ConsciousnessJuly 3, 2024
Is a Drug Even Needed to Induce a Psychedelic Experience?
A Stanford anesthesiologist deconstructs the component parts of what it means to undergo a psychedelic trip
Stories by Gary Stix
Gary Stix, senior editor of mind and brain at Scientific American, edits and reports on emerging advances that have propelled brain science to the forefront of the biological sciences. Stix has edited or written cover stories, feature articles and news on diverse topics, ranging from what happens in the brain when a person is immersed in thought to the impact of brain implant technology that alleviates mood disorders such as depression. Before taking over the neuroscience beat, Stix, as Scientific American's special projects editor, oversaw the magazine's annual single-topic special issues, conceiving of and producing issues on Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, climate change and nanotechnology. One special issue he edited on the topic of time in all of its manifestations won a National Magazine Award. With his wife Miriam Lacob, Stix is co-author of a technology primer called Who Gives a Gigabyte? A Survival Guide for the Technologically Perplexed.
AnimalsMay 14, 2024
Why Insects Are Lured to Lights in the Night
Moths and other insects aren’t drawn to nighttime illumination for the reasons we think they are
NeuroscienceDecember 28, 2023
2023’s Mind-Bending Revelations in the Brain Sciences
This year the explosion of interest in AI had a profound impact on how experts in the fields of neuroscience and psychology think about biological intelligence and learning
Artificial IntelligenceDecember 14, 2023
How To Keep AI From Stealing the Sound of Your Voice
A new technology called AntiFake prevents the theft of the sound of your voice by making it more difficult for AI tools to analyze vocal recordings
NeuroscienceNovember 17, 2023
The Pandemic Disrupted Adolescent Brain Development
Early research presented at the leading brain conference suggests that the pandemic changed the brains of teenagers
SleepJuly 24, 2023
Are You a Lucid Dreamer?
A sleep researcher who studies what dreams can tell us about the possible onset of some mental disorders believes lucid dreamers might hold a lot of answers in their head.
Drug UseMay 6, 2023
Heavy Cannabis Use Linked to Schizophrenia, Especially among Young Men
A huge Danish study shows that up to 30 percent of psychosis diagnoses in young men could have been prevented if these individuals hadn’t used marijuana heavily
BehaviorMarch 18, 2023
How the Psychology of Silicon Valley Contributed to a Bank Collapse
Venture capitalists and start-ups don’t mind losing money, but dealing with a bank run is a whole different story
NeurologyJanuary 27, 2023
A Neurologist Answers Questions Patients Might Have about the New Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab
What a patient and family members can expect from the recently approved drug lecanemab—and what more is needed to help stop Alzheimer’s dementia
ConsciousnessDecember 16, 2022
This Year’s Most Thought-Provoking Brain Discoveries
Neural circuits that label experiences as “good” or “bad” and the emotional meaninglessness of facial expressions are some standouts among 2022’s mind and brain breakthroughs
Mental HealthNovember 29, 2022
Many People with Bipolar Disorder Use Cannabis. It May Sometimes Help
Diminished risk-taking behaviors and other benefits may explain why many people with bipolar disorder keep consuming cannabis despite some dire downsides
GeneticsSeptember 1, 2022
Quantum Tunneling Makes DNA More Unstable
The freaky physics phenomenon of quantum tunneling may mutate genes
Public HealthAugust 30, 2022
A Cure for Vaccine Hesitancy Could Start in Kindergarten
Teaching simple basics in school about masks, handwashing and ethics can stave off misconceptions in adulthood
OpinionJuly 18, 2022
Abortion Access Allowed Us to Have a Happy, Healthy Family
Canceling Roe means that other parents with high-risk pregnancies will not have the options that we had
NeurologyNovember 10, 2021
How COVID Might Sow Chaos in the Brain
SARS-CoV-2 appears to travel widely across the cerebral cortex
Mental HealthOctober 27, 2021
COVID Expanded the Boundaries of Personal Space—Maybe for Good
Our physical safety perimeters have widened, a study suggests
Public HealthOctober 8, 2021
Pandemic Year One Saw a Dramatic Global Rise in Anxiety and Depression
In hindsight, 2020 witnessed a disproportionate mental health burden on women and young people
Mental HealthOctober 4, 2021
Experimental Brain Implant Could Personalize Depression Therapy
Symptoms subsided for one woman after a carefully targeted neural circuit was stimulated
CognitionMay 19, 2021
To the Brain, a Tool Is Just a Tool, Not a Hand Extension
Recent findings have implications for the design of prostheses. Care for a third thumb, anyone?
EvolutionFebruary 12, 2021
Evolution Could Explain Why Psychotherapy May Work for Depression
Persistent rumination may be an attribute that lets us think our way out of despair—a process enhanced through talk therapy
Public HealthJanuary 13, 2021
COVID Is on Track to Become the U.S.’s Leading Cause of Death—Yet Again
This winter the novel coronavirus may kill more people than heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s or diabetes
CultureDecember 29, 2020
From Rapping Robots to Glowing Frogs: Our Favorite Fun Stories of 2020
It has been a tough year, but science still brought us some weird, cool and quirky findings
OpinionNovember 3, 2020
Can My Blood Really Help COVID Patients?
I’m not certain the antibodies it contains are any more therapeutic than Trump’s favorite unproven drug, hydroxychloroquine
Public HealthOctober 8, 2020
COVID-19 Is Now the Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.
It kills more people than the flu, contrary to Trump’s claims, and also surpasses stroke, Alzheimer’s and diabetes