A comprehensive study involving nearly 900 parrots living alongside humans has unveiled groundbreaking insights. Researchers from the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Vienna, the Acoustical Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown discovered evidence that certain parrots don’t just imitate human speech but may also create and utilize names to identify specific individuals.
Gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus) named John munching on a cucumber. Image credit: Papuga.
The question of whether animals can employ proper names for themselves and others has intrigued both scientists and the general public for years.
Significant evidence indicates that numerous animals can recognize and respond to names assigned by humans, and some can even invent and utilize unique vocal traits.
Despite this, previous research has failed to demonstrate that a variety of animal species can create and use names that conform to human language conventions.
“While many animals respond to human language cues, only a select few are capable of learning language-like sounds and using them correctly,” stated Professor Lauryn Benedict of the University of Northern Colorado and her team.
“Parrots excel in vocal learning, including human words, and can accurately apply those words as labels for individuals.”
“This capacity for vocal production learning allows researchers to delve into whether and how animals employ vocal labels, rather than merely responding to them. This enriches our understanding of the cognitive processes behind word usage and labeling.”
In this study, the authors scrutinized data from over 889 captive parrots as part of the ManyParrots project, designed to explore vocal learning and cognition in parrots through survey responses and vocal recordings.
Moreover, many survey participants shared additional details that assisted researchers in comprehending how these birds utilize their names.
Nearly half of the respondents provided examples of parrots using names creatively.
Of the 413 audio clips analyzed, 88 instances demonstrated birds using their names as labels for humans or other animals.
The findings also revealed strong evidence that some parrots refer to specific individuals rather than general categories like ‘human.’
Interestingly, many parrots employed these labels in ways typically unrecognized by humans. For example, parrots might vocalize their names to attract attention.
This study suggests that parrots possess the cognitive and vocal abilities to use names flexibly, ranging from social communication with humans to conversing about individuals who are not present.
Nonetheless, due to variations among species and individual birds, numerous questions persist regarding when, why, and how animals utilize these skills to call out the names of other beings.
“Our research indicates that parrots frequently learn names from humans and apply them in diverse contexts, aligning with their cognitive ability to associate names with specific individuals,” the researchers asserted.
“Although the parrots in our study primarily used human-given names, unanswered questions linger about their capacity for self-naming.”
“Nonetheless, our findings clearly illustrate that animals can learn and employ unique names in appropriate social contexts.”
“Future studies need to investigate this behavior in controlled settings to comprehend the cognitive foundations behind it in parrots and other animal species.”
“The capability to label individuals is expected not only in captive animals but also extends to those in the wild.”
“We anticipate that forthcoming research will unveil effective methods to identify animal names independent of human language.”
For more details, refer to the study published this month in the online journal PLoS ONE.
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L. Benedict et al. 2026. Name use by companion parrots. PLoS One 21 (4): e0346830; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0346830
A continent-like shelf beneath Mars’ surface indicates that a vast ocean may have once covered up to one-third of the planet, reigniting a long-standing debate about Mars’ watery past.
Artist’s impression of Mars as it appeared around 4 billion years ago. Credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO.
While it is widely accepted that Mars had some liquid water on its surface, the existence of long-lasting oceans remains uncertain. It’s debated whether water existed solely in lakes and streams or whether significant oceans formed during Mars’ history.
Previous Mars missions have identified geological features resembling coastlines, but their subtlety and varying elevations complicate their interpretation.
Real coastlines would exhibit consistent elevation across the globe, similar to Earth’s sea level. However, observations suggest otherwise.
“If Mars had an ocean, it likely dried up billions of years ago, more than half of Mars’ age,” states Michael Lamb, a professor at the California Institute of Technology.
“Earth has very few features that are billions of years old, especially after continuous erosion and disturbances over time,” he adds.
“We sought terrain that could provide stronger evidence of such an ancient ocean.”
Illustration from orbiter data showing the coastal shelf region of Mars, a hallmark of global oceans formed over extended periods. Image credit: A. Zaki.
Professor Lamb and Dr. Abdallah Zaki from the California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin analyzed Earth’s geological features to find indicators of past oceans.
Using computer simulations, they drained ocean models to assess the remaining terrain.
The simulations revealed that a distinct flat landmass, known as the continental shelf, surrounds the region where land meets sea, akin to a ring left by a drained bathtub.
While sea levels have fluctuated on Earth, continental shelves have remained stable, which supports the hypothesis of an ancient Martian ocean.
The researchers utilized topography data from Mars orbiters, discovering similar shelf formations in the northern hemisphere, hinting at an ocean covering a significant portion of the planet.
Such landforms take considerable time to form and are rare in lake environments, supporting the theory of a stable ocean existing for millions of years.
Additionally, evidence of river deltas and coastal features known as “bathtubbling” shelves were observed.
“The discovery of the shelf is a vital observation that consolidates the evidence for a Martian coastal zone,” Dr. Zaki commented.
“This previously overlooked aspect strengthens the case for a northern ocean on Mars, leading to further studies on deposits and satellite data.”
For further details, refer to the publication in Nature.
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Zaki, A. & Ram, M.P. Identifying topographical features of the early Martian ocean. Nature, published online April 15, 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41586-026-10381-2
While diamonds are renowned for their eternal qualities, when reduced to nanoscale dimensions, these crystals exhibit unexpected elasticity. Recent experiments on minuscule diamonds have illuminated what contributes to their surprising flexibility.
According to Chongxin Shan from Zhengzhou University, China, “Bulk diamonds are widely recognized for their extreme stiffness and hardness. However, the properties may differ significantly at the nanoscale.” His team investigated diamonds measuring just 4 nanometers in diameter—hundreds of times smaller than certain viruses—to analyze their behavior under pressure.
The investigation involved sandwiching nanodiamonds between cylinders featuring diamond tips designed for compression. A force sensor measured the drag on the diamonds while a specialized microscope captured their compressed state.
Shan noted the challenges of accurate nanoscale measurements, as minor disturbances can obscure data. To minimize these variables, researchers conducted experiments with approximately 100 distinct diamonds, ensuring a high vacuum environment to eliminate air interference. They discovered that reducing the diamond diameter from 12 nanometers to 4 nanometers resulted in a 30% decrease in stiffness, enhancing elasticity.
By combining experimental data with computer simulation, researchers discerned the underlying mechanics of this phenomenon. Due to their small size, nanodiamonds possess a higher surface-to-core atom ratio, with weak chemical bonds between these regions contributing to increased elasticity. This contrasts with larger diamonds, where stronger core bonds dictate behavior, as explained by Shan.
Yan Lu, a researcher at the City University of Hong Kong, highlighted that these findings reveal unexpected shifts in diamond characteristics compared to earlier investigations. Their work marks a pivotal contribution to understanding nanoscale diamonds, crucial for emerging applications in electronics and quantum technology. “With lab-created diamonds available at lower costs, now is the opportune moment to expand their use,” Lu states.
Stunning new images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope showcase the rapid evolution of the Trifid Nebula, a dynamic stellar nursery where newborn stars are actively shaping gas and dust on human timescales.
Hubble’s detailed view of the Trifid Nebula. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/J. DePasquale, STScI.
The Trifid Nebula, also known as Messier 20 or NGC 6514, was discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier on June 5, 1764. This stunning nebula resides in the constellation Sagittarius.
Distance estimates to the Trifid Nebula vary, ranging from 2,200 to 9,000 light-years away.
According to Hubble astronomers, “The vibrant colors in this region of star formation evoke an underwater tableau of fine sediments drifting through the deep ocean.”
“Massive stars beyond this image have been sculpting this spectacular area for at least 300,000 years,” they noted.
“Their intense ultraviolet winds are still reshaping the environment, creating bubbles that compress gas and dust, subsequently sparking fresh star formation.”
“This isn’t Hubble’s first look at the Trifid Nebula,” they added. “The telescope revisited this cosmic site 29 years after its first observation in 1997, effectively documenting changes within the nebula on human timescales.”
“Why return to the same view? Beyond tracking time-related changes, Hubble has been upgraded with an improved camera that offers a wider field of view and enhanced sensitivity from its fourth servicing mission.”
In this latest view, Hubble captures the Trifid Nebula’s “head” and flowing “body,” resembling a cosmic sea lemon gliding through the universe.
“The ‘horn’ of the Cosmic Sea Lemon is part of Herbig Halo 399, a periodic plasma jet ejected by a young protostar embedded within,” the astronomers explained.
“These observed changes help scientists measure outflow rates and gauge the energy injected by the protostar into its environment.”
“Such measurements provide valuable insights into how newly formed stars interact with their surroundings.”
“Evidence of a counterjet can be seen below and to the right, marked by a jagged line of orange and red running across the dust.”
“To the right of the head, at the endpoint of a dimmer triangular ‘horn,’ lies another young star.”
“A green arc hovering above a faint red point, accompanied by a small jet, suggests that a nearby massive star is eroding the circumstellar disk with its intense ultraviolet radiation.”
“As the region around this protostar clarifies, it implies that its formation might be nearing completion.”
“Just to the left of the Cosmic Sea Lemon is a faint pillar; the densest material remains at the top, while most of the gas and dust has been blown away.”
“Distinct stripes and sharp lines provide further clues about the activities of other young stars.”
“Look for wavy diagonal lines that transition from bright orange to fiery red for an illustrative example.”
“At the pinnacle of the Cosmic Sea Lemon’s head, bright yellow gas ascends, showcasing ultraviolet light illuminating the dark brown dust and breaking it down.”
“Many ridges of dark material will persist for millions of years as the star’s ultraviolet radiation gradually erodes the gas.”
“Dense regions harbor protostars, which remain hidden in visible light.”
“The far right corner appears nearly pitch black, suggesting high-density dust where stars may not belong to this star-forming region but rather be foreground objects.”
“Search for bright orange orbs; these represent fully formed stars, surrounded by empty space.”
“In the coming millions of years, the gas and dust constituting the nebula will vanish, leaving only the newly formed stars behind.”
CT scans of specimens from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History have unveiled a new species of short-nosed crocodilian with remarkably robust jaws, offering a glimpse into late Triassic ecological specialization.
Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa (left) is disturbed by Hesperosuchus agilis (right) near the carcass of Coelophysis at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, USA. Image credit: Julio Lacerda.
Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa thrived 210 million years ago, inhabiting areas near rivers and lakes in present-day New Mexico, USA.
This ancient reptile was known for its speed, featuring large hind legs and small, slender arms.
Characterized by a short snout, a heavily fortified skull, and powerful jaw muscles, Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa was adept at swiftly catching sizable prey.
“This discovery highlights the early diversification of primitive crocodiles at the onset of the reptilian era,” stated Dr. Bart Anjan Brar, a paleontologist at Yale University and the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
“During this Late Triassic period, two dominating reptilian lineages were emerging: one lineage led to modern crocodiles, while the other gave rise to birds—and, eventually, dinosaurs.”
In contrast to dinosaurs of that time, which were slender and agile, resembling herons, ancient crocodiles were robust four-legged predators, sharing physical traits with jackals and large foxes.
The holotype specimen of Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa comprises its skull, lower jaw, spine, limbs, and sections of its armor.
Discovered in 1948 at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, this fossil remained largely unexplored for 75 years until now.
Phylogenetic analysis positions Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa near the base of Crocodylomorpha, outside a clade that also includes the small crocodilian, Hesperosuchus agilis.
This positioning suggests that its distinct traits evolved early in crocodilian history.
The fossilized remains indicate that Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa coexisted with Hesperosuchus agilis, hinting at early ecological niche differentiation among similarly sized terrestrial predators.
“Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa is one of the few well-preserved relatives of early crocodilians, representing the ‘dawn’ of functional diversification within the lineage leading to modern crocodiles,” noted Miranda Margulis Onuma, a doctoral student at Yale University.
“Beyond its unique anatomy and preservation history, this specimen underscores the potential of existing museum collections to unveil new insights into life’s history.”
Notably, the discovery provides a rare look into an ancient ecosystem where biodiversity flourished, and species exhibited specialized feeding structures to fulfill distinct ecological roles.
The research team’s study appears this month in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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Miranda Margulis Onuma et al. 2026. Short-snouted phenosuchids with unusual feeding anatomy indicate that ecological specialization occurred early in crocodilian evolution. Proc Biol Sci 293 (2069): 20260130; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2026.0130
While it might sound unusual, you can actually inoculate yourself against stress.
Just as vaccines help the immune system fend off invaders, research suggests stress inoculation can prepare individuals for future stressors.
This concept is particularly noted among military personnel. By allowing soldiers to undergo simulated stressful situations and equipping them with coping mechanisms, they can reduce the impact of stress over time. For instance, a study found that cadets with resilience training showed lower cortisol levels following intense military drills compared to those without such training. Similarly, emergency personnel also experience lower risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression due to their resilience training strategies.
Fortunately, you don’t need military training to reap the benefits. Regular, manageable exposure to stress can enhance resilience, as observed by Julie Vashuk from Masaryk University, Czech Republic.
Recent studies indicate that navigating stressful experiences can actually reshape the brain. This includes changes in key areas like the prefrontal cortex, involved in emotion regulation, the hippocampus, crucial for memory, and the amygdala, responsible for threat perception. Facing mild stressors can help individuals adapt to challenges in the following ways: it enhances resilience and accelerates recovery to baseline.
It’s essential to keep stress levels manageable. As Vashuk advises, mild stress should induce just enough discomfort to be tolerated without becoming overwhelming. “Once you’re overwhelmed, it becomes traumatic,” she explains. Activities like visiting unfamiliar places or engaging with new people can be beneficial. She also recommends surrounding yourself with supportive individuals.
This exposure therapy can be useful for adults, but how about children? Numerous studies, like one that highlights that early childhood adversity can elevate health risks, suggest that a small amount of controlled adversity may actually be advantageous. In rodent studies, constant separation from their mothers increases adult stress responses, while brief separations can lead to stronger adult responses. A similar phenomenon has also been observed in primates concerning short-term mother-infant separation.
Extrapolating such studies to humans poses ethical challenges, yet researchers like Carmine Pariante from King’s College London argue that we may not be as resilient as a society as we think. This doesn’t imply inflicting trauma intentionally, but rather suggesting that facing manageable challenges can benefit both adults and children.
Vashuk also highlights a cultural phenomenon in the Czech Republic, where children are introduced to classical music early on. “Five-year-olds perform with their teachers, gradually performing solo as they mature. Although the stress remains, their early exposure equips them to effectively handle stress and rebound quickly,” she notes.
Exposure isn’t the sole method for building resilience. Techniques such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, altering your mindset regarding stress, and recognizing your strengths are proven to boost resilience and transform negative stress into positive energy.
Research is ongoing into the concept of a literal stress vaccine. Studies on rodents indicate that exposure to a heat-killed bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, calms stress responses via anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, experimental drugs like “Alexigent” aim to enhance stress tolerance in individuals predisposed to PTSD and depression, although significant advancements remain limited. A notable 2017 study showed that a single ketamine dose can mitigate stress impacts on mice.
For most of us, however, the solution lies in the simplicity of understanding that stress is not inherently detrimental (see “Why the right kind of stress is crucial for health and well-being”). “Stress is beneficial for growth,” Vashuk states. “Experiencing stress is vital for our responses. What’s equally important is the ability to recover swiftly. Building resilience is crucial for regulating stress hormones effectively.”
Extracting a patient’s plasma and removing certain proteins may enhance sepsis treatment outcomes.
Vital Hill/Shutterstock
Patients suffering from severe sepsis may soon benefit from innovative treatments that filter their blood to remove critical proteins underlying life-threatening responses. Promising results in animal studies set the stage for human trials scheduled for next year.
