Simon Makin is a freelance science journalist based in the U.K. His work has appeared in New Scientist, the Economist, Scientific American and Nature, among others. He covers the life sciences and specializes in neuroscience, psychology and mental health. Follow Makin on X (formerly Twitter) @SimonMakin
A Repurposed Drug Could Offer Hope after Many Alzheimer's Trial Failures
An experimental drug for hepatitis D triggers a cellular waste disposal system to rid mice brains of the tau protein, a major culprit in neurodegenerative disease
A Genetic Basis for Insomnia Emerges from the Twilight
Gargantuan studies show links between sleep difficulties and cardiovascular and psychiatric illnesses
Ultrasound Beams and Nanoparticle Cages: Toward More Targeted Brain Treatments
A new technique lets scientists accurately direct drugs to specific regions of the brain
Mania May Be a Mental Illness in Its Own Right
Hundreds of thousands of people experience mania without ever getting depressed. Why does psychiatry insist on calling them bipolar?
Artificial “Dumbness” May Be a Solution for Engineering Smart Machines
Design principles derived from observing fruit flies may lead to better self-driving cars and improved Parkinson’s treatment
A Blood Test for the Body’s Clock
A new way to measure internal time could yield insight into sleep deprivation and disease
New Atlas Used to ID Brain Parts for Plans and Actions
A detailed picture of cell types in some areas of the mouse cortex is put to the test
“Bar Codes” Could Trace Errant Brain Wiring in Autism and Schizophrenia
A new, speedy technique affords scientists the ability to visualize the brain’s myriad connections at an unprecedented level of complexity
Prosthetic Limb Restores a Sense of Body Position
New device gives an amputee the ability to feel the location of his foot
Oh Say Can You See Subtle Details?
Different people have differing aptitudes for observing small changes and particular features.
Light Beam Lets the Deaf (Gerbil) Hear
A next-generation cochlear implant might allow the hearing-impaired to listen to music and cope with noise
“Traveling” Brain Waves May Be Critical for Cognition
Physical motion of neural signals may play a more important role in brain function than previously thought
Being a Couch Potato May Change Your Personality
The largest study of its kind suggests long-term physical inactivity and character traits may be linked
A Matter of Taste: Can a Sweet Tooth Be Switched Off in the Brain?
A study describes the complex brain circuitry that lets us identify, savor (or recoil from) a taste
How Perceptive Are You? Not Everyone Is the Same
The ability to quickly tally a number of items can predict performance on other visual tasks
Human Brain Gain: Computer Models Hint at Why We Bested Neandertals
Differences in the structure of the brain’s cerebellum may help explain our superior cognitive abilities
Brain’s “Brakes” Suppress Unwanted Thoughts
Researchers identify a new target for disorders such as PTSD and schizophrenia
“Bar Codes” Could Trace Errant Brain Wiring in Autism and Schizophrenia
A new, speedy technique affords scientists the ability to visualize the brain’s myriad connections at an unprecedented level of complexity
Getting the Inside Dope on Ketamine’s Mysterious Ability to Rapidly Relieve Depression
The notorious party drug may act as an antidepressant by blocking neural bursts in a little-understood brain region that may drive depression
How to Bear a Bull Market: The Psychology of Volatile Securities Trading
The wild up-and-down swings of the markets this week reveals the underlying dynamics of herd behavior in the buying and selling of securities
An Electrical Brain Switch Shuts Off Food Cravings
Could the temptation to dish up seconds (or thirds) be curtailed with an implant under the skull?
Do Brain-Wiring Differences Make Women More Vulnerable to Concussions?
Female axons—brain cells’ output cables—are shown to have a thinner structure
An Inner Look into the Minds and Brains of People with OCD
Complex computer modeling demonstrates that obsessive-compulsive disorder patients learn about their environments but don’t use that information to guide their actions
Chip Reprograms Cells to Regenerate Damaged Tissue
A device that delivers infusions of DNA and other molecules restored injured limbs in mice