The Mind

The Mind

Cartoon illustration shows four people sniffing strong-smelling items: an old sock, flowers, a banana and a cake.

What’s that smell — and how’d you know?

It’s clear that genes, receptors and neurons all play a role in detecting odors. But much of how we make sense of what we sniff remains mysterious. A neuroscientist explains.

By Daniela Hirschfeld

Photograph of a warning label on the side of a cigarette pack. It says SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.

Health & Disease

The tussle over cigarette warning labels, and the hazy future of vaping

Regulatory hurdles, industry objections and legal fights have gone on for decades over traditional tobacco. What’s in store for the next generation of smoking?

A conceptual illustration shows a city street with people standing on each side, some holding placards. One side is colored red, the other blue. There are political posters on the walls and a huge chasm in the middle of the street.

Society

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

Scientists peered into the partisan abyss. Here’s what they found.

Drawing of tiny people holding, carrying and trying to push the metal balls of an outsized Newton’s cradle.

Society

Are you a workaholic? Here’s how to spot the signs

In a major shift, psychologists now view an out-of-control compulsion to work as an addiction with its own set of risk factors and consequences

Photo of an old rhesus macaque putting something on her mouth. She sits on what looks like a beach or bare ground. Vegetation is behind her.

The Mind

It’s not just us: Other animals change their social habits in old age

In patterns that may sound familiar, long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep and macaques are up to in their twilight years

Cartoon drawing of a magician in red suit and top hat performing shell game for several birds, two monkeys and a cuttlefish.

Living World

Abracadabra! How magic can help us understand animal minds

By performing tricks for birds, monkeys and other creatures, researchers hope to learn how they perceive and think about their world

In a cartoon, an assortment of people — young and old, male and female — queue for a restroom, waiting to relieve their full-to-bursting bladders.

Health & Disease

To pee or not to pee? That is a question for the bladder — and the brain

How do we sense the need to urinate? The basic urge is surprisingly complex and can go awry as we age.

Conceptual illustration shows a person vaulting over a book and calendar away from bad habits and poor willpower, as depicted by unhealthy food and money and scrunched-up paper.

The Mind

Time for half-year resolutions?

If your good intentions from a few months ago haven’t led to much, take note. A psychologist tells us what we can learn from studies on willpower.

Photo of a red-coated dog raising its snout toward the hand of a human being holding a dropper filled with tan-colored liquid.

Health & Disease

Fit for a dog? The latest science on CBD for pets

Though studies are still mixed, and products often inconsistent, many scientists have hope that cannabidiol can help canines and other furry patients suffering from arthritis, allergies and anxiety

Conceptual collage shows two upset parents with some large, accusing fingers pointed at them. In the background is a teenager holding a placard with his details on it, as if posing for a mug shot.

Society

When are parents responsible for their kids’ behavior?

A researcher weighs in on who’s accountable, when and why, in the eyes of the law — and whether the measures work as intended

Illustration of a smart phone showing on its screen the texting between the gut and the brain. Nerve cells can be seen in the background.

Health & Disease

What’s next in the Ozempic era?

Diabetes, weight loss and now heart health: A new family of drugs is changing the way scientists are thinking about obesity — and more uses are on the horizon

Drawing of a man with his back to us, hand scratching his head, looking at a convoluted map of lines and landmarks

Society

Why do some people always get lost?

Research suggests that experience may matter more than innate ability when it comes to a sense of direction

Conceptual illustration includes a state capitol building, tall mushrooms, a statue of Justice holding a scale, a pack of pills, and a bright pink, yellow and orange sky with molecules and other wavy patterns visible in it.

Society

Psychedelic drugs and the law: What’s next?

The push to legalize magic mushrooms, MDMA, LSD and other hallucinogens is likely to heighten tensions between state and federal law, drug law expert Robert Mikos says

Conceptual art shows a disposable cup, straw and a bunch of sugar lumps on a blue background.

Health & Disease

Soda taxes can’t reverse the obesity epidemic

OPINION: They might be able to help, but only if well-designed and in combination with other policies

A collage of athletes featuring a dismayed football player, a focused soccer player, a runner at the starting line and a baseball player diving for the ball

The Mind

Lessons from sports psychology research

Scientists are probing the head games that influence athletic performance, from coaching to coping with pressure

Conceptual illustration shows a person speaking words that appear as aspects of the natural world, like plants and animals.

Society

Indigenous languages are founts of environmental knowledge

Peoples who live close to nature have a rich lore of plants, animals and landscapes embedded in their mother tongues — which may hold vital clues to protecting biodiversity

Collage depicts microbes, the brain, the human body and nerve cells.

Health & Disease

How gut bacteria connect to Parkinson’s disease

Growing evidence suggests a link between the debilitating neurological illness and the microbes that live in our intestines. The vagus nerve may be a pathway.

Colorized scanning electron microscope image of excrement shows a pale green piece of plant fiber covered by tiny microbes colored teal, purple, red, green, brown and more.

The Mind

The growing link between microbes, mood and mental health

New research suggests that to maintain a healthy brain, we should tend our gut microbiome. The best way to do that right now is not through pills and supplements, but better food.