Planet Neuroscientists

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Watch sharks use manta rays to scratch unreachable itches

Galapagos sharks have been spotted scrubbing off parasites with help from manta rays

in Scientific American on 2026-06-17 10:45:00 UTC.

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Are computational complexity principles relevant for explaining brain activity?

in The Transmitter on 2026-06-17 04:00:36 UTC.

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This paper changed my life: Learning the molecular rules of cell identity

in The Transmitter on 2026-06-17 04:00:31 UTC.

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Proposed White House regulations could kill 5,000 clinical trials, analysis finds

The Trump administration is mulling new rules that would give political appointees final say on research grants

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 22:15:00 UTC.

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Journal investigating paper on cognitive impact of generative AI

A paper about the effects of generative AI use on confidence in work tasks is under investigation after critics raised questions about the study design, data analysis and ethics approval for the research.

The study, published in April in Technology, Mind, and Behavior, included 1,923 adults recruited online from the United States and Canada to perform a battery of work-like tasks assisted by AI. It garnered a press release from the American Psychological Association, which publishes the journal, and coverage in Time and Futurism.

Sandra Grinschgl of the University of Bern in Switzerland, who studies technology-driven cognitive offloading, got an alert about the study shortly after it came out. She told Retraction Watch she was initially puzzled by the vague descriptions of data collection from online participants in the study. When she looked closer at one of the bar charts, she noticed the lengths of the bars didn’t match the actual value of the labels.

To dig deeper, she enlisted two colleagues at the University of Bern who are well-versed in scientific sleuthing: Ian Hussey, who helped create the INSPECT-SR reproducibility checklist for research papers, and psychologist Malte Elson, who has been involved in assessing the trustworthiness of published research for over a decade and whose work previously led to the retraction of a high-profile paper about the psychological impact of first-person shooter video games.

“Taking a step back, we realised that some more fundamental claims about the study design and execution seem implausible without further information or access to study materials,” Elson told us by email.

The researchers shared their concerns on PubPeer, LinkedIn and Bluesky, where other researchers “started to look into it and found additional things that we didn’t discover before,” Grinschgl said.

The Bern researchers also alerted Richard N. Landers, the editor-in-chief of Technology, Mind, and Behavior, and the article’s action editor Christopher Ferguson. Ferguson told us an investigation is under way, but declined to comment further until the inquiry is complete.

The study’s sole author is Sarah Baldeo, founder and CEO of ID Quotient Advisory Group, a firm that provides “neuroscience-enabled IT & AI consulting,” according to its website. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in AI and neuroscience at Middlesex University in England, though the work for the study predates her time in the program, Allison Phipps, ID Quotient’s chief of staff, told us by email.

The stated mission of ID Quotient is to “ensure technology works in harmony with the human brain” with custom AI tools, strategy services and workshops for organizations. The company’s website previously included a client testimonial from the APA. When asked what services ID Quotient provided the association, Phipps clarified that Baldeo “has previously delivered keynote presentations for certain APA-affiliated divisions or society groups.” As of June 1, the client quote attributed to APA was no longer listed on the ID Quotient website.

Baldeo has responded to some critiques of the paper on PubPeer and LinkedIn, and she and Phipps clarified factual details via email, but Baldeo’s executive assistant declined our interview request on her behalf, and Phipps did not respond to follow-up requests.

Grinschgl, Hussey and Elson put the article through the INSPECT-SR checklist and found several discrepancies between the descriptive statistics and the actual results. “The results as reported appear to be mathematically impossible,” Grinschgl wrote in her initial PubPeer comment, which also scrutinized the paper’s methods, such as how responses were recorded as users interacted with AI on the task battery. “We are not aware of research platforms of this sophistication,” she added.

Around 600 participants were reportedly senior leadership or executives, a population that is “notoriously difficult to recruit,” Elson noted in his email.

Grinschgl’s team also observed that the paper was missing a statement of approval from an institutional review board. 

Baldeo has since presented proof that the study was approved by a Canadian research ethics board, Landers told us. He said the editors at the journal were reviewing this as part of their investigation, and described the initial lack of an approval statement as an oversight. “I’ve revised our instructions to associate editors and updated our process to prevent it from happening again,” Landers wrote in an email to Retraction Watch.

