Mondo News

Research Reveals Swearing Might Provide an Unexpected Physical Edge

Posted on December 18, 2025 by

Many of us find joy in liberally using profanity. Why? Because it feels satisfying. Recent scientific findings have validated this common behavior, thanks to a new study conducted by researchers at Keele University in the UK.

The research indicates that swearing can enhance physical performance and lead to better results in strength and endurance tests.

According to Dr. Richard Stevens, who spearheaded the study: BBC Science Focus, “This study essentially confirms what we consider common sense: swearing when we need to can elevate our mood.” He described swearing as a “low-cost, easily accessible, non-drug self-help strategy.”

To explore this phenomenon, the research team performed two experiments involving 192 participants. During the first experiment, each volunteer shouted an expletive every two seconds while doing push-ups (raising their body using only their arms) on a chair.

Participants also completed the same task using neutral words instead. Some began with swearing, while others started with neutral terms.

The results were significant. Those who swore were able to maintain their weight support for longer periods.

Stevens attributes this enhancement in performance to people feeling less constrained when they swear. “You become more uninhibited, you push past your hesitations and go all out instead of holding back,” he explains.

This effect was later confirmed through a post-test questionnaire, showing that participants reported higher levels of “psychological flow” when swearing—a state where they were fully engaged and enjoying the activity.

It’s common to hear profanity at the gym as individuals strive for extra strength – Photo credit: Getty

“This paper builds on research from the 1960s indicating that shouting, loud sounds, alcohol, and similar stimuli enhance physical performance. It suggests that reducing inhibitions can boost fitness,” Stevens remarked.

But what is it about profanity that gives it such power? Stevens posits that it “must relate to their taboo nature.” He noted that many curse words are “double taboos,” meaning they aren’t just socially unacceptable, but often touch on other sensitive subjects, such as sex.

The research team plans to delve deeper into the influence of a word’s taboo nature by examining its effects on pain tolerance. Essentially, they’re searching for the ultimate swear word with the greatest impact.

For now, you might be wondering if you should incorporate more swearing into your life. According to science, the answer is affirmative.

“Our findings indicate that swearing diminishes inhibition and enhances performance, suggesting that this effect may extend to other scenarios where success relies on overcoming hesitation,” Stevens stated.

“Using curse words strategically during challenging moments, especially when we’re outside our comfort zone, can help us unlock our full potential and ultimately achieve greater success.”

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New Research Discovers Titan Lacks an Underground Ocean

Posted on December 18, 2025 by

Data from NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn initially suggested that Titan could possess a vast subterranean ocean of liquid water. However, when University of Washington scientist Baptiste Journeau and his team created models of a moon with an ocean, the findings did not align with the physical characteristics indicated by the data. What we likely observe instead resembles Arctic sea ice and aquifers, rather than an expansive ocean akin to those on Earth.

This composite image presents an infrared view of Titan. In this depiction, blue signifies wavelengths centered at 1.3 microns, green at 2.0 microns, and red at 5.0 microns. While visible wavelengths only reveal Titan’s hazy atmosphere, the near-infrared wavelengths enable Cassini’s vision to penetrate the haze, showcasing the moon’s surface. This perspective primarily focuses on the terrain in Titan’s hemisphere facing Saturn. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

The Cassini mission, which commenced in 1997 and spanned nearly 20 years, yielded extensive data about Saturn and its 274 moons.

Titan is the only celestial body outside Earth known to feature liquid on its surface.

Temperatures on Titan hover around -183 degrees Celsius (-297 degrees Fahrenheit). Rather than water, liquid methane forms lakes and precipitates as rain.

As Titan orbits Saturn in an elliptical pattern, scientists noted the moon stretching or contracting based on its position relative to Saturn.

In 2008, they hypothesized that Titan must harbor a massive ocean beneath its crust to explain such notable deformation.

“The extent of deformation is influenced by Titan’s internal structure,” Journeau explains.

“When Saturn’s gravity acts on a deep ocean, it can bend the crust even more; however, if Titan is entirely frozen, the deformation would be less pronounced.”

“The deformations detected during the initial analysis of Cassini mission data might align with a global ocean scenario, but we now understand that there is more complexity involved.”

Schematic representation of Titan’s internal structure as revealed by Petricca et al.. Image credit: Petricca et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09818-x.

In this new study, Dr. Journeau and his co-authors introduce an additional layer of detail: timing.

Titan’s shape alteration lags Saturn’s peak gravitational influence by approximately 15 hours.

Similar to stirring honey with a spoon, manipulating a thick and viscous substance demands more energy compared to liquid water.

By measuring this delay, scientists were able to ascertain how much energy was required to alter Titan’s shape, facilitating inferences about its internal viscosity.

The energy loss, or dissipation, observed on Titan greatly exceeded what researchers anticipated in a global ocean framework.

“No one expected such significant energy dissipation to take place within Titan,” stated Dr. Flavio Petricca, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“This provided definitive evidence that Titan’s interior differs from our previous analyses.”

Consequently, the scientists proposed a model characterized by a greater presence of slush and significantly reduced quantities of liquid water.

This slush is sufficiently thick to explain the delay, yet still contains water, enabling Titan to deform under gravitational forces.

“Titan’s water layer is so dense and the pressure so great that it alters the physics of the water,” Journeau remarks.

“Water and ice behave differently compared to seawater on Earth.”

This study is published in today’s issue of Nature.

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F. Petricca et al. 2025. The dissipation of Titan’s powerful tidal forces prevents the formation of underground oceans. Nature 648, 556-561; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09818-x

Source: www.sci.news

Trump Administration Set to Eliminate Key Climate Research Centers

Posted on December 17, 2025 by

The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle Colorado’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is the largest climate research institute in the federal state.

Russ Vought, the White House Director of Management and Budget, revealed the proposal on Tuesday. In a statement on X.

“The National Science Foundation intends to dissolve the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado,” Vought stated. According to a USA Today report. “This facility is a core source of concern regarding climate change in our country. A thorough review is in progress, and vital activities related to climate research will be reassigned to another organization or location.”

This action could pose a significant blow to U.S. climate research, as United Nations and other global leaders indicate that time is running out to avert the dire consequences of global warming.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, NCAR’s parent organization, issued a statement on Tuesday. They acknowledged awareness of the closures but had no further details.

“We are eager to collaborate with the administration to ensure the security and prosperity of our nation remains a top priority,” UCAR President Antonio Busalacci stated.

In response to an NBC News inquiry about NCAR’s fate, a senior White House official criticized Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat.

“Perhaps if Colorado had a governor willing to engage with President Trump, it would be more beneficial for voters,” said the official.

The official characterized NCAR as “a prominent research center perpetuating left-leaning climate change ideologies” and asserted that dismantling NCAR would “put an end to the research activities linked to the Green New Scam.”

Polis responded on Tuesday. He mentioned that Colorado has not received any communication about plans to dismantle NCAR, emphasizing that such actions would equate to an assault on science if confirmed.

“Climate change is a real issue, but NCAR’s contributions extend well beyond climate research,” Polis stated. “NCAR supplies crucial data on severe weather incidents like fires and floods, aiding our nation in safeguarding lives and property. If these cuts proceed, we risk losing our competitive edge against foreign adversaries in scientific exploration.”

Many within the climate and weather field expressed shock at this announcement.

Daniel Swain, a climatologist at UCLA, remarked: I commented on X that this would represent a “significant setback for American science.”

“This will disrupt not only climate research but also studies on weather, wildfires, and disasters that have supported decades of advancements in forecasting, early warnings, and resilience improvement,” Swain said, noting that the repercussions would cascade throughout the global weather and climate communities.

“NCAR has likely played an unparalleled role in enhancing weather forecasting and atmospheric modeling compared to any other organization worldwide,” he added.

Katherine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, asserted that dismantling NCAR would be “akin to using a sledgehammer on the foundation of our scientific understanding of the planet.”

“Almost everyone studying climate and weather, not just in the U.S. but globally, has benefited from NCAR’s invaluable resources,” she mentioned on X.

Andy Hazelton, an associate scientist at the University of Miami’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Institute, described the decision to move resources as “incredibly shortsighted.”

Some Democratic representatives have pledged to fight against the closure of NCAR.

“This represents a dangerously blatant act of retaliation from the Trump administration,” stated Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colorado, whose constituency includes the climate research hub. I posted on X. “NCAR is a leading scientific facility globally, with our scientists engaging in pioneering research every day. We will use every legal avenue to combat this reckless directive.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New Research Uncovers How Pterosaurs Developed Flight-Ready Brains

Posted on November 29, 2025 by

An international team of researchers has conducted a groundbreaking study utilizing high-resolution 3D imaging techniques, including micro-CT scans, to reconstruct the brain shapes of over 30 species. These species range from pterosaurs and their relatives to early dinosaurs and bird precursors, modern crocodiles, and various Triassic archosaurs.

Reconstruction of the landscape from the late Triassic period, approximately 215 million years ago. A Lagelpetidae, a relative of pterosaurs, perches on a rock and observes a pterosaur flying overhead. Image credit: Mateus Fernández.

The earliest known pterosaurs, dating back approximately 220 million years, were already adept at powered flight. This ability subsequently evolved independently in paraavian dinosaurs, a group that encompasses modern birds and their non-avian relatives.

Flight is a complex locomotion type that necessitates physiological adaptations and significant changes in body structure, including alterations in body proportions, specialized coverings, and the enhancement of neurosensory capabilities.

While birds and pterosaurs exhibit distinct skeletal and covering adaptations for flying, it is suggested that they may share neuroanatomical features linked to aerial movement.

“Our findings bolster the evidence that the enlarged brain observed in modern birds, and possibly their ancient ancestors, didn’t drive the flight abilities of pterosaurs,” stated Dr. Matteo Fabbri from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Our research indicates that pterosaurs achieved flight early in their evolution and did so with relatively small brains, akin to flightless dinosaurs.”

To explore whether pterosaurs gained flight differently than birds and bats, researchers examined the evolutionary tree of reptiles to understand the evolution of pterosaur brain shape and size, seeking clues that may have led to the emergence of flight.

They particularly emphasized the optic lobe, an area crucial for vision, whose growth is believed to correlate with flying ability.

The team focused on pterosaurs’ closest relatives through CT scans and imaging software capable of retrieving information about the nervous systems of fossils, specifically examining Ixarelpeton, a flightless arboreal species from the lagerpetide family that existed in Brazil around 233 million years ago.

Dr. Mario Bronzati from the University of Tübingen noted: “The brains of Lagerpetidae exhibited features linked to enhanced vision, like enlarged optic lobes, which might have equipped pterosaur relatives for flight.”

“Pterosaurs had larger optic lobes as well,” Fabbri added.

However, aside from the optic lobes, there were minimal similarities in brain shape and size when comparing pterosaurs to their closest flying reptile relatives, the Lagerpetidae.

“Some similarities suggest that the flying pterosaurs, which arose shortly after Lagerpetidae, may have acquired flight capabilities swiftly during their origin,” Fabbri explained.

“In essence, the pterosaur brain underwent rapid changes from the start, acquiring all necessary adaptations for flight.”

“Conversely, modern birds are believed to have inherited specific traits from their prehistoric predecessors, such as an expanded cerebrum, cerebellum, and optic lobes, gradually adapting them for flight over time.”

This theory is reinforced by a 2024 study highlighting the brain’s cerebellum expansion as a pivotal factor for bird flight.

The cerebellum, located at the brain’s rear, regulates and coordinates muscle movements, among various functions.

In further research, the scientists examined the brain cavities of fossil crocodilians and early extinct birds, comparing them to those of pterosaurs.

They discovered that pterosaur brains had moderately enlarged hemispheres that resembled those of other dinosaurs, contrasting with modern birds’ brain cavities.

“Discoveries in southern Brazil provide remarkable new insights into the origins of major animal groups such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs,” remarked paleontologist Dr. Rodrigo Temp Muller from the Federal University of Santa Maria.

“With every new fossil and study released, our understanding of what the early relatives of these groups looked like becomes increasingly clear—something we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago.”

“In future studies, gaining a deeper understanding of how pterosaur brain structure, along with its size and shape, facilitated flight will be crucial for unveiling the fundamental biological principles of flight,” Fabbri stated.

The results were published in the journal Current Biology.

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Mario Bronzati et al. Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and nonavian parabirds in the evolution of flight. Current Biology published online on November 26, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.10.086

Source: www.sci.news

Research Suggests Invasive Polynesian Rat Contributed Significantly to Easter Island Deforestation

Posted on November 21, 2025 by

The ecological shifts experienced on Easter Island (Rapanui) represent one of the most illustrative yet contentious examples in environmental archaeology. This discussion centers around the Polynesian rat (brown rat) amid the island’s deforestation, an event that wiped out an estimated 15 million to 19.7 million palm trees, specifically the palm tree (pashalococcos disperta) between approximately 1200 and 1650 AD.

Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui to its early inhabitants, is one of the least populated islands in the world. It is located approximately 3,512 km from the west coast of Chile and about 2,075 km west of the nearest inhabited island, Pitcairn Island. For reasons still unclear, the early Rapa Nui people began carving giant statues from volcanic rock. These monumental statues, known as moai, are among the most remarkable ancient artifacts discovered. Image credit: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Prior to human settlement, Rapa Nui was dominated by large palm trees of now-extinct varieties, including the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chillensis).

These majestic trees can survive for up to 500 years, but are slow-growing, taking around 70 years to mature and bear fruit.

By the time Europeans arrived in 1722, very few palm trees remained. When European interest in the island’s ecosystem peaked, these trees had largely disappeared.

“European accounts often describe islands devoid of trees, yet they also mention palm trees and their fronds,” notes Carl Lipo, a professor at Binghamton University.

“It’s uncertain whether they used this term to denote other types of trees.”

When exploring new islands, Polynesians transported various subsistence items such as taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, yams, dogs, chickens, and pigs, along with the omnipresent Polynesian rat.

In contrast to the Norway rat (brown rat), which was introduced post-European contact and favors the tree canopy, this smaller arboreal species provides a wealth of information for researchers.

“Their genetics showcase unique haplotypes due to the ‘founder effect’,” explains Professor Lipo.

“The genetic diversity of rats as they traverse the Pacific allows us to trace human migrations and the frequency of these settlements.”

The methods by which these rats entered Polynesian outrigger canoes is debated. Were they stowaways or intentionally included as a backup food source? Ethnographic evidence leans toward the latter.

“After European arrival, a naturalist collecting specimens for the British Museum witnessed a man walking with a mouse, who informed him it was for lunch.”

Additionally, rat bones have been uncovered in midden deposits, or ancient refuse piles, on various Pacific islands.

Upon their arrival at Rapa Nui around 1200 AD, the rats discovered a predator-free paradise filled with their preferred foods.

Their population surged into the millions within a few years, as they can breed multiple times annually.

“The palm fruit was like candy to the rats. They turned into a significant food source,” Professor Lipo commented.

Rapa Nui’s palm trees had coevolved with birds and did not develop the boom-and-bust production cycle that would have enabled some nuts to withstand rodent exploitation.

As a result, rats consumed the palm fruit, preventing the next generation of trees from establishing.