Sepsis occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection, causing severe damage to tissues and organs. It can escalate to septic shock, which leads to dangerously low blood pressure and further complications. In 2017, there were 49 million cases of sepsis worldwide. According to a meta-analysis involving patients in Europe, North America, and Australia, 32% of sepsis patients died within 90 days despite treatment for the initial infection and organ damage, while the mortality soared to 39% among those with septic shock.
Emerging therapies that target the root causes of this condition could halt the progression of sepsis. Isaac Elias from the Amitava Medical Clinic Healing Center in Santa Rosa, California, has dedicated decades to studying a protein called galectin-3. This protein has numerous functions in healthy individuals, including regulating cell life cycles and activating immune responses. Galectin-3 is believed to be implicated in various health conditions, with Elias stating, “Our research spans multiple areas, from autoimmunity to cancer.”
Curious about galectin-3’s potential role in sepsis, Elias noted that high levels of this protein correlate with an increased risk of death in sepsis patients. To explore this, Elias and his team developed a device that filters galectin-3 from the blood. The process involves withdrawing a sizable blood sample, separating the plasma in a centrifuge, and using a filter with antibodies to target and remove galectin-3. The purified plasma is then combined with the blood cells and reintroduced to the patient.
This innovative apheresis device is currently being tested by teams including Peng Zhiyong from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in China, applying a multifaceted approach.
Initially, they monitored 87 septic patients versus 27 healthy individuals, discovering elevated galectin-3 levels in the sepsis group. Subsequent assessments showed a decrease in galectin-3 levels among survivors.
The research team also utilized the hemofiltration device in two animal models of sepsis, starting with 48 rats that developed sepsis due to a large intestine puncture. Of these, 28 underwent galectin-3 hemofiltration, while the rest received a sham procedure. Remarkably, 57% of the treatment group survived, compared to just 25% in the control group.
Furthermore, the team applied galectin-3 apheresis to minipigs subjected to lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial component that induces a robust immune response and sepsis. All pigs received intensive care, with 16 undergoing galectin-3 apheresis and 15 getting sham apheresis. The treatment group demonstrated higher survival rates: 69% versus 27%.
“This is certainly innovative,” remarks Jirali Anand of Raymond Poincaré Hospital in Garches, France. “The results remain consistent across both animal models.” Nevertheless, he emphasizes the need for further research to uncover how galectin-3 contributes to sepsis before establishing a standardized treatment. Anand also anticipates replicating these results in independent studies and different animal species, including primates.
Elias’ company, Elias Therapeutics, is actively seeking funding to launch a randomized clinical trial of galectin-3 apheresis in humans, aimed for initiation in 2027.
Witness a rare spectacle: the distant Earth vanishing behind the massive moon, a moment experienced by only a few.
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NASA astronaut Reed Wiseman, commander of the lunar orbiting Artemis II mission, shared a breathtaking video of Earth fading away from the far side of the moon.
“It’s like experiencing a beach sunset from the most exotic seat in the universe,” Wiseman commented on the video, captured through the Orion spacecraft’s window. He described this moment as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”
On April 1, Wiseman and fellow NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen embarked on their lunar journey. After orbiting both Earth and the moon for 10 days, they returned home on April 10, landing in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.
During their mission, the Artemis II crew became the first humans to experience the moon’s far side—an area that remains hidden from Earth.
Wiseman couldn’t resist filming the Earthset using his cellphone while orbiting the moon on April 6, capturing intricate details of the cratered lunar surface.
“The docking hatch window barely revealed the moon,” Wiseman noted. “But an iPhone perfectly captured the view, with an uncropped, uncut 8x zoom, akin to the human eye’s perspective.”
While Wiseman recorded the Earthset, his crew members diligently photographed and documented the moon’s varied terrain and impact craters.
“Listen to the Nikon shutter as @Astro_Christina takes that stunning Earthset photo through the 400mm lens,” Wiseman shared on X about Koch’s work.
This stunning image, captured by the Artemis II crew from the Orion spacecraft on April 6, shows Earth dipping behind the moon’s edge. NASA
The astronauts dedicated around seven hours to take photographs and collect data during this historic lunar flight. Upcoming releases will showcase more breathtaking images of the moon’s landscapes with Earth in the background.
Wiseman’s Earthset video pays tribute to the iconic Earthrise photo from the 1968 Apollo 8 mission. Whereas Apollo 8 showcased the Earth emerging, Wiseman’s video depicts it vanishing.
On December 24, 1968, Apollo 8 crew captured the moment when Earth appeared above the moon’s horizon. William Anders / NASA
Artemis II marked NASA’s first moon mission in over 50 years. Wiseman, Koch, Glover, and Hansen were the pioneers traveling aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule.
Looking forward, NASA’s Artemis III mission is set for mid-2027. The mission aims to remain in low-Earth orbit, executing technology tests with either a SpaceX or Blue Origin lunar lander before the upcoming lunar landing scheduled for Artemis IV in 2028. The agency intends to have one of the landers rendezvous with the Orion capsule in lunar orbit for a crewed lunar descent.
Understanding your stress levels can often feel subjective, but advancements in technology are making it more measurable.
Many smartwatches are now equipped to assess your heart rate, offering a basic indicator of stress. The normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. When stress occurs, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline, which can elevate this rate. A diminished capacity to recover from stress may lead to prolonged increases in heart rate.
Additionally, various smartwatches measure heart rate variability (HRV), which captures the natural fluctuations between successive heartbeats. Under stress, both cortisol and adrenaline cause your heart rate to quicken, leading to reduced variability. Conversely, when the parasympathetic nervous system activates to regain balance, heart rate fluctuations increase. Since average HRV varies from individual to individual, it’s advisable to track deviations as markers of stress.
Over time, monitoring your heart rate and HRV can yield a stress “score,” pinpointing activities or individuals that may contribute to excessive stress (refer to Why the right kind of stress is important for your health and well-being). However, these scores can be imprecise; recent research indicates that they may fail to differentiate between positive excitement and harmful stress.
Cortisol is another critical biomarker for stress researchers. However, its rapid increase—occurring roughly 20 minutes post-stressor—makes it less practical for immediate assessment. Research conducted by Julie Vashuk at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic requires saliva, urine, or blood samples for comprehensive analysis. A biosensor designed for continuous cortisol monitoring is under development, aiming for future commercial availability. Monitor cortisol functionality will enhance our understanding of stress.
In the near future, Vashuk predicts potential biomarker innovations might stem from bone cells. Under stress, these cells produce glutamate, which can inhibit the hormone osteocalcin.
This leads to an influx of osteocalcin in the bloodstream, decreasing parasympathetic activity and triggering a fight-or-flight response.
Understanding heart rate variability is essential for assessing stress levels
Nastasic/Getty Images
“We believe that under stress, the skeleton rapidly produces molecules that serve as better biomarkers for real-time conditions,” Vashuk mentions.
“These bone-derived substances play a significant role in directing energy to necessary areas,” she continues. “In the future, one of these molecules could emerge as a valuable biomarker for stress.”
In 2013, a small, malnourished parrot faced dire circumstances in the Arthur’s Pass wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island, missing half of its beak.
Ximena Nelson, a researcher at the University of Canterbury, discovered the bird (known scientifically as nestor notabilis) suffering from a beak injury, likely due to trauma. Recognizing the kea’s endangered status, Nelson’s student opted to rescue him.
This decision would change Bruce’s life forever, setting him on a path to unexpected prominence.
Initially, zookeepers at the Willowbank Wildlife Sanctuary in Christchurch assumed the parrot was female and named her Kati due to the absence of the upper beak. Male keas possess large upper beaks for digging, and it was unclear how a bird with a half-beak could thrive. “I felt he could bite my finger off,” Nelson remarked.
However, DNA tests later confirmed that Kati was a male, and he was renamed Bruce, a title they considered humorously unfit for a parrot.
To everyone’s surprise, Bruce excelled among nine males and three females at Willowbank, swiftly establishing himself as the alpha male of the group, called a “Circus” (the collective term for a group of keas).
Bruce’s success stemmed from his unique adaptation; the absence of his upper beak allowed him to use his lower beak as a weapon, enhancing his competitive edge.
According to Nelson, Bruce’s straight and sharp lower beak proved instrumental in his jousting tactics against rival birds.
Although other males typically weigh over 1 kg and outweigh Bruce, their upper beaks obscure their lower ones, limiting their effectiveness in confrontations.
“Should they attempt to headbutt another bird, the impact would be blunted,” Nelson noted. “Conversely, Bruce charges at his competitors, often almost falling over in his enthusiasm.”
Nelson added, “His jabs are intense; the other birds despise it. When Bruce engages, they quickly take flight.”
Of the 162 aggressive interactions noted over four weeks, Bruce dominated, winning all 36 encounters he participated in.
He also maintained control over four feeders in the enclosure, sometimes enlisting lower-status birds to preen and groom their lower beaks, a behavior unseen in other captive birds.
The research team aimed to investigate how Bruce’s dominance impacted the social hierarchy, discovering that his stress hormone levels were significantly lower than those of his competitors. His alpha status enabled him to engage in aggression far less frequently than required by others.
Researchers assert that besides humans, Bruce represents the first documented case of an injured animal achieving and sustaining alpha male status solely through behavioral innovation.
His story embodies the message that differences need not be disadvantages, and notably, he did not require any beak repairs.
“I genuinely admire Bruce,” Nelson commented. “When it’s time to fight, he puts in his all, fiercely and energetically. Nevertheless, he isn’t a bully.”
New research by Professor Enrique Gaztanaga of the University of Portsmouth and the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona proposes a groundbreaking theory that some black holes might have formed before the Big Bang and survived a cosmic ‘bounce’. This intriguing idea could shed light on dark matter, the gravitational wave background, and the formative years of supermassive black holes and galaxies.
Gaztanaga proposes a new dark matter mechanism involving relic black holes stemming from a pre-big-bounce collapse.
“For almost a century, cosmologists have traced the universe’s history back to a singular event known as the Big Bang,” Professor Gaztanaga remarked.
“The conventional theory suggests that space and time originated from an extremely hot and dense state approximately 13.8 billion years ago, leading to billions of years of cosmic expansion and galaxy formation.”
“This prevailing model has been remarkably successful, accounting for the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation—an echo from the early universe—and accurately predicting the distribution of galaxies across the cosmos.”
“Nevertheless, several profound mysteries in physics remain unresolved. We still lack understanding about the Big Bang’s cause, the universe’s initial special conditions, the rapid expansion known as inflation, and the nature of dark matter, which outnumbers ordinary matter by a factor of five.”
“Our research investigates the possibility that the universe didn’t originate from a single shock but may have emerged from a cosmic bounce that mimicked inflation, with some of the universe’s oldest objects potentially surviving as relics from an earlier epoch.”
Some black holes may have emerged during the universe’s early stages and survived this cosmic bounce, leaving behind relics that could still influence galaxy structures billions of years later.
Others may have formed immediately after density fluctuations were amplified, resulting in a more uneven distribution of matter during the early universe.
These concentrated clumps of matter collapse more readily under their own gravity, increasing the likelihood of forming large cosmic structures and black holes early on.
Within Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the Big Bang represents a singularity, a point where density becomes infinite and known physical laws cease to function.
Many physicists view this as indicative of an incomplete understanding of the universe’s earliest moments.
Another concept to consider is bounce cosmology. This theory posits that our universe originated from a colossal cloud that first contracted and then expanded.
Rather than collapsing into an infinite singularity, the universe reaches a very high but finite density before reversing its motion.
“Singularities often signal that a theoretical framework has hit its limitations,” Professor Gaztanaga asserts.
“Bounces offer an avenue for the universe to transition from contraction to expansion without necessitating new and exotic physics.”
Scientists posit that this bounce might emerge naturally from quantum physics. Under extreme densities, quantum effects generate powerful pressures that prevent matter from compressing infinitely. This phenomenon stabilizes dense objects like white dwarfs and neutron stars, potentially replicating the inflationary phase.
New models suggest that similar effects could manifest on a cosmic scale. As the universe contracts, this quantum pressure can halt the collapse and trigger a rebound into expansion.
This cosmic bounce could address two pressing mysteries in cosmology.
First, it could elucidate why the early universe expanded so rapidly and uniformly in all directions.
Second, it may help explain why the universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate today—an effect currently attributed to a poorly understood force referred to as dark energy.
A notable hypothesis is that certain structures formed during the collapse phase may have persisted after the bounce.
New calculations indicate that compact objects exceeding about 90 meters in size might traverse the transition and reemerge as remnants in the expanding universe.
Potential artifacts include gravitational waves, density fluctuations, and ancient black holes.
These relic black holes could serve to explain dark matter, the unseen material that shapes large-scale structures of galaxies and the universe.
If substantial numbers were created during the bounce, they could constitute a significant portion, or even all, of dark matter.
This notion may also provide insight into the recent observations by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope of an unexpectedly massive object, often referred to as a ‘tiny red dot,’ in the early universe.
Many astronomers speculate these sources are related to rapidly growing black holes that emerged shortly after the Big Bang.
“If a supermassive black hole existed right after the bounce, we wouldn’t have to start from square one when forming the initial galaxies in the early universe,” Gaztanaga explained.
This theory also presents predictions that could be tested through future observations.
Scientists may seek to detect relic gravitational waves from previous cosmic stages or subtle patterns in the CMB that preserve traces of a pre-Big Bang universe.
“Much research is still required to validate these concepts,” Professor Gaztanaga states.
“However, if the universe did experience a bounce, the dark structures that shape today’s galaxies might be remnants from an earlier cosmic age that preceded the Big Bang.”
When you mention a work trip to New York, envy is likely the reaction you’ll receive. A summit in Paris? Instant jealousy. But say you’re heading to Chernobyl for the 40th anniversary of the world’s worst nuclear catastrophe, and you’ll likely see concern instead.
Many will caution you about cancer risks while others will recall sensational headlines and dramatic documentaries, suggesting radioactive contamination is unavoidable. To uncover the truth, we ventured into the no-go zone. Has pollution improved or worsened? Is nature suffering or thriving? Will the region ever see repopulation? Could the ongoing conflict with Russia reopen radiation concerns?
Four decades on, Chernobyl offers a range of insights, from engineering advancements aimed at radiation containment to environmental transformations as large cooling ponds give way to flourishing forests, and the increasing populations of rare species such as wolves and moose. However, the narrative is complicated by the war, which has sparked widespread devastation, military involvement, and a tumultuous geopolitical landscape.
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The one-dimensional view of Chernobyl as a contaminated wasteland is far from accurate. “
Presently, Chernobyl exists as a heavily restricted military zone—situated on the Ukrainian border and a potential route for further invasions. With the limited cooperation of scientists in the area, New Scientist has obtained rare access. Documenting our visit reveals how the simplistic view of Chernobyl as just a barren wasteland misses its complex history. Nature is resilient, pollution is largely under control, and the Exclusion Zone has become an intriguing and beautiful locale.
The future of Chernobyl—and indeed all of Ukraine—is uncertain. The ongoing conflict complicates management efforts and hinders scientific research. With the threat of drone attacks looming, the most pressing danger to Chernobyl’s stability may not be radiation (which can be monitored with appropriate funding) but rather the actions of Russia.
Quantum computers are on the brink of revolutionizing AI applications that currently rely on extensive traditional computing resources. This groundbreaking technology could substantially accelerate advancements in machine learning and various artificial intelligence algorithms.
These advanced quantum systems promise capabilities to perform certain calculations unattainable by classical computers. However, researchers continue to explore whether these advantages extend to data-intensive tasks, like those involving machine learning—an essential component of modern AI.