While the paper’s experiments measured confidence and reliance on AI, the article’s title mentions executive function and cognitive harm, which Baldeo didn’t evaluate in the study, Hussey pointed out on PubPeer. Others questioned mismatches between descriptions in figures versus in the article text, such as the x-axis label on a bar chart of self-reported AI reliance that didn’t correspond to any of the items in the article’s description of self-reported measures. Commenters also questioned why Likert-style responses were represented with percentages on the bar chart.

Sleuths surfaced a nonexistent citation attributed to University of Irvine professor Craig Stark, who confirmed via email that no such paper exists. Baldeo later commented on PubPeer offering another paper with the same first author and a different title as the correct reference. She also characterized the mismatch between lengths and percentages on the bar chart as a rendering error, and Phipps told us that she has now provided the journal a corrected figure.

In the comments of a LinkedIn post about her work, Baldeo claimed she had fMRI data for a third of the study participants. PubPeer commenters questioned the feasibility of collecting fMRI data from hundreds of people across the United States and Canada. In the comments of another post, she stated that pre- and post-study fMRI data was provided by participants themselves. 

This scenario “does not seem any more plausible” than Baldeo conducting the fMRI scans, Elson said. Baldeo countered on PubPeer that the scans were performed separately and are thus irrelevant to critiques of her article.

“The article was framed and reviewed as a descriptive, exploratory, nonclinical behavioral study. It does not claim causal effects, cognitive decline, neural change, or clinical impairment,” Baldeo wrote in another PubPeer comment. In one of the LinkedIn posts about her work, Baldeo wrote that “GenAI use is NOT destroying your brain. As the lead researcher for the largest GenAI & Brain study in the world I can confidently and firmly state this.”

Like Retraction Watch? You can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work, follow us on X or Bluesky, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, add us to your RSS reader, or subscribe to our daily digest. If you find a retraction that’s not in our database, you can let us know here. For comments or feedback, email us at team@retractionwatch.com.

in Retraction watch on 2026-06-16 21:14:44 UTC.

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Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk breach exposed patients’ clinical trial data

Novo Nordisk said this security incident affected patient data, including health information and birth year

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 18:11:00 UTC.

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Math predicts humans could go extinct in about 17,000 years

Some mathematicians have predicted when humanity’s downfall might occur—though the circumstances are unspecified

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 18:00:00 UTC.

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NASA data reveals weird x-ray changes in the exploded ruins of dead stars

This sparkling galaxy is home to a set of supernova remnants that showed variable brightnesses over 14 years of data

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 16:45:00 UTC.

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A blood test for dementia may tell you if you have more than one type

in Science News: Health & Medicine on 2026-06-16 15:00:00 UTC.

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Could the keto diet help treat anorexia, schizophrenia and depression?

Early research suggests that some mental health conditions could stem from metabolic disorders. If so, the findings could change how we treat mental illness

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 14:45:00 UTC.

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U.S. limits on Anthropic Fable AI could hurt cybersecurity

Fable 5 was built to help with advanced cybersecurity work. Its sudden shutdown highlights a dilemma at the heart of AI security: the same tools can aid both defenders and attackers

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 14:30:00 UTC.

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Redesigned high-NA lithography optical system aims to revolutionize semiconductor chipmaking

in OIST Japan on 2026-06-16 12:00:00 UTC.

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Here’s how big the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo might be

Scientists have modeled the potential size of this current outbreak, which some experts think could become one of the worst Ebola epidemics on record

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 12:00:00 UTC.

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Math Puzzle: Go to great lengths

Find the lengths of the sides of the square in this math puzzle

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 11:00:00 UTC.

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Neuroscientist Kauê M. Costa redefines how the brain learns

Neuroscientist Kauê M. Costa talks about surprising results that are changing how we think dopamine works and how the brain really learns

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:01:00 UTC.

