'Jump scare' science: Study elucidates how the brain responds to fear
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jan-2026 20:11 ET (17-Jan-2026 01:11 GMT/UTC)
Researchers have identified a novel brain circuit that helps animals swiftly respond to perceived threats— and dial down that response when they learn there’s no real danger. In people with anxiety disorders, this circuit may be broken.
Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer. Spoiler Alert! The brain cells responsible for stabilizing memories aren’t neurons. Rather, they are astrocytes, a type of glial cell that is usually thought of as a role player in the game of learning and memory. Published in Nature, the study shows how emotionally intense experiences like fear biologically tag small groups of astrocytes for several days so that they can re-engage when a mouse recalls the experience. It is this repeated astrocytic engagement that stabilizes memories.
A groundbreaking project spearheaded by Binghamton University, State University of New York's Human Sexualities Research Lab did more than add to the history of Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the world’s first major HIV/AIDS service organization. It also breached a generational divide and pioneered new ways to conduct oral history.
Facial self-touching — particularly around the nose, chin and cheeks — strongly correlates with elevated stress during cognitive tasks, new University of Houston research showed.
The Gluten3S research group launched a dietary intervention with children who had recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease. After a year of monitoring, the researchers confirmed that the symptoms had been significantly reduced and alleviated. However, there was no improvement in the poor quality of life the patients had had from the start. The researchers concluded that the difficulties the children face when eating out, and social ignorance made them feel ill at ease.