MDMA. E. XTC. X. Ecstasy is a drug with many names and a colorful reputation, especially on the dance floor.

Dreams about fear might entail the typical standing-naked-in-front-of-a-crowd scenario or falling from great heights. But what about the dreams where real-life worries slip from daytime into sleep? A recent LA Times article suggested that recession-related dreams are on the rise among adults. But it’s not just adults who are tossing and turning: many Boston University students, faced with a tight job market and rising academic competition, reported a similar increase in dreams about academic failure or shaky job security.

It’s no “Rocky IV” trailer, but IBM’s “Countdown to ‘Jeopardy!’” promotional video strikes an inspirational chord. It’s the archetypal man versus machine narrative – the only difference here is that the role of protagonist is up for debate.

As the winter progresses, the French Toast Alert System on Boston community news website Universal Hub seems to be stuck on "high" – meaning run, don't walk to the nearest grocery store to stock up, panic-stricken, on all the milk, eggs and bread (and cinnamon) you can carry.

Something’s telling the scientific community that extra-sensory perception could be real. It might just be a funny feeling – or it might be the statistical findings of Daryl Bem, a renowned psychologist at Cornell University.

Massachusetts’ ban of Four Loko last November sparked controversy and conversation about the idea of mixing caffeine and alcohol. But the fruit-flavored malt beverage was not the first to create such a cocktail. People have been experimenting with the combination for many years, in homemade drinks such as Jägerbombs or Red Bull and vodka, as well as canned drinks such as Sparks. The trend inspired Boston University School of Public Health professor Jonathan Howland and colleagues at the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies to study the effects of the mixture in a newly published study that began five years ago.

Science Tuesday shares four cool things that are happening in space this year.