Health and Nutrition
‘A wonderfully fluffy but crunchy-edged bite’: the best (and worst) supermarket crumpets, tasted and rated
Holey toasters! Some supermarket crumpets are really good – but which ones are best?• The best supermarket sliced breadAs a crumpet lover, this test was a joy, not least because a…
Eye-tracking study suggests a simple PowerPoint technique can sharpen students’ focus
Teachers often reveal slide content one piece at a time as they talk. A new eye-tracking study suggests the habit pays off: students found the right information faster, looked at …
How the loss of male-dominated industrial jobs pushes communities to the political right
As manufacturing and mining jobs vanish, women are entering the workforce to replace lost income. A new study finds this economic rebalancing creates cultural anxiety and financia…
New ‘high safety’ chemicals in plastic food packaging linked to lower birth weight, study finds
Dinch, an allegedly ‘safe’ alternative, used in the EU and US also found to cause fetal development complicationsExposure to a new generation of allegedly “safe” plasticizers is l…
This teen boy set out to get people talking about periods. He's now a Diana honoree
This year's the Princess Diana honor roll highlights 198 inspiring young activists and advocates — including an 18-year-old guy in India who founded Team Period.
New psychology research challenges a popular explanation for why conspiracy theories cluster together
People who believe one conspiracy theory tend to believe others, and many psychologists point to a general suspicious mindset. But a study of nearly 30,000 people suggests that mi…
‘They’re just live experiments’: the dark and deadly world of looksmaxxing
A disturbing new docuseries delves deep into a world where men are pushing their bodies to the extreme – and some of them are dying for itIf you’ve heard the term looksmaxxing – t…
Jackson Boxer’s vegetarian recipe for roast beetroot with pickled raisins and blue cheese
Surprise yourself with the flavours in this roast beetroot spiked with pickled raisins and salty blue cheeseIt’s not uncommon for people to form negative relationships with certai…
Yes, saunas are great – but have you heard of this amazing thing called a bath?
Ever since the ancient Greeks, we’ve suspected that soaking in hot water is good for your health. Now science has proved itAt a time when many of us feel overwhelmed, overstretche…
Fatherhood brain changes, AI companions, and a dispute over evolution’s grip on romance: The week in psychology podcasts
How much does our evolutionary past dictate whom we love and how we compete? Across this week's podcast conversations, two psychologists offered sharply different answers. One bui…
One of AI’s most annoying writing habits has a 2,000-year-old history
“We do not sell products. We build experiences.” If that sounds like a chatbot, there’s a name for it. A new preprint examines why AI models use epanorthosis, a self-correcting fi…
STAT+: States sue Trump administration again to delay Medicaid work requirements
The Trump administration is facing another lawsuit over its sweeping changes to Medicaid less than a week after a federal judge ruled that implementation of work requirements woul…
STAT+: MAHA leader Calley Means castigates White House officials as bending to industry
Calley Means, a MAHA leader who just resigned from the Trump administration, says Americans "are being duped and gaslighted and lied to."
Two incoming lawmakers plan to defend health equity from Trump administration cuts
Two newly elected lawmakers with science backgrounds hope to push back against Trump administration cuts to health equity programs.
Why humans punish: A study of two distinct societies reveals a shared sense of justice
Research across two vastly different cultures reveals that our urge to punish rule-breakers balances a dual desire: to compensate victims for their exact losses and to impose extr…
Brain stimulation made people see sexualized women less like objects in a lab test
Is seeing women as objects a fixed feature of perception? A new brain stimulation study suggests it may be more like a habit, one that a mild electrical current can shift, at leas…
STAT+: Democrats’ midterm landslide spells relief for hospitals
Democrats are likely to focus on reversing Medicaid cuts and expanding insurance coverage, giving a boost to health care providers.
Democrats’ midterm victory, and a questionable fertility procedure
How will the midterm results affect drug pricing policy? And why are women traveling to fertility clinics abroad? Find out on the new episode of "The Readout LOUD" podcast.
The science behind the sports betting harm spiral
Frequent sports betting increases gambling harm by making bettors highly competitive and overly confident. When financial losses accumulate, gamblers are more likely to seek profe…
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
From new hires to departures, promotions and transfers, here are the latest comings and goings in the pharmaceutical industry.
Autism, masking, and building a more inclusive world | Letters
Readers respond to an article by John Harris on the rise in the number of people labelled autistic over the last 20 yearsJohn Harris’s article addresses all the main issues that a…
STAT+: Zolgensma tumor cases show risks of a common gene therapy tool
New cases show AAV gene therapies like Zolgensma carry tumor risks, raising key concerns for SMA patients and gene therapy researchers in general.
People high in narcissism show less coordinated brain responses to others’ embarrassment
People low in narcissism show closely matched brain activity when watching someone else get harshly criticized. Among people high in grandiose narcissism, a new study finds, those…
STAT+: Amgen’s Repatha linked to fewer heart attacks
Pithy intro text about the biopharma milieu. Novartis cites more tumor reports after Zolgensma Novartis has disclosed seven previously unreported cases of tumors in children who …