Today in Science: A fast fix for postpartum depression

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November 19, 2025—A new drug for postpartum depression, birds that sound like R2-D2, and Harvard University launches an investigation into scholars associated with Jeffrey Epstein. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TODAY'S NEWS  Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images (left); Gary Chalker/Getty Images (right) Some birds can learn to tweet like R2-D2, and some are better at it than others. You MUST click through to listen to the uncanny results. | 2 min read  Harvard University has launched an investigation into former university president and influential economist Larry Summers and almost a dozen other scholars over their ties to Jeffrey Epstein. | 1 min read Experts think they've solved last year's Baltimore bridge crash. It may have happened because of the tiniest thing. | 1 min read  A lot of people use melatonin supplements to help them sleep. But is it safe? Experts explain the benefits and risks. | 4 min read Last week, a lot of us (sadly, not me, again) were treated to stunning auroras lighting up the night sky. We asked a heliophysicist what's in store next for the sun. | 3 min read More News Supporting our work means amplifying science. Consider a subscription to Scientific American​​ and back independent science journalism! We have special offers for Today in Science readers. TOP STORIES Arin Yoon A Lifesaving Intervention In 2023, the FDA approved a new drug, called zuranolone, to treat postpartum depression. In one study, 153 women with severe postpartum depression were randomly selected to take either zuranolone or a placebo pill every evening for 14 days. At the end of the trial, participants on the drug reported a remarkable drop in their depression symptoms. And the effects were fast: several patients experienced improvement within three days.    Why this matters: Each year, some 500,000 women in the U.S. experience postpartum depression, and experts estimate that the true number could be much higher (many with mild cases likely don't report them). Mental health problems are the leading cause of death in postpartum women, surpassing hemorrhaging and infection. How it works: Levels of progesterone and a related hormone, allopregnanolone, rise significantly during pregnancy. After delivery, those levels fall off a cliff. Some women are particularly sensitive to this drop, which can disrupt the brain circuitry that regulates mood. Zuranolone is a synthetic mimic of allopregnanolone and it helps to regulate the function of receptors in the brain that influence mood. In clinical trials, 60 percent of participants had a notable reduction in depression symptoms. What the experts say: That may not sound like magical drug performance (and researchers are still trying to figure out why the pill doesn't work for everyone), but for new moms in desperate need, it's a game-changer. "We had women in the studies who wanted to die; really their hopelessness was at a point where they believed they were burdens to their family," says Kristina Deligiannidis, a reproductive psychiatrist who led the above trial. Yet after treatment those self-destructive thoughts disappeared for many. The medication "can be a lifesaving intervention."

FROM THE ARCHIVE Scientific American, Vol. 233, No. 5, November 1975 From the November 1975 issue: "Photographs of two women were retouched so that each woman had large pupils in one photograph and small pupils in the other. Male subjects were shown eight different pairs of the photographs and were asked in which picture did the woman appear to be more sympathetic, selfish, happier, angrier and so on. When the question concerned a positive attribute, subjects tended to choose the woman with the large pupils; for a negative attribute, they tended to choose the small pupils." WHAT WE'RE READING The USDA is discounting critical details that might lead to a bird flu pandemic. | ProPublica Tech moguls want to build data centers in space. | The Wall Street Journal How the Internet became a miserable place. | Galaxy Brain When I listen to those R2-D2 birds I feel a mix of emotions. First, there's the awe that these wild creatures can shape their calls to mimic something so alien to the natural world. But then comes the sadness: our noise, our technologies, our constant presence are seeping into the quiet places where evolution once had the final word. And these birds—whose voices were honed over millions of years—are now forced to tune themselves to us. Thanks for reading: newsletters@sciam.com.​ See you tomorrow!   —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

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