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October 1, 2025—How we search the Internet influences our beliefs, why it's hard to remember dreams, and life-friendly chemistry on Saturn's moon. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Artist's concept of the Cassini spacecraft passing through plumes venting from Saturn's ocean moon, Enceladus. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center | | Supporting our work means amplifying science. Consider a subscription to Scientific American and back independent science journalism! Today in Science readers can get started for just $1. | | People use Internet search engines in a way that confirms their existing beliefs. In a new study, participants chose Internet search terms to learn more about six topics—the health effects of caffeine, future gas prices, future crime rates, the impact of nuclear energy, the economic impact of coronavirus, and the societal impact of bitcoin. The researchers rated the search terms' scope and found that between 9 and 34 percent were "narrow." For example, when researching the health effects of caffeine, one participant used "caffeine negative effects" while the other used "benefits of caffeine." Narrow terms aligned with the participants' preexisting beliefs. Why this matters: In the United States, polarization is spreading across politics, health, economy, environment and society. So called echo chambers online and on social media, where most people share the same beliefs, only exacerbate such division. Online search results not only reinforced the participants' opinions, but they influenced their behavior too. What the experts say: To fix this narrow search effect, participants tried broadening their search terms and found the results to be just as relevant and useful. The researchers recommend that Internet browsers implement neutral search options, like a "search broadly" button. "This would be really helpful," says Eugina Leung of Tulane University's business school, who led the study, but whether it will ever happen "is hard to predict." | | Why do we forget our dreams? Dreaming happens mostly (though not always) during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During REM sleep, the areas of the brain that transfer memories into long-term storage—as well as the long-term storage areas themselves—are relatively deactivated. Younger people and women remember more dreams on average. And some studies have linked personality traits (introversion and creativity, for example) to frequency of memorable dreams. More dreaming: REM cycles lengthen the longer you sleep. The first REM cycle of the night is typically just a few minutes long, but by the end of an eight-hour night of sleep, a person has typically been in the REM stage for a good 20 minutes. So if you sleep only six hours, you're getting less than half of the dream time of an eight-hour night. What the experts say: It is possible to train your brain to remember more of your dreams, says Leslie Ellis, a clinical counselor in British Columbia. The moment you wake up, even before you move your body, think about what you were just dreaming. This transfers the dream from short-term memory to long-term memory. | | | | |
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- In 2010 legendary primatologist Jane Goodall spoke with Scientific American about the 50th anniversary of her career working with chimpanzees. The below questions are excerpted from the conversation.
SA: What about [chimps'] behavior most surprised you?
The most significant thing is how incredibly like humans they are. Many people were really surprised by the fact that they made and used tools. That didn't surprise me particularly, because German psychologist Wolfgang Köhler had reported that they use tools readily in captivity. But it was exciting to observe this behavior in the wild, along with hunting and food sharing, because it enabled us to get money to carry on with our research.
SA: What have been your most significant contributions?
Breaking down this perceived sharp line between us and other creatures. I think chimpanzees have helped people understand that we are part of and not separated from the animal kingdom, and that has opened the way to having respect for the other amazing beings with whom we share the planet.
Young people everywhere need to realize that what we do individually every day does make a difference. If everybody begins thinking of the consequences of the little choices they make—what they eat, what they wear, what they buy, how they get from A to B—and acting accordingly, these millions of small changes will create the kinds of larger changes we must have if we care at all for our children.
Read the full interview here. | 4 min read | | - A fun, interactive tour of the math of Barcelona, Spain. | New York Times
- Scientists are racing to save the world's rarest underground orchid. | BBC
- Cloned and genetically modified animals are entering the black market, possibly forever altering our ecosystems. | New York Magazine
| | Jane Goodall was one of the first scientists who opened my eyes to the blurred lines between human abilities and those of other animals. Once you release the idea that humans are unique and special in the realm of living creatures on Earth, a remarkable new picture of us begins to materialize. This will be Goodall's legacy, yes. But it will also be so much more—as a primatologist, a global conservationist, a role model for women scientists and just a genuinely kind person according to all who met her. | | Do you have Goodall memories? Send them in so I can share them with this community: newsletters@sciam.com. And see you tomorrow. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor
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