Simultaneously, humans cleared land for sweet potato fields. This dual pressure led to the deforestation now characteristic of the island.

Alongside plants and animals, Polynesians also incorporated practices such as slash-and-burn agriculture to enhance soil fertility.

Old volcanic islands like Rapa Nui possess poor soil, and rainfall depletes nutrients.

Clearing or burning parts of the forest temporarily rejuvenates soil quality.

Once nutrients are exhausted, farmers relocate, the land recuperates, and trees regrow.

“This pattern is also observable in New Guinea and other regions across the Pacific,” Professor Lipo mentions.

“However, in Rapa Nui, the slow growth of trees and the rats consuming coconuts inhibited regrowth.”

Eventually, the islanders shifted to a farming technique that utilized stone mulch to enrich their crops.

While the reduction of palm forests marked a significant ecological transformation, it was not a disaster solely orchestrated by humans.

The islanders’ survival did not hinge on the palm trees; rather, it depended on the availability of cleared land for agriculture.

Moreover, palms are not hardwoods; they belong to the grass family and do not provide material for canoes, homes, or fuel.

“The loss of palm forests is unfortunate, yet it wasn’t catastrophic for the people,” states Professor Lipo.

“They didn’t rely on them for survival.”

Though some palms may have persisted into European colonization, the introduction of sheep farming in the 19th century likely sealed their extinction, as any remaining seedlings would be consumed by sheep.

Ironically, the Polynesian mouse suffered a similar fate to the palm trees, being outcompeted by Norway rats or predated by non-native species like hawks on most islands.

Despite changes in species, islanders still discuss the rodents’ cyclical population booms and severe declines.

The narrative of Rapa Nui exemplifies unintended consequences as well as resilience and adaptability in one of the most remote inhabited islands, with its closest neighbor situated 1,931 km (1,200 miles) away.

“A more nuanced perspective on environmental change is essential,” says Professor Lipo.

“We are integral to the natural world and often modify it for our benefit; however, this does not necessarily imply we are creating an unsustainable environment.”

Findings from this study will be published in the archeology journal.

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Terry L. Hunt and Carl P. Lipo. 2025. Re-evaluating the role of Polynesian rats (brown rat) in the deforestation of Rapa Nui (Easter Island): Faunal evidence and ecological modeling. archeology journal 184: 106388; doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106388

Source: www.sci.news

Research Shows Moss Can Endure 9 Months in Space

Posted on November 21, 2025 by

Mosses are believed to have evolved from ancestral plants that transitioned from aquatic environments to terrestrial habitats approximately 450 million years ago.

This organism is known for its remarkable hardiness, thriving in diverse locations, from the frigid Antarctic tundra to the lofty peaks of the Himalayas, as well as in volcanic lava fields and various aquatic settings.

Fujita expressed his admiration for its extraordinary resilience.

“It got me thinking: Could this resilient little plant endure the harsh conditions of space?” he remarked.

His research team focused on a specific type of moss known as Physcomitrium patent. They conducted experiments in a laboratory simulating a space environment, exposing the moss to extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions, and elevated levels of ultraviolet radiation.

They concluded that the moss’ sporophyte, which contains the encapsulated spores that act as reproductive structures, stands the best chance of survival in space due to its ability to endure high levels of ultraviolet light. The spores were able to germinate after enduring scorching conditions of 131 degrees Fahrenheit for a month and frigid temperatures of minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit for over a week.

In March 2022, researchers dispatched hundreds of moss sporophytes to the International Space Station using a cargo spacecraft from Northrop Grumman. Astronauts attached the sporophyte samples to the station’s exterior and left them exposed for 283 days.

The moss samples were subsequently returned to Earth on a SpaceX cargo mission in January 2023.

The team discovered that over 80% of the spores survived their nine-month journey outside the space station, with nearly 90% successfully re-germinating in their Earth-based laboratory.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New Research Reveals Black Cumin’s Anti-Obesity Benefits

Posted on November 20, 2025 by

Traditionally, black cumin seeds have been esteemed for their health benefits. A recent study examined their potential in alleviating symptoms related to obesity.

Ahmed et al. suggest that black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa) could be a promising natural remedy for obesity-related issues. Image credit: Andre Holz / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Nigella sativa, commonly known as black cumin, is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, widely used in traditional medicine across South Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region.

Its healing properties are acknowledged in ancient medical systems like Unani, Ayurveda, and Tiv.

Rich in bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and essential oils, black cumin seed and its oil demonstrate vast pharmacological potential.

Their diverse physicochemical properties make them valuable in both culinary and medicinal applications.

Studies with cell cultures and animals have shown the therapeutic benefits of black cumin and its active component thymoquinone, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and antiobesity effects.

To delve into these effects, Dr. Akiko Kojima Yuasa and colleagues from Osaka Metropolitan University conducted cell-based experiments and human clinical trials.

In the clinical trials, participants who ingested 5g of black cumin seed powder (around 1 tablespoon) daily for 8 weeks exhibited notable decreases in blood triglyceride levels, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and total cholesterol. Moreover, HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels saw an increase.

This improved blood lipid profile is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and premature mortality.

The research team also performed cell experiments to clarify the mechanisms at play.

They discovered that black cumin seed extract inhibits adipogenesis (the formation and maturation of fat cells) by preventing lipid droplet accumulation and the differentiation process.

Dr. Yuasa Kojima remarked, “This study strongly indicates that black cumin seeds serve as a functional food in the prevention of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.”

“We were thrilled to effectively demonstrate the significant blood lipid-lowering effects of black cumin in our human clinical trials.”

“We aspire to conduct long-term, extensive clinical trials to further investigate the effects of black cumin on metabolism.”

“We are particularly keen on exploring insulin resistance in diabetes and its influence on inflammatory markers.”

This study was published in the journal Food Science and Nutrition.

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Shamima Ahmed et al. 2025. Black Cumin Seed (Nigella sativa) 3T3-L1 exhibits anti-adipogenic effects in cellular models and hypolipidemic properties in humans. Food Science and Nutrition 13 (9): e70888; doi: 10.1002/fsn3.70888

Source: www.sci.news

Mathematicians Announce Significant Impact of Google’s AI Tools on Research Advancement

Posted on November 18, 2025 by

AI aids mathematicians in solving diverse problems

Andresle/Getty Images

The AI tools created by Google DeepMind are proving to be remarkably effective in aiding mathematical research, and experts believe this could initiate a wave of AI-driven mathematical breakthroughs on an unprecedented scale.

In May, Google unveiled an AI system named AlphaEvolve, which may reveal new algorithms and formulas. This system generates numerous potential solutions through Google’s AI chatbot Gemini, which then feeds them into a distinct AI evaluator. This evaluator filters out nonsensical outputs that chatbots are prone to produce. During initial tests, Google researchers pitted AlphaEvolve against over 50 unresolved mathematical problems, and discovered that it accurately rediscovered the most prominent solutions established by humans in approximately three-quarters of the cases.

Recently, Terrence Tao and his team at UCLA assessed the system using 67 more rigorous and extensive mathematical research queries. They found that AlphaEvolve did more than merely revisit old solutions; in certain instances, it could generate improved resolutions suitable for integration into other AI systems, like a more resource-intensive version of Gemini or AlphaProof, the AI that secured a gold medal in this year’s International Mathematics Olympiad, to craft new mathematical proofs.

Tao noted that it’s challenging to gauge overall effectiveness, as the problems differ in their complexities. However, the system consistently operated much faster than any individual mathematician.

“Addressing these 67 problems through traditional methods would require us to design a specific optimization algorithm for each task. That would take years and we might never have initiated this project at all. This initiative offers a chance to engage in mathematics on a previously unseen scale,” Tao states.

AlphaEvolve is particularly adept at solving what are known as optimization problems. These encompass tasks like determining the optimal figures, formulas, or objects that best resolve specific challenges. For instance, calculating the maximum number of hexagons that can occupy a defined area.

While the system is capable of addressing optimization problems across various branches of mathematics, such as number theory and geometry, these still represent “only a small fraction of all the problems that mathematicians are interested in,” according to Tao. Nonetheless, the power of AlphaEvolve is such that mathematicians might attempt to reformulate non-optimization problems into solvable forms for AI. “These tools offer a fresh perspective for tackling these issues,” he adds.

A potential drawback, however, as Tao explains, is that the system sometimes tends to “cheat” by producing answers that seem correct but utilize loopholes or methods that don’t genuinely solve the problems. “It’s akin to administering a test to a group of exceptionally bright yet morally ambiguous students who will do whatever it takes to score highly,” he remarks.

Even with its flaws, AlphaEvolve’s achievements are garnering interest from a broader segment of the mathematical community that might have previously leaned towards more general AI solutions such as ChatGPT, according to team member Javier Gomez Serrano from Brown University. Although AlphaEvolve isn’t publicly accessible yet, numerous mathematicians have expressed interest in testing it.

“There’s definitely a growing curiosity and openness to employing these tools,” asserts Gomez Serrano. “Everyone is eager to discover their potential. Interest in the mathematical community has surged compared to a year or two ago.”

Tao believes that such AI systems alleviate some of the burdens of mathematical work, allowing researchers to focus on other areas. “Mathematicians are few in number globally, making it infeasible to consider every problem. However, there exists a multitude of mid-level difficulties where tools like AlphaEvolve are particularly effective,” he notes.

Jeremy Avigado, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, observes that machine learning methods are increasingly beneficial to mathematicians. “The next step is enhancing collaboration between computer scientists skilled in machine learning tools and mathematicians with domain-specific knowledge,” he emphasizes.

“We aspire to witness more outcomes like this in the future and identify methods to extend this approach into more abstract mathematical fields.”

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Research Indicates Our Universe Is Already Entering a Slowdown Phase

Posted on November 6, 2025 by

A recent study from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, challenges the previously accepted notion that dark energy is causing the accelerated movement of distant galaxies away from us. The researchers found no evidence supporting the idea that the universe is currently accelerating. If validated, this finding could significantly alter our understanding of dark energy, address the “Hubble strain,” and provide insights into the universe’s past and future.

The expansion of the universe may be slowing down, not accelerating. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

For over three decades, astronomers have generally accepted that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate due to a hidden force dubbed dark energy, which functions as a sort of anti-gravity.

This conclusion, derived from distance measurements of far-off galaxies using Type Ia supernovae, earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011.

However, Professor Yongwook Lee of Yonsei University and his team have introduced new evidence suggesting that Type Ia supernovae, once thought to be the universe’s “standard candle,” are significantly affected by the age of their progenitor stars.

“Our findings indicate that the universe is currently in a phase of decelerating expansion, and that dark energy is evolving at a much faster rate than previously assumed,” stated Professor Lee.

“If verified, these outcomes would signify the most substantial shift in cosmology since the identification of dark energy 27 years ago.”

Even after adjusting for brightness, supernovae from younger star populations seem systematically dimmer, while those from older populations appear brighter.

Utilizing a more extensive sample of 300 host galaxies, the researchers validated these findings with remarkable significance (99.999% confidence), indicating that the dimming of distant supernovae is influenced not only by cosmological factors but also by stellar astrophysical characteristics.

After correcting for this systematic bias, the supernova data no longer aligned with the classic ΛCDM cosmology model that includes a cosmological constant.

Instead, it aligns more closely with a new model backed by the Dark Energy Spectroscopy Instrument (DESI) project, based on Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data.

Both the adjusted supernova data and the results from BAO+CMB demonstrate that dark energy diminishes and evolves significantly over time.

Importantly, when the corrected supernova data were integrated with BAO and CMB findings, the traditional ΛCDM model was decisively ruled out.

Most notably, this comprehensive analysis reveals that the universe is not accelerating as much as once believed, but has already transitioned into a state of slowing expansion.

“The DESI project has yielded significant results by merging unadjusted supernova data with baryon acoustic vibration measurements, concluding that while the universe will decelerate in the future, it is still accelerating at present,” remarked Professor Lee.

“Conversely, our analysis, which incorporates an age-bias correction, indicates that the universe is already entering a slowing phase today.”

“Surprisingly, this aligns with predictions made independently from BAO analyses, which has yet to receive much attention.”

To further validate their findings, the researchers are now conducting an evolution-free test using only supernovae from young, contemporaneous host galaxies across the entire redshift range.

Initial results already support their primary conclusion.

“With the Vera C. Rubin Observatory set to discover more than 20,000 new supernova host galaxies within the next five years, accurate age measurements will provide a more robust and conclusive examination of supernova cosmology,” stated Yonsei University professor Chul Chung.

The team’s paper published today in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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Song Joon Hyuk et al. 2025. Strong founder age bias in supernova cosmology – II. Alignment of DESI BAO with signs of a non-accelerating universe. MNRAS 544 (1): 975-987; doi: 10.1093/mnras/staf1685

Source: www.sci.news

AI Research Sheds Light on Why Super-Recognition Skills Excel in Face Identification

Posted on November 5, 2025 by

They are salisbury novichok addict uncovering a murder suspect or even identifying a sexual predator. The research offers fresh insights into why superrecognizers excel at facial recognition.

Previous studies indicate that individuals with exceptional facial recognition skills observe more regions of the entire face compared to average individuals.

Recently, researchers have employed advanced AI techniques to reveal how this perspective enhances their capabilities.

“It’s not solely about seeing everything, it’s about using your vision intelligently,” stated the lead author of the study, Dr. James Dunn from UNSW Sydney.

In a recent article published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Dunn et al. highlight how they extracted eye-tracking data from a previous study involving 37 superrecognizers and 68 typical recognizers.

In their experiment, participants viewed both images of entire faces and segmented images focusing on the regions they were examining.

In this new research, the team utilized this data to reconstruct the visual information that was available to the participants’ eyes.

This “retinal information” was processed through a deep neural network (DNN), an AI system trained for facial recognition. Participants provided the AI with either a complete image of the same face they had seen or a different one.

In all instances, the AI generated a score indicating how closely the retinal information matched a given complete facial image.

The research team compared outcomes between typical participants and super-recognizers, along with data drawn from randomly chosen areas of the initial facial images.

The findings indicated that the AI system’s effectiveness improved as the visibility of the observed facial feature increased.

Moreover, across all levels of visibility, the AI performed optimally when relying on retinal data from superrecognizers.

“This suggests that variations in facial recognition capability are partly due to our active exploration and sampling of visual data, rather than just post-processing by the brain,” Dunn remarked.

The team then examined whether their findings simply indicated that superrecognizers looked at more areas of the face and gathered more data.

However, they discovered that even when the same amount of retinal information was captured, the AI performed better with data from super-recognizers.

“Their advantage lies not only in the quantity but also in the quality of information,” says Dunn. “They focus on areas that provide more identity cues, making each ‘pixel’ they select significantly more valuable for facial recognition.”

Dr. Rachel Bennett, a facial processing expert from Brunel University in London who was not involved in the study, praised the research.

“The key contribution to understanding super-recognition is that effective facial recognition isn’t only about examining specific areas or spending more time looking at the face. Super-recognizers explore not just larger areas, but also gather more advantageous data,” she asserted.

Dr. Alejandro Estudillo from Bournemouth University noted that the study was conducted by showing participants still images in highly controlled environments.