Now, Fan Xinyuan of Oratomic, along with other research teams, advocates that the answer is indeed affirmative. Their innovative mathematical studies are paving the way for a future where quantum computing significantly enhances AI functionality.
“Machine learning permeates not only science and technology but also our daily lives. In an optimized quantum ecosystem, I believe this architecture will be applicable whenever large datasets are deployed,” he states.
The research from Huang and his team addresses the pivotal concern of how non-quantum data (like restaurant reviews or RNA sequencing results) can efficiently integrate with quantum systems, allowing these computers to utilize their unique properties for superior data processing and learning.
This integration necessitates the process of “overlaying” data—a mathematical combination that classical machines struggle to create. Previously, it was deemed impractical since all data in the superposition state was thought to require immense storage in dedicated memory devices. However, as Zhao Haimeng at the California Institute of Technology points out, that assumption has been challenged.
Huang’s team has explored a novel method that allows data input in smaller batches without the need for extensive memory, akin to streaming a movie rather than downloading it entirely before viewing.
This method not only demonstrates efficacy but also showcases that quantum computers can manage larger data sets with a reduced memory footprint compared to traditional systems.
Remarkably, the memory efficiency is so pronounced that a quantum computer utilizing approximately 300 error-correct qubits could outperform a classical computer constructed from every atom in the observable universe, according to Zhao.
While it may take years to build a quantum computer with 300 logical qubits, Huang anticipates that a 60-qubit model could be feasible by decade’s end. Their analysis indicates significant quantum advantages over classical computers for tasks involving large data sets already in AI applications.
“Quantum machines are indeed formidable, but they require innovative feeding methods,” notes Adrian Perez Salinas from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, emphasizing the importance of gradual data integration.
Nevertheless, challenges remain in applying this new research to tangible devices and real-world datasets. Past quantum machine learning algorithms often proved amenable to “inverse quantization,” a technique allowing algorithms to function without quantum hardware but still deliver effective outcomes. Furthermore, the importance of quantum properties in their new algorithm warrants further investigation, according to Perez-Salinas.
Researchers like Vedran Duniko from Leiden University in the Netherlands believe their findings are applicable to large-scale scientific endeavors, such as the Large Hadron Collider, where immense volumes of data are continually generated yet often discarded due to memory limitations.
While quantum computers are predicted to handle only specific AI applications and similar data-processing tasks, Duniko suggests, “This may not significantly disrupt today’s GPU-driven data centers, but its implications could still be substantial.”
The research teams continue to explore expanding the range of algorithms suitable for this methodology and devising innovative configurations for quantum computers to process data efficiently, with minimal memory, within practical time limits.
According to climate models, global temperatures are anticipated to increase by 2-4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century (approximately 4-7°F). Cold-blooded animals, or ectothermic species , are particularly sensitive to environmental fluctuations, as they depend on ambient temperatures for thermoregulation. In tropical ecosystems, where temperatures remain stable year-round, these cold-blooded organisms might experience limited thermal variability. Consequently, they could exhibit lower resilience to temperature shifts, heightening their susceptibility to heat stress.
Social insects, including ants and bees, exemplify cold-blooded species that adapt their behavior in response to temperature changes at both individual and colony levels, complicating predictions about their responses to climate change. For instance, arboreal ants frequently engage in “service exchanges” with host plants through mutualistic relationships . These intricate ant-plant interactions extend their impact, influencing other species. A notable example is certain bird species that prefer nesting in acacia trees defended by ants. Disruptions to this mutualism due to rising temperatures could trigger significant ecological ramifications.
To investigate how increasing temperatures influence symbiotic relationships, researchers analyzed the impacts of direct sunlight and experimentally elevated temperatures on tropical ants residing in trees. This study, conducted in Panama’s Metropolitano Natural Park from February to April 2024, focused on a specific ant species that engages in a mutually beneficial relationship with giant acacia plants. These ants provide protection against herbivores and eliminate competing vegetation in exchange for nourishment and shelter.
The researchers set up open-topped plastic enclosures around 33 acacia trees, ensuring that each ant colony was evenly distributed between shaded and sunlit areas. Sixteen control enclosures were well-ventilated through plastic holes, while seventeen heated enclosures were sealed at the base and contained black paper to enhance heat absorption. The temperature within the heated enclosures was approximately 1.3°C (2.3°F) higher than the control enclosures.
After a week, the researchers assessed ant activity on the branches twice daily—once in the morning (from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) and again in the afternoon (from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Each branch was marked, and researchers counted the number of ants crossing it within a three-minute span, simultaneously recording branch and spine temperatures and noting their sun or shade exposure. They found that ant colonies in heated environments exhibited reduced activity compared to control colonies, particularly on sun-exposed leaves in the afternoon. The ants tended to navigate through the spines, avoiding direct surfaces. Although the spines were approximately 2°C (3.6°F) warmer than the branches, they provided shelter from direct sunlight, indicating that the ants adjusted their behavior to manage heat.
To determine the effect of elevated temperatures on ant defense mechanisms, the researchers pinned a pincer leaf to the acacia trunk’s base and monitored interactions. Findings revealed that ant colonies in heated enclosures demonstrated diminished defensive behavior toward foreign foliage compared to control colonies.
Researchers then measured the maximum temperature threshold, labeled Tmax, which indicates the temperature above which ants can no longer function. They collected three worker ants from each colony prior to, and three weeks following, enclosure setup. Each ant was placed in a tube at 36°C (97°F), with the temperature increased by 2°C (3.6°F) every 10 minutes. Researchers tapped the tubes gently to assess ant recovery capabilities, recording the temperature threshold for maximum function. The average Tmax for the 33 ant colonies was 46.5°C (115.7°F), showing no significant difference between control and heated groups. Similar Tmax values (around 48°C or 118°F) were noted for the same ant species from hotter, drier environments, suggesting these ants possess a naturally limited tolerance for high temperatures. The branch temperatures in their experiments reached 48°C (118°F), indicating that ants are already operating close to their thermal threshold.
The research team concluded that ants reduced their activity levels in response to heat, consequently weakening their protective role for the acacia plants. The researchers speculated that such behavioral changes may render the plants more vulnerable to herbivores and disrupt interactions with other species, including pathogens and birds. They emphasized the need for future studies examining how climate stressors affect these complex interdependencies and their broader ecological implications.
The overlooked advantages of tooth brushing in hospitals
Drazen Zigic/Getty Images
Brushing your teeth while receiving hospital treatment can significantly decrease your risk of developing pneumonia.
Despite its benefits, many patients in hospitals neglect to brush their teeth. Reasons may vary, including forgetting a toothbrush, lack of motivation, or physical limitations. Additionally, healthcare providers often fail to prioritize routine oral hygiene for patients.
The largest randomized controlled trial in this area revealed that patients who received toothbrushes, toothpaste, and educational materials on dental care were 60% less likely to acquire pneumonia during their hospital stay, according to Brett Mitchell from Avondale University, Australia.
“This underscores the necessity of discussing pneumonia risks and the critical role of oral care and tooth brushing during hospitalization,” he states.
Pneumonia, especially ventilator-associated pneumonia, often arises due to medical devices disrupting normal respiratory functions. However, many hospitalized patients not on ventilators also develop pneumonia 48 hours post-admission. Ongoing research aims to uncover why this occurs and how to prevent it. Nosocomial pneumonia is notably linked to increased length of hospital stays, higher costs, and elevated mortality rates, as mentioned in this study.
“This is a crucial inquiry,” says Michael Klompas from Harvard University, who was not affiliated with the study. “Nosocomial pneumonia is among the most prevalent and lethal hospital-acquired infections, yet we lack concrete data on effective preventative strategies.”
Mitchell hypothesized a connection between the disease and oral bacteria. The oral microbiome can influence respiratory health as bacteria-laden droplets may be inhaled into the lungs. When hospitalized, a patient’s oral microbiome can shift, highlighting a pressing need for intervention, he explains.
Consequently, he and his team initiated a year-long randomized controlled trial involving 8,870 patients across three Australian hospitals to assess the impact of oral care on pneumonia risk. Mitchell presented the findings from this segment of the Nosocomial Pneumonia Prevention (‘HAPPEN’) study at the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global) conference in Munich, Germany.
In the study, each hospital divided participants into three groups, with no interventions in the first three months. After this period, one group received toothbrushes and toothpaste featuring motivational messages like “Brushing your teeth helps prevent pneumonia” and “Blow away pneumonia!” These brushes were designed with special handles for ease of use. Patients were also given QR codes linking to educational resources on the HAPPEN website.
After six months, a second group received brushes, followed by the third group after nine months, allowing all participants to practice tooth brushing for the study’s last three months.
To support medical staff, the research team provided oral care training for ward nurses and linked professional advice on their website. They encouraged nurses to remind patients about oral care and assist those who struggled with brushing.
During the non-intervention phase, only 15.9% of patients brushed their teeth daily. However, during the intervention phase, 61.5% of patients engaged in daily oral care, averaging 1.5 brushes per day. Web analytics showed that both patients and nurses frequently accessed information on the HAPPEN portal during this period, noted Mitchell.
Simultaneously, the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia unrelated to ventilators saw a significant decline, dropping from 1 case per 100 hospital days in the control group to 0.41 cases in the intervention group.
“This study is groundbreaking,” Klompas remarks, emphasizing the substantial sample size and randomized methodology. “Brushing your teeth while hospitalized not only promotes oral health but can also save lives.”
Piry Sipila from the University of Helsinki appreciates the profound risk reduction achieved through such simple interventions. “Patients were essentially provided with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and basic advice,” he observes. Nonetheless, outcomes may differ based on hospitalization reasons and patients’ usual oral hygiene practices.
Understanding Self-Sabotage: Self-sabotage, often referred to by psychologists as “self-handicapping,” involves consciously engaging in behaviors that undermine your path to success. This can manifest in various domains, such as academic performance, sports, or personal relationships.
For instance, you might skip rehearsing for an important work presentation, or neglect training for an upcoming race. In a romantic setting, even if things are going well, you may start ignoring your partner’s messages.
While such behaviors may seem puzzling and counterproductive, research indicates that self-sabotage serves a purpose. It’s often a subconscious strategy to safeguard self-esteem and mitigate the fears of failure or rejection.
Consider a scenario where you deliberately underprepare for a work presentation, resulting in a poor performance. The failure can be justified by your lack of preparation, rather than reflecting negatively on your abilities.
Similarly, if you finish last in a race due to insufficient training, you can attribute your loss to that lack of effort rather than a lack of talent.
In relationships, if you choose to ignore your partner’s texts and they decide to break up with you, you can attribute the rejection to your behavior instead of feeling that you weren’t good enough for them.
Essentially, self-sabotage provides a convenient excuse to protect your ego in the face of setbacks.
Individuals with a fear of failure or low self-esteem are particularly prone to this pattern. In the short term, it may offer temporary relief, but ultimately, it can increase the risk of long-term failure or rejection.
Waiting for negative outcomes can result in self-sabotage. – Photo credit: Getty
How to Overcome Self-Sabotage
If you genuinely want to excel in your endeavors, such as delivering a great presentation, training for a race, or nurturing a healthy relationship, proactive steps are essential. Avoiding self-sabotage involves addressing these habits one step at a time.
A helpful strategy is adopting a “Master Mindset”. This involves viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than as definitive assessments of your self-worth. If your presentation or race doesn’t go as planned, focus on what you can improve for next time.
Another effective technique is practicing self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness as you would a close friend and recognize that your value isn’t dependent on any single event or relationship outcome.
As you grow closer to a romantic partner, embrace any feelings of vulnerability. Remember that even if the relationship ends, it does not diminish your worth or lovability.
This article addresses the inquiry posed by Samantha Osborne via email: “Why do I keep self-sabotaging, and how can I stop it?”
Have more questions? Reach out to us at:questions@sciencefocus.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram(be sure to include your name and location).
Explore our ultimate collection of fun facts and more intriguing science articles.
A newly identified genus and species of carnivorous herrerasaurid dinosaur has been revealed from a well-preserved skull unearthed in northern New Mexico.
Artistic rendition of Ptychoterates buculentus. Image credit: Megan Sodano / Virginia Tech.
This newly discovered dinosaur species lived approximately 201 million years ago during the Rhaetian period of the Late Triassic era.
Identified as Ptychoterates buculentus, this species offers a rare glimpse into a lesser-known chapter of dinosaur evolution.
“Dinosaurs emerged during the Carnian period (237 to 227 million years ago) in the early Late Triassic and eventually branched into three lineages that thrived into the Jurassic: ornithischians, theropods, and sauropods,” explained Virginia Tech paleontologists Simba Srivastava and Stirling Nesbitt.
“While most of the earliest dinosaur fossils have been found in high-latitude regions of Pangea (present-day Brazil, Argentina, Zimbabwe, and India), comparable dinosaur remains from lower latitudes (like Late Triassic deposits in the southwestern United States and Morocco) are rare.”
The fossil remains of Ptychoterates buculentus include a nearly complete skull, which features an intact braincase and the majority of the skull roof, discovered in 1982 at the Coelophysis Quarry in northern New Mexico.
The skull measures about 22 cm (9 inches) in length, indicating it was a relatively tall and narrow-headed dinosaur.
“The skull reveals this species had prominent cheekbones, a broad braincase, and likely a short, deep snout,” added the paleontologist.
“These characteristics are the first of their kind seen in early dinosaurs, highlighting the ongoing evolution of these magnificent creatures.”
Ptychoterates buculentus belongs to one of the earliest-known families of carnivorous dinosaurs, the Herrerasauria.
This species is closely related to two other Triassic dinosaurs, Tawa Harae and Chindesaurus briansmalli.
These species form part of a newly defined clade, Morphoraptora, characterized by a mix of anatomical traits found in both primitive dinosaurs and later theropods.
“Our anatomical comparisons with other Triassic archosaurs support the identification of Ptychoterates buculentus as a new taxon within the saurischian dinosaurs, closely linked to Tawa Harae,” explained the researchers.
“More broadly, our findings position Ptychoterates buculentus as a member of Morphoraptora, a clade known primarily from Late Triassic deposits in the southwestern United States.”
Previously, scientists believed that by the late Triassic period, the earliest lineages of carnivorous dinosaurs had vanished, replaced by more advanced theropods.
However, the discovery of Ptychoterates buculentus indicates that some of these lineages survived much longer than anticipated, at least in the lower latitudes of the ancient supercontinent Pangea.
“Ptychoterates buculentus was found in strata that appear to date just before the Great Extinction at the end of the Triassic, and members of this family never appeared again, suggesting that this group perished due to the mass extinction,” the scientists noted.
“This finding necessitates a reevaluation of the end-Triassic extinction’s impact, showing that it not only eliminated competing dinosaur species but also long-established dinosaur lineages,” Srivastava added.
“Furthermore, since herrerasaurids have not been discovered elsewhere in the Late Triassic, it is likely that what is now the American Southwest served as the final refuge for these dinosaurs.”
The discovery of Ptychoterates buculentus is detailed in a research paper published in this week’s edition of the journal Paleontology Papers.
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Simba Srivastava & Sterling J. Nesbitt. 2026. A new taxon of saurischian dinosaurs (Triassic: modern Norian or Rhaetian) from Coelophysis Quarry in New Mexico, USA, highlighting the diversity of Herrerasaurus in the Late Triassic. Paleontology Papers 12 (2): e70069; doi: 10.1002/spp2.70069
Currently, over 90% of new power generation relies on renewable sources. However, solar and wind energy can produce electricity only intermittently, leading to fluctuations in supply. A pilot project in Delaware has demonstrated that electric vehicle (EV) owners can earn considerable income—amounting to thousands of dollars annually—by utilizing their idle vehicles as a sophisticated storage system. This system stores excess electricity generated during peak production and discharges it during high-demand periods.