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J. Craig Venter’s last interview—on AI, risk-taking and immortality

In his final interview, the “swashbuckling” geneticist pointed the way for science

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Tonima Tasnim Ananna

Understanding the behavior of supermassive black holes

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Poem: ‘The Soliloquy of Schrödinger’s Cat’

A meditation on life and the von Neumann–Wigner interpretation of quantum mechanics

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Science crossword: Looking to the future

Play this crossword inspired by the July/August 2026 issue of Scientific American

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Trump’s Genesis Mission is putting AI to work on nuclear weapons

The Department of Energy bills Genesis as an AI push for scientific discovery. Its first public challenges tell a different story

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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America’s compact between science and politics is broken

How did we get here?

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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July/August 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago

Natural fission reactor uncovered; geometry of soap bubbles

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Readers respond to the March 2026 issue

Letters to the editors for the March 2026 issue of Scientific American

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 10:00:00 UTC.

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Atul Gawande explains why U.S. leadership in global health matters more than ever

On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:59:00 UTC.

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Allie Balter-Kennedy

Exploring ice cores to foresee the effects of climate change

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:59:00 UTC.

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These young scientists are on our radar

These young scientists are making waves in their own ways. Keep an eye on them—great things are ahead

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:59:00 UTC.

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Samagya Banskota

Using viruslike particles to deliver therapies safely and effectively

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:58:00 UTC.

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Timnit Gebru on how to safeguard independent science for the AI age

On safeguarding independent research in the age of big tech

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:58:00 UTC.

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Alan Lightman on his childhood in science

The story of the author’s extremely early career

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:58:00 UTC.

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Nobel-winning biologist Elizabeth Blackburn on why science is all about ‘keeping the long view’

On fighting for truth, inclusion and the next generation of scientists

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:57:00 UTC.

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Jenny Bergner

Mimicking the chemistry of outer space to explain how planets form

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:57:00 UTC.

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Science is under pressure again. Here’s what that means for young researchers

It’s a complicated time to be a young scientist in America. Lessons from history can tell us what the future might hold

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:57:00 UTC.

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Adam Bowman

Clocking the electrical messages between neurons using fluorescence

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:56:00 UTC.

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U.S. scientists are being lured abroad—and they aren't looking back

The great American brain drain could define science for a generation

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:56:00 UTC.

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Senator Mark Kelly reveals why science is critical to America’s future

On steering the path forward for research and innovation

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:56:00 UTC.

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Colin Carlson

Explaining how climate change affects ecological diversity and human health

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:55:00 UTC.

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Inside U.S. labs at a moment of fear—and unexpected promise

Despite funding woes, American scientists are finding reasons for optimism

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:55:00 UTC.

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Steven Chavez

Making catalysts used in industrial processes hardier and more effective

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:54:00 UTC.

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Distrust in science thrives on dangerous stereotypes

Scientists are seen as oddballs, and that’s a problem

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:54:00 UTC.

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Why U.S. science funding needs reform

The federal funding system for scientific research in the U.S. is crumbling. Here’s how it can be rebuilt

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:53:00 UTC.

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Jieneng Chen

Creating artificial-intelligence tools for cancer detection

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:53:00 UTC.

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Kauê M. Costa

Applying new tools to behavioral tests to discern how we learn

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:52:00 UTC.

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Autonomous labs are running science experiments 24/7

Robots and AI are running experiments around the clock, from battery chemistry to cancer therapies. But can they be trusted to get it right?

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:52:00 UTC.

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How we chose the 2026 Young American Scientists

Scientific American used expert recommendations and data analysis to identify 28 exceptional early-career researchers

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:51:00 UTC.

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Dane deQuilettes

Inventing better materials to improve solar energy

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:51:00 UTC.

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Chee-Huat Linus Eng

Creating techniques to allow scientists to see biological processes in real time

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:50:00 UTC.

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See how academic freedom is changing around the world

Some countries have seen a stark decline in academic freedom over the past decade

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:50:00 UTC.

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Emily Finn

Studying why people interpret the same thing in different ways

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:49:00 UTC.

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Science’s rising stars

There are bright futures ahead for our first-ever Young American Scientist honorees

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:49:00 UTC.

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Jaye Gardiner

Learning how the matrix around cells and tissues impacts cancers

in Scientific American on 2026-06-16 09:48:00 UTC.