It’s alluring to think that we can modify moods or behaviors by “training the brain,” or adopting practices to control how our brains work. But when it comes to the popular notion of “dopamine hacking” to improve focus and motivation, the story is not so simple, writes Arizona State University neuroscientist Kimberlee D'Ardenne. She explains that the function and firing patterns of the dopamine system are involved in more than the well-established areas of the reward system and motion. “Ongoing research untangling the diversity of dopamine will likely continue to change, and improve, our understanding of disease and neurodiversity,” she writes.

A study published today finds that people from vulnerable groups in the western U.S. have suffered the most from wildfires and that the trend line is worsening. Boise State University wildfire scientists Mojtaba Sadegh and John Abatzoglou examined the populations of people in Washington, Oregon and California who lived within the perimeters of wildfires over the past two decades and found that half of those people exposed to wildfires were considered socially vulnerable, such as low-income residents and older people. They write that their analysis can inform policies, such as providing disaster warnings in multiple languages or developing disaster prevention plans with vulnerable locations, such as nursing homes, in mind.

I suspect readers of this newsletter may click on links in our articles to view the scientific studies our stories are often based on. But even the field of academic research is prone to quality problems. Two communication scholars cast a light on what are called predatory journals – for-profit publications that purport to publish rigorous academic studies but, as they write, “prey on unsuspecting academics to pay to publish and often misrepresent their publishing practices.” They explain how this industry can undermine the quality of published research and weaken people’s confidence in research generally.

Also in this week’s science news:

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Martin LaMonica

Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters
A better understanding of dopamine could lead to better treatments for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases, among others. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Dopamine is a brain chemical famously linked to mood and pleasure − but researchers have found multiple types of dopamine neurons with different functions

Kimberlee D'Ardenne, Arizona State University

From dopamine hacking to dopamine detoxes, some people have sought to harness this brain chemical to improve their mood and productivity. But it’s far more complicated than that.
Many of the people caught in the wildfire that swept through Paradise, Calif., in 2018 were older adults. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Wildfire risk is soaring for low-income, elderly and other vulnerable populations in California, Washington and Oregon

Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University; John Abatzoglou, University of California, Merced

Alarmingly, about half the people exposed to wildfires in Washington and Oregon were those least able to afford to protect their homes, evacuate safely and recover.
There is a rising number of predatory journals in academia, challenging scholars to determine which publications are legitimate. Marat Musabitov/Getty Images

Rising number of ‘predatory’ academic journals undermines research and public trust in scholarship

Eric Freedman, Michigan State University; Bahtiyar Kurambayev, KIMEP University

In some cases, it can be difficult for academics to know which journals are not credible – but other times, people feel pressure to publish in these publications.

Desert dust storms carry human-made toxic pollutants, and the health risk extends indoors

Claire Williams Bridgwater, American University; Fatin Samara, American University of Sharjah

Desert dust storms are increasingly picking up materials like sewage, herbicides and other human-made waste and transporting them on tiny particles that are easy to inhale.

Earthquakes and other natural hazards are a risk everywhere – here’s how people are preparing in the US and around the world

John van de Lindt, Colorado State University

One way to prevent the destruction wrought by a devastating earthquake – like the one that hit Morocco in September 2023 – is to construct resilient homes and buildings.

Your unique body odor could identify who you are and provide insights into your health – all from the touch of a hand

Chantrell Frazier, Framingham State University; Kenneth G. Furton, Florida International University; Vidia A. Gokool, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Human scent could one day be used as evidence in forensics and as diagnostic information in medicine.

What happens if you need to pee while you’re asleep?

Jennifer Ahn, University of Washington

A pediatric urologist explains how the bladder and the brain communicate to wake you up when you need to ‘go’ – and how that communication might break down.