Recent findings indicate that the average electric vehicle is parked for 95% of the day. This highlights the potential for power utilities to tap into the energy stored in these vehicles during peak hours and recharge them when demand is lower. Willett Kempton from the University of Delaware estimated that EV owners could profit by selling their stored energy back to the grid.
“Electric vehicles can act as a cheaper energy storage solution compared to traditional battery installations, provided they’re plugged in most of the time,” says Kempton. This innovation could bolster power system reliability and enhance the integration of renewable energy sources.
The Delaware project showcased adaptations on four Ford electric vehicles contributed by Delmarva Power. Throughout 2025, V2G (vehicle-to-grid) charging was monitored, revealing that each EV could generate up to $3,359 annually if energy sold aligns with market rates.
Despite initial optimism about V2G technology when it was first studied in 1997, nearly three decades later, it remains mostly experimental in select regions across the U.S., Europe, Japan, and China.
The complexity of reversing energy flow from grid to vehicles has posed significant challenges, necessitating adjustments from automakers, utility companies, and regulatory bodies alike.
The core issue lies in the power grid predominantly relying on AC (alternating current), while most household appliances—including EVs—convert AC to DC (direct current) when charging. For vehicles to supply power back to the grid, this energy must be converted back to AC.
Implementing this safely requires V2G components compliant with stringent safety regulations. Currently, the simplest V2G setup involves installing a wall-mounted charger that converts DC to AC, making it suitable for solar installations. Various manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Nissan, now provide wall chargers compatible in select areas.
However, these wall chargers can reach high costs. To combat this, companies like Tesla, BYD, and Renault are innovating EVs equipped with built-in converters for DC to AC inside the vehicles. Additionally, experts like Kempton are working on new safety standards for AC chargers. With broader adoption, the cost of implementing V2G technologies could be substantially less, adding just a few hundred dollars to the price of a vehicle.
Presently, a rivalry exists between manufacturers adopting DC V2G, such as Volkswagen and those focused on AC V2G, like Tesla. This scenario is likened to the VHS versus Betamax format war of the 1980s, as explained by Alex Schoch, an executive at Octopus Energy. “While Betamax had superior quality, VHS emerged as more affordable, ultimately dominating the market,” he adds.
“There’s potential for both standards to coexist for a time, but long-term scalability demands a dominant standard,” Schoch states. “We unequivocally back AC.”
For consumers considering investing in V2G, a feed-in tariff structure is vital, allowing them to profit from supplying energy back to the grid. In 2024, Octopus launched the UK’s inaugural V2G tariff, though access remains limited for many EV owners. The partnership with BYD allows customers to lease V2G-enabled chargers and electric vehicles.
“Today’s EVs and the next generation rolling out are increasingly V2G-compatible,” Schoch notes, indicating a future with immense distributed energy capacity across the nation.
The advent of V2G technology could help achieve real-time balance in grid supply and demand. However, the rising number of V2G-equipped EVs may strain existing power systems, potentially necessitating grid upgrades.
Recent research indicates that a holistic approach to grid upgrades would be more economical than incremental improvements as V2G technology expands. The study’s lead researcher, Xu Liangcai from the National University of Singapore, emphasizes the need for proactivity in preparing power systems for the emerging V2G landscape.
“Initially, I thought V2G would be a panacea,” remarked co-author Ziyou Song, also from the National University of Singapore. “However, it’s clear that significant upgrades to power systems are essential to accommodate increased demand for charging.”
A significant wave of cyber threats is sweeping across the internet, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. According to World Economic Forum, global cyberattacks surged by 58% over two years, projected to reach alarming heights by 2025.
Much of this escalation is attributed to AI, with 89 percent of attacks leveraging artificial intelligence in 2025 alone.
While phishing attacks—where criminals disguise themselves in emails, calls, or texts to extract sensitive information—are predominantly responsible for the rise, a fundamental shift is underway. The announcement of the Claude Mythos Preview by Anthropic reverberated through the tech space, indicating significant advancements in AI capabilities.
This revolutionary model has raised concerns, as it can identify vulnerabilities in software that even seasoned analysts may overlook. As a result, Anthropic launched Project Glasswing, uniting over 40 leading software companies to utilize the Claude Mythos Preview in order to detect and rectify these flaws before malicious actors can exploit similar AI functionalities.
Reportedly, this model has already uncovered thousands of critical vulnerabilities across key operating systems and web browsers. Anthropic warned that it’s “not too distant” when AI models may proliferate with such capabilities, posing severe risks to economic, public safety, and national security.
In essence, the Mythos Preview and similar models reveal that many widely trusted systems on which the Internet is built harbor longstanding vulnerabilities that AI can exploit faster than any hacker.
The pressing question remains: Can we address these security flaws and fortify the Internet in time?
The Open Source Gap
Irrespective of your stance on the tech giants leading the AI charge, one encouraging note is that the most advanced tools in safeguarding the Internet are currently in the hands of “good people.” However, this situation may not hold indefinitely.
The industry’s top AI systems, known as “frontier models,” include closely monitored entities like Mythos Preview.
Nevertheless, a new category known as “open source models” is rising, offering more transparency and innovation opportunities, albeit with accompanying risks. Decentralization could allow malicious actors to modify AI systems for illicit purposes if these models operate on independent servers.
“A few years ago, it wasn’t so accessible, but now anyone can access tools to create AI agents,” says Professor Peter Bentley from University College London, in a discussion with BBC Science Focus.
“While it requires powerful hardware, criminals will undoubtedly invest to reap rewards. They’ll acquire robust systems and local models, making malicious deployment plausible. Pandora’s box is indeed open.”
Anthropic’s Project Glasswing includes Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google, and more to enhance software security – Photo courtesy of Getty
Traditionally, open source models have been less advanced than state-of-the-art systems, but this gap is narrowing quickly. A recent report by the AI Security Research Institute indicates that the disparity is now about six months.
With this pace, it could be just under a year before models like Mythos Preview fall into malicious hands, further endangering fundamental web software. Is urgency starting to sink in?
Filtering the Noise
Before you dive into hysteria, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the AI sector is often prone to sensationalism.
Firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google may exaggerate their models’ potential and dangers.
This tendency is especially prevalent in workplaces. Despite years of claims about AI revolutionizing industries, many roles have witnessed minimal change.
“Significant investments have been made in AI,” noted Bentley, “Yet the landscape has shifted primarily toward efficiency rather than transformation.”
While Anthropic hails the Mythos Preview as a “quantum leap,” others exhibit skepticism.
For instance, noted scientist and author Gary Marcus highlighted in a Substack post after the Project Glasswing announcement that the model is an incremental improvement rather than a groundbreaking leap forward.
An analysis from the AI cybersecurity firm Aisle indicated that a smaller, less expensive model could deliver performance nearly equivalent to that of Claude Mythos Preview.
Despite rising fears regarding malicious use of future AI models, the intent behind such misuse varies widely. “Criminals typically engage for financial gain,” Bentley explains. However, political adversaries might be more inclined to sow chaos than to profit.
“Once any nation acquires this technology, it’s likely they’ll employ it against others,” Bentley warns. “We are inadvertently weaponizing AI.”
AI is driving an increase in phishing scams, where hackers impersonate trusted figures to infiltrate systems – Photo credit: Getty
The Race is On
Clearly, the race is underway to reinforce the Internet before this new generation of models gains traction.
But is simply patching every vulnerability the right strategy? And can we feasibly do so?
Using AI for code correction presents its challenges. “AI-generated code is often convoluted and subpar,” notes Bentley. “Attempting to patch existing code with AI can lead to further complications and new vulnerabilities.”
Perhaps the solution lies in gaining an upper hand while defenders remain ahead of the curve.
A recent post from the UK’s National Cyber Security Center highlighted that defenders can “shape the battlefield,” leveraging their environment to their advantage while minimizing risks for adversaries.
AI can also be effectively employed to monitor for malicious AI activities. In the near term, AI is clumsy in penetrating systems, producing noticeable alerts that are easier to track, as explained in the NCSC post.
For Bentley, the situation resembles an arms race: “It’s akin to providing smart scientists with comprehensive blueprints for creating explosives and letting them loose,” he asserts.
The underlying concern remains: What vulnerabilities may go up in smoke first?
Recent studies reveal that bacteria in our gut can recycle discarded sex hormones back into the bloodstream. Researchers found that individuals in industrialized societies host significantly more bacteria that perform this recycling than those in hunter-gatherer populations or non-industrialized farmers. This phenomenon may lead to elevated blood levels of certain sex hormones, presenting potential health risks.
“We don’t yet know how the body reacts to this increased input,” explains Rebecca Britten from Jagiellonian University School of Medicine in Poland. “However, the implications could be substantial.”
Sex hormones, including estrogen, travel in the bloodstream. Elevated hormone levels trigger a chemical signal in the liver, causing the hormone to be excreted via the intestines. Bacteria feed on a sugar molecule attached to the hormone, utilizing an enzyme named β-glucuronidase to remove this tag.
Once the tag is cleaved, hormones can be reabsorbed by the body and re-enter the bloodstream. Research indicates that a notable portion of excreted sex hormones undergoes this recycling process due to gut bacteria.
The term “oestrobolome,” introduced in 2011, refers to the collection of intestinal bacteria that influence estrogen levels. Recently, the term “Testbolome” was proposed, indicating gut bacteria’s role in altering testosterone levels as well.
The latest research, conducted by a British team, analyzed gut microbiome data from various populations, including hunter-gatherers in Botswana, rural farmers in Venezuela, and urban residents in Philadelphia and Colorado. The findings show that the estrogen recycling ability of gut microbes in industrialized populations is up to seven times greater and twice as diverse compared to hunter-gatherers or rural communities.
Interestingly, the study also highlights that formula-fed infants exhibit up to three times more recycling capacity and eleven times more diversity than breastfed infants. However, factors such as age, gender, and BMI did not significantly affect the oestrobolome composition.
Researchers are now investigating if the enhanced recycling capabilities linked to gene sequences translate to actual increases in estrogen levels in the bloodstream. It remains to be seen whether the body compensates for heightened recycling by adjusting hormone levels.
If certain individuals maintain high estrogen levels due to their microbiome, it could significantly impact fertility and overall health, potentially raising the risk for conditions like certain cancers. Conversely, increased recycling might be beneficial for those with low estrogen levels. “We shouldn’t automatically assume that higher estrogen recycling is detrimental,” Britten notes. “In some cases, it can be advantageous.”
Katherine Cook, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine studying the microbiome’s connection to breast cancer risk, emphasizes the growing evidence of gut microbiome’s role in human health. However, she cautions that the current study’s cohort is primarily based in the United States, suggesting that including a European group could strengthen the findings.
Britten expresses her intention to explore the lifestyle factors contributing to these observed differences. “We want to gather more precise data for further research,” she remarks.
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“The Largest Ear of Corn Ever Cultivated,” photographed by W.H. Martin and published by the North American Post Card Company in 1908
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Do you remember the viral image of Pope Francis in a striking white down jacket from 2023? It was later found to be generated by the AI tool Midjourney. With fake images and videos saturating the internet, a new exhibit at the Rijksmuseum delves into the historical manipulation of photographs since the advent of the medium.
Featuring prominently in this exhibit is the extraordinary image of a giant ear of corn (above), captured by W.H. Martin in 1908 as part of a fascinating series of postcards showcasing oversized crops and livestock. Martin would cut and paste his scenes before reshooting new images, showcasing innovative photographic techniques for the time.
This incredible work is part of the exhibition fake! Early Photo Collages and Photo Montages, which is on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam until May 25th. Below is a pre-1908 photomontage postcard depicting a futuristic New York where cars can soar above the skyline. The color was added later, slightly altering the contours to give a painterly effect despite being a photograph.
“Cars Flying Over Mulberry Bend Park, New York” by Theodor Eismann, published before 1908
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The Rijksmuseum notes that photographers began utilizing cut-and-paste techniques as early as 1860. This exhibition showcases the evolution of image manipulation leading up to World War II.
Next, we see a peculiar image of a wheelbarrow with an oversized head, crafted between 1900 and 1910.
Photomontage by Unknown Artist, 1900-1910
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The fascination with oversized crops culminates once more in a 1908 postcard featuring geese, dwarfed by their human companions, congregating at a market.
Bringing Our Geese to Market, published by Martin Post Card Company, 1908
Collaboration between DESI and KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor
The universe is in a state of transformation. While not yet at its conclusion, one day all we know will fade away.
Everything we know—the cities, lakes, planets, solar systems, and the stars—are on a path to an ultimate finale.
What lies ahead? Some experts speculate that the universe’s expansion will eventually reverse, gathering everything tightly until it culminates in a big crunch, only to start anew in a big bounce. This idea, known as cyclic cosmology, has resurfaced, partly fueled by groundbreaking data from the Dark Energy Spectrograph (DESI)’s comprehensive 3D map of the universe.
Proponents of periodic cosmology often advocate for its aesthetic simplicity. If the universe follows this cycle, we may not need to grapple with what caused the Big Bang or what existed before it—these questions may have been resolved already. Scottish astronomer Katherine Heymans eloquently summarized during a recent lecture hosted by New Scientist: “The universe undergoes a big bang, expands, slows down, and gravity pulls it back, culminating in another big bang.”
Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess, who contributed significantly to the discovery of dark energy, highlights why many cosmologists favor this concept. He states, “This suggests we are not in a unique universe, implying that the periodic nature of the cosmos makes we, as existences, less coincidental.” However, this perspective may be seen as anthropocentric rather than purely physics-based.
For decades, periodic cosmology lost momentum, especially after Riess’s findings indicated that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Should dark energy outweigh gravitational forces, the likelihood of the universe collapsing decreases. Heymans noted, “Current evidence points towards a desolate, cold demise for our universe,” referring to heat death, which is currently the prevalent theory concerning the universe’s fate.
This notion isn’t without challenges, particularly when exploring how energy, matter, and entropy behave between cosmic cycles.
The second law of thermodynamics complicates the scenario. It posits that disorder, or entropy, never declines in a closed system like the universe. While entropy rises overall as the universe expands, it would seemingly decrease if contraction occurs—an apparent contradiction lies therein. Although some theoretical work has aimed to circumvent this, the ultimate cycle still reverts to a Big Bang followed by heat death, albeit through a convoluted path.
Prominent theoretical physicist Roger Penrose introduced a model called conformal periodic cosmology to navigate these complexities. His theory posits that the universe remains seemingly ever-expanding until the end, where matter disintegrates entirely into photons. Here’s the novel aspect: the uniformity at the new cycle’s start mirrors the emptiness at the previous cycle’s conclusion, potentially allowing a new universe to emerge.
While intriguing, this paradigm remains hard to empirically test, though Penrose has suggested potential measurable evidence. However, skepticism persists in the cosmological community, yet its avoidance of the entropy quandary means it shouldn’t be disregarded outright.
Mayall 4-Meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory
DESI Collaboration/DOE/KPNO/NOIR
DESI’s expansive cosmic map indicates that dark energy—a previously unstoppable force—may be losing strength. This suggests that while the universe’s expansion continues, its acceleration might be slowing down. As Heymans pointed out, this doesn’t imply a cosmic contraction but marks a significant shift in our understanding of dark energy.
The possibility that dark energy can weaken over the next ten billion years could usher in a new phase for periodic cosmology. “The transformation of dark energy may pave the way for a universe that can reverse its expansion one day,” noted Heymans.
