Intelligence

The myth that goldfish have only a three-second memory might sell short their mental capabilities. A new study shows some fish can recognize themselves in a photo, meaning they join a pretty exclusive club of animals known to have some self-awareness.

A compelling new study suggests there may be some cognitive benefits associated with playing video games. The research found children that regularly play video games performed better on some cognitive tests compared to non-gaming children.

Screen time is generally considered to be a negative influence on a child’s development but a new study makes a strikingly different case, presenting evidence that playing video games may actually boost a child’s intelligence.

A new study is challenging the common assumption that video conferencing is better than audio-only communication for collaborative group activities. The findings suggest video cues may in fact lower a group’s collective intelligence by disrupting interpersonal synchrony.

A new review has examined a dozen studies into the effect of Mozart’s music on epilepsy, finding the classical music may reduce the frequency of seizures. It rekindles an old pseudoscientific idea that listening to Mozart can make you smarter.

A new study has found a correlation between fluoride levels in a pregnant woman's urine, and the IQ of their offspring measured several years later.

A study is suggesting a gene variant associated with increased Alzheimer’s risk in late life could affect cognitive health in childhood. The research reveals those carrying the gene score lower on IQ tests in childhood, implying cognitive decline is apparent at a younger age than ever realized.

Humans can recognize their own face in the mirror, and so can apes, monkeys, dolphins, elephants, and some birds. Now a fish species has passed the mirror test for the first time, which may suggest that the animals are smarter than we give them credit for.

​​Our canine friends are not as exceptionally intelligent as we think, according to a newly published study that sought to place the brain power of our canine companions in the context of other members of the animal kingdom.

Throwing some scientific evidence into the debate over animal intelligence is a new study from an international team of scientists attempting to quantify an animal’s smarts by calculating the number of neurons in their cerebral cortex. The results don’t bode well for our feline friends.

A new study has found that many genes identified as potentially responsible for intelligence, could overlap with a range of conditions from increased lifespan to some autoimmune disorders.

While SETI is content to scan the skies for signals, Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) takes a more active approach. Radio transmissions containing snippets of music have been sent to a potentially-habitable planet about 12 light-years from Earth, in hopes of making first contact.