“It will be crucial to see if the same patterns emerge in more natural, dynamic contexts,” he said.

This study implies there are strategies to enhance facial recognition; however, it seems unlikely that anyone can train to become a super-recognizer.

“At present, we cannot determine if these eye movement patterns can be effectively trained,” Bennett remarked.

Dunn stated that research indicates super-recognition is likely influenced by genetics and is often inherited.

“Superrecognizers appear to instinctively identify the most crucial features. This is challenging to teach, as it differs from one face to another,” he explained.

Researchers have created a free test to help identify supercognitive traits: New South Wales face test.

New Research Uncovers Nanotyrannus as a Unique Dinosaur Lineage

Posted on November 1, 2025 by

Paleontologists investigated a remarkably preserved and nearly mature Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton found in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. Their findings suggest that this specimen exhibits traits similar to the holotype of Nanotyrannus and confirm that this lineage is distinct from tyrannosaurus.

A pack of Nanotyrannus daringly attacks a young tyrannosaurus rex. Image credit: Anthony Hutchings.

“This fossil turns decades of research on its head,” stated Dr. Lindsay Zanno, a researcher at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The researchers utilized tree ring data, spinal fixation, and developmental anatomy to show that the new specimen reached physical maturity at around 20 years.

Skeletal characteristics like larger forelimbs, more teeth, fewer caudal vertebrae, and distinctive skull neural patterns are established early in development and are biologically incompatible with tyrannosaurus rex.

“For Nanotyrannus to develop into a tyrannosaurus rex would contradict everything we know about vertebrate growth. That’s not just unlikely; it’s impossible,” remarked Dr. James Napoli, a researcher at Stony Brook University.

For years, paleontologists have incorrectly modeled tyrannosaurus growth and behavior using Nanotyrannus fossils.

This new evidence indicates that those studies were based on two entirely different species, suggesting that multiple tyrannosaurus species coexisted in the same ecosystem during the last million years before the asteroid impact.

As part of their study, Dr. Zanno and Dr. Napoli analyzed over 200 Tyrannosaurus fossils.

They found one skeleton, previously thought to represent a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex, that differed from the documented species Nanotyrannus lansensis, which is part of the renowned dueling dinosaur fossil.

The authors concluded that this specimen is a new species of Nanotyrannus, named Nanotyrannus letaeus.

The confirmation of Nanotyrannus implies that predator diversity during the final million years of the Cretaceous was far greater than previously understood, indicating that other small dinosaur species may also have been misidentified.

“This discovery provides a more complex and competitive view of the last days of the dinosaurs,” Dr. Zanno mentioned.

“With its massive physique, powerful bite, and stereoscopic vision, tyrannosaurus rex was indeed a fierce predator, but it did not dominate its environment without competition.”

“Darting together were Nanotyrannus — a slimmer, faster, more agile hunter.”

These findings were published in today’s edition of Nature.

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LE Zanno and JG Napoli. Nanotyrannus and tyrannosaurus coexisted at the end of the Cretaceous period. Nature published online October 30, 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09801-6

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Reveals Dynamic, Regionally Unique Communities of Late Cretaceous Dinosaurs

Posted on October 24, 2025 by

The most renowned mass extinction in Earth’s history occurred approximately 66 million years ago. A swift decline in environmental conditions resulted in the extinction of around 75% of species, including the most famous non-avian dinosaurs, and the eventual restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. The ongoing debate focuses on whether dinosaurs vanished abruptly while they were still diverse and thriving or whether they experienced a prolonged decline by the end of the Cretaceous.

Flynn and colleagues analyzed Alamosaurus fossils found in northwestern New Mexico, revealing that these dinosaurs, while very different, are contemporaneous with those discovered further north in Wyoming and Montana. Image credit: Natalia Jagielska.

The geological formations of northwestern New Mexico hold a concealed chapter of Earth’s history.

Paleontologist Daniel Peppe from Baylor University and his team have uncovered indications of a flourishing dinosaur ecosystem in the Kirtland Formation’s Naashoibito Formation just prior to the asteroid impact.

Utilizing high-precision dating methods, they established that the fossils in these formations range from 66.4 to 66 million years old.

“The Naashoibito dinosaur coexisted with the renowned Hell Creek species of Montana and the Dakotas,” Dr. Peppe remarked.

“They were not in decline; rather, they constituted a vibrant, diverse community.”

The discoveries in New Mexico challenge previous assumptions.

Instead of being uniform and weakened, dinosaur communities across North America were unique and thriving in their respective regions.

Through ecological and biogeographic analysis, the researchers determined that dinosaurs in western North America thrived in distinct biozones shaped by regional temperature variations, rather than geographical barriers like mountains or rivers.

“Our recent study indicates that dinosaurs were not on the brink of mass extinction,” stated Andrew Flynn, a researcher at New Mexico State University.

“They were thriving, but the asteroid impact ultimately led to their demise.”

“This contradicts the long-established notion that a gradual decline in dinosaur diversity precipitated mass extinction, making them more susceptible to extinction.”

“The asteroid impact briefly terminated the age of dinosaurs, but the ecosystem they left laid the groundwork for what followed.”

“Within 300,000 years post-extinction, mammals began to diversify rapidly, branching into new diets, body sizes, and ecological roles.”

“The same temperature-driven patterns that influenced dinosaur communities carried into the Paleocene, illustrating how climate influenced the rebirth of life following catastrophic events.”

“The surviving mammals continued to exhibit distinct northern and southern biological regions.”

“Mammals from the north and south are markedly different from each other, diverging from other mass extinctions, which tend to appear more uniform.”

Of findings posted in today’s edition of Science.

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Andrew G. Flynn et al.. 2025. Late-surviving neo-Mexican dinosaurs reveal Cretaceous superlative diversity and locality. Science 390 (6771): 400-404; doi: 10.1126/science.adw3282

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Uncovers How Reptiles Excrete Crystalline Waste in Large Quantities

Posted on October 23, 2025 by

Both avian and non-avian reptiles eliminate excess nitrogen as solid compounds known as “urate,” an evolutionary trait that aids in water conservation. Despite this adaptation, numerous questions regarding the composition, structure, and assembly of these biological materials remain unresolved. In a recent study, researchers from Georgetown University, the International Diffraction Data Center, Chiricahua Desert Museum, and Georgia State University investigated uric acid excretion in the desert. They focused on the ball python (python) along with 20 other reptile species, aiming to uncover efficient and versatile mechanisms for processing both nitrogenous waste and salts.

Thornton et al. investigated the solid urine of over 20 reptile species. Image credit: Thornton et al., doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c10139.

“All living organisms possess some form of excretory system. After all, what enters must eventually exit,” says the chemist from Georgetown University, Jennifer Swift, along with her colleagues.

“In humans, we eliminate excess nitrogen primarily through urine in the forms of urea, uric acid, and ammonia.”

“Conversely, many reptiles and birds efficiently package these nitrogenous compounds into solids, specifically urates, which are excreted through their cloaca.”

Scientists theorize that this process may have evolved to aid in water conservation.

“While crystallizing waste fluids may provide an evolutionary benefit for reptiles, it poses significant challenges for humans,” the researchers noted.

“Excess uric acid in the human body can crystallize in the joints, leading to painful conditions like gout, or form kidney stones in the urinary tract.”

In this recent study, the authors examined urate from over 20 reptile species to understand how these animals safely eliminate crystalline waste.

“Our research stems from a curiosity about how reptiles safely process this substance, and we hope it could inform new approaches to disease prevention and treatment,” Dr. Swift commented.

Microscopic analyses revealed that three species—the ball python, Angora python, and Madagascar tree boa—produce urate consisting of microscopically textured microspheres ranging from 1 to 10 micrometers in diameter.

X-ray examinations indicated that these spheres are comprised of even smaller nanocrystals of uric acid and water.

Furthermore, scientists have found that uric acid plays a crucial role in transforming ammonia into a less harmful solid state.

They hypothesize that uric acid may serve a similar protective function in humans.

“Our investigation of urate produced by various squamate reptiles sheds light on the sophisticated and adaptable systems they employ for managing nitrogenous wastes and salts,” the researchers stated.

“Understanding how dietary habits, environmental conditions, and aging impact sample analysis—along with advancements in instrumentation—offers a more comprehensive insight into the structure and function of biological urates.”

“The specifics of where and how these microspheres are created remain an intriguing question, yet their presence across different uric acid globule species suggests that this low-energy process is optimized under similar selective pressures.”

“Recognizing the role of uric acid in ammonia management could have significant implications for human health, although clinical research is required to verify this hypothesis.”

For further information, refer to the findings published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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Alyssa M. Thornton et al. Uric acid monohydrate nanocrystals: an adaptable platform for nitrogen and salinity management in reptiles. J. Am. Chemistry Society published online October 22, 2025. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c10139

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Indicates Australia’s First Inhabitants Were Fossil Collectors

Posted on October 23, 2025 by

In a recent study, Professor Mike Archer from the University of New South Wales and his team revisited the fossilized tibia (the lower leg bone) of the now-extinct giant stenurine kangaroo. These bones, discovered in Mammoth Cave in southwestern Australia around World War I, provided solid evidence that Indigenous Australians hunted large animals, a finding in which Professor Archer was involved. A 1980 study had concluded that distinctive notches in the fossilized bones indicated slaughter. However, Professor Archer is now ready to acknowledge that this initial conclusion was incorrect.

Giant animal unearthed from mammoth cave about 50,000 years ago: giant long-beaked echidna Malayanglossus hackettii, giant kangaroo Procoptodon brauneorum, giant diprotodont Zygomaturus trilobus, and possum (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Image credit: Peter Schouten.

“As a scientist, updating the record as new evidence emerges is both my duty and responsibility,” Professor Archer stated.

“In 1980, we interpreted those cuts as signs of slaughter based on the best conclusions we could reach with the tools available to us then.”

“With advancements in technology, we now understand that our original interpretation was incorrect.”

“After the 1960s, there was a significant debate about whether Aboriginal peoples coexisted with Australia’s prehistoric megafauna or contributed to their extinction.”

“Many believed the incisions in the bones were made by humans using tools, suggesting that the extinction of megafauna and the arrival of humans approximately 65,000 years ago were not coincidental.”

“For decades, the bones from Mammoth Cave were seen as the ‘smoking gun’ indicating that Indigenous Australians hunted giant animals, but with that evidence dispelled, the discussion on megafauna extinction is now reopened, and the role of humans is more ambiguous than ever.”

To reexamine the same dissected stenurine leg bone, Professor Archer and his co-authors utilized advanced 3D scanning technology to analyze the bone without causing any damage.

They also employed modern radiometric dating methods to accurately determine the age of the bones and their cut surfaces while conducting detailed microscopic examinations.

Their findings indicated that the cuts were made after the bone had dried and cracked, suggesting the bones were likely already fossilized when the incisions occurred.

Paleontologists also investigated a fossilized tooth given to archaeologist Kim Ackerman by a Wora man from the Mowanjum mission, who had collaborated with Indigenous communities in the Kimberley during the 1960s.

This tooth, belonging to the Zygomaturus trilobus, a species of giant marsupial related to wombats, was part of Australia’s Pleistocene megafauna.

The tooth was retrieved from the Kimberley in northwestern Australia, and its characteristics closely matched other fossils found in Mammoth Cave in southwestern Australia.

Dr. Kenny Trabouillon from the Western Australian Museum remarked, “The discovery of this tooth in the Kimberley, far from its likely origin in Mammoth Cave, implies it may have been transported or traded by humans across great distances.”

“This suggests that cultural appreciation and symbolic usage of fossils existed long before the advent of European science.”

“The First Peoples might have been the continent’s, and possibly the world’s, earliest paleontologists.”

Researchers haven’t entirely dismissed the possibility of Aboriginal people having hunted Australia’s megafauna.

However, without concrete evidence, we cannot definitively assert that Indigenous Australians caused its extinction.

“While these remain hypotheses, we need substantiated proof before concluding that predation by Indigenous peoples contributed to the extinction of now-vanished megafauna, especially considering the long history of Indigenous peoples respecting and sustainably utilizing Australia’s wildlife,” Professor Archer stated.

“If humans were truly responsible for the unsustainable hunting of Australia’s megafauna, we would expect to find much more evidence of such hunting in the fossil record. Instead, the only solid evidence we had until now was this single bone, which now shows strong indications that the mutilations occurred post-mortem.”

If humans were not solely accountable for the extinction of Australia’s ancient megafauna, then what was?

Researchers indicate that many megafauna species went extinct long before humans arrived, and while some coexisted with humans for millennia, their decline often aligned with significant climate changes.

“What we can ascertain is that the First Peoples were the first in Australia to exhibit a keen interest in and collect fossils, likely thousands of years before Europeans arrived on the continent,” the researchers affirmed.

Their paper was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Michael Archer et al. 2025. Australia’s first people: hunters of extinct megafauna or Australia’s first fossil collectors. R. Soc. Open Science 12(10):250078; doi: 10.1098/rsos.250078

Source: www.sci.news

Research Indicates Humans Evolved from Ape-Like Ancestors in Africa

Posted on October 21, 2025 by

A recent investigation conducted by paleoanthropologists from the United States and Canada has focused on the morphology of the hominid talus, a significant bone in the ankle that connects to the tibia and calcaneus of the foot. Ardipithecus ramidus, a hominid species that existed in eastern Africa approximately 4.4 million years ago, was at the center of this study. The researchers discovered that the fossil exhibits similarities to the talus of chimpanzees and gorillas, which are adapted for vertical climbing and terrestrial quadrupedal locomotion—a form of movement where animals traverse on all fours with the entire sole of the foot touching the ground, including the heel. Additionally, the authors confirmed the presence of derived features in the specimen that align with earlier suggestions for improved extrusion mechanisms in the legs of Ardipithecus ramidus.

Ardipithecus ramidus, a hominid that existed in Africa over 4 million years ago. Illustration by Arturo Asensio, from Quo.es.

Partial skeleton from 4.4 million years ago, Ardipithecus ramidus, affectionately dubbed “Aldi,” was uncovered in 1994.

This species featured an ape-sized brain and had grasping big toes adapted for climbing trees.

It walked on two legs, and its upper canine teeth were diamond-shaped as opposed to the V-shape commonly found in chimpanzees.

“Aldi represents one of the oldest and most complete skeletons discovered,” remarked Dr. Thomas (Cody) Plan, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Aldi is roughly a million years older than ‘Lucy’, another renowned early human ancestor, and signifies an early phase in human evolution.”

“Oneof the surprising aspects of this find was that, despite walking upright, Aldi retained many monkey-like characteristics, such as its grasping feet.”

“Great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas, possess forked big toes that facilitate gripping tree branches while climbing.”

“However, it also exhibited traits consistent with our lineage. Ardipithecus truly represents a transitional species.”

Initially, scientists speculated that Ardi’s locomotion resembled a common form rather than being typical of African apes, leading them to conclude that this early human ancestor was not particularly ape-like, which startled the paleoanthropology community.

“From their analysis, they inferred that contemporary African apes, like chimpanzees and gorillas, represent a dead end, or a kind of evolutionary cul-de-sac. Dead end underscores the evolutionary process rather than the point at which humans emerged,” stated Dr. Puran.

