A new study from Tel Aviv University used AI tools for the first time to discover what motivates people to exercise and which strategies are most effective for maintaining physical fitness.

A research team led by Dr. KEUM Sehoon at the Center for Cognition and Sociality (CCS) within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea has uncovered key insights into how the brain processes others’ distress. Using miniature endoscopic calcium imaging, the researchers identified specific neural ensembles in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) that encode empathic freezing, a behavioral response in which an observer reacts with fear when witnessing distress in others.

Authoritative, intelligent, responsible, serious—if you were asked to describe the general figure of a scientist, you would probably use adjectives like these. However, “funny” would likely not be the first word that comes to mind. Scientists, in fact, rarely adopt a humorous tone when communicating with the public, perhaps out of fear of appearing less credible. Yet, a new study published in the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM) suggests exactly the opposite: the use of humor—in this study, specifically in the context of artificial intelligence—can enhance both the likability of scientists and the perceived reliability of the scientific information they convey.