June 18, 2025
(Intelligencer) – The utter clumsiness of the overall design here is made more galling by its lack of purpose. Whom is this feed for? Does Meta imagine a feed of non sequitur slop will provide a solid foundation for a … Read More
June 16, 2025
(Wall Street Journal) – A drop in overdoses astounded public officials and health experts who traveled across the country to learn the formula and replicate it The formula: making recovery a community affair. Many of the initiatives making a difference … Read More
June 16, 2025
(New York Times) – Generative A.I. chatbots are going down conspiratorial rabbit holes and endorsing wild, mystical belief systems. For some people, conversations with the technology can deeply distort reality. ChatGPT presented Mr. Torres with a new action plan, this … Read More
June 12, 2025
(Business Insider) – Meta’s stand-alone AI app launched in late April, and like many people, my first thought was, “Huh?” After trying it out a little, my next thought was, “Oh no.” A few weeks later, after the initial surge … Read More
June 12, 2025
(Texas Tribune) – As Texas sets to crack down on the recreational use of cannabis, state leaders are opting to invest $50 million in another plant with purported medicinal benefits – a psychedelic called ibogaine. For several years, people have … Read More
June 12, 2025
(Axios) – The U.S. death rate from alcohol-related liver disease roughly doubled over two decades and was exacerbated by the pandemic, with women, young adults and Indigenous people experiencing the sharpest rise, a study in JAMA Network Open found. Why … Read More
June 11, 2025
(UPI) – A suspected link between childhood trauma and the risk of developing endometriosis in later life was strengthened Wednesday with the publication of study that showed a greater chance of the condition among women with histories of difficult childhoods. … Read More
June 11, 2025
(Futurism) – “What these bots are saying is worsening delusions, and it’s causing enormous harm.” As we reported this story, more and more similar accounts kept pouring in from the concerned friends and family of people suffering terrifying breakdowns after … Read More
June 10, 2025
(Wired) – Outro, which is now available in seven states, wants to help people taper off antidepressants without experiencing debilitating side effects. Outro officially launched in the US last month and is currently available in seven states, including California and … Read More
June 10, 2025
(MedPage Today) – The risks of social media-driven self-diagnosis extend beyond simple misinformation. Patients may engage in inappropriate self-treatment based on misdiagnosis, or experience a nocebo effect where expected symptoms begin to manifest simply because they anticipate them. Perhaps most … Read More
June 9, 2025
(Washington Post) – For years, people have flown to clinics in Mexico to take ibogaine, the extract of an ancient African shrub that induces mind-bending hallucinations. Under medical supervision, patients undergo psychedelic trips that can last more than a dozen … Read More
June 9, 2025
(New York Times) – Many experts argue that addiction is, in essence, love gone awry: a singular passion directed destructively at a substance or activity rather than an appropriate person. With the advent of A.I. companions — including some intended … Read More
June 6, 2025
(MIT Technology Review) – This week, I’ve been thinking about the powerful connection between mind and body. Some new research suggests that people with heart conditions have better outcomes when they are more hopeful and optimistic. Hopelessness, on the other … Read More
June 2, 2025
(New York Times) — When Canada’s first MAID law, Bill C-14, passed in 2016, it was reserved for those who were over 18, eligible for health care and mentally competent to consent to death. They needed to have a “serious … Read More
June 2, 2025
(Washington Post) — Tactics used to make AI tools more engaging can drive chatbots to monopolize users’ time or reinforce harmful ideas. It looked like an easy question for a therapy chatbot: Should a recovering addict take methamphetamine to stay … Read More
May 28, 2025
(New York Times) – New research involving nearly 200,000 mothers found that one in 12 rated her mental health as fair or poor. The mental health of mothers in the United States declined significantly from 2016 to 2023, according to … Read More
May 27, 2025
(Undark) – An unusual collaboration between scientists and psychics could transform the treatment of auditory hallucinations. In follow-up research, Powers and his team dug deeper into the possibilities of control mentioned by the medium he’d first encountered. Interview-based studies confirmed … Read More
May 27, 2025
(Washington Post via MSN) – Since its launch in late 2022, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been used by hundreds of millions of people around the world to draft emails, do research and brainstorm ideas. But in a novel use case, people … Read More
May 26, 2025
(UPI) – All non-medical products containing THC in any form soon could be outlawed in Texas after state lawmakers approved a full ban on Wednesday. The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday night voted 95-44 to approve Senate Bill 3, … Read More
May 22, 2025
(UPI) – About a fourth of younger men surveyed in the United States feel lonely, which is significantly higher than the national averages for all men and women. Gallup analyzed aggregated data from 2023 and 2024 to determine 25% of … Read More
May 22, 2025
(Undark) – Experts worry MAHA could wage a war on SSRIs. But some researchers have long questioned the drugs’ efficacy. The American Psychiatric Association, National Network of Depression Centers, and other organizations shot back: The safety and efficacy of antidepressants … Read More
May 22, 2025
(DNYUZ) – While some Oura users say they enjoy the ring as a screen-free way to keep tabs on their bodies, several Oura owners, including Ms. Hills, described feeling increasingly anxious after using their devices. Rather than helping them feel … Read More
May 21, 2025
(Wired) – As “SkinnyTok” posts advise people to suck up their hunger, some creators are using blunt humor to dissuade young people from pro-eating-disorder messaging. TikTok says it has cracked down on these types of posts, saying pro-eating-disorder content is … Read More
May 21, 2025
(Wired) – The 25-year-old died after authorities say he bombed a Palm Springs fertility clinic. Experts warn that online nihilism is fueling similar violence in the US and Europe. Since the attack, Bartkus’ digital footprint has surfaced, including writings and … Read More
May 19, 2025
(Wall Street Journal) – More Republicans are pushing for new treatments for veterans to help combat PTSD and reduce suicide risk Luttrell is among a growing group of Republican lawmakers—many of them veterans—who are making the case for drugs that … Read More