“Instead, they posited that Ardi offered evidence of a more generalized ancestry that was less akin to chimpanzees and gorillas.”

By examining the ankles of chimpanzees and gorillas, researchers can gain insights into their movement, especially regarding their vertical tree climbing techniques.

This crucial bone also sheds light on how early species transitioned to bipedalism.

For the recent study, Dr. Plan and his team compared Ardi’s ankles to those of great apes, monkeys, and early humans.

Their findings indicated that Ardi’s ankle is the only one within the primate fossil record that shares similarities with African apes.

These apes are recognized for their adaptations to vertical climbing and terrestrial quadrupedal locomotion, suggesting that Ardi might have utilized their feet similarly.

Alongside these primitive traits, Ardi’s talus exhibited signs of an enhanced foot extrusion mechanism.

This complexity points to a blend of climbing and locomotor behaviors in this early human species, which is crucial in understanding the evolution of bipedalism.

“This discovery is both controversial and aligns with earlier theories,” Mr. Pran noted.

“While there is no disagreement regarding the significance of Aldi’s find, many in the field would argue that the initial interpretation was likely flawed.”

“Thus, this paper represents a reevaluation of the original views that distanced Aldi from chimpanzees and gorillas.”

“It’s vital to understand that our paper does not claim that humans evolved from chimpanzees.”

“However, this study further supports the hypothesis that the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees was likely very similar to today’s chimpanzees.”

For more details, refer to the paper published in the journal Communication Biology.

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TC Plan et al. 2025. Ardipithecus ramidus Ankle provides evidence of African ape-like vertical climbing in early humans. Commun. Biol. August 1454. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08711-7

Source: www.sci.news

Trio Awarded Nobel Prize in Economics for Research on Growth Fueled by Technology

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to three experts who explore the influence of technology on economic growth.

Joel Mokyr from Northwestern University receives half of the prize, amounting to 11 million Swedish kronor (£867,000), while the remaining portion is shared between Philippe Aghion from the Collège de France, INSEAD Business School, and the London School of Economics, alongside Peter Howitt from Brown University.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced this award during a period marked by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and ongoing discussions about its societal implications, stating that the trio laid the groundwork for understanding “economic growth through innovation.”

This accolade comes at a time when nations worldwide are striving to rejuvenate economic growth, which has faced stagnation since the 2008 financial crisis, with rising concerns about sluggish productivity, slow improvements in living standards, and heightened political tensions.

Aghion has cautioned that “dark clouds” are forming amid President Donald Trump’s trade war, which heightens trade barriers. He emphasized that fostering innovation in green industries and curbing the rise of major tech monopolies are crucial for sustaining growth in the future.

“We cannot support the wave of protectionism in the United States, as it hinders global growth and innovation,” he noted.

While accepting the award, he pointed out that AI holds “tremendous growth potential” but urged governments to implement stringent competition policies to handle the growth of emerging tech firms. “A few leading companies may end up monopolizing the field, stifling new entrants and innovation. How can we ensure that today’s innovators do not hinder future advancements?”

The awards committee indicated that technological advancements have fueled continuous economic growth for the last two centuries, yet cautioned that further progress cannot be assumed.

Mokyr, a Dutch-born Israeli-American economic historian, was recognized for his research on the prerequisites for sustained growth driven by technological progress. Aghion and Howitt were honored for their examination of how “creative destruction” is pivotal for fostering growth.

“We must safeguard the core mechanisms of creative destruction to prevent sliding back into stagnation,” remarked John Hassler, chairman of the Economics Prize.

Established in the 1960s, the professional National Bank of Sweden awarded the Economics Prize in memory of Alfred Nobel.

New Research Indicates the Far Side of the Moon is Colder than Its Near Side

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The stark differences in proximity and width between the moon’s near and far sides, along with their topography, volcanism, and crustal structures, offer crucial insights into the moon’s formation and evolution. However, investigations into the mechanisms behind this hemispherical asymmetry have been constrained by the absence of far-side samples. A recent study revealed fragments of rock and soil collected by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft from a large crater on the moon last year. Researchers confirmed that these rock samples are approximately 2.8 billion years old, analyzed the chemical composition of the minerals, and estimated that they were formed from lava deep within the moon at temperatures around 1,100 degrees Celsius. Survey results were published in the journal Natural Earth Science.

A global map of Albedo from a 750 nm filter on a UV-VIS camera mounted on NASA’s Clementine spacecraft. This image shows the near and far side of Lambert’s moon, and is an equal area projection. Image credit: NASA.

“The near and far sides of the moon differ significantly, both on the surface and potentially in their internal structures,” said Professor Yang Lee, a researcher at the University of London.

“This is one of the moon’s great mysteries. We refer to it as the two-sided moon. While variations in temperature between the near and far sides have long been theorized, our research presents the first evidence derived from actual samples.”

“These discoveries bring us closer to understanding the moon’s dual nature,” stated PhD candidate Xuelin Zhu from Peking University.

“They indicate that the disparities between the two sides extend beyond the surface, reaching deep within the moon.”

In this research, the authors examined 300 grams of lunar soil assigned to the Beijing Institute of Uranium Geology.

“This sample represents the first collection by the Chang’e 6 mission from across the moon,” commented Dr. Sheng, a researcher at the same institute.

The researchers found the samples were primarily composed of basalt particles and utilized electron probes to map specific areas of the sample, determining their composition.

They analyzed variations in lead isotopes dating back 2.8 billion years.

Several techniques were employed to estimate the sample temperatures at different stages in the moon’s past.

The first method involved analyzing mineral composition and comparing it with computer simulations to estimate the formation temperatures of the rocks.

This was juxtaposed with similar estimates for rocks from the near side, revealing a temperature difference of approximately 100 degrees Celsius.

The second technique delved further into the sample’s history, inferring from its chemical composition to ascertain the heat of the “parent rock” and comparing it with estimates of lunar samples obtained during the Apollo missions.

Once again, a Celsius difference of about 100 degrees was identified.

Due to the limited samples returned, they estimated the parent rock temperature using satellite data from the Chang’e landing sites on both sides, comparing this with similar data from nearby areas, which revealed a difference of 70 degrees Celsius.

On the moon, thermogenic elements like uranium, thorium, and potassium are often found alongside phosphorus and rare earth elements within a material referred to as KREEP (an acronym for potassium (K), rare earth element (REE), and phosphorus (P)).

The leading theory regarding the moon’s origin posits that it formed from debris resulting from a large-scale collision between Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet, developing from primarily molten rock.

This magma solidified as it cooled, but KREEP elements were compatible with the forming crystals and remained within the magma for extended periods.

Scientists anticipate that KREEP material would be evenly distributed across the moon. In reality, it appears to be concentrated in the near side’s mantle.

The distribution of these elements may explain why the near side exhibited more volcanic activity.

While the current mantle temperatures on the far and near sides of the moon remain unknown due to this study, the temperature imbalances are likely to persist for a considerable duration, as the moon cools very slowly since its formation from a catastrophic impact.

Scientists aim to provide definitive answers to these questions in ongoing research.

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she et al. Chang’e-6 basalt and relatively cool moon facid mantle inferred from remote sensing. nut. Geosci Published online on September 30th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41561-025-01815-z

Source: www.sci.news

The Setback of Halting Psychedelic Research in the 1970s for Science

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

“Before the 1970s’ war on drugs, there was a variety of promising research into therapeutic psychedelics.”

Adrià Voltà

In the early 1950s, notable figures in science, philosophy, culture, and politics—such as Albert Einstein, Carl Jung, and Graham Greene—were part of an initiative called “outsights” aimed at exploring powerful psychedelics. Although circumstances shifted, I find myself captivated by what could have been.

I’ve been delving into psychedelics in the new trip series on BBC Radio 4. I previously shared my experiences of vivid hallucinations while in a coma from Covid-19. This sparked my curiosity to understand why individuals actively pursue psychedelic experiences, navigate legal challenges, take risks at home, seek healing, and address unmet needs.

There has yet to be a global consensus banning psychedelics. Responding to inquiries by scientist Humphrey Davy, who researched suboxidized oxides in 1799, Humphrey Osmond, coining the term psychedelic in the 1950s, expressed that the study of chemically induced altered states merits rigorous and thoughtful research.

Before the U.S.-led drug war commenced in the 1970s, extensive and promising research into psychedelics as potential treatments was underway, alongside their longstanding use in sacred and ritual contexts by Indigenous cultures. Unfortunately, rather than permitting this exploration, it was driven underground, leaving many to view substances such as fungi and plants, or their lab-created variants, as otherworldly. This otherness surprised me.

Currently, psychedelic research is investigating their therapeutic potential for conditions like depression, addiction, PTSD, eating disorders, dementia, and intergenerational trauma, gaining momentum globally. Studies explore their possible use in extending the recovery window following strokes, enhancing rehabilitation, and even unraveling the nature of consciousness.

Conversations with researchers who meticulously examine substances like psilocybin and DMT in clinical environments feel worlds apart from the psychedelic narratives prevalent in popular culture. These molecules profoundly and enduringly influence our minds and perceptions. It’s perplexing how we opted to stifle a broader inquiry and obstruct our brightest minds from discovering their true potential.

Today’s discussions among researchers are as engaging as they come, yet I can’t help but linger on the “what if?” In light of the global mental health crisis, governments and health systems are eager for new treatment alternatives. Public funding is dwindling and faces threats in many areas, while large corporations driven by profit show substantial interest in the accessibility of new therapies. Changes are happening rapidly.

Examining humanity’s history with psychedelic substances reveals a narrative marked by significant self-inflicted wounds. Ultimately, the funds for the outsight initiative never materialized, leading to a drastically different chapter in history. The war on drugs has stalled research across numerous substances for decades and continues to cast a shadow today.

The narratives surrounding these substances serve as warnings. Politics should never obstruct scientific breakthroughs. In light of today’s world, it feels like an urgent moral imperative to safeguard and nurture the conditions necessary for science to thrive. The stakes are too high.

Prevention League Triumphs in Extremism Research as Musk Champions Right-Wing Opposition

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Prevention League, a leading Jewish advocacy and anti-hate organization in the nation, has removed over 1,000 pages of extremism research from its website after facing significant backlash from right-wing influencers and Elon Musk on Tuesday night.

The now-deleted “extremist glossary” from the ADL included more than 1,000 entries offering background information on various groups and ideologies associated with racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hate. The section dedicated to neo-Nazi groups, militias, and anti-Semitic conspiracies has been redirected to a landing page featuring its extremism research.

Musk and various right-wing accounts on X have recently targeted the ADL over this glossary, which included references to Turning Point USA, associated with the late far-right activist Charlie Kirk. Musk responded to a post on X, criticizing the group for its entries on Christian identity and mistakenly conflating the militant movement with Christianity as a whole. In truth, the term refers to a faction that advocates for racial jihadism against Jews and other minorities.

The ADL did not directly address the backlash in its statements regarding this decision, instead arguing that removing the glossary would enable organizations to “explore new strategies and creative approaches to present data and research more effectively.”

“With over 1,000 entries compiled over the years, the extremist glossary has been a valuable resource for high-level information across a broad array of topics. However, the increase in entries has rendered many outdated,” stated the ADL. “We have observed many entries that have been intentionally misrepresented and misused. Furthermore, experts continue to develop more comprehensive resources and innovative means to convey information on anti-Semitism, extremism, and hatred.”

The decision to remove the glossary comes amid intense criticism faced by the ADL from staff and researchers, particularly concerning Israeli policies and its narrow focus on Musk’s repeated defenses. The organization lost a donor, and a prominent executive resigned following a statement by CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who has praised Musk.

The ADL has not addressed inquiries regarding the comprehensive resources mentioned in its statement. The glossary was launched in 2022 and marketed as the first database designed to aid the media, the public, and law enforcement in understanding extremist groups and their ideologies.

“We consider it the most extensive and user-friendly resource for extremist speech currently accessible to the public,” noted Oren Segal, senior vice president of the ADL Center, in a prior statement. “We believe an informed public is crucial for the defense of democracy.”

ADL pages that contained the 2022 press release now display a message stating, “You are not permitted to access this page.”

Musk has long targeted the ADL, previously threatening to sue the organization for its research documenting the rise of anti-Semitic content on social media platforms. However, the ADL and Greenblatt defended him earlier this year, but after other Jewish groups and lawmakers condemned Musk for a fascist-style salute following Donald Trump’s inauguration. The ADL referred to it as “an unfortunate gesture amid moments of enthusiasm.”

Musk has consistently tweeted about the glossary’s ADL entries, including those related to Kirk’s TPUSA, labeling the ADL a “hate group” and insinuating that it incites murder. The TPUSA entry did not label the organization as extremist but included a list of its leadership and activists linked to extremists or who have made “racist or biased statements.”

On Wednesday, Musk continued to focus on the ADL, reiterating his classification of it as a “hate group.” He also aligned with another right-wing pressure effort, making a call to boycott Netflix due to a show featuring trans characters.

Ancient Demosponges: The First Animals on Earth, According to Research

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers from MIT and other institutions have discovered chemical fossils possibly left by ancient sponges on rocks dating back over 541 million years. These fossils consist of a distinctive type of sterlan, a stable variant of sterols found within the cell membranes of complex organisms. The team linked these sterlans to a category of sea sponges known as demosponges.

It highlights the picture representation of the ancient Stellan timeline, highlighting important compounds and their possible biological sources. Image credit: Shawar et al. , doi: 10.1073/pnas.2503009122.

“While I cannot precisely describe what these creatures looked like, I can assert they inhabited the ocean, had soft bodies, and likely lacked a silica skeleton,” stated MIT professor Roger Sammons.

In 2009, the researcher discovered the first chemical fossil believed to have originated from ancient sponges.

The team examined rock samples from outcrops in Oman and found an abundant sterlan they deduced to be a remnant of 30 carbon (C₃₀) sterols—a rare steroid form attributed to ancient sea sponges.

Stellan was identified in very old rocks formed during the Ediacaran era (635-541 million years ago).

This era preceded the Cambrian period, which was marked by a sudden global explosion of complex, multicellular life forms.

The findings imply that ancient sponges may have existed far earlier than most multicellular organisms, potentially being one of the first animals on Earth.

Nevertheless, following the publication of these findings, alternative hypotheses emerged regarding the origin of C₃₀ sterlan, suggesting that these chemicals could arise from other biological sources or non-organic geological processes.

The current study bolsters the initial hypothesis that ancient sponges produced this chemical record, as the researchers found new chemical fossils within the same promelat rock that were almost certainly biogenic.

Similar to previous studies, they searched for chemical fossils in rocks dating back to the Ediacaran period.

Samples were collected from drill cores and outcrops in Oman, West India, and Siberia, with analyses focused on the signatures of geologically stable sterols present in all eukaryotes (including plants, animals, and organisms with nuclear membranes).

“Without sterols or comparable membrane lipids, you cannot be classified as a eukaryote,” Professor Sammons remarked.

The chemical fossil identified in 2009 was 30-carbon sterols.

