News & Views
Updated every Monday: new behavioural science research, news from the field, and science writing for everyone.
The field
You don't have to choose between basic and applied science
A new lab head on pursuing mechanisms and real-world impact at the same time.
Science for everyone
Why we learn to love bitter coffee
A slow gut-to-brain dopamine pathway may explain how initially unpleasant flavours become favourites.
Research news
Thousands of practice trials keep reshaping a motor memory
A weeks-long experiment finds changes that standard studies of a few hundred trials would miss.
Science for everyone
Shouting and smacking linked to toddlers' behaviour problems in 14 countries
Among 865 toddlers, more shouting, hitting or removing privileges went with more reported problems; time-outs and reflection did not.
The field
The public trusts scientists with AI more than anyone else
A survey of nearly 19,000 people in nine countries finds high trust, with conditions attached.
Research news
Financial sanctions bit only after the invasion of Ukraine
A field experiment spanning 202 countries and jurisdictions tested whether sanctioned Russian officials could still open shell companies and bank accounts.
Science for everyone
Sleep disorders are linked to changes in brain structure
An analysis of 57 brain-imaging studies links several sleep disorders to differences in regions for attention, decisions and emotion.