Understanding the universe’s fate hinges on comprehending dark energy, which constitutes nearly 70% of the universe’s matter and energy. The nature of dark energy remains elusive, complicating efforts to theorize regarding the universe’s long-term trajectory. As Reese contended, “Extrapolating into the future without knowing more about dark energy renders predictions difficult.” While the cold death of the universe may seem the most probable outcome, the prospect of a big bounce-back is more conceivable than it has been in decades.
Novelist Leo Tolstoy famously stated: “The slowest person can explain something if he has no idea yet, but the most intelligent person cannot clarify the simplest thing if he is firmly convinced that he already knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what is before him.”
Until recently, I would have agreed with this sentiment. Various psychological studies reveal that many individuals are remarkably resistant to changing their opinions. This obstinacy, when combined with the rise of social media, has contributed to increased political polarization over the past two decades.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by a recent study indicating grounds for optimism. According to Stephanie Dolvia and psychologists from the University of California, Los Angeles, various techniques can help open our minds, particularly by enhancing our tolerance for emotional discomfort.
Open-mindedness varies among populations and can be measured via a series of statements that gauge agreement, such as:
People should consider evidence that contradicts their preferred conclusion.
When faced with puzzling questions, multiple possible answers should be considered before reaching a conclusion.
Conversely, individuals who believe that:
Changing your mind is a sign of weakness.
Are likely to be less open-minded. Those who agree with the first two statements and disagree with the third demonstrate a greater willingness to embrace new perspectives, unlike those who settle on one opinion without evaluating alternative viewpoints or updating their beliefs with new evidence.
The benefits of cultivating an open-minded attitude are many. As illustrated in research by Philip Tetlock at the University of Pennsylvania, open-mindedness enhances individuals’ performance in predicting geopolitical events. After a two-year competition involving over 700 participants, Tetlock discovered that top performers—dubbed “super forecasters”—were significantly more willing to revise their opinions in light of new evidence compared to the average person. This mental flexibility safeguards us against irrational beliefs rooted in hasty conclusions.
Despite the advantages of open-mindedness, practicing it can be challenging. Fear of embarrassment can prevent us from acknowledging past mistakes, while our beliefs often intertwine with key aspects of our identities—like religion or political affiliation—making change feel daunting.
To guard our egos, our brains often engage in “motivated reasoning,” seeking justifications for solidifying our core beliefs, which may involve logical fallacies or misinformation. Thus, maintaining an open mind demands considerable strength to withstand mental discomfort.
Greater emotional awareness is crucial in this pursuit. Dr. Dolbier and colleagues highlight a 2019 study on “Wise Reasoning.” It revealed that individuals who express their emotions more subtly can better consider different perspectives than those who simply label feelings as “good” or “bad.”
If I were more emotionally aware, I might recognize that my anger towards someone else’s ignorance stems from my discomfort in articulating my viewpoint. This insight could lead me to evaluate my arguments more critically, prompting a shift in perspective.
This connection between emotional awareness and open-mindedness may explain why mindfulness often aids individuals in reasoning more rationally. By tuning into our internal emotions, we become more adept at recognizing and overcoming instinctive reactions to opposing viewpoints, resulting in balanced opinions.
Mindfulness helps people avoid sudden reactions
Frank Bienewald/Light Rocket via Getty Images
If meditation isn’t your style, consider role-playing exercises. One study revealed that participants who approached upsetting events with the objectivity of a scientist were noticeably more tolerant of polarizing issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Remarkably, a follow-up experiment found that these benefits lasted for at least five months.
Additionally, contextualizing our disagreements can provide perspective. Intense debates often obscure our multifaceted identities, leading us to mistakenly equate our self-worth with being “right.” Simply reminding ourselves of our attributes—like loyalty, creativity, or humor—can alleviate perceived threats during disputes. This approach is most effective for those already aware of their biases, reinforcing the importance of self-awareness.
Lastly, reframe challenging emotions as growth opportunities. Evidence shows that recalling our potential for cognitive development enables us to respond constructively to opposing viewpoints. This perspective encourages us to view mistakes as learning moments, making it easier to accept that our previous opinions may not have been entirely correct.
Dolbier and her colleagues emphasize that many of these strategies require further testing in diverse contexts, with potential for new methods to emerge. However, existing research offers a solid starting point, and I plan to apply some of these techniques when confronted with challenges to my beliefs.
David Robson’s latest book is The Law of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Change Your Life. If you have a question for his column, reach out at: davidrobson.me/Contact.
As Earth Day approaches, this global event serves as a crucial reminder that safeguarding our environment includes paying attention to the quality of water we use at home.
A key topic gaining traction in this conversation is forever chemicals (PFAS), which are prevalent in food packaging and drinking water. Although researchers are still investigating the risks, recent regulations and advancements in home filtration systems have made it easier to minimize daily exposure.
What are Forever Chemicals?
Forever chemicals, scientifically known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), represent a vast group of synthetic chemicals characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds. These bonds, among the strongest in organic chemistry, grant durability, which is why PFAS have been utilized since the 1940s in products designed to resist water, oil, and heat.
Chemists have viewed these bonds as an advantage, but environmental scientists are increasingly concerned about their impact.
You’ve likely encountered PFAS in your daily life. Items like nonstick cookware, waterproof textiles, and food packaging harness PFAS chemistry. However, their durability poses significant challenges. Because the carbon-fluorine bonds are exceedingly difficult to break, these chemicals remain in the environment for a long time, earning the label “forever chemicals.”
PFOA molecules, shown here, are part of a group of persistent “forever chemicals” that can accumulate in the environment and human body – Photo credit: Getty
PFAS are also water-soluble and highly mobile. Once released, they can easily migrate through groundwater and rivers, accumulating in soil, wildlife, and humans. Current research indicates that 99 percent of people globally have detectable PFAS in their blood.
Scientists are still unraveling the implications of this widespread exposure on long-term health. Studies suggest that certain PFAS can adversely affect the immune system, cholesterol levels, reproductive health, and may increase the risk of liver damage, thyroid issues, and various cancers.
The good news is that PFAS are no longer a hidden environmental issue. They have become well-recognized concerns that are increasingly being addressed by regulators, researchers, and water utilities.
In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will implement new drinking water standards in the US specifically targeting two of the most studied PFAS chemicals: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The permissible limit is just 4 parts per trillion (ppt), an incredibly small amount—imagine it as one drop for every five Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Are PFAS Found in Drinking Water?
Likely—though it strongly depends on your location. A 2023 study by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that approximately 45 percent of America’s drinking water sources may contain at least one PFAS compound. Contamination has been noted in both public water sources and private wells, particularly in urban areas and near known pollution sources.
PFAS can infiltrate drinking water quite easily. When PFAS-treated products are discarded, they often end up in landfills. Over time, these items break down and can leach PFAS into the environment. Rainwater filtering through waste can create “landfill leachate,” which carries chemicals into nearby soil and groundwater.
Moreover, PFAS can also leak early in a product’s life cycle. For instance, washing waterproof and stain-resistant fabrics can release trace PFAS into wastewater. Most wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to remove these persistent chemicals, allowing them to pass through and end up in rivers and lakes.
Photo credit: Getty
Once in the environment, PFAS can travel great distances through groundwater and rivers, ultimately contaminating household water supplies.
PFAS contamination varies significantly across the United States. Exposure risks often hinge on geography. Communities located near historic manufacturing sites, military bases, and airports face higher risks due to years of industrial activity and the use of firefighting agents. Well-documented hotspots include regions in New Jersey, North Carolina, and California.
Conversely, some of the cleanest water sources are found in less industrialized regions, particularly in Hawaii, Vermont, and the US Virgin Islands. Forested watersheds and protected mountain watersheds in states like Maine, Vermont, and Minnesota naturally filter water before it reaches reservoirs and aquifers.
While many public water utilities already meet federal safety standards, PFAS monitoring is evolving. In 2024, the EPA will introduce national drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds, mandating utilities to conduct testing and install treatment systems to reduce contaminated levels in the coming years.
What can you do about it? The encouraging news is that exposure doesn’t have to be inevitable. You can effectively filter out most remaining PFAS at home. This is where reverse osmosis (RO) technology comes into play. Unlike natural osmosis, which seeks to equalize concentrations, RO forces water through a membrane in the opposite direction—like a precise sieve. Water molecules pass through the membrane, while larger contaminants (including PFOS, PFOA, and heavy metals) are filtered out.
Waterdrop Filters utilize this advanced technology. Testing has demonstrated that their system can reduce PFOS and PFOA levels by up to 98%. Moreover, their tankless systems save space compared to traditional counterparts and tend to waste less water.
When considering filtration, it’s essential to look beyond just efficacy; it must seamlessly fit into your daily routine. Different homes and lifestyles necessitate tailored solutions.
For instance, the “Balanced Reverse Osmosis System” (G3P800) is a high-capacity unit easily installed under the sink and requires no professional plumbing skills.
This system operates swiftly, filling a 6-ounce cup of purified water in about 5 seconds. The G3P800 is certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, 58, and 372, capable of reducing PFOA levels by up to 98% and PFOS by up to 99%.
“Balanced Reverse Osmosis System” (G3P800)
If you require higher performance, the “Flagship RO System” (X16) is an upgraded model with ultra-fast flow, filling the same 6-ounce cup in just 2 seconds.
Designed for bustling kitchens and high water usage, it serves as a robust system for cooking, drinking, and daily activities. The X16 is certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 58, and 372, achieving reductions of PFOA by up to 98.88% and PFOS by up to 98.97%.
“Flagship RO System” (X16)
If you’re renting or have a more transient lifestyle, Waterdrop’s compact undersink units (DLG-P) and are a lightweight, space-saving solution. They are relatively affordable, easy to install, and designed to function without permanent plumbing alterations. Plus, they achieve reductions of 99.7% for PFOA and 99.6% for PFOS, all while being certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 372.
Waterdrop’s Small Undersink Unit (DLG-P)
Whether you’re aiming to reduce exposure in a permanent residence or a rental apartment, RO systems exemplify how scientifically validated filtration technologies can deliver practical, everyday solutions.
The products highlighted here are available for a limited time only. The G3P800 is priced at $759 (down from $999), the X16 will be available for $1499 (down from $1999), and the DLG-P will retail for $99.99 (reduced from $109.99). Offer ends April 22nd.
Assess the water quality in your area using the EWG map by entering your zip code to learn more about the contaminants in your tap water and discover which Waterdrop Filter RO system meets your home’s specific needs. Take the first step today to reduce PFOS/PFOA by 98%. Find the ideal RO system tailored to your home and zip code.
The TOI-201 system features a super-Earth, a warmer Jupiter, and a massive brown dwarf, showcasing unique orbital periods of 5.8, 53, and 2,900 days, respectively.
Artistic representation of the warm giant exoplanet TOI-201b and its parent star. Image credit: Sci.News.
TOI-201 is a brilliant F-type star located 372 light-years away in the constellation Pictor.
With a size and mass 32% greater than that of the Sun, TOI-201 is approximately 870 million years old.
Also referred to as HD 39474 and TIC 350618622, this star hosts at least three planetary companions: TOI-201b, c, and d.
Dr. Ismael Mireles, a candidate at the University of New Mexico, stated, “The goal was to characterize the TOI-201 planetary system to understand not only what planets exist, but also how they interact dynamically.”
This research aids scientists in understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems akin to our own solar system.
TOI-201d is a rocky super-Earth, approximately 1.4 times Earth’s size and about six times its mass, completing an orbit every 5.8 days.
TOI-201b is a warm Jupiter-like exoplanet, with half the mass of Jupiter, orbiting every 53 days.
Lastly, TOI-201c is a brown dwarf, the system’s most massive entity excluding the star, with a highly elliptical, broad orbit of around 8 years, significantly influencing the system’s dynamic characteristics. It is also the longest-period transiting object discovered to date.
Dr. Mireles noted, “TOI-201c is unique due to its extensive orbital period of about 7.9 years and its positioning within a system that includes two inner planets.”
“Most known transiting brown dwarfs are in much closer proximity to their stars.”
Diana Dragomir, a professor at the University of New Mexico, remarked, “TOI-201c’s mass is at the threshold between giant planets and brown dwarfs, raising questions regarding whether this object formed as a planet or a star.”
“This system offers one of the few opportunities to observe planetary orbits undergoing changes on human timescales,” Mireles added.
“This presents a rare chance to learn about the dynamic life of a planetary system in real-time. In 200 years, only two out of the three objects will still be transiting.”
The significance of the TOI-201 system lies in the fact that astronomers can monitor its changes in real time.
Professor Dragomir explained, “This was unexpected because if planets formed in the protoplanetary disk aligned with their star’s early life, their orbits would typically align, like those in our solar system.”
The next key question for TOI-201 is about the origins of these tilted orbits among the three objects.
After 200 years, TOI-201d will cease transiting, followed by TOI-201b, and eventually TOI-201c will stop as well.
However, they oscillate between transiting and non-transiting states, suggesting they will resume transiting in several thousand years.
Predictions indicate TOI-201c’s next transit will occur on March 26, 2031, offering a rare chance for global follow-up observations, including opportunities for citizen scientists.
“A large, multi-year team effort was essential to study this complex system,” Mireles concluded.
A publication detailing the survey results appeared in the journal Scientific Progress.
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Ismael Mireles et al., 2026. Unveiling the dynamic evolution of the TOI-201 system. Scientific Progress 12(16); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aef2618
The Acheulian hominins at Gesher Benot Ya’akov, an archaeological site in Israel, utilized driftwood from lake shores for their hearths, according to groundbreaking research led by archaeologists from the Catalunya Institute for Human Evolution and Society and Bar-Ilan University. A 780,000-year-old charcoal fragment discovered at the site highlights that survival hinges not on the perfect wood but on a profound understanding of the surrounding landscape.
The ancient inhabitants of Israel’s Gesher Benot Yacob site likely used earthen ovens to cook fish at temperatures below 500 degrees Celsius. Image credit: Ella Maru / Tel Aviv University.
“The substantial charcoal assemblage from Gesher Benot Yaakov offers invaluable insights into the daily lives of early humans who harnessed fire, as few similar remains exist at other prehistoric sites,” explained Professor Nama Goren Inbar from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“While many ancient locations show only scant traces of fire, this Acheulian site reveals a detailed record of repeated fire use over tens of thousands of years.”
“Gesher Benot Yaakov offers a layered history of human settlement along the paleo-shores of Lake Hula, documenting the return of generations of Acheulian hunter-gatherers across more than 20 archaeological horizons.”
At Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, researchers unveiled an active environment, discovering the remains of hunted animals along with a variety of plant foods including fruits, nuts, and seeds gathered from the lake shore.
“One striking layer captures a pivotal moment. Alongside stone tools and plant remnants, an elephant skull and associated bones were found, providing evidence of large-scale hunting,” the researchers noted.
“The spatial layout of these remains indicates that the animals were disposed of on-site.”
“Fire was central to this ancient camp life.”
Charcoal fragments analyzed under an ESEM microscope. Image credit: M. Moncusil, PHES.
The study focused on a single human strata dating back approximately 780,000 years, analyzing 266 charcoal pieces using microscopy to identify their botanical origins.
The findings revealed a remarkable array of plant species, including ash, willow, grapes, oleander, olive, oak, pistachio, and the earliest known evidence of pomegranate in the Levant.
Interestingly, the charcoal assemblages indicated greater plant diversity compared to other excavated plant remains, such as seeds and unburned wood, suggesting a broader sampling of the surrounding ecosystem by firewood collection.
These findings illuminate ancient landscapes, showcasing a mix of lush lakeside vegetation and open Mediterranean forests while revealing early human interactions with their environment.