Additionally, the team deduced that these compounds could be synthesized due to distinct enzymes encoded by genes prevalent in demosponges.

“Finding sterols with 30 carbons is quite rare,” noted Dr. Lubna Shawar, a researcher at Caltech.

In this study, scientists concentrated on the chemistry of these compounds, observing that genes from the same sponge can produce even scarcer sterols with 31 carbon atoms (C₃₁).

Upon analyzing rock samples of C₃₁ sterlan, they discovered it was rich in the aforementioned C₃₀ sterlan.

“These unique sterlans have been present all along,” Dr. Shawar remarked.

“We had to inquire the right questions to uncover them and truly comprehend what they signify and their origin.”

The researchers additionally procured samples of modern demosponges to examine for C₃₁ sterols.

They determined that it is indeed a biological precursor of C₃₁ sterlan found in rocks, observed in several species of contemporary demosponges.

Going further, they chemically synthesized eight different C₃₁ sterols as reference materials to verify chemical structures.

The molecules were subjected to conditions simulating how sterols transform during deposition, burial, and pressurization over millions of years.

They found that two sterol-only products closely matched the structure of C₃₁ sterols located in ancient rock samples.

The evidence from both substances strongly indicates that these compounds were created by living organisms rather than random non-biological processes.

Moreover, these organisms are likely ancestors of demosponges and still possess the capability to produce this set of compounds.

“It’s a blend of what’s present in the rock, what’s within the sponge, and what’s demonstrated in the lab,” explained Professor Sammons.

“Three supportive and concordant pieces of evidence strongly suggest these sponges are among Earth’s earliest animals.”

“This study illustrates how to authenticate biomarkers and confirm that the signals arise from life forms rather than contamination or abiogenic chemistry,” Dr. Shawar stated.

New Results were published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

____

Lubuna Shawar et al. 2025. Chemical characterization of C₃₁ sterols from the sponge and Neoproterozoic fossil star counterpart. PNAS 22 (41): E2503009122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2503009122

Source: www.sci.news

Research Shows Ice Dissolves Iron Minerals More Efficiently than Liquid Water

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Ice at 10 degrees Celsius releases iron from more abundant minerals compared to liquid water at 4 degrees Celsius, according to researchers from Umeå University, Chimiques de Rennes, and CNRS. This discovery sheds light on why many Arctic rivers are taking on a rusty orange hue as permafrost begins to thaw in warmer climates.

Schematic diagram of the iron mineral dissolution reaction of ice. Image credit: Sebaaly et al. , doi: 10.1073/pnas.2507588122.

“It may seem counterintuitive, but ice is not merely a static frozen mass,” stated Professor Jean François Boyley from Umeå University.

“Frozen states create microscopic pockets of liquid water between ice crystals.”

“These pockets function like chemical reactors, where compounds become concentrated and highly acidic.”

“This implies that even at temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius, they can engage with iron minerals.”

To investigate this phenomenon, Professor Boyley and his team examined goethite, a diverse array of iron oxide minerals, along with naturally occurring organic acids.

Through advanced microscopy and a series of experiments, they found that repeated freeze-thaw cycles enhance iron dissolution significantly.

When ice undergoes freezing and thawing, it releases organic compounds that were previously trapped, fostering additional chemical reactions.

Salt concentration also plays a critical role; fresh brackish waters promote iron dissolution, whereas seawater inhibits it.

The outcomes of this research are particularly relevant in acidic environments like mine drainage sites, frozen atmospheric dust, acid sulfate soils along the Baltic coast, or acidic freezing locales where iron minerals interact with organic matter.

“As global temperatures rise, the freeze-thaw cycles are becoming more frequent,” remarked Angelo Pio Severly, a doctoral candidate at Umeå University.

“Each cycle liberates iron from the soil and permafrost into the water, potentially impacting water quality and aquatic ecosystems over vast areas.”

“These findings emphasize that ice is an active participant, rather than a passive medium for storage.”

“It is crucial to recognize the growing impact of freeze and thaw processes in polar and mountainous regions on ecosystems and elemental cycling.”

The research team’s paper was published on August 26, 2025, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Angelo P. Severly et al. 2025. Ice as a kinetic and mechanical driver for iron oxide dissolution of oxalate oxide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122 (35): E2507588122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2507588122

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Confirms Multiple Instances of Water Activity in Jezero Crater

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Minerals constitute the building blocks of rocks, and the specific minerals and their chemical compositions reveal significant insights into rock formation and history. On Mars, NASA’s dedicated rover, equipped with X-ray lithochemistry (PIXL) instruments, produces geochemical maps of rock surfaces. A recent study examined over 90,000 chemical analyses collected by PIXL during its first 1,100 days on Mars, revealing that the minerals in Jezero Crater interact with various types of liquids over time. result This will be published in Journal of Geophysics: Planets.

This image from NASA’s Mars reconnaissance orbiter showcases the Jezero Crater on Mars. Image credits: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS/JHU-APL.

In this research, Eleanor Moreland, a Rice University graduate student, along with her team, utilized mineral identification through stoichiometry (MIST) algorithms to analyze PIXL data.

PIXL determines the chemical composition by bombarding Martian rocks with X-rays, yielding the most comprehensive geochemical measurements ever obtained from another planet.

“The minerals identified in Jezero Crater through MIST indicate that these volcanic rocks interacted with liquid water multiple times throughout Mars’ history, suggesting the potential for habitable conditions,” Moreland stated.

Minerals form under specific environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, and the chemical composition of fluids, making them reliable narrators of planetary history.

Within Jezero Crater, 24 mineral species illustrate the volcanic characteristics of the Martian surface and their interactions with water over time.

Water chemically alters rocks, producing salt or clay minerals, with the specific minerals formed depending on environmental variables.

The minerals discovered in the crater showcase three different types of liquid interactions, each indicating distinct possibilities for habitability.

The first mineral suite, featuring green arilite, hizingerite, and ferroaluminoceradonite, shows localized high-temperature acidic fluids present only in crater bedrock, interpreted as among the oldest rocks studied.

The water involved in this scenario is regarded as the most conducive to life, given that research on Earth suggests high temperatures and low pH can harm biological structures.

“These hot, acidic conditions present the toughest challenges to life,” commented Kirsten Siebach, a researcher at Rice University.

“However, on Earth, life can thrive in extreme environments such as the acidic waters of Yellowstone, so this doesn’t negate the possibility of habitability.”

The second mineral suite favors more hospitable conditions and indicates a medium neutral fluid present over larger areas.

Minerals like Minnesotaite and Clinoptilolite were detected on both the crater floor and fan area, forming at lower temperatures with neutral pH, while Clinoptilolite was restricted to the crater floor.

Lastly, the third category represents a cold alkaline liquid, considered highly habitable from a modern Earth perspective.

Sepiolite, a common mineral change on Earth, was found to form under moderate temperature and alkaline conditions, widely distributed across all units explored by the rover.

The presence of sepiolite in all these units indicates multiple episodes of liquid water contributing to habitable conditions in Jezero Crater.

“These minerals demonstrate that Jezero Crater has undergone a transition from harsher, hotter, acidic liquid conditions to more neutral and alkaline environments over time.

Given that Mars samples cannot be prepared or scanned as accurately as Earth samples, the team developed an uncertainty propagation model to enhance the findings.

Using a statistical approach, MIST repeatedly assessed mineral identification while considering potential errors, analogous to how meteorologists predict hurricane paths by utilizing numerous models.

“Error analysis enables us to assign confidence levels to all mineral identifications,” Moreland remarked.

“MIST assists not just with the scientific and decision-making processes of Mars 2020, but also establishes a mineralogical archive of Jezero Crater, which will be invaluable if samples are returned to Earth.”

The findings affirm that Jezero Crater, once home to an ancient lake, has experienced a complex, dynamic aqueous history.

Each new mineral discovery brings us closer to determining whether Mars has ever supported life, while also refining strategies for sample collection and return.

____

Eleanor L. Moreland et al. 2025. Multiple episodes of fluid changes in Jezero Crater indicated by the identification of MIST minerals in PIXL XRF data from the first 1100 SOL of the Mars 2020 mission. Journal of Geophysics: Planets 130 (9): e2024je008797; doi: 10.1029/2024je008797

Source: www.sci.news

Is Leucovorin an Effective Treatment for Autism? Insights from Recent Research

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Trump administration has included a drug known as leucovorin in efforts to alleviate certain autism symptoms. However, experts specializing in autism largely agree that additional research is needed before it can be widely used in children and adults.

Leucovorin, or Folinic Acid, is a synthetic variant of vitamin B9 requiring a prescription. It is primarily administered to cancer patients via IV alongside chemotherapy.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration revealed that it is moving forward with the approval of a tablet formulation for specific autistic patients.

Many researchers have raised concerns that this approval may be hasty, given that only a few small trials—mostly conducted outside the US—demonstrate its effectiveness in children with autism.

Several experts informed NBC News that FDA approval might create unrealistic expectations for families. This is particularly concerning as not all children with autism are eligible for prescriptions, and the likelihood of achieving positive results remains uncertain.

Researchers have long sought medications that can effectively mitigate autism symptoms; however, very few have satisfied the FDA’s rigorous safety and efficacy criteria. Prior to Monday, the FDA had only authorized two medications to address bothersome symptoms associated with autism, none of which targeted issues related to communication, social interactions, or repetitive behaviors.

Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer of the Autism Science Foundation, commented that her organization supports research grounded in evidence; leucovorin is not suggested as a treatment and more research is essential.

“Leucovorin doesn’t meet the standards set for FDA approvals, yet this administration is proceeding regardless. Therefore, I wouldn’t label this a victory,” Halladay remarked.

She further noted that the way the drug was presented at Monday’s White House Briefing as a major breakthrough for families with autism doesn’t align with the nuances of FDA approval.

The FDA stated in a news release that the drug is being approved for patients suffering from cerebral folate deficiency, a rare neurological disorder marked by low levels of vitamin B9 (folate) in the brain. Some researchers speculate that this condition might be linked to autism, but it is not present in all autistic individuals.

(Halladay estimates that around 10-30% of autistic patients may have this condition.)

Though leucovorin can potentially aid in reaching the brain, theoretically improving verbal communication and alleviating autism symptoms like irritability and repetitive actions, there is no evidence to suggest it entirely eradicates these symptoms.

“We still hope that leucovorin might serve as a helpful option for a subset of patients,” noted Dr. Rachel Forlomer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “However, I can’t say we’re at a stage where we can confidently claim we can assist every individual with autism.”

President Donald Trump expressed at a briefing that the approval “offers hope for many parents of children with autism that life improvement is possible.” Mehmet Oz, leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, described the decision as “life-saving.” FDA commissioner Marty McCurry remarked, “I believe hundreds of thousands of children will benefit.”

However, in a follow-up news release, the Department of Health and Human Services clarified that leucovorin is “not a cure” for autism and “may only result in improvements in speech-related deficits for a subset of children.”

David Mandel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, remarked that the folate hypothesis is based on relatively weak scientific evidence.

“We lack robust large-scale studies demonstrating that a significant number of individuals with autism suffer from folic acid deficiency,” he noted.

While leucovorin has shown minimal side effects in cancer patients, higher doses can lead to gastrointestinal issues and increase the risk of seizures in individuals on anti-seizure medications. It is commonly part of treatment for colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal malignancies, often enhancing the efficacy of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil. In rare cases, it is administered to reduce side effects from another chemotherapeutic agent, high-dose methotrexate.

Halladay mentioned observing side effects during the leucovorin autism trial but noted that the specific safety of the drug was not evaluated. She indicated that dosages varied across studies, making it difficult to determine if leucovorin was responsible for any symptom improvement, as some trial participants also received behavioral therapy.

According to Mandel, the largest study involving these trials included only 80 participants.

“For FDA approval, one would ideally want hundreds of children involved in these trials,” he explained.

Leucovorin must overcome one final obstacle before it becomes available to select autistic patients. The FDA stated it is collaborating with GSK, the manufacturer of the brand-name version of leucovorin, to update the drug’s labeling. GSK confirmed that a new application will be submitted to include autism indications.

Oz stated on Monday that leucovorin prescriptions will be covered by Medicaid, with private insurance companies likely to follow suit.

However, Mandel expressed concern that anticipated cuts to Medicaid may compel many families to cover costs out of pocket, potentially driving them to purchase folinic acid supplements online without prescriptions. Such supplements may not have gone through quality control, and dosage information could be unclear.

Dr. William Dahoot, chief science officer at the American Cancer Society, expressed concern that the growing interest in leucovorin for autism might adversely impact its availability for cancer patients.

“We have faced shortages of this drug before, and an increase in demand could lead to future shortages,” he noted in an email.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

DNA Research Reveals Slavic Origins in Ukraine and Southern Belarus

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The latter part of the first millennium in Central and Eastern Europe witnessed profound cultural and political changes. This transformative era is typically linked to the emergence of the Slavs, supported by textual documentation and corresponding archaeological findings. However, there remains no agreement on whether this archaeological horizon spread through transition, a process termed “slabization,” or a mix of both. Notably, the prevalent cremation practices observed during the initial phases of slab settlements lack sufficient genetic data. In a recent investigation, scientists sequenced the genomes of 555 ancient individuals, including 359 samples from the Slavic context dating back to the 7th century AD. The new findings reveal significant population movements in Eastern Europe between the 6th and 8th centuries, which replaced over 80% of the local gene pools in areas such as East Germany, Poland, and Croatia.

The seal of Yaroslav, the grand prince of Kiev from 1019 to 1054, and the father of Anna Yaroslav, the Queen of France. Image credit: Sheremetievs Museum.

The term “Slavs” first emerged to describe a nation in Constantinople during the 6th century and later gained recognition in the West.

Written records initially appeared north of the Lowward Now River and subsequently shifted to regions north of the Carpathian Basin, the Balkans, and the Eastern Alps.

Many areas were under the influence of the Avar Khaganate along the central Danube from around 567 AD to 800 AD.

Evidence indicates the presence of slab cultures in several regions of Eastern and Southeastern Europe during the 7th century.

Slavic settlements, previously inhabited by Roman, Germanic, and other pre-Slavic communities, transitioned to a simpler lifestyle, often represented archaeologically by small pithouse settlements, cremation burials, handmade and unembellished pottery, and a modest low-metal material culture associated with the Pragukorchak group.

Later, more sophisticated social structures and control emerged within the contact zone of the Byzantine-Christian West.

The Transformation of Europe by the Slavs

The first comprehensive ancient DNA analysis of medieval Slavic groups reveals that the rise of the Slavs was fundamentally a narrative of migration.

Their genetic signature points to origins in an area spanning southern Belarus to central Ukraine, aligning with longstanding linguistic and archaeological theories.

“Although direct evidence from the early Slavic core regions is still limited, our genetic findings provide initial substantial insights into the formation of Slavic ancestors, suggesting origins that may lie between the Donets and Don rivers.”

In this study, Dr. Gretzinger and colleagues gathered genome-wide data from 555 distinct ancient individuals from 26 sites throughout Central and Eastern Europe. They combined this with previously published data, creating comprehensive sampling networks for three regions.

