Under control
High doses of the psychedelic psilocybin temporarily dissolve brain networks. laura sanders Reported in “Psilocybin erases brain ‘fingerprints'” (SN: 8/10/24, p. 12).
In this study, a generic form of the stimulant Ritalin served as a control for psilocybin. leader jason patric The scientists asked why they had chosen that drug.
Psychedelic research can be difficult to design because the drug’s effects are usually obvious to both researchers and participants. sanders Say. Although a control drug called methylphenidate and psilocybin provide very different experiences, these drugs have some similarities. sanders Say. Both affect the levels of chemical messengers in the brain, which can increase the body’s alertness and increase heart rate and blood pressure.
It’s like a joke
Some yellow-footed frogs in the Sierra Nevada are immune to a deadly chytrid fungus called Bd, suggesting a way to save frog species around the world. Martin J. Kernan Reported in “Bounce Back” (SN: 8/10/24, p. 22).
Reader, be enlightened by the story. Devin J. Starlanil He reflected on the frogs in his community. “We started learning more about the potential threats to frogs in our ecosystem and how easily they can be threatened.” Starranil I wrote. “Spring nights are made even more pleasant by the sound of frogs croaking in the stream. We named our leaders Mr. Rosencrantz and Mr. Guildenstern. If it weren’t for the guild and the song of Rosie the Reviter, our lives would be… would have been much darker,” he wrote. “We will be contacting the conservation commission regarding ways to ensure the health of the stream and the frogs.”
Display that was debunked
Since UFOs are probably not aliens, scientists are searching for the true origins of what are now called Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs). Sid Perkins Reported in “UFO Brand Change” (SN: 8/10/24, p. 16).
The story reminded the reader don wolman A UFO incident allegedly seen in Utah in the 1960s. 1978 paper applied optics They suggested that this mysterious light display was probably caused by a swarm of spruce moths, rather than aliens. As the insects “fluttered through the electric air of the sky, their legs and antennae glowed with St. Elmo’s fire.” Wolman I wrote. Atmospheric phenomena generate glowing plasma around objects in electrically charged fields.
