Science News

Depression and the emotions associated with it can be contagious, according to a new study.

Financial loss can lead to irrational behavior. Now, research by Weizmann Institute scientists reveals that the effects of loss go even deeper: Loss can compromise our early perception and interfere with our grasp of the true situation. The findings, which recently appeared in the Journal of Neuroscience, may also have implications for our understanding of the neurological mechanisms underlying post-traumatic stress disorder.

Deep depression that fails to respond to any other form of therapy can be moderated or reversed by stimulation of areas deep inside the brain. Now the first placebo-controlled study of this procedure shows that these responses can be maintained in the long term.

This is the first evidence that sadness triggers an unconscious desire to reap rewards as soon as possible—even when this urgency comes at a very real cost, in dollars and cents. But the implications go far beyond personal financial dealings. Irrational impatience leads to widespread social problems, like massive credit card debt and epidemic overeating. Indeed, people make many of the most consequential decisions of their lives in an unhappy “need it now” state-of-mind—a psychological fact that future policy interventions might take into account.

A new study along the same lines as its predecessors shows how eating fast food is linked to a greater risk of suffering from depression.

Yes. Might be time to visit the Grand Canyon or take in an amazing sunset.

An Albuquerque doctor is pioneering a new therapy that uses magnets to treat depression.