Stories by Allison Parshall

Telling the same story in different ways can change the brain networks that the listener uses to form memories

A famous graphic, now updated, compares locomotion in the animal kingdom

Studies suggesting circumcision rates are linked with autism are “riddled with flaws”

The U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, an ineffective and often harmful practice targeting LGBTQ+ youth, violates a therapist’s right to free speech

After years of heartbreak, researchers have found an experimental treatment that can slow the progression of Huntington’s disease, according to early results from a small clinical trial

The Food and Drug Administration plans to update the safety label for acetaminophen products, and the strongest storm on Earth this year struck several countries in East and Southeast Asia.

A museum exhibit in Australia lets visitors hear music generated by brain cells derived from the blood of a dead composer.

President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., have tied Tylenol use during pregnancy and folate deficiencies to rising autism rates—but the evidence is thin

Linguist Adam Aleksic explains how viral slang and algorithm-driven speech aren’t destroying language––they’re accelerating its natural evolution.

Researchers tested 12 “magic mushroom” edibles. None contained psilocybin, but most contained undisclosed ingredients, including synthetic drugs whose safety hasn’t been tested in humans

Scientists will not find a simple answer to how autism arises, despite Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s promise to announce its causes sometime this month. Here’s what makes the condition so staggeringly complex

Algorithmic social media is driving the creation of new slang at a breakneck pace. Linguist Adam Aleksic, also known as the Etymology Nerd, explains how

Using AI chatbots for “therapy” is dangerous, mental health experts say. Here’s why

Put your science knowledge to the test with this week’s news quiz. Play now.

Optimists have similar patterns of brain activation when they think about the future—but pessimists are all different from one another, a brain scan study suggests

Musicologists and neuroscientists have been trying to understand what turns speech into music.

Autism has at least four subtypes, an analysis of more than 5,000 children’s genes, traits and developmental trajectories has shown

The Supreme Court has decided to uphold a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti

Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories

Our skin’s epithelial cells send electrical signals like neurons to cry out for help

Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in the U.S.—and states with loose gun control laws bear the heaviest burden, a new study found

Neuroscientists can now make precise genetic tweaks to the neurons that are most affected by brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and ALS

Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories

What would it take to create a cyborg brain like the one in the new TV show Murderbot? The answer reveals what makes our own brain so unique