The hominins of Gesher-Benot-Yakov likely relied on driftwood naturally accumulating along shorelines, rather than selectively gathering certain wood types. Fallen branches and logs, carried by water to the shore, provided a ready source of fuel.
The charcoal composition closely reflected the surrounding wood availability, implying a practical strategy to utilize natural resources.
This suggests that firewood availability may have influenced early human settlement choices. Lake shores offered fresh water, edible plants, animals, and tools, all essential for sustaining fires.
Spatial analyses showed that dense charcoal clusters corresponded with fish carcass concentrations, particularly the teeth of large carp, adding substantial evidence for controlled cooking fires at this site approximately 800,000 years ago.
These discoveries enhance our understanding of early hominin cognitive abilities, indicating that they could control fire, organize their surroundings, and develop complex survival strategies.
However, while hunting and tool-making demanded careful organization, firewood collection seems to have been a more routine activity based on availability rather than specific preferences.
This provides a glimpse into skilled communities closely attuned to their environments, who repeatedly returned to resource-rich habitats.
“The charcoal assemblage at Gesher Benot Yakov offers a unique dataset to examine the relationship between fire use, environmental conditions, and human behavior,” the authors concluded.
“This discovery refines current models of early fire practices and underscores the importance of local resources in shaping Middle Pleistocene behavior and lifeways.”
For more insights, see their study published in Quaternary Science Review.
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Ethel Allue et al. 2026. Paleoenvironmental and behavioral insights into firewood selection by early Middle Pleistocene hominins. Quaternary Science Review 38: 109973; doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109973
Renowned astronomers utilizing the Dark Energy Spectrometer (DESI) at NSF’s Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope have generated the most extensive high-resolution 3D map of the universe. This groundbreaking work tracks over 47 million galaxies and quasars.
A segment of DESI’s fifth-year map showcases the universe’s large-scale structure influenced by gravity, where each point denotes a galaxy. High-density regions highlight galaxy clusters forming cosmic threads, with vast voids evident between filaments. Image credit: DESI Collaboration / Member Institutions / DOE / KPNO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / R. Proctor / M. Zamani, NOIRLab at NSF.
Managed by Berkeley Lab and funded by the DOE Office of Science, DESI represents a comprehensive initiative to decode dark energy.
By comparing historical galaxy clustering with their contemporary distribution, researchers can trace dark energy’s impact over an 11 billion-year cosmic timeline.
Since commencing data collection in May 2021, DESI has surpassed its initial targets significantly.
Initially aiming to capture light from 34 million galaxies during a five-year sky survey, DESI has instead recorded more than 47 million galaxies, quasars, and 20 million stars.
Now, DESI boasts cosmological data on six times more galaxies and quasars than all prior measurements combined.
The collaboration is set to start processing the amassed dataset without delay, with the first dark energy findings from the complete five-year study anticipated in 2027.
In the interim, the DESI team is actively analyzing data from the first three years, enhancing dark energy measurements, yielding further insights into the universe’s structure and evolution, and intends to publish several papers later this year.
“Acknowledging the myriad factors contributing to DESI’s success is no simple task,” stated Dr. Stephanie Juneau, director of NSF’s NOIRLab DESI.
“This accomplishment was a collective effort—from instrument manufacturers and software engineers to technicians, observatory staff, and scientists, including numerous aspiring researchers.”
“Ultimately, our mission serves humanity, enhancing our comprehension of the universe and its ultimate destiny.”
“After uncovering indications that dark energy may deviate from its steady state, every new analysis feels like an exhilarating journey as we navigate these uncharted territories.”
“We are also eager to uncover other fascinating discoveries that this new dataset may reveal.”
“DESI has undoubtedly surpassed expectations, delivering an unparalleled 3D map of the universe that transforms our understanding of dark energy,” said Dr. Kathy Turner, Space Frontiers Program Manager at the Department of Energy’s Office of High Energy Physics.
“Our vision was to push the frontiers of cosmology, and it is immensely gratifying to see the survey completed ahead of schedule with such rich data.”
“The innovation and dedication of the entire DESI collaboration have made this leading-edge research a reality. We are immensely proud of the groundbreaking results we’ve presented and the untapped discoveries yet to come.”
“The past five years of DESI research have indeed been a tremendous achievement,” proclaimed Dr. Michael Levi, DESI director and Berkeley Lab scientist.
“The instruments performed beyond expectations, yielding astonishing results. The scale of the map and the speed of data gathering is remarkable.”
“We will celebrate the initial study’s completion, then delve deep into the data, eager for the surprises that lie ahead.”
Space is abundant. If we shift our gaze from Earth and the Milky Way to intergalactic space, the average density is approximately 1 atom per cubic meter
, equivalent to 35 cubic feet of space. Yet, the universe is not entirely void; on smaller scales, it is rich with matter.
Within galaxies, there are various forms of matter existing between stars, undergoing different states of temperature and density, known as the multiphase interstellar medium (ISM)
. This substance is primarily made up of hydrogen and helium, along with trace amounts of other heavier elements, often referred to by astronomers as metals
. It is this interstellar material that plays a critical role in star formation.
A team of astronomers conducted research to understand how variations in metallic concentrations impact star-forming regions within the ISM. They simulated ISM clouds with different metallicities corresponding to seven distinct areas in the nearby universe, including regions near the Sun
project, a collaborative effort of multiple European research institutions aimed at examining the life cycle of gas clouds that form stars.
Using advanced simulation software, the team modeled gas movements and their effects on magnetic fields within a massive cuboid measuring 500 parsecs by 500 parsecs by 4 kiloparsecs. Essentially, this translates to a box of 15 quintillion kilometers by 15 quintillion kilometers by 120 quintillion kilometers, or about 10 quintillion miles by 10 quintillion miles by 77 quintillion miles. This computational box comprised gas molecules held together by gravity from the cloud, nearby star clusters, older stars, and even dark matter
. To prevent the cloud’s collapse during the simulation’s initial phase, the gas molecules were programmed to move at an average speed of 10 kilometers per second (about 22,000 miles per hour) for the first 20 million years, creating turbulence within the cloud.
The simulation examined the interactions of the cloud’s magnetic field and fluid dynamics while addressing how swiftly high-energy protons (known as cosmic rays
) emerged within. Over a span of 200 million years, interactions with clouds led to star formation, the birth and death of stars, and changes in the molecular chemistry of the clouds. By considering various factors, the team analyzed the effects of metallicity across all seven simulations. The simulation corresponding to the solar neighborhood exhibited the highest metallicity, while that of I Zwicky 18 showed the lowest, with just 2% metallicity.
The findings indicated that ISM regions with low metallicity are generally warmer compared to their high-metallicity counterparts. The research demonstrated that metals efficiently release heat, unlike hydrogen or helium. While colder ISM phases foster star production and metal generation, warmer, low-metallicity regions tend to produce fewer stars, impeding cooling processes. This trend persisted until the material’s temperature reached roughly 1 million Kelvin (or 2 million °F).
In reviewing their results, the researchers acknowledged certain simplifications. Due to time limitations, many parameters in the simulation were not adjusted, focusing only on metallicity across different regions. They also underestimated the prevalence of common metals, such as carbon, oxygen, and silicon, which form at higher rates in stars. Lastly, they disregarded the potential for some massive stars to form black holes, assuming all such stars would culminate in supernova explosions.
When researchers examine intricate human diseases like cancer, a crucial step involves comparing the DNA sequence of a affected individual to a template of genetic information from a healthy individual known as the reference genome. This process helps identify changes in the DNA, referred to as variations. Researchers strive to label the disease accurately to uncover its causes and how it responds to various treatments.
Since the year 2000, the prevailing human reference genome has been incomplete due to technological limitations in accessing challenging genomic regions. Consequently, some changes detected by scientists were false positives, complicating the identification of variants responsible for tumor growth.
In 2022, the Society of Scientists heralded the advent of the first truly complete human genome, employing a new methodology that is less fragmented than prior techniques. Since then, numerous researchers have begun to explore the benefits of utilizing this new genome in lieu of older reference genomes for studying complex genetic diseases like cancer.
Recent hypotheses from researchers in Canada and the United States suggest that the complete human genome can more accurately detect substantial mutations, or structural variants, providing superior cancer detection compared to standard reference genomes. If our genome were a textbook, these mutations would manifest as missing, added, or reversed paragraphs or pages. Studies have shown that structural mutations can lead to cancer by amplifying cancer-promoting genes, causing abnormal gene fusions, and disabling genes that naturally suppress cancer growth.
The researchers validated their hypothesis using established cancer cell lines in combination with a cancer-free control known as COLO829. This cell line serves as a benchmark for analyzing structural mutation data. The research team scrutinized four independent cell line samples sequenced by different laboratories and analyzed three tumor samples from patients with blood cancer, brain cancer, and ovarian cancer to assess their findings in a real-world clinical context. Additionally, they compared the cancer’s DNA sequence to both reference genomes and employed four distinct computational tools to identify structural variations.
The new complete human reference genome contains approximately 200 million additional base pairs of DNA sequence, addressing gaps and completing regions missing from the standard reference genome. Upon manual inspection of the COLO829 sample results, researchers noted a significant reduction in incorrectly identified structural variants—down from 225 to only 83 when utilizing the complete reference genome. This indicates a marked enhancement in our capability to detect structural variations.
While the new human reference genome has improved the accuracy of DNA change identification, it lacks the extensive medical annotations present in older reference genomes used to associate DNA changes with diseases. To bridge this gap, the researchers employed a tool called Levio SAM2 to match and lift over results between the new and old genomes. This strategy allows researchers to leverage the enhanced accuracy of new genomes while retaining the detailed medical knowledge linked to older genomes, effectively yielding the best of both worlds.
The integrated approach was applied to three patient samples, revealing that fewer cancer-specific mutation candidates necessitated manual clinical review compared to analyses based solely on standard reference genomes. The fewer candidates streamline the challenging process of pinpointing cancer-causing mutations amidst a myriad of false alarms. One notable mutation, spanning 609,000 base pairs and affecting a gene previously associated with several cancers, was detected in a patient’s sample. This variant exhibited a weak signal in the older reference genome but strong evidence in the new reference genome.
In conclusion, the researchers assert that their method optimizes the detection of structural mutations in cancer by minimizing false positives, aiding physicians in prioritizing clinically significant mutations. They emphasized that reducing false positives is vital for analyzing patient samples, as filtering out errant mutations to isolate genuine cancer drivers requires both time and expertise. Although their lifting strategy extended analysis time by approximately 50% compared to using only the older reference genome, researchers deemed this trade-off acceptable due to the substantial accuracy improvements observed.
NASA has successfully landed five rovers on Mars. The Curiosity rover
landed in Gale Crater in 2012, unveiling rocks formed by a shallow lake approximately 3.6 billion years ago, hinting at a once habitable environment. Curiosity continues its mission, while in 2021, the Perseverance rover
was launched to explore Jezero Crater, where traces of past life may be found in sediments from a lake dating back 3.7 billion years.
within Martian lake rocks. As all life on Earth is composed of similar organic molecules, astrobiologists speculate that these Martian compounds could lend credence to the existence of ancient life on Mars. However, it is crucial to note that organic molecules can also be formed through non-biological processes, implicating the need for further concrete evidence to definitively identify ancient Martian life.
Researchers at the Center for Astrobiology in Madrid, Spain, are investigating whether DNA
can serve as a biomarker in Martian rocks. They argue that DNA is utilized by all life forms on Earth and is “the most critical biological molecule for life,” uniquely formed by living organisms. Additionally, factors that typically accelerate DNA degradation on Earth—such as water, heat, and microorganisms—are absent in Mars’ cold, dry climate .
The greatest challenge in locating ancient DNA on Mars stems from the planet’s surface, which is consistently bombarded by intense cosmic
that can rapidly degrade DNA and other organic molecules. Past studies have shown that DNA is more likely to endure radiation damage when protected within rock
, prompting researchers to test whether Mars-like rocks could shield DNA from radiation levels akin to those on the planet for about 100 million years.
Direct access to Martian lake rocks is anticipated through future sample return missions such as NASA/ESA’s Mars Sample Return
mission. Researchers collected rocks from various geological ages formed in lakes and shallow marine environments globally. They specifically targeted rocks containing remnants of an ancient microbial community known as
comparable to those identified in Martian geological samples, including lake microbial rocks from Mexico aged 2,800 years, shallow-water microbial rocks from Morocco aged 541 million years, and iron-rich rocks from Ontario, Canada, aged 2.93 billion years, with characteristics similar to those in Jezero Crater on Mars.
The team crushed the rocks, dividing them into six samples sealed in glass containers. They exposed three samples from each set to radiation levels reflective of 136 million years on the Martian surface, retaining the remaining three for comparison. The DNA was extracted from each sample and analyzed using nanopore sequencing , a method that effectively identifies short DNA fragments while assigning a quality score based on the reliability of the sequences.
The analysis indicated that unirradiated samples, presenting higher organic carbon content, also contained a greater abundance of DNA fragments. The findings suggest that the DNA originates from modern microbial communities that recently inhabited the rocks, while the organic carbon represents remnants from ancient microbes. Enhanced availability of nutrients correlates with increased microbial growth, solidifying the view that organic-rich sites such as ancient crater lakes are prime candidates for life-detection missions.
In the irradiated samples, DNA quality diminished and became fragmented from radiation exposure. For instance, the irradiated samples of Mexican lake microorganisms exhibited average quality scores 53% lower and DNA reads 85% shorter than unirradiated samples. However, the research team successfully identified which microorganisms contributed an estimated 2% to 9% of the DNA in these irradiated samples.
The researchers concluded that identifiable DNA fragments could potentially persist in Martian rocks for over 100 million years. They advocate for the application of this sensitive sequencing technology in forthcoming Mars rovers to search for evidence of past life and evaluate the planet’s biological safety. While the results are promising for astrobiologists, some caveats remain. Martian rocks may harbor toxic salts that could harm DNA integrity. Furthermore, scientists voice concerns regarding pollution from terrestrial life. The research team recommends that future investigations develop stringent protocols for eliminating salts from Martian rock samples and assessing possible external contamination.
Industrial processes like mining, smelting, and electronics manufacturing generate significant environmental waste, contaminating soil with toxic metals detrimental to plant and animal life..
The removal of contaminated soil can be complex and costly. Traditional soil disposal methods, such as landfilling, often lead to diminished soil quality. To address these challenges, scientists and agricultural experts are exploring innovative plant-based solutions for effective soil remediation. One prevalent method involves the use of metal-absorbing plants, known as phytoremediation. Enhancing these plants with growth-promoting microorganisms boosts root development and nutrient uptake, thereby fostering better plant growth.
In addition to phytoremediation, farmers utilize treatments produced by pyrolyzing organic matter under low-oxygen conditions, referred to as biochar. Biochar effectively binds heavy metals present in the soil, thus reducing their toxicity. However, research on the combined impact of microorganisms and biochar for soil remediation remains limited.
A research team in Portugal conducted experiments to explore whether the phytoremediation effectiveness of biochar could be enhanced through the addition of specific microorganisms. They investigated the effects of two microbial strains: the bacteria Pseudomonas liatans EDP28 and the fungi Rhizoglomus irregulare, both recognized for their plant growth-promoting qualities.
The research aimed to determine if treating the soil could mitigate copper contamination and enhance sunflower growth in areas impacted by mining activities. The average copper concentration in harvested soil from Portuguese mines was found to be 1,080 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), significantly exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended range of 100 to 300 mg/kg.
