Increasing activity in a deep-brain region can boost the immune system’s response to vaccines—and people can be trained to do it themselves using the power of brain scans and positive thinking, according to a new study published on Monday in Nature Medicine. The findings could help explain the so-called placebo effect. Researchers trained 34 participants…
Veronika the cow is the first recorded non-primate mammal to demonstrate flexible, multi-purpose tool use Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró A few years ago, during a taxi ride, the driver described to me how a pig had transformed his life. A childhood with dogs taught him what to expect from animals, yet he was unprepared for…
January 19, 2026 4 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm A tool-using cow is challenging what we know about farm animal intelligence A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life By Kate Wong edited by Andrea Thompson A pet cow…
Inflammatory bowel disease can cause wounds that bleed SPRINGER MEDIZIN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Scientists looking to provide relief for people with inflammatory bowel disease have turned to an unusual source for inspiration: barnacles. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, seems to occur when someone’s immune system attacks their bowel, leaving it…
Veronika the cow uses a brush as a tool to scratch herself, revealing rare problem-solving skills and expanding what we know of tool use in animals.
January 19, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm These spiders weave themselves giant doppelgängers to scare away predators Spiders scare off predators by seemingly supersizing themselves By Gennaro Tomma edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier This spiderweb structure presents the illusion of an intimidating bigger spider. What’s scarier than a spider? A really…
The last big breakthrough in treating depression was all the way back in the 1980s. That was when Prozac, the first SSRI antidepressant, was released. It and its subsequent copycats soon swept the globe, and hundreds of millions of people have now taken this kind of medication. But while three-quarters of people say the pills…
January 19, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Meet ‘Baseodiscus the Eldest,’ a record-setting worm more than 27 years old Ribbon worms can grow to enormous lengths, and one named Baseodiscus the Eldest is showing how little we know about them—including how long they live By Marina Wang edited by Andrea Thompson…
Arc volcanoes like Sakurajima in Japan release carbon dioxide from Earth’s interior The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images The power of volcanoes to change Earth’s climate may not be as ancient as previously thought. Throughout our planet’s history, the climate has fluctuated between “icehouse” and “greenhouse” conditions, largely determined by the levels of greenhouse gases,…
January 15, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Mosquitoes Show a Clear Preference for Human Blood after Deforestation Mosquitoes captured in the remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil predominantly feasted on humans instead of other animals, a new study shows By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron Mosquitoes are nature’s…