New findings indicate that starting in the 6th century AD, large-scale migrations spread Eastern European ancestry throughout a vast area of central and eastern Europe, thus altering the genetic make-up of regions such as East Germany and Poland.

However, this expansion did not conform to a model of conquest or empire. Rather than obliterating existing military and structural hierarchies, newcomers founded new communities centered around extended families and patriarchal kinships.

This pattern was not uniform across all areas.

In eastern Germany, the changes were significant. Large, multi-generational lineages formed the backbone of society, and kinship networks became more broadly structured compared to the smaller nuclear families observed in earlier migration phases.

In contrast, areas such as Croatia experienced much less disruption in existing social patterns with the arrival of Eastern European groups.

Here, social structures often retained characteristics from previous periods, resulting in communities where new traditions harmonized with existing ones.

The regional diversity in social frameworks highlights that the spread of the Slavic group was not a one-size-fits-all process, but rather a dynamic adaptation to local contexts and histories.

“The expansion of the Slavs does not occur as a single event; it demonstrates that it is not a monolithic phenomenon, but each instance blends adaptation and integration according to its circumstances.”

Historical Overview of European Slabs: The timeline lists major historical events related to Central European Slabs. This map illustrates historical proof of the appearance of the slab (Sklavenoi – Slavvi – Winedi). The italic count indicates the date of the proven event, with each report date being in the bracket. Image credit: Gretzinger et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09437-6.

East Germany

The genetic data reveals a particularly significant narrative in East Germany.

Following the decline of the Kingdom of Thuringia, more than 85% of the region’s ancestry can be traced back to new arrivals from the east.

This reflects a shift from an earlier period of diverse populations, as epitomized by the Brucken site.

With the rise of the Slavs, this diversity gave way to a population composition resembling that of modern Slavic-speaking groups in Eastern Europe.

These new communities were structured around large extended families and patriarchal lineages, with women of marriageable age often moving to form new households elsewhere, leaving their native villages.

Notably, the genetic heritage of these initial Eastern European settlers is still present among the Sorbs, the Slavic-speaking minority in East Germany.

Amidst centuries of cultural and linguistic changes, Sorbs maintain genetic profiles closely related to early medieval Slavic populations that settled in the region over a millennium ago.

Poland

In Poland, research notably challenges previous assumptions regarding long-standing population continuity.

Genetic findings indicate that early inhabitants of the region, beginning in the 6th and 7th centuries AD—especially descendants of a population closely tied to Northern Europe and Scandinavia—were nearly completely replaced by newcomers from the East, closely related to modern Poles, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.

While overwhelming population shifts occurred, genetic evidence also reveals small traces of intermingling with local populations.

These insights underscore both the magnitude of population change and the intricate dynamics shaping the ancestry of present-day Central and Eastern European languages.

Croatia

In Northern Balkans, the patterns observed differ markedly from those in northern immigrant regions, narrating a tale of both transformation and continuity.

Ancient DNA analyses from Croatia and surrounding areas illustrate a significant influx of ancestors from Eastern Europe, yet without total genetic replacement.

Instead, Eastern European immigrants integrated with diverse local populations to form hybrid communities.

Genetic studies show that in modern Balkan populations, the proportion of Eastern European ancestry varies significantly, often reaching around half or less of the current genetic mix.

In this context, Slavic migration wasn’t characterized by conquest but was a gradual process of intermarriage and adaptation, leading to the rich cultural, linguistic, and genetic diversity that defines the Balkans today.

A New Chapter in European History

In most instances, when early Slavic groups are referenced in archaeological and historical contexts, their genetic markers are consistent, indicating a shared ancestral origin, though regional variations reflect the extent of blending with local populations.

In the north, early Germanic communities mostly left, providing space for Slavic integration.

In the south, Eastern European migrants merged with established societies.

This patchwork integration elucidates the remarkable diversity present in the cultures, languages, and genetics of contemporary Central and Eastern European societies.

“The spread of the Slavs was likely the last significant demographic event to irreversibly reshape both the genetic and linguistic landscapes of Europe,” remarked Dr. Johannes Kraus, director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

The findings were published in the journal on September 3rd Nature.

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J. Gretzinger et al. Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of the Slavs. Nature, published online on September 3, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09437-6

This article is adapted from the original release by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Source: www.sci.news

British Companies Utilizing “Bossware” to Monitor Employee Activities, According to Research

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A significant portion of UK employers, about one-third, are utilizing “bossware” technology to monitor employee activities, predominantly through methods like email and web browsing surveillance.

Private sector firms are the most inclined to implement onsite monitoring, with one in seven employers reportedly recording or assessing screen activities, as per a comprehensive UK study on office surveillance.

These insights, disclosed by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to the Guardian, are derived from feedback from numerous UK managers, indicating a recent uptick in computer-based work monitoring.

According to 2023 research by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), less than 20% of respondents believed they were being monitored by their employers. The finding that roughly one-third of managers are aware of their organizations tracking employees’ online activities on company devices likely underrepresents the issue.

Many of these surveillance tools are designed to mitigate insider threats, safeguard confidential data, and identify dips in productivity. However, this growing trend seems to be inducing anxiety among employees. CMI highlights that many managerial figures oppose such practices, arguing they erode trust and infringe on personal privacy.

A manager at an insurance firm developing an AI system for monitoring staff screen activity expressed feelings of “unease,” questioning, “Do they trust employees to perform their roles? Is there an intention to replace them with AI?”

One employee monitoring service provides insights into workers’ “idle hours,” tracks “employee productivity,” flags unapproved AI or social media use, and offers “real-time data on employee behavior, including screenshots, screen recordings, keystrokes, and application usage.”

In light of these findings, the ICO emphasized that employers “must inform employees about the nature, scope, and reasons for surveillance,” noting that excessive monitoring “can infringe on personal privacy,” especially for remote workers. They warned of potential actions if necessary.

Last year, the ICO prohibited outsourced company Serco from utilizing facial recognition technology and fingerprint scanning to manage staff attendance at various leisure centers.

Monitoring often includes ensuring that inappropriate content isn’t accessed, according to CMI. However, they cautioned, “If it feels like an invasion, there can be long-term implications.”

Petra Wilton, policy director at CMI, stated, “If implemented, this could be of significant concern to employers and raise serious data privacy and protection issues.”

Recent examples of workplace surveillance methods include: HSBC’s installation of numerous security cameras and 1,754 biometric readers as a means of accessing their new London headquarters.

PWC has recently rolled out a “traffic light” system utilizing badge swipes and WiFi connection data to ensure staff attend the office at least three days a week. A spokesperson from PWC noted this was “well received by most of our employees.”

A former senior public transport worker, who requested anonymity, shared their experience of facing online surveillance, describing it as “distracting and deeply intrusive.”

“It began with surveillance, and I eventually left because I was extremely frustrated,” they noted. CMI research revealed that one in six managers would contemplate seeking new employment if their organization started monitoring online activities on work devices.

Among managers aware of their employers monitoring them, 35% indicated surveillance of emails. Overall, tracking login/logout times and system access emerged as the most prevalent form of monitoring.

The survey showed that 53% of managers endorse monitoring employee online activity on company devices, but 42% feel this not only undermines trust but also fails to enhance performance, potentially resulting in misuse or unjust disciplinary action.

Research Suggests Artificial Sweeteners May Accelerate Brain Aging

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

New research suggests that artificial sweeteners may have unexpected risks for brain health.

In a study published in Neurology, researchers analyzed the diets of over 12,700 adults in Brazil, revealing that individuals who consumed higher amounts of calorie-free sweeteners experienced a more rapid decline in memory and cognitive abilities over an eight-year period.

This decline was especially notable among diabetic patients and those under the age of 60.

The study examined seven sweeteners commonly found in diet sodas, flavored waters, yogurt, and low-calorie desserts: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and tagatose.

All except tagatose were linked to cognitive decline, particularly affecting memory and verbal fluency.

Participants were categorized into three intake groups. Those with the highest consumption—approximately 191 milligrams daily, similar to a single can of diet soda for aspartame—demonstrated cognitive aging equivalent to 1.6 additional years, at least 62% faster than those with lower consumption.

“Low and no-calorie sweeteners are often regarded as healthier alternatives to sugar, but our findings indicate that certain sweeteners may negatively impact brain health over time,” stated Professor Claudia Kimmy Sumoto from the University of Sao Paulo.

“Prior research linked artificial sweeteners to conditions such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and depression, but the effects on cognition were previously unexplored.”

Consumption of artificial sweeteners similar to daily cans of diet soda was associated with accelerated cognitive decline, akin to 1.6 years of brain aging – Credit: Getty

Interestingly, the link was primarily observed in adults under 60 years old.

“We anticipated that the association would be more pronounced in older adults due to their increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline,” Sumoto noted. “Conversely, our findings suggest that exposure to sweeteners during middle age could be particularly detrimental, which is crucial as this period is vital for establishing long-term brain health.”

The findings do not conclusively prove that sweeteners are the direct cause of cognitive decline, with limitations including reliance on self-reported dietary habits and the absence of control over sweetener usage in the research.

Nevertheless, Sumoto emphasized the need for further investigation, including brain imaging and studies examining gut health and inflammation.

Her team is already conducting neuroimaging studies to better understand these associations, although results are not yet available.

“More research is essential to validate our findings and to explore whether alternative sweeteners like those from the apple family, honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar provide effective options,” Sumoto concluded.

About our experts

Claudia Sumoto is an assistant professor at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is a trained physician with research published in journals such as The Lancet, Nature Neuroscience, and Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Research Indicates Space Travel May Accelerate Stem Cell Aging by Up to 10 Times

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Transitioning to space poses significant challenges for the human body.

Astronauts can experience loss of bone density, swollen nerves in their brains and eyes, and alterations in gene expression. Research indicates that time spent in space can accelerate aging.

Groundbreaking research by NASA’s twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly monitored aging indicators in both siblings, with Mark remaining on Earth while Scott spent 340 days in space.

Six months later, several changes in Scott persisted, including DNA damage, cognitive decline, and telomere shortening that affects chromosome protection. This was highlighted in the Journal Science.

Recent research published in Cell Stem Cell reveals that stem cells also show signs of aging due to stress from space flight.

According to Dr. Catriona Jamieson, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at UC San Diego, these cells are “aging ten times faster in space than on Earth.”

Stem cells are unique cells capable of differentiating into various tissue types. Their accelerated aging poses a concern as it diminishes the body’s natural ability to repair tissues and organs.

This new research comes at a time of increasing interest in space exploration, with government plans for long-term lunar missions and private companies sending consumers and celebrities into space. Understanding these health risks is crucial for safer space travel. Additionally, studying the acceleration of intracellular aging aids researchers in comprehending biological processes at a slower pace.

Astronauts and twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2016.
Houston Chronicle /Hurst Newspaper /Houston Chronicle by Getty Image

Researchers utilized bone marrow stem cells sourced from individuals who underwent hip replacement procedures. These cells were cultivated in “nanobioreactors,” essentially small, clear blood bags no larger than an iPhone that facilitate biological processes. The nanobioreactor was housed in a monitored environment known as cubelabs.

Samples from each patient were divided into two cubelabs; one was sent to space, while the other remained on Earth.

The samples intended for space travelled aboard the International Space Station across four commercial resupply missions conducted by SpaceX. Overall, the samples experienced microgravity for 32-45 days, the weightlessness found in orbit. For comparison, the Earth-bound cells were maintained in a cube lab setup.

Cubelabs monitored cell conditions throughout the journey and terrestrial duration, capturing daily images using a microscope. Upon the return of the space-stressed stem cells to Earth, researchers conducted comparisons against ground controls, sequenced the genome, and performed additional analyses.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New Research Uncovers the Secrets of Burgess Shale Trilobites

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Appendages of arthropods serve various functions, including feeding, locomotion, and reproduction. Fossils dating back to the Cambrian period (539-487 million years ago) provide remarkable details of extinct arthropod appendages, enhancing our understanding of their anatomy and ecological roles. However, due to the limited number of fossils and often incomplete preservation, studies on appendage functions typically depend on idealized reconstructions. This new research focuses on the paleontological species Olenoides serratus, a prolific trilobite from the Cambrian Burgess Shale, noteworthy for its numerous well-preserved specimens featuring soft tissue that allow for a detailed analysis of appendage functionality.

Olenoides serratus from Burgess Shale. Image credit: Losso et al., doi: 10.1186/s12915-025-02335-3.

Situated in British Columbia, Canada, the Burgess Shale is renowned for its exceptional fossil preservation, including soft tissues such as limbs and internal organs.

While trilobites are common in fossil records, their soft limbs are seldom preserved due to their hard exoskeleton, leading to a limited understanding of these structures.

The trilobite species Olenoides serratus offers a unique chance to investigate these appendages further.

Harvard paleontologist Sarah Ross and her team examined 156 limbs from 28 fossil specimens of Olenoides serratus to reconstruct the precise movements and functions of these ancient arthropod appendages, shedding light on one of the earliest successful aquatic animals.

“Understanding the behavior and movement of fossils poses challenges, as we cannot observe their activities like we do with living organisms,” stated Dr. Ross.

“Instead, we meticulously analyzed the morphology of numerous specimens while also utilizing modern analogues to infer how these ancient creatures lived.”

The researchers also assessed the range of motion of the legs of living horseshoe crab species Limulus polyphemus.

“Arthropods possess articulated legs composed of multiple segments that can flex upwards or downwards,” they noted.

“The range of motion is influenced by the specific directional capabilities of each joint.”

“This range, combined with the limbs’ shape and segment configuration, determines how the animal utilizes its appendages for walking, grasping, and burrowing.”

Horseshoe crabs, commonly found along the eastern coast of North America, are compared with trilobites due to their analogous behaviors.

“Despite their close relation to spiders and scorpions, horseshoe crabs are part of a different branch of the arthropod tree, whereas trilobite relationships remain ambiguous.”

The comparison arises from both animals’ adaptation of articulated limbs for navigating the seafloor.

However, the findings revealed that their similarities were minimal.

In contrast to horseshoe crabs, characterized by specialized limb joints for bending and expanding—facilitating feeding and protection—Olenoides serratus exhibited a simpler yet highly functional limb structure.

“We found that the limbs of Olenoides serratus had minimal extension, primarily far from the body,” Dr. Ross explained.

“Their limbs functioned differently than those of horseshoe crabs. Olenoides serratus could walk, dig, bring food to their mouths, and even elevate their bodies above the seafloor.”

To realize these findings, the scientists constructed advanced 3D digital models based on hundreds of fossil images captured from various angles.

Since trilobite limbs are often crushed and flattened, reconstructing them in three dimensions presents a significant challenge.

“We depend on exceptionally well-preserved specimens, comparing limb structures from multiple angles while leveraging related fossils to fill in any missing details,” said Professor Javier Ortega-Hernandez of Harvard University.

The team correlated the morphology of trace fossils to the movements of the limbs.

“The different movements of Olenoides serratus could create trace fossils with varying depths,” Dr. Ross elaborated.

“They were capable of raising their bodies on deposits, allowing them to traverse obstacles and navigate efficiently through swift currents.”

Remarkably, the researchers found that males possessed specialized appendages for mating, and each leg featured gills for respiration.

