In media coverage, individuals’ membership in minority groups, such as their country of origin, is often explicitly mentioned. In contrast, majority membership is usually not highlighted. Does this reflect prejudice against minorities? A study with over 900 participants suggests that it does not. Instead, a fundamental cognitive principle of differentiation drives this pattern: People tend to notice and communicate rare or striking characteristics more readily than common and redundant ones. Artificial intelligence shows the same tendency and even amplifies it. This is reported by a team from the Social Cognition Lab at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, led by Dr. Anna Schulte in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science on December 1, 2025.

A new Genomic Press Interview with Prof. Dr. Paul Lucassen shares insights from his research spanning 30 years in which he explores how the adult brain continues to produce new neurons, and how this process, and other plasticity-related aspects like cognition, are modulated by (early life) stress, exercise, nutrition, and inflammation, revealing unexpected connections between early childhood experiences and later vulnerability to psychiatric disorders and dementia. His work offers hope that brain plasticity can maybe one day be harnessed for therapeutic and preventive approaches.

A new FAU survey finds that 36% of Floridians have moved or are considering moving due to hazards such as hurricanes, flooding and extreme heat. Nearly a quarter of North Floridians say weather hazards have influenced their past moves and about 20% of respondents in the rest of the Peninsula south say they are considering a move at least in part due to weather hazards. More than 60% are concerned about stronger storms and flooding, and nearly half are concerned about homeowner’s insurance costs.