The experimental setup took place in a controlled greenhouse environment. Researchers tested three microbial treatments: P. Reactance bacteria, R. Irregular fungi, and a mixture of both. They combined contaminated mine soil with each microbial treatment and introduced five sunflower seedlings per pot, along with varying doses of biochar at 0%, 2.5%, and 5% by weight. This resulted in a total of 12 experimental treatments, including controls without biochar or microorganisms.
After a 12-week growth period, the researchers assessed sunflower growth by measuring chlorophyll levels, the green pigment essential for photosynthesis. Using specialized equipment, they shined red and infrared light through the leaves and discovered that while adding biochar did not significantly alter chlorophyll levels, the microbial inoculum enhanced chlorophyll content and subsequently improved photosynthetic capacity.
Further analysis included measuring the lengths of roots and shoots, followed by drying the plants to calculate their total dry weight. Results indicated that the addition of biochar negatively impacted plant growth; sunflowers treated with 2.5% and 5% biochar exhibited 22% and 26% shorter shoots, along with 46% and 49% less shoot mass compared to controls.
Conversely, microbial inoculants, particularly the combination of bacteria and fungi, mitigated the detrimental effects of biochar on plant growth. When compared to sunflowers grown without microorganisms, the mixed inoculum enhanced shoot length by 48% and 45% and boosted shoot dry biomass by 122% and 137% at 2.5% and 5% biochar treatments, respectively.
Copper concentrations were analyzed by dissolving the soil, plant roots, and shoots in water and acid, followed by evaporating the sample using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy..
The findings revealed that copper levels were consistently higher in the roots than in the shoots across all treatments. Biochar application increased root copper concentration by an average of 38% compared to control plants lacking biochar. This finding contradicts previous studies suggesting that biochar impedes metal uptake in plants.
However, microorganisms displayed inconsistent effects on copper levels; the mixed inoculum increased root copper concentrations by 51% in the 2.5% biochar treatment, but did not influence copper levels in the 5% biochar treatment.
In conclusion, the researchers posited that biochar enhances the phytoremediation capabilities of sunflowers by increasing copper accumulation in the roots, albeit resulting in reduced sunflower growth. Conversely, the presence of microbes boosts chlorophyll content, significantly enhancing both plant growth and photosynthetic activity. The research team advocates for future large-scale field studies involving microbial inoculants and biochar to explore their practical applications in real-world soil remediation efforts.
Sepsis is an extreme reaction of the body to infection. This occurs when the immune system overreacts, causing damage to its own organs and tissues. While sepsis can be life-threatening, around 1.9 million individuals in the United States recover from sepsis each year. However, more than half of these survivors endure long-term complications, such as memory issues, fatigue, and muscle weakness. Research commonly links persistent muscle weakness to muscle mass loss during sepsis, yet symptoms may linger even after muscle recovery, complicating treatment and prevention efforts.
To investigate the underlying causes of ongoing muscle weakness post-severe sepsis, scientists at the University of Kentucky used 16- to 18-month-old mice, equivalent to human ages of 55 to 60 years. They induced sepsis on day 0 by injecting abdominal mixes of intestinal bacteria. Body temperatures were monitored every 12 hours to confirm active infection.
To prevent fatalities, the mice received antibiotics twice daily for 5 days, starting 12 hours post-injection. Mice that survived beyond day 5 were categorized as sepsis survivors. The initial 5 days were termed the acute stage, while days 14 to 70 comprised the chronic phase. Throughout the study, muscle health in non-septic, acutely septic, and chronically septic mice was compared.
The researchers focused on voluntary movement muscles, known as skeletal muscles. They placed each mouse’s foot on a sensor to artificially stimulate the muscles and measure contraction force as an indicator of muscle strength. By day 3 of sepsis, the mice’s leg muscles exhibited only 60% of their pre-infection strength.
Further measurements on days 14 and 70 confirmed that, despite normalizing body temperatures and resolving infections, the mice’s muscles produced only about 30% of their original strength. The researchers concluded that muscle weakness initiated during acute sepsis could persist for several months following infection resolution.
Prior research revealed that mice surviving severe sepsis and experiencing persistent muscle weakness also demonstrated defects in their cellular energy factories, known as mitochondria. To assess whether sepsis damaged mitochondrial function in mouse skeletal muscle cells, the team measured key energy-producing mitochondrial proteins.
They dissected a mouse leg muscle, placed thin sections on slides, and applied a specific colored marker binding to these proteins. Protein levels were quantified by examining markers under a microscope. Results showed an 8% decrease by day 4 and a 20% decrease by day 14. The study indicated that mitochondrial defects were mild during the acute sepsis phase but grew worse in the chronic phase, aligning with the observed muscle deterioration in sepsis survivors.
As mitochondrial damage in mice increased over time, the researchers hypothesized that protecting mitochondria could prevent chronic muscle weakness. They experimented with a small protein drug called SS-31, designed to guard mitochondria from damaging agents and enhance energy production.
One group of septic mice received SS-31 twice daily until day 5 and once daily until day 10. On day 21, muscle strength was evaluated in mice treated with SS-31, untreated septic mice, and healthy controls. SS-31-treated mice exhibited approximately 15% greater muscle strength than untreated counterparts, reaching levels comparable to healthy mice. Measurements of mitochondrial proteins on day 28 revealed a 40% reduction in untreated mice, while SS-31-treated mice maintained typical protein levels akin to non-septic mice. These findings suggest that administering SS-31 during acute sepsis may effectively prevent chronic muscle weakness.
The authors noted that this is the first study to demonstrate that post-sepsis muscle weakness intensifies post-recovery, necessitating a shift in focus from the acute phase to the chronic phase. They also proposed that clinicians could potentially protect patients’ mitochondria using drugs like SS-31 during the acute phase to mitigate post-sepsis muscle weakness, given the increased mitochondrial abnormalities in patients following severe sepsis.
Current cosmological models, particularly the ΛCDM framework, suggest that dark matter consists of slow-moving particles possessing mass and gravitational influence but negligible electromagnetic interaction. This makes dark matter virtually invisible and capable of traversing through ordinary matter.
The ongoing search for dark matter particles aims to elucidate their properties and distribution within the Milky Way galaxy. While scientists can calculate the motion of stars from the galactic center to the sun without acknowledging dark matter, the dynamics shift beyond this range. A dark matter halo envelops the galaxy, extending approximately 230,000 parsecs or 4 quintillion miles (7 quintillion kilometers) from the center, and is believed to constitute about 95% of the galaxy’s total mass.
A research team from University College London explored the geometry of the Milky Way’s dark matter halo. They assumed the galaxy was in equilibrium and examined stable star positions at the galaxy’s outskirts to model the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo necessary for these arrangements. By aligning this model with historical data on the Milky Way’s development, they gained deeper insights into the galaxy’s structure.
Utilizing the Gaia survey—a satellite mission mapping millions of stars in the Milky Way from 2013 to 2025—the team analyzed the average number of stars in the galaxy’s older outer regions, referred to as the stellar halo. They also assessed the position and velocity of stars within it, discovering that the stellar halo is elliptical and tilted relative to the Milky Way due to a similarly shaped but significantly larger dark matter halo.
A simplified diagram illustrating the shape and orientation of the dark matter halo compared to the stellar halo and the Milky Way’s disk. Not to scale. By the author.
The research team concluded that their findings challenge previous models suggesting the dark matter halo is almost spherical. They determined that the halo’s tilt relative to the Milky Way’s disk is approximately 43°. This tilt is comparable to that of other disk galaxies with dark matter halos, which average about 46.5° and exhibit a 18° greater inclination than stellar halos. They posited that a stable, tilted, non-spherical dark matter halo implies overall galaxy stability, especially given its collision with another galaxy at least 8 billion years ago. Enhanced measurements of the halo’s shape could yield further insights into this merger.
For future research endeavors, the team developed a model representing a snapshot of a galaxy with a tilted, rectangular dark matter halo, integrating the density and motion of stars. Their simulations exhibit additional nuances consistent with observations from the Gaia survey, indicating that the halo becomes increasingly tilted—with angles ranging from 10 degrees near the center to 35 degrees at distances of 6 to 60 kiloparsecs (100 to 100 quintillion miles, or 200 to 2 quintillion kilometers)—and transitions from elliptical to more circular shapes as the distance from the center increases. The team suggests that subsequent research could build on this model and explore more intricate features, such as interactions between the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies including the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Nearly a week has passed since the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission returned from their historic lunar journey, yet the crew members shared on Thursday that they are still mentally processing the experience and reflecting on its significant moments.
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“We haven’t had much time to process everything,” NASA astronaut Victor Glover told NBC News when asked about the intense moments during the Orion capsule’s re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, traveling at over 24,000 miles per hour.
“It was a very intense moment; we had never experienced anything like it before. Every sound, every mechanism was critical,” Glover remarked.
Glover, alongside NASA astronauts Reed Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, were the first crew to launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule. Tensions surged during the final descent due to a known design flaw in the spacecraft’s heat shield, which NASA continues to evaluate and investigate.
“You could see we were surrounded by fire,” Glover described the plasma as they entered the atmosphere. His initial thought was, “Is it supposed to be that large?”
When the hatch opened amidst a splash, Koch expressed feeling “completely overwhelmed.”
“I just screamed with joy,” she recalled. “It was pure elation—an indescribable joy to be home and welcomed by our team.”
NASA’s Artemis II crew members Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen during a press conference in Houston on Thursday. Ashley Landis/Associated Press
The Artemis II mission marked numerous milestones. Wiseman, Koch, Glover, and Hansen became the first humans to visually encounter the far side of the Moon and witness a solar eclipse from lunar orbit. They also set a record for the longest distance ever traveled away from Earth.
During their lunar journey, the astronauts captured breathtaking images of the Moon’s cratered landscapes and rugged surface, including spectacular solar eclipses.
“When the sun disappeared behind the moon, I turned to Victor and remarked, ‘I don’t believe humans can truly comprehend what we are witnessing right now; it was like being in another realm,'” Wiseman said at a NASA briefing on Thursday.
Among their high-profile moments was when Hansen informed NASA’s Johnson Space Center mission controllers on April 6 that the crew wished to honor their journey by naming two lunar craters.
The astronauts proposed naming one crater “Integrity,” inspired by their Orion spacecraft, and suggested the second crater be named “Carol,” after Wiseman’s late wife who succumbed to cancer in 2020.
Wiseman stated that the dedication was a collective decision made by the crew, with Hansen bringing the idea to him before the launch.
“He said, ‘The three of us discussed it… We believe we can actually do this with the science team,’ Wiseman shared with NBC News.
“Hearing that was the most beautiful sound I’d ever experienced. She was a remarkable individual, the mother of my two daughters, and no one else on Earth deserves such a thoughtful, caring tribute more than she does,” he expressed.
At a NASA press conference, both Wiseman and Glover revealed that since returning, they’ve been engaged in extensive medical evaluations and debriefings with the Artemis II science team.
“We haven’t had the chance to decompress fully,” Wiseman admitted. “There hasn’t been time for deep reflection.”
Immediately following their splashdown, the astronauts were transported to a U.S. Navy ship for medical checks. There, Wiseman requested a visit from the ship’s chaplain, despite not being religious.
“Upon his arrival, I burst into tears the moment I saw the cross on his collar. I had never encountered him before. It’s challenging to fully grasp what we just experienced,” Wiseman remarked during a NASA briefing.
After covering over 695,000 miles during their mission, all four astronauts expressed their gratitude for being reunited with their families.
“In that moment, there was so much anticipation,” Koch shared with NBC News, recalling how he had been thinking about his family from the mission’s outset.
However, readjusting after returning to Earth took some time.
“For the first few days, I felt like I was floating upon waking up; it was surreal and I had to remind myself I wasn’t,” Koch shared during a NASA briefing.
Initially, the astronauts found themselves sleeping close together behind a curtain in the Navy ship’s medical bay, a strange contrast to their spatial arrangements in orbit.
“I requested for the curtains to be opened, but I fell asleep before it could happen,” Hansen recalled.
The crew had no idea their journeys and personal narratives would garner so much attention during the mission.
“I’ve discussed with my family, and they’ve conveyed to me that there has been an impact,” Koch revealed at a NASA briefing. “When my husband looked at me during a video call and said, ‘You’ve truly changed,’ I felt tears streaming down my face. That was our ultimate goal.”
Cells transport substances by encapsulating them in membrane bubbles known as vesicles, which journey to different locations. These vesicles merge with other vesicles to release their contents, a process requiring two membranes to fuse without leakage. While scientists have long theorized that fused cell membranes enter a transient intermediate state, direct visualization of this process within intact cells has eluded researchers until now.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers from the NIH and the University of Virginia aimed to determine if the membranes of living cells form stable, observable structures that signify this intermediate state. They cultured various mammalian cells, including human, monkey, mouse, and rat cells, in nutrient-rich flasks, incubating them at 37°C (98.6°F) to ensure cell viability and growth.
The research team placed 80,000 to 100,000 cells on a specialized gold-coated platform designed for high-resolution imaging. To maintain the cell structure’s natural state, they quickly froze the cells to stabilize the membrane for observation. Utilizing a technique called cryogenic electron tomography, they generated detailed tomographic images of the specimens.
Using these cross-sectional images, the research team reconstructed a 3D view of the cell at the nanometer scale. This precision revealed the internal vesicle membranes and the external membrane, known as the plasma membrane. They successfully created around 300 3D reconstructions of areas near the cell edges, where membrane bubbles engage and interact.
Typically, cell membranes consist of two layers of lipid molecules forming a flexible barrier. However, these researchers discovered a novel membrane structure created when the outer layers of two membranes merge into a continuous sheet, while the inner layers remain apart. Where the two vesicles made contact, they identified a flat, circular area where the outer membrane layers fused, resembling a connection point between two soap bubbles. This configuration is termed “hemifsome.”
The team indicated that hemifsomes are significantly larger and more stable than the short-lived intermediate states previously suggested. This long-term stability suggests that hemifsomes are not merely transient fusion events but may persist long enough to fulfill cellular functions.
Additionally, some hemifsomes contained a single lens-shaped droplet within the membrane where the two vesicles were partially fused. These droplets appeared in approximately half of the 308 cross-sectional images analyzed, averaging 40 nanometers in diameter—roughly 100 times smaller than the surrounding vesicles—and were in contact with the membrane’s oily interior.
The unique droplets differed from surrounding membrane lipids, suggesting a mixture of lipids and proteins, referred to as proteolipid nanodroplets. The consistent one-to-one association between hemifsomes and these nanodroplets implies that they may assist in stabilizing hemifsomes or influence the shape and organization of the cell membrane.
To explore whether hemifsomes facilitate material movement within cells, researchers introduced 5- or 15-nanometer gold particles into cells. These particles are small enough to navigate through the internal transport systems responsible for moving nutrients and other molecules. The research team employed a powerful microscope to observe the gold particles as they traversed the cell’s transport compartments; however, the particles did not enter hemifusomes, suggesting they are not directly involved in cellular transport.
The findings concluded that hemifsomes emerge when cell membranes merge or alter shape, acting as temporary sites for building, repairing, or rearranging membrane structures. These results challenge existing models of membrane fusion and vesicle formation, suggesting that critical intermediate states can evolve into stable and functional cellular structures.
Future research should focus on identifying the molecular composition of proteolipid nanodroplets and elucidating the mechanisms through which cells manage the transition from hemifsomes to fully fused membranes. Investigating the roles of hemifsomes in vesicle formation, membrane recycling, and cellular stress responses across various cell types is also recommended.
Computational cancer researchers utilizing machine learning technology face a critical challenge. Large datasets are available for training machine learning models, but the process is demanding due to inconsistencies in data formats, names, structures, and other attributes. Consequently, when scientists analyze different cancer types or apply varying data cleaning methods, the performance of the resulting models can diverge significantly.