The findings were published in the journal BMC Biology on August 4th, 2025.

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Loss et al., 2025. Quantification of leg mobility in Burgess Shale Olenoides serratus reveals the functional differences between trilobite and Xiphosuran appendages. BMC Biol 23, 238; doi:10.1186/s12915-025-02335-3

Source: www.sci.news

Research Suggests This Diet May Lower Cognitive Decline Risk by 40%

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A Key Review involving over 62,500 adults indicates that adhering to a specific diet may lower the risk of cognitive decline in older age by 40%.

Researchers from Shandong University in China examined 15 studies involving individuals aged over 60 and discovered that those who followed a Mediterranean or mind-focused diet were notably less likely to experience memory and cognitive issues compared to those without a healthy diet.

The Mediterranean diet and the Mind diet share many similarities, both emphasizing vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and moderate amounts of fish, chicken, and dairy products. Conversely, they limit processed foods, lean meats, and sugar.

However, while the Mediterranean diet draws inspiration from specific regions, the Mind diet is designed explicitly to safeguard the brain against age-related decline.

The Mediterranean diet highlights certain culturally significant ingredients, such as olive oil, while the Mind diet focuses on nutrient-rich foods like berries and leafy greens.

Researchers have long speculated about the impact of diet on brain aging, although evidence has been mixed. To clarify this issue, the Shandong University team aggregated data from 15 studies to gain a better understanding of the correlation between diet and aging in the brain, as well as extended risks of related diseases like dementia.

The studies included presented varied results. However, their combined findings indicated that elderly individuals who maintained healthy eating habits were significantly less likely (by 40%) to experience cognitive decline compared to those following unhealthy diets.

Consequently, researchers concluded that older adults should be encouraged to incorporate vegetables, fruits, fish, and legumes into their meals.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods and sugars.

Experts not involved in the study cautioned in BBC Science Focus that the interplay between diet and cognitive health is complex and the findings should be interpreted cautiously.

Professor Keith Frain, Professor Emeritus of Human Metabolism at Oxford University, remarked, “This study convincingly demonstrates that healthier diets correlate with enhanced cognitive function in older adults.”

However, Frain cautioned that the study does not imply that a better diet causes improved brain health. He explained that the studies involved in this analysis were observational, which means other factors like wealth, privilege, or non-dietary healthy habits could contribute to the observed link.

“While striving for a healthy diet as we age for various reasons is important, it is misleading to suggest that diet alone can alter our cognitive function,” Frain added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Oliver Shannon, a Lecturer in Nutrition and Aging at Newcastle University, noted in BBC Science Focus that the findings of this study, consistent with previous research and recent clinical trials, suggest that consuming healthier diets in later life could positively influence the brain. Thus, there might be a causal relationship present.

“Making small dietary adjustments towards healthier options, such as increasing the intake of vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fish, can help older individuals maintain their memory and cognitive skills as they age,” he stated.

Read more:

About Our Experts

Professor Keith Frain is a professor of human metabolism at Oxford University in the UK and an honorary fellow at Green Templeton College in Oxford. His research focuses on metabolism and nutrition, and he has authored numerous books, including the textbook Human Metabolism: A Regulatory Perspective.

Dr. Oliver Shannon is a lecturer in nutrition and aging at the Center for Human Nutrition Research at Newcastle University, UK. His research primarily investigates the impacts of nutrition, including dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, on cognitive and cardiovascular aging. Shannon has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles in leading nutrition journals.

Research Reveals Alarming Rate of Seawater-Induced Corrosion on Shark Teeth

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The rising acidity of the Earth’s oceans is leading to the corrosion and deterioration of shark teeth.

As apex predators, shark teeth serve as essential tools, but recent studies reveal that climate change is adversely affecting their strength and durability.

“They are highly specialized instruments designed for slicing through flesh without withstanding ocean acidity,” explained Maximilian Baum from Heinrich Heine University (HHU) in Düsseldorf. “Our findings underscore how even the most finely tuned weapons in nature are not immune to vulnerability.”

Sharks continuously regenerate their teeth, yet the deteriorating conditions of our oceans can compromise them more swiftly than they can heal.

With the oceans increasingly absorbing carbon dioxide due to climate change, their acidity levels are rising.

Currently, ocean water sits at a pH of 8.1, but it could drop to as low as 7.3 by 2300.

This research is part of the undergraduate project Frontier, where Baum sought to assess the impact of these changes on marine organisms.

By acquiring hundreds of black-tip reef shark teeth from an aquarium housing the study’s subjects, Baum was able to conduct his experiments.

Approximately 50 intact teeth were then placed in tanks with varying pH levels and left there for 8 weeks.

Upon evaluation at the conclusion of the study, it was evident that teeth exposed to acidic water exhibited considerably greater damage compared to those in 8.1 pH conditions.

Microscopic view of teeth held in water at pH 7.3 for 8 weeks – Credit: Steffen Köhler

“We noted visible surface defects such as cracks and holes, heightened root corrosion, and structural degradation,” remarked Professor Sebastian Fraun, who supervised the project at HHU.

The acidic conditions also rendered the tooth surfaces rough and uneven. While this may enhance the shark’s cutting efficiency, it simultaneously compromised the structural integrity of the teeth, increasing their likelihood of breaking.

“Maintaining a marine pH close to the current average of 8.1 is crucial for preserving the physical strength of this predatory tool,” Baum noted. “This highlights the broad impacts climate change has across the food web and entire ecosystems.”

About Our Experts

Maximilian Baum | I am a student at the Faculty of Biology at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf.

Professor Sebastian Fraun | He is the head of the Institute for Zoology and Biology Interactions at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf.

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Expert Rejection: Police Assert Research Backing Unbiased Live Facial Recognition Usage

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Metropolitan Police assert that their application of live facial recognition is devoid of bias, as echoed by a prominent technology specialist, but this claim has not been substantiated by the reports they reference in support of their litigation.

The MET plans to deploy the LFR in its most notable event this bank holiday weekend at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London.

According to The Guardian, the technology will be utilized at two locations leading up to the carnival, and the military has insisted on its implementation, despite the fact that LFR use is considered illegal, as declared by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

This new assertion comes from Professor Pete Hussy, who led the only independent academic review of the police’s use of facial recognition; he is a former reviewer of Met’s LFR since 2018-19 and currently advises various law enforcement agencies in the UK and internationally on its application.

The Met contends that it has reformed the usage of LFR, as indicated in the 2023 research commissioned by the National Institute of Physics (NPL), claiming that it is now virtually free from bias. Nevertheless, Fussey responded:

“The sensitivity of the system can be adjusted for LFR’s operation. Higher sensitivity results in detecting more individuals, but such potential bias is influenced by race, gender, and age. Setting zero is the most sensitive while one is the least.”

The NPL report identified bias at a sensitivity level of 0.56, noting seven instances where individuals tested were mistakenly flagged as suspects, all of whom were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

These findings stemmed from a collection of 178,000 images entered into the system, with 400 volunteers passing by the cameras roughly 10 times, providing 4,000 opportunities for accurate recognition. They were included in an estimated crowd of over 130,000 at four locations in London and one in Cardiff. The tests were carried out in clear weather over 34.5 hours, though Fussey remarked this was shorter than tests conducted in some other countries where LFR is valued.

From this dataset, the report concluded that no statistically significant bias existed in settings above 0.6. This assertion has been reiterated by the MET to justify their ongoing use and expansion of LFR.

Hussey criticized this as insufficient to substantiate the MET’s claims, stating: “Councillors at the Metropolitan Police Service consistently argue their systems undergo independent testing for bias. An examination of this study revealed that the data was inadequate to support the claims made.”

“The definitive conclusions publicly proclaimed by MET rely on an analysis of merely seven false matches from a system scrutinizing the faces of millions of Londoners. Drawing broad conclusions from such a limited sample is statistically weak.”

Currently, the MET operates LFR at a sensitivity setting of 0.64, though they assert that the NPL studies did not yield erroneous matches.

Fussey stated: “Their own research indicates that false matches are not evaluated in settings claiming no bias that exceed 0.64.”

“Few in the scientific community suggest sufficient evidence exists to support these claims drawn from such a limited sample.”

Fussey added: “We clearly indicate that bias exists within the algorithm, but we assert that this can be mitigated through appropriate adjustments to the system settings. The challenge arises from the fact that the system has not been thoroughly tested under these varied settings.”

Lindsay Chiswick, the MET’s intelligence director, dismissed Hussy’s allegations, stating: “This is a factual report from a globally renowned institution. The Met Police’s commentary is grounded in the findings of an independent study,” she explained.

“If you utilize LFR with a setting of 0.64, as I currently am, there is no statistically significant bias.”

“We sought research to pinpoint where potential bias lies within the algorithm and employed the results to mitigate that risk.”

“The findings exemplify the degree to which algorithms can be used to minimize bias, and we consistently operate well above that threshold.”

During the Notting Hill carnival this weekend, warning signs will notify attendees about the use of LFR. The LFR system will be stationed next to the van containing the cameras linked to the suspect database.

Authorities believe utilizing the technology at two sites leading to the carnival will act as a deterrent. At the carnival itself, law enforcement is prepared to employ retrospective facial recognition to identify perpetrators of violence and assaults.

Fussey remarked: “Few question the police’s right to deploy technology for public safety, but oversight is crucial, and it must align with human rights standards.”

The MET claims that since 2024, the LFR has recorded a false-positive rate of one in every 33,000 cases. Although the exact number of scanned faces remains undisclosed, it is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands.

There have been 26 incorrect matches in 2024, with eight reported so far in 2025. The Met stated that these individuals were not apprehended as decisions on arrests rested with police officers, following matches produced by their computer systems.

Prior to the carnival, the MET arrested 100 individuals, recalled 21 to prison, and banned 266 from attendance. Additionally, they reported seizing 11 firearms and over 40 knives.

Research Suggests Future Ozone Changes May Lead to Unexpected Global Warming

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The prohibition of ozone-depleting substances like CFCs has facilitated the recovery of the ozone layer. However, when paired with rising air pollution levels, the heating effects of ozone are now expected to warm the planet by an additional 40% more than previously estimated.

Antarctica’s ozone hole in 2020. Image credit: ESA.

“CFCs and HCFCs are greenhouse gases contributing to global warming,” stated Professor Bill Collins of Reading University and his colleagues.

“Countries have banned these substances to protect the ozone layer, with hopes it will also mitigate climate change.”

“However, as the ozone layer continues to heal, the resulting warming could offset much of the climate benefits we expect from eliminating CFCs and HCFCs.”

“Efforts to reduce air pollution will limit ground-level ozone.”

“Still, the ozone layer will take decades to fully recover, irrespective of air quality policies, leading to unavoidable warming.”

“Safeguarding the ozone layer is vital for human health and skin cancer prevention.”

“It shields the Earth from harmful UV radiation that can affect humans, animals, and plants.”

“Yet, this study indicates that climate policies must be revised to consider the enhanced warming effects of ozone.”

The researchers utilized computer models to project atmospheric changes by the mid-century.

The models continued under a scenario of low pollution, where CFCs and HCFCs have been eliminated as per the Montreal Protocol (1987).

The results indicate that stopping the production of CFCs and HCFCs—primarily to defend the ozone layer—offers fewer climate advantages than previously thought.

Between 2015 and 2050, ozone is predicted to cause an excess warming of 0.27 watts per square meter (WM^-2).

This value denotes the additional energy trapped per square meter of the Earth’s surface—carbon dioxide (which contributes 1.75 WM^-2) will rank as the second-largest influence on future warming by 2050.

“Countries are making the right choice by continuing to ban CFCs and HCFCs that endanger the ozone layer globally,” stated Professor Collins.

“While this contributes to the restoration of the ozone layer, we’ve discovered that this recovery results in greater planetary warming than initially anticipated.”

“Ground-level ozone generated from vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and power plants also poses health risks and exacerbates global warming.”

The results were published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

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WJ Collins et al. 2025. Climate forcing due to future ozone changes: Intercomparison of metrics and methods. Atmos. Chemistry. Phys 25, 9031-9060; doi: 10.5194/ACP-25-9031-2025

Source: www.sci.news

Cold Fusion: Controversial Experiments Enhance Fusion Research

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Thunderbird Fusion Reactor

Berlinguette Group, UBC

Cold Fusion, once a notorious name in the scientific community, is experiencing a resurgence. Researchers are revisiting earlier experiments that suggested room-temperature fusion, hinting at the potential for energy generation akin to that of the Sun, but without the extreme heat typically required. Although the initial claims were thoroughly scrutinized, recent iterations of this research have found ways to enhance fusion rates, even if they still fall short of producing usable energy.

Nuclear fusion involves merging atomic nuclei under extreme temperature and pressure, releasing energy in the process. This phenomenon naturally occurs in stars like our Sun, but replicating it on Earth for energy use has proven to be a significant challenge. Despite aspirations for commercial fusion reactors dating back to the 1950s, we haven’t yet managed to build one that yields more energy than it consumes.

The tide seemed to turn in 1989 when chemists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann at the University of Utah reported that they had achieved nuclear fusion at room temperature using palladium rods submerged in water injected with neutron-rich heavy water and subjected to an electric current. This process generated unexpected heat spikes that surpassed predictions for standard chemical reactions, leading them to believe significant levels of nuclear fusion were occurring.

Dubbed Cold Fusion, this experiment captivated interest for its implication of a simpler, cleaner energy source compared to conventional hot fusion. However, the excitement quickly faded as researchers worldwide failed to replicate the observed heat anomalies.

Recently, Curtis Berlinguette and his team at the University of British Columbia have developed a novel tabletop particle accelerator, drawing inspiration from the original research conducted by Pons and Fleischmann.

“Cold fusion was dismissed back in 1989 due to the inability to replicate the findings. Our setup is designed for reproducibility, enabling verification by others,” Berlinguette explains. “We don’t claim to have discovered an energy miracle; our goal is to advance scientific understanding and provide reliable data to make fusion more attainable and interdisciplinary.”

Similar to the initial cold fusion experiment, the current research employs deuterium and palladium, which are hydrogen isotopes containing neutrons. The Thunderbird reactor utilizes a deuterium nucleus and a concentrated high-energy beam directed at a palladium electrode. This method prompts the palladium to absorb these high-energy particles and facilitates fusion by increasing the saturation of deuterium in the material.

To enhance fusion rates, the researchers incorporated an electrochemical device filled with deuterium oxide (heavy water). This device breaks down the heavy water into deuterium and oxygen, allowing the deuterium to be absorbed by the electrodes, boosting the quantity of deuterium available for fusion. “An essential takeaway from our 1989 experiment was the use of electrochemistry to introduce hydrogen fuel to the electrodes,” Berlinguette emphasizes.

As a result, the researchers noted a 15% increase in neutron production, correlating with a rise in fusion rates, though it only generates a billionth of a watt—far less than the 15 watts required to operate the device. “We’re just a few orders of magnitude away from powering your home with these reactors,” Berlinguette states.

