Are near-death experiences hallucinations? Experts explain the science behind this puzzling phenomenon

In our never-ending quest to understand what happens to us after we die, humans have long seen the rare phenomenon of near-death experiences as providing some hints. People who’ve had a brush with death often report seeing and experiencing life-altering events on “the other side,” like a bright white light at the end of a long tunnel, or being reunited […]

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Science Says: How family separation may affect kids’ brains

Doctors have long known that separating families and other traumatic events can damage children’s well-being. More recent research has shed some light on how that may happen: Severe early adversity may cause brain changes and “toxic stress,” resulting in lasting psychological and physical health problems. A “zero-tolerance” immigration policy announced this spring by the Trump Administration has separated 2,300 children […]

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Science Says: What makes something truly addictive

Now that the world’s leading public health group says too much Minecraft can be an addiction, could overindulging in chocolate, exercise, even sex, be next? The short answer is probably not. The new “gaming disorder” classification from the World Health Organization revives a debate in the medical community about whether behaviors can cause the same kind of addictive illness as […]

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Science of racism examined in new set of research articles

White supremacist marches and xenophobic Twitter rants have brought overt racism to the center of public attention in recent months. Even still, subtle, structural, and systemic forms of racism continue to lurk in what is becoming an increasingly racially diverse United States. In a new collection of scholarly articles, psychological scientists describe research on the enduring and often hidden presence […]

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Brain science institute at Brown receives $100M gift

Brown University’s brain science institute has been given $100 million to advance the understanding of the brain and what causes Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island, announced the donation from alumnus Robert Carney and his wife, Nancy, on Wednesday. Institute Director Diane Lipscombe said she hopes the funding can be […]

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