Stories by Roni Jacobson

Nomadic horse riders likely opened a “steppe bridge” between Europe and Asia, but recent genetic data raise more questions 

We value the quality in others—but we don't always like how it reflects on us

Researchers see some promise in ibogaine, a well-known hallucinogen, and related compounds

To understand puns, the left and right brain hemispheres have to work together

Scientific American Mind weighs in on recent titles from neuroscience and psychology

The brain doesn’t sound out words it already knows, a new study shows

The human drive to resolve uncertainty is so strong that people will look for answers even when it’s obvious those answers will be painful

New research shows sudden insights are usually correct

Researchers from Columbia University prompt mice to taste sweet and bitter by activating brain cells

A review of studies that assess clinical antidepressants shows hidden conflicts of interest and financial ties to corporate drugmakers

When 100 past studies were replicated, only 39 percent yielded the same results

Emerging data support minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, but hospital administrations are reluctant to adopt them

Scientists are using social psychology to enhance interrogation methods without force

The finding could mean recollections are more enduring than expected and disrupt plans for PTSD treatments

Human testing is under way or poised to start for brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal injury, type 1 diabetes and "Lou Gehrig's" disease

Prescription medication can help some people beat their addictions—but not without complications

Hospital administrations and the judicial system do little to prevent assaults against nurses and other caregivers by patients

Misguided quarantines are making American health care workers wary of volunteering to treat Ebola patients, hindering efforts to provide critically needed care in west Africa

Mobile apps help you manage your mental health

People are increasingly broadcasting symptoms of mental illness on social media. We should listen

Scientists try to untangle the relationship between a temporary effect and a permanent condition

Discrimination and stigma are concerns, but coming out can be a boon to your career—if the conditions are right

The way kids learn causes them to generate more false memories than adults

Psychedelic drugs are poised to be the next major breakthrough in mental health care