{
  "id": 11179879,
  "title": "They served together in the Israeli army. Their brains became more alike",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/they-served-together-in-the-israeli-army-their-brains-became-more",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-01T11:45:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Haaretz",
    "slug": "haaretz",
    "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/2026-10-01/ty-article-magazine/they-served-together-in-the-israeli-army-their-brains-became-more-alike/000001a0-e15f-db4b-a7a5-f37f15e80000"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In March 2019, approximately 580 young men were inducted into the Israeli military's Paratroopers Brigade. They underwent extensive testing and interviews prior to receiving their equipment. This induction marked the beginning of a unique study that followed these soldiers over time, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The soldiers underwent four brain scans: upon enlistment, after 15 months of training, after a year of operational duty, and shortly after discharge. The researchers also followed up with reservists who participated in the Gaza conflict. Notably, soldiers with high cognitive scores showed a lower incidence of PTSD compared to others. Brain scans revealed that, despite experiencing different levels of stress, many soldiers' neural patterns converged, blurring their unique neural identities. This blurring of neural fingerprints suggests that our environment significantly influences our brain's structure and function, challenging the notion that individual brain patterns are entirely stable and personal.",
  "summary": "Brain scans of Israeli soldiers revealed that training and serving side by side blurred their neural 'fingerprints' – suggesting that our surroundings shape us more than previously thought",
  "key_points": [
    "580 Israeli soldiers inducted into Paratroopers Brigade in March 2019",
    "Brain scans conducted on soldiers pre-enlistment, post-training, post-deployment, and post-discharge",
    "High cognitive soldiers showed lower PTSD incidence, neural patterns converged despite stress levels"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}