The Illusion of Ancestry: What Your DNA Test Isn’t Telling You DNA ancestry tests compare your DNA to reference populations(not exact ancestry) so results vary by company and over time. Despite this, they feel compelling. Experts like Kostas Kampourakis and Adam Rutherford stress their limits but highlight value in finding relatives. UCL Science Magazine • Biology
Will ‘magic mushrooms’ be the future antidepressant? By Natalie Christovic Psychedelics, including psilocybin, are making a ‘come-back’ in psychiatry as potential tools to tackle depression. On a bright spring’s day in March 2022, Sarah went on a trip to Lake Bled, Slovenia. She walked along a path seemingly engrained in diamonds, gazed upon perfectly symmetrical clouds, UCL Science Magazine • Biology
What Your DNA Can’t Tell You Teaching genetics as a complex interaction between many genes and environmental factors can reduce students’ belief that human differences are biologically fixed, according to a new study of more than 2,000 US undergraduates. UCL Science Magazine • Biology
2026 Winter Olympics: The science behind success The Winter Olympics showcase sport at its most extreme, where athletes perform in harsh and unpredictable snow and ice conditions. Success depends not only on skill but also on adapting to the environment. How can data-driven research help elite athletes prepare, train, and compete on ice? UCL Science Magazine • Biology
Mind-reading Music: Can Your Brain Build Your Perfect Playlist? Unpacking a revolutionary new discovery with a UCL neuroscientist. Could our brain’s reaction to music someday be able to predict the most chill-inducing playlists? UCL Science Magazine • Biology
Silencing to Survive: RNA Interference and the Future of Health, Ageing and Biotechnology From a natural gene-regulatory mechanism to a fundament of modern biotechnology, RNA interference is reforming how science approaches disease, ageing, and biological resilience. UCL Science Magazine • Biology
