themselves and self-improve without human input, to the point where the optimized code is too complex for programmers to understand.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

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

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

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

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.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

English mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm a century before computers existed and hypothesized that computing devices would one day be able to compose music—foreseeing the generative AI systems of today.

Salvador Dalí believed he was his own dead brother, who had died nine months before he was born

Ebola is a filovirus, meaning it resembles a thread under a microscope, though it sometimes twists and can resemble a bowl of spaghetti.

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

While atoms are normally made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, exotic ones have been built with antimatter—alternate versions of normal matter that live for fractions of a second and are about a billion times as rare.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Explore the archaeological treasures of Pompeii, the city buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE.