News

Hurricane Maria Changed ‘Rules or the Game’ in Monkey Society

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In a new study published in Science, Michael Platt, Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor and Faculty Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, shows how Hurricane Maria reshaped social behavior among rhesus macaques on Puerto Rico’s Cayo Santiago.

Alongside collaborators Professor Lauren Brent, University of Exeter, and Camille Testard, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, Platt found that in the aftermath of environmental devastation, monkeys became more socially tolerant as a strategy to survive extreme heat and limited shade. The findings offer striking parallels to human resilience, showing how social connection can serve as a vital survival mechanism under climate stress.…Read More

Fertility Rates are Declining. Is Tech to Blame?

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Neuroscientists Michael Platt and Peter Sterling highlight that the declining global fertility rate is attributed to increasing social isolation and anxiety, fundamentally altering economic and social landscapes. They emphasize that traditional government interventions have been ineffective, suggesting deeper societal and lifestyle restructuring to counteract negative mental health trends influenced by digital culture.…Read More

Do We Make Better Group Decisions When Our Hearts Synchronize

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Neuroscientist Michael Platt and his team explored heart rate synchrony as a biomarker to improve decision-making dynamics within groups, facilitating better communication and cooperation. Their findings suggest that heart rate synchrony can serve as a reliable indicator of group effectiveness, surpassing traditional survey-based measures in predicting successful outcomes during collaborative tasks.…Read More

AI on the Mind: Analytics at Wharton’s Neuroscientists Weigh in on AI’s Future with our Brains

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The article discusses the implications of advancements in AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, on various fields, exploring the interplay between artificial intelligence and neuroscience as well as the ethical considerations and potential societal impacts, such as displacement of jobs, the integration in education, and the biases in data training. Experts Michael Platt and Elizabeth “Zab” Johnson from the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative highlight current projects that leverage AI for brain science and underscore the intersections of technological advancements with human creativity and societal application, predicting rapid changes and the need for thoughtful governance.…Read More

Sleep Deprivation Sometimes Relieves Depression. A New Study May Show Why

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In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Penn clinical psychologist Philip Gehrman and colleagues investigated why a sleepless night can sometimes lift symptoms of depression. Brain imaging revealed that increased activity in the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex—two regions tied to mood and emotion—was linked to improved mood in participants, regardless of depression status. The findings shed light on the brain mechanisms behind this effect and suggest new, noninvasive paths for rapid treatment that could mimic the benefits of sleep deprivation without losing sleep.…Read More

To Protect Children Online, Researchers Call for Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

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A recent perspective in Science calls for stronger collaboration between neuroscience, psychology, and law to create policies that safeguard children online. As digital environments increasingly shape how young people think and behave, the authors stress the urgency of evidence-based regulation that accounts for children’s unique developmental vulnerabilities. With contributions from experts at Penn, the piece emphasizes the need for rapid, translational research to inform policy in step with today’s fast-moving technological landscape.…Read More

What Makes Us Share Posts on Social Media?

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A new study co-led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, including experts from the Communication Neuroscience Lab, reveals that people are more likely to share posts they find personally meaningful or socially relevant. Published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, the research highlights how value-based content—whether related to public health or climate change—is more likely to go viral. The findings offer insights for designing messaging that not only informs but resonates, a key interest of faculty affiliated with the Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative.…Read More