This discrepancy has created a gap between available datasets and their practical usability, posing a significant barrier for researchers lacking specialized bioinformatics training. Variations in data processing methodologies further complicate the comparison of different machine learning approaches, making it challenging to identify the optimal method for tasks such as classifying patient samples as benign or malignant.
In response, collaborative researchers from Japan and the United States have developed a robust database tailored for machine learning applications, comprising genetic and molecular data from over 8,000 cancer patients. They named this groundbreaking database MLOmics. Similar to a well-organized library, MLOmics provides cancer data ready for immediate use by computer models, eliminating the need for extensive data preprocessing.
To create MLomics, researchers retrieved patient samples from 32 cancer types from publicly accessible databases, including the Cancer Genome Atlas. They collected four distinct types of molecular data per patient, comprising two DNA product types. The dataset includes transcriptomics data, data on DNA regions termed copy number variation, and details regarding chemical DNA markers known as methylation. For transcriptomics data, the team labeled experimental factors influencing data quality, eliminated contamination from non-human samples, and addressed unlabeled values.
For copy number variation data, researchers focused on cancer-specific repeated sequences, identifying and labeling recurrent aberrant repeats along with their corresponding genes. They adjusted methylation data to eliminate biases caused by various experimental platforms. In addition, a uniform identifier was assigned to all molecular data to standardize naming conventions.
Subsequently, the team developed a coding pipeline to assess data quality and integrate each patient’s molecular data types into a single, cohesive dataset using the multi-omics approach, which amalgamates diverse molecular measurements. They matched each patient sample with its associated cancer type, thereby creating an organized dataset prime for analysis.
The researchers designed 20 task-aware datasets across three categories of machine learning problems, establishing appropriate metrics for model evaluation in each category. They aimed to showcase how MLOmics can be employed for a variety of common research tasks.
The first category is classification, comprising six datasets that facilitate training models to categorize samples into known classes, such as malignant or benign tumors. The second category, clustering, includes nine datasets that allow scientists to explore how samples group naturally based on molecular characteristics when predefined labels are absent. The final category, data completion, consists of five datasets aimed at addressing incomplete molecular data caused by technical or experimental errors, detailing how models can estimate or fill in missing values, a common challenge in real-world scenarios.
The researchers also organized the MLOmics database into three distinct sections, each with comprehensive usage guidelines. The first section primarily offers task-aware cancer multi-omics datasets formatted as comma-separated values (CSV files). CSV files were selected for their efficiency with large genomic datasets, as they are easily processed by programming languages like Python and R. The second section provides code files designed to assist scientists in model development and evaluation. Finally, the last section includes links to additional resources that complement the primary datasets, ensuring accessibility for all interested researchers, regardless of their background.
In conclusion, the researchers affirmed that MLOmics represents a significant asset for the cancer research community, allowing scientists to concentrate on enhancing algorithms instead of expending time on data preparation. They highlighted MLOmics’ suitability for non-specialists, encouraging interdisciplinary research and broader biological studies. The team is committed to continuously updating MLOmics with new resources and tasks in alignment with advancements in the field.
Scientists, policymakers, and community leaders have undertaken numerous initiatives to combat racism in our society. While projects aimed at supporting victims and holding perpetrators accountable for racial violence provide some assistance, they often fail to address the deeper, systemic causes of racism. This challenge is compounded by the fact that individuals learn about race from various sources, including education and familial ties.
A significant hurdle in the fight against racism lies in the widespread misconception that race is a biological concept. This misunderstanding is perpetuated by the current educational framework, which simplifies genetic concepts by focusing on single-gene influences, thus overshadowing the complex interplay of genetics and environment.
Oversimplifying genetics can lead to a binary perception of how physical traits are inherited, ignoring the intricate realities of biology. Research indicates that early childhood experiences can significantly impact the genes responsible for stress regulation.
Past researchers have observed that when students learn that a single gene can determine a disease, they may erroneously generalize this to assume that all human differences, including race, stem solely from genetics. Although educators are striving to remove race-focused language from genetics instruction, the fundamental content and student assumptions often remain unchanged.
To address this issue, researchers like Brian Donovan have introduced a novel approach to genetic education through a framework called humane genomics. This perspective emphasizes the significant role of environmental factors on genetic expression, fostering an understanding that social interactions and surroundings are critical in distinguishing human racial groups.
To evaluate this approach, the research team engaged over 1,000 students from 14 high schools and one middle school across six states, including Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Each school participated with one biology teacher who underwent 40 hours of training on integrating humane genomics into their existing curricula. In half of the classes, a basic genetics unit was taught first, followed by a humane genomics unit, while the other half reversed this order.
Students completed surveys before the lessons and after each unit. The surveys assessed their knowledge of genetics and genomics, their beliefs regarding racism and its origins, and their reflections on the lessons learned. Findings indicated that students taught through the lens of humane genomics were 24% less likely to believe that genetics solely defines racial differences compared to those taught in traditional genetics. Moreover, 50% of students who experienced the humane genomics curriculum reported improved comprehension of how environmental factors influence human genetics.
Donovan and his team concluded that the methodology used to teach genetics in the United States significantly impacts students’ perceptions and understandings of race. However, they also noted that these conclusions are not yet applicable to educational contexts outside the U.S. Additionally, the need for further training for teachers to effectively deliver this innovative curriculum introduces added time and financial implications.
Despite these challenges, the research team believes their findings can reshape genetics education for the better. By prioritizing youth education, they aspire to instigate substantial societal change.
In the intriguing realm of the paranormal, one captivating phenomenon continuously captures interest: the near-death experience (NDE). Many describe encounters with a bright light at the end of a tunnel, vivid life memories flashing by, and even glimpses of the afterlife.
These classic themes are prevalent in movies and TV shows for good reason: studies indicate that individuals genuinely experience such profound visions.
While it’s natural to feel intense fear when facing death, it appears that near-death experiences can lead to unexpected positive outcomes.
Rather than merely terrifying, many individuals report that NDEs catalyze a happier, more fulfilled existence, diminishing their fear of mortality.
So, what influences a near-death experience? What transpires in the brain during these moments? And can one replicate such an experience without actual death?
What is a Near-Death Experience Like?
Although not every near-death experience leads to profound visions, they are generally perceived either positively or negatively.
“Initially, studies on near-death experiences concentrated on the more uplifting instances, but awareness of the negative ones has grown.” said Professor Chris French, a psychologist intrigued by the paranormal, during a BBC Science FocusInstant Genius podcast.
“It’s a rich hallucinatory experience that feels incredibly real—perhaps the most genuine experience I’ve ever had.”
While those who undergo positive experiences typically find it enlightening, individuals facing negative visions often wrestle with lasting trauma, including increased death anxiety. Alarmingly, approximately 1 in 5 NDEs falls into the negative category.
Chris categorizes these adverse experiences into three main types:
The primary category is the positive experience, which can be awe-inspiring and often involves seeing cherished memories, albeit not always in a positive light.
The second category is depicted as Hieronymus Bosch’s hellscape, portraying life and death in a nightmarish vision of torture and suffering in the afterlife.
Finally, the most haunting experience involves nothingness, where individuals face an endless void, drifting without purpose.
During a near-death experience, individuals may visualize the afterlife or perceive themselves moving toward a light – Credit: Getty
While the negative aspects sound alarming, many report uplifting experiences that reaffirm the joys of life.
Common occurrences include feelings of floating outside the body, witnessing their life flash by, and encountering a light at the tunnel’s end.
Those with positive experiences often report sensations like lightness, liberation, and tranquility. Interestingly, even frightening visions can be alleviated by the joy felt during the experience.
Such encounters are linked to an enhanced appreciation for life, fostering positive feelings despite the near-death context.
The Science Behind Near-Death Experiences
But what exactly triggers these near-death experiences? Are they divine visions, or merely windows into the afterlife? Science can’t provide definitive answers, but researchers like French propose some compelling theories.
“Most neuropsychologists argue that these visions stem from the dying brain, which engages in peculiar activities under such circumstances,” French explains.
“It feels incredibly authentic, and while no conclusive explanation exists, this perspective provides the most logical understanding.”
Near-death experiences can be profoundly impactful, with lasting effects, yet scientists propose these visions may simply be hallucinations from a failing brain – Credit: Getty
This phenomenon is characterized by the idea that the body’s multisensory integration becomes compromised. Essentially, the experience is amplified due to the simultaneous activation of various sensory inputs during extreme physiological stress.
Predominantly, this occurs in the right temporoparietal cortex, responsible for integrating sensory data from the visual, auditory, and somatosensory systems.
Notably, individuals don’t require genuine near-death situations to experience this; a strong belief that they’re near death suffices. Although many mysteries still linger regarding NDEs, neuropsychological interpretations remain our best understanding.
Read more:
A More Fulfilling Life Post-Near-Death
After experiencing a close brush with death and returning to normalcy, how do individuals navigate their lives?
For many, the experience is transformational. A significant percentage of those who endure a near-death experience express a newfound desire to change their lives.
This transformation, however, isn’t without consequences; post-experience, some individuals may face increased divorce rates, particularly when one partner has undergone an NDE. Others might experience PTSD symptoms, feeling disconnected from life.
Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, many individuals find that near-death experiences elevate their overall well-being, enhancing morality, happiness, and life satisfaction. Some also report increased spiritual confidence.
Many who have encountered such experiences believe they glimpsed the afterlife, leading them to become more spiritual, contemplating themes like reincarnation and other dimensions.
A notable connection among those who undergo these visions is an increase in altruism and reduced materialism, reflecting less interest in wealth accumulation.
In studies of cardiac arrest survivors, those who experienced NDEs displayed decreased fear of death, increased belief in an afterlife, and a heightened sense of life’s purpose, along with greater love and acceptance of others.
While some individuals notice these changes immediately, for others, the transformation may unfold over years.
Some Buddhist monks have reported visions akin to near-death experiences – Credit: Getty
How to Induce a Near-Death Experience Without Dying
While pursuing joy through death is a daunting path, is there a simpler method for experiencing a near-death sensation? Technically, yes. Reports suggest individuals have reached NDE-like states without the fatal aspect.
Some have managed to meditate on near-death experiences. In a study of advanced Buddhist meditators, participants experienced similar sensations without triggering fear of death.
However, these were seasoned monks with over 20 years of meditation expertise, dedicating hours to the practice. Many Buddhist monks have had near-death encounters, suggesting they can comprehend the associated emotions.
Outside of meditation, creating this experience is challenging. For most, the stark fear of dying prompts such an experience. If meditation isn’t part of one’s life, one would have to confront either actual death or the perception of imminent death… Perhaps meditation is indeed the most viable path.
Scientists, policymakers, and community leaders are actively working to combat racism within our society. Although initiatives aimed at supporting victims and penalizing perpetrators of racial violence have had some success, they often fall short of addressing the fundamental causes of racism. The complexity of eradicating racism stems from its deep-rooted origins, learned through education, family influences, and societal narratives.
A significant hurdle is the widespread misconception that race is a biological construct, rather than a social one. This misunderstanding is perpetuated by our education system, which frequently simplifies genetics, emphasizing the influence of individual genes on a person’s characteristics.
This reductionist approach can lead students to adopt a binary view of genetics, overlooking the intricacies involved in the inheritance of physical traits. For instance, research has shown that early life experiences can affect the genes responsible for stress regulation.
indicate that when students learn that a single gene can dictate disease, they tend to generalize this idea to all human differences, including race. Although educators have sought to eliminate race-related terminology in genetic lessons, the core messages and student perceptions often remain unchanged.
Researchers, led by Brian Donovan, are addressing this issue by implementing a new paradigm for teaching genetic complexity, referred to as humane genomics . This innovative approach emphasizes the interplay between environmental factors and genetic expression, illustrating how social and environmental contexts significantly contribute to the diversity among racial groups.
To evaluate their framework, the team engaged over 1,000 students from 14 high schools and one middle school across six states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Each participating school had a biology educator who underwent 40 hours of training on how to integrate humane genomics with their existing curriculum. In half of the classes, the genetics unit preceded the humane genomics unit; in the remaining classes, these units were taught in the opposite order.
Students completed surveys both before and after the lessons. These questionnaires assessed their foundational knowledge in genetics and genomics, perceptions about racism, and insights gained from the lessons. Results showed that students who learned through the humane genomics framework were 24% less likely to attribute racial differences to genetic factors compared to those who learned strictly genetics. Moreover, 50% of students exposed to humane genomics reported a better understanding of how environmental influences impact human genetics.
The findings suggest that pedagogical approaches to genetics education can significantly shape students’ beliefs and understanding of race in the United States. However, the authors advise caution in generalizing these outcomes to other regions. Furthermore, additional teacher training is necessary for effectively delivering this innovative curriculum, resulting in both financial and temporal investments.
Despite these challenges, the research team aims to catalyze improvements in genetics education, with the hope that fostering informed perspectives among youth can lead to transformative societal changes.
People frequently report seeing bright lights during near-death experiences. This symbolism of transition is also prevalent in dreams as we approach life’s end.
Kirill Ryzhov/Alamy
Dying patients under palliative care often experience vivid dreams that feature deceased loved ones or symbols representing transition. Healthcare professionals observe that these dreams provide comfort and alleviate fears surrounding death.
Elisa Ravitti from the Regional Network of Palliative Care in Reggio Emilia, Italy, emphasizes that these end-of-life dreams “offer psychological comfort and meaning to those confronting their mortality.”
Ravitti led a survey involving 239 palliative care specialists—including doctors, nurses, and psychologists—focusing on the dreams reported by terminally ill patients.
Among the most prevalent dreams were encounters with deceased family members or pets. One notable example includes a woman who dreamt of her late husband reassuring her, “I’m waiting for you.” Such dreams fostered peace of mind and helped individuals come to terms with their mortality, as noted by Ravitti and her team.
Other dreams featured symbols like doors, stairs, and lights. One patient described a journey towards an open door radiating white light, suggesting a coping mechanism to explore the transition from life to death, according to the study’s authors.
Most individuals expressed feelings of “peace” and “comfort” regarding these end-of-life dreams and visions; only about 10 percent reported distressing experiences, such as one woman who dreamed of a monster bearing her mother’s face dragging her down.
Dr. Christopher Kerr of Hospice Buffalo in New York conducted a study revealing that terminally ill patients frequently dream of deceased loved ones, with such occurrences increasing as death approaches. His research indicates that “it’s not random who comes to you; it’s the individuals who have always loved you and kept you safe.” Dr. Kerr’s findings also suggest that dreams related to “preparing for departure” are common, with patients often describing visions of packing or riding a bus.
End-of-life dreams and visions have the potential to “reunite individuals,” Dr. Kerr notes. He recalls a poignant moment with a 70-year-old woman who cradled an invisible baby during a vision of her stillborn first child, signaling a source of solace for her painful loss. “Many veterans express their wounds and burdens through these end-of-life dreams,” Dr. Kerr remarked.
Dr. Kerr attributes the increasing frequency of dreams and visions as death nears to the concept of death as “a progressive sleep.” “Patients exist in a state between wakefulness and sleep, enhancing the vividness and realism of their dreams; often, they affirm that these experiences feel genuine rather than merely dreams.”
While we often perceive the end of life as a bleak experience, “our instinctual survival mechanisms respond to threats,” asserts Dr. Kerr. However, he notes that the final weeks of terminal illness can be filled with love and meaning, allowing patients to “inevitably come to terms with their situation.” He adds that one of the most remarkable aspects observed is a pronounced absence of fear.
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