While the experiment is notably inspired by the 1989 research, the current work indicates that the primary source of fusion comes from the powerful deuteron beam, rather than the electrochemistry proposed by Pons and Fleischmann. Anthony Ksernak from Imperial College London notes, “This is not an unknown phenomenon; it’s about colliding deuterium with a solid target and achieving what appears to be a fusion event,” noting the energy from the high-energy particles is equivalent to hundreds of millions of Kelvins.

Ksernak acknowledges that the 15% increase in deuterium saturation in palladium is modest, but he sees potential in experimenting with different metals for the electrodes in future research.

Berlinguette remains hopeful that the fusion rate can be elevated by redesigning the reactor. Recent unpublished work from a colleague suggests that merely altering the shape of the electrodes might yield a four-order magnitude increase in the fusion rate, though it would still fall short of the levels required for practical applications.

Even if higher fusion rates aren’t achieved, Berlinguette believes the electrochemical technique for enhancing deuterium loading in metals could be beneficial for developing high-temperature superconductors. Many promising superconducting materials, known for their zero electrical resistance and potential to transform global electrical systems, are metals that incorporate significant hydrogen amounts. Traditionally, creating these materials demands excessive pressure and energy; however, the electrochemical systems used in Thunderbird reactors could streamline the process with much less energy expenditure, according to Berlinguette.

Cern and Mont Blanc, Dark and Frozen Matter: Switzerland and France

Prepare to be amazed by CERN, the European Centre for Particle Physics. Here, researchers operate the renowned Large Hadron Collider situated near the picturesque Swiss city of Geneva.

Topic:

Nuclear Fusion Technology

AI-Generated Responses Undermine Crowdsourced Research Studies

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Some participants use AI to save time in online research

Daniel D’Andreti/Unsplash

Online surveys are being inundated by responses generated through AI, potentially compromising the integrity of critical data for scientific research.

Platforms like Prolific compensate participants modestly for answering questions posed by researchers. These platforms have gained popularity among academics for their simplicity in attracting subjects for behavioral studies.

Anne Marie Nusberger and her team at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany, set out to examine the frequency of AI usage among respondents, triggered by their observations in previous studies. “The rate we were witnessing was truly startling,” she remarks.

They suspect that 45% of participants who submitted a single open-ended question on Prolific utilized AI tools to streamline their responses.

Further analysis of these submissions indicated more overt references to AI usage, characterized by phrases like “excessively repetitive” and “clearly non-human” language. “From the data we gathered earlier this year, it’s clear that a notable fraction of research is tainted,” she explains.

In follow-up studies conducted via Prolific, researchers implemented traps to capture chatbot users. Two instances of Recaptcha — a small test designed to differentiate humans from bots — identified only 0.2% of users as bots. A more complex Recaptcha, using both past activity and current behavior, eliminated an additional 2.7%. Although hidden from view, bots that were prompted to include the word “hazelnut” in their responses accounted for another 1.6%, while an extra 4.7% were detected when copying and pasting was restricted.

“Our goal is to respond adequately to online surveys, rather than resorting to full distrust,” advises Nussberger. It’s the onus of researchers, in her view, to handle the answers with greater skepticism and take precautions against AI-induced input. “However, the platforms bear significant responsibility. They must treat this matter with utmost seriousness.”

Prolific did not respond to a request for comment from New Scientist.

“The validity of online behavioral research has already faced challenges from participants misrepresenting themselves or employing bots to obtain rewards,” says Matt Hodgkinson, a freelance consultant in research ethics. “Researchers must collectively explore remote validation of human involvement or return to traditional face-to-face methodologies.”

Topic:

New Research Indicates Morning Caffeine Enhances Mood

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Recent studies indicate that caffeine intake is linked to a notable positive impact, particularly strong within the initial 2.5 hours after waking up (i.e., in the morning).

Individuals who regularly consume caffeine often report feeling better after having coffee or other caffeinated beverages. This effect is noticeable until late morning. Image credit: Sci.News.

“Caffeine is a stimulant for the central nervous system utilized by approximately 80% of the global population and is available in various forms, including coffee, tea, sodas (like Coke), and chocolate.”

“Positive expectations surrounding caffeine use include alleviating fatigue, enhancing cognitive and physical performance, and promoting favorable mood changes.”

“There is a notable gap in research regarding the beneficial effects associated with caffeine in real-world circumstances, especially concerning mood and emotional states.”

The study involved 236 young adults from Germany over a duration of up to four weeks.

Participants answered a brief smartphone survey seven times daily.

This research aimed to explore caffeine consumption in both daily life and controlled laboratory scenarios.

The researchers also examined whether coffee affects individuals differently.

“We were somewhat surprised to find no significant differences among individuals with varying caffeine consumption levels, depressive symptoms, anxiety, or sleep issues,” remarked Dr. Hayenberger.

“The relationship between caffeine intake and emotional responses was largely consistent across all demographics.”

“We anticipated that individuals with higher anxiety levels would experience a decline in mood, including increased tension, after consuming caffeine.”

“However, those who have adverse reactions to caffeine may avoid it, and our study did not include participants who completely abstain from caffeine.”

Scientific findings explain the mood-boosting effects of caffeine on morning emotions, attributed to its ability to block adenosine receptors.

“Caffeine functions by inhibiting adenosine receptors, which can enhance dopamine activity in key brain regions; this phenomenon is linked to improved mood and increased alertness,” states Professor Anu Learro from Warwick University.

“Nonetheless, it’s still uncertain whether these effects are related to diminished withdrawal symptoms following a night’s sleep.”

“Even moderately caffeinated individuals might encounter mild withdrawal symptoms that resolve after their first coffee or tea in the morning.”

study will be published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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J. Haschenberger et al. 2025. Positive effects of association with caffeine consumption do not involve any negative effects changes throughout the day. Sci Rep 15, 28536; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-14317-0

Source: www.sci.news

New Research Suggests Caffeine May Decrease Effectiveness of Some Antibiotics

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers from the University of Tübingen and Würzburg have found that components of our everyday diet, including caffeine, can influence bacterial resistance to antibiotics. They observed that E. coli bacteria adjust complex modulation cascades to respond to chemical signals from their immediate environment, potentially impacting the effectiveness of antibiotics.

This diagram illustrates a 3D computer-generated image of a group of E. coli. Image credits: James Archer, CDC.

In a systematic screening, Professor Ana Rita Brochado and her team examined the effects of 94 different substances, including antibiotics, prescription medications, and dietary components, on the expression of critical gene regulators and transport proteins in E. coli bacteria.

Transport proteins function as pores and pumps within bacterial membranes, regulating the movement of substances in and out of cells.

A precisely adjusted balance of these mechanisms is crucial for bacterial survival.

“Our data reveals that certain substances can exert subtle yet systematic influences on gene regulation in bacteria,” explained doctoral student Christoph Vincefeld.

“These findings indicate that even everyday substances, which lack direct antibacterial properties, like caffeinated beverages, can impact specific gene regulators that modulate transport proteins, thereby modifying bacterial import and composition.”

“Caffeine initiates a cascade of events starting with the lob gene regulator, resulting in alterations in several transport proteins in E. coli. This effect reduces the uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin,” Professor Rita Brochado added.

“Consequently, this diminishes the antibiotic’s effectiveness.”

The researchers characterize this effect as an “antagonistic interaction.”

The diminishing efficacy of certain antibiotics also applies to salmonella enterica, a close relative of E. coli.

This suggests that even similar bacterial species can react differently to identical environmental cues, likely due to variations in transport pathways and how they contribute to antibiotic absorption.

“This foundational study on the effects of commonly consumed substances highlights the significant role of science in addressing and resolving real-world challenges,” stated Professor (Doshisha) Karla Pollmann.

“This research contributes meaningfully to the understanding of what is termed ‘low-level’ antibiotic resistance, which does not result from classical resistance genes but rather through regulation and environmental adaptation.”

“These insights could influence future treatment strategies involving drug or dietary component modifications.”

The results will be published online in PLOS Biology.

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C. Vincefeld et al. 2025. Systematic screens reveal regulatory contributions to chemical cues in E. coli. Plos Biol 23(7): E3003260; doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003260

Source: www.sci.news

Research Suggests Early Primates Thrived in Cold and Temperate Climates

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Textbooks frequently depict primates as having evolved and dispersed exclusively in warm tropical forests, largely based on fossil evidence found in tropical regions. However, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Reading indicates that the earliest primates may have thrived in North America’s cold climate, experiencing hot summers and frozen winters.

Primates have transitioned to historically diverse climates: (a) For all primates, transition between the main climates of temperate (top), arid (left), tropical (bottom), and cold (right). The size of the arrows represents the percentage of phylogenetic branches with each transition. (b) Climate transition of early primates living between 650,780,000 years ago. (c) Climate transition of species that lived between 47.8 and 2303 million years ago. (d) Climate transition of species that have lived from 2,303 million years ago to the present. Image credit: Avaria-llautureo et al. , doi: 10.1073/pnas.2423833122.

In this research, Jorge Avalia Lautulo from the University of Reading and his team harnessed statistical modeling alongside fossil data to reconstruct ancient environments and trace where the common ancestors of modern primates existed.

“For decades, the prevailing belief was that primates evolved within warm tropical forests,” stated Dr. Abaria Lautzleo.

“Our findings dramatically overturn this narrative. We discovered that primates did not originate in the lush jungles but in the cold, seasonal environments of the Northern Hemisphere.”

“Understanding how ancient primates adapted to climate change offers insights into how current species might respond to modern shifts in climate and environment.”

Primates, capable of relocating swiftly in response to rapid weather changes, excelled at reproducing, ensuring that offspring survived to establish new species.

As they migrated, primates moved towards entirely different, more stable climates. On average, those remaining in similarly unstable regions were about 561 km apart.

Early primates might have hibernated through the frozen winters, much like today’s bears, sleeping through the coldest months to slow their heart rates and conserve energy.

Some small primates continue this behavior today; for instance, the dwarf lemur in Madagascar digs underground, sleeping for several months during colder periods, shielded from freezing temperatures by layers of roots and leaves.

It wasn’t until millions of years later that primates reached tropical forests.

They began in cold habitats, gradually migrating through temperate zones, arid desert-like areas, and ultimately arriving at today’s hot, humid jungles.

As local temperatures and precipitation fluctuated drastically, primates were compelled to seek new habitats, which facilitated the development of new species.

“Our research indicates that non-tropical, changing environments exerted strong selective pressures on primates with greater dispersal capabilities, encouraging primate diversification and the eventual colonization of tropical climates millions of years post-origination,” the authors concluded.

Their paper was published on August 5th in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Jorge Avalia Rautreo et al. 2025. Radiation and geographical expansion of primates due to diverse climates. PNAS 122 (32): E2423833122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2423833122

Source: www.sci.news

UK Council Employs AI Tools to Minimize Women’s Health Concerns, Research Shows

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Research indicates that more than half of the Council of England’s use of artificial intelligence tools minimizes women’s physical and mental health issues, raising concerns about potential gender bias in care decisions. The study revealed that when generating and summarizing identical case notes using Google’s AI tool “Gemma,” terms like “invalid,” “impossible,” and “complex” appeared significantly more often in descriptions of males than females.

Conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the study found that comparable care needs in women were more likely to be overlooked or inadequately explained. Dr. Samurikman, the report’s lead author and a researcher at LSE’s Care Policy and Assessment Centre, emphasized that AI could result in “unequal care provision for women.” He noted, “These models are widely used, yet our findings reveal significant disparities regarding bias across different models. Specifically, Google’s models understate women’s physical and mental health needs compared to those for men.”

Furthermore, he pointed out that the care received is often determined by perceived needs, which could lead to women receiving inadequate care if a biased model is in use—although it remains unclear which model is currently being applied.

As AI tools grow in popularity among local authorities, the LSE study analyzed real case notes from 617 adult social care users. These notes were anonymized by gender and input multiple times into various major language models (LLM). Researchers examined a summary of 29,616 pairs to assess how male and female cases were treated differently by the AI model.

One example highlighted that the Gemma model summarized case notes as follows: “Mr. Smith is an 84-year-old man living alone with a complicated medical history, a care package, and poor mobility.” Conversely, when the gender was swapped, the summary read: “Mrs. Smith is an 84-year-old resident. Despite her limitations, she is independent and can maintain personal care.” In another instance, the summary stated that Mrs. Smith “has no access to the community,” while Mr. Smith “has managed to manage her daily activities.”

Among the AI models assessed, Google’s Gemma exhibited a more significant gender-based disparity compared to other models. The study noted that Meta’s Llama 3 model did not differentiate its language based on gender.

Dr. Rickman commented that although the tool “is already in use in the public sector, it should not compromise fairness.” He added, “My research sheds light on the issues posed by a single model, but with many models continuously being deployed, it is imperative that all AI systems are transparent, rigorously tested for bias, and subject to stringent legal oversight.”

The paper concludes that to prioritize “algorithm equity,” regulators should mandate measures of bias in LLMs used in long-term care. Concerns regarding racial and gender bias in AI tools have persisted for an extended period, as machine learning technology tends to absorb biases present in human languages. Our research analyzed 133 AI systems across various industries, revealing that approximately 44% exhibited gender bias, while 25% showed both gender and racial biases.

According to Google, the team is reviewing the report’s findings. The researcher assessed the initial generation of the GEMMA model, which is currently in its third generation and is expected to show improved performance; however, it should not be utilized for medical purposes.

Research Discovers Unusual Glow Emitted by the Human Brain

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Our brains are glowing. While this phenomenon isn’t visible to the naked eye, scientists have the ability to detect faint light that permeates the skull. Recent studies indicate that this light varies based on our activities.

All living tissues generate a subtle light known as Ultraweak Photon Emissions (UPE). This emission ceases once the organism dies. The human brain, however, emits a considerable amount of this light due to its high energy consumption, accounting for around 20% of the body’s total energy.

“Ultraweak photon emissions, or UPE, are extremely faint light signals produced by all types of cells throughout the body—trillions of times weaker than the light from bulbs,” stated Dr. Nirosha Murugan, an Assistant Professor of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. BBC Science Focus.

“Although UPE is a weak signal, the energy expenditure of the brain generates more light than other organs,” she explained. “Consider the hundreds of billions of brain cells; each one emits a weak light signal, but together they create a measurable collective glow outside the head.”

Murugan’s research team aimed to explore whether this glow fluctuated with brain activity and if it could be utilized to assess brain functions.

To investigate, scientists equipped participants with caps containing electrical sensors to track both electrical impulses and light emitted from the brain. Twenty adults were invited to sit in a darkened room.

Participants were directed to open and close their eyes and follow simple audio instructions.

Comparisons were made between the captured electrical signals and UPEs, revealing notable correlations.

“We discovered that the optical signals detected around the head correlate with electrical activity in the brain during cognitive tasks,” Murugan noted. “These patterns of light emission from the brain are dynamic, intricate, and informative.”

The brain emitted this light in a slow, rhythmic pattern, occurring less than once per second, creating the illusion of stability throughout the two-minute tasks.

All living cells emit ultrawave light as a byproduct of chemical reactions such as energy metabolism – Credit: Sean Gladwell via Getty

Murugan indicated that measuring this brain light could offer scientists and medical professionals a novel method for brain imaging, potentially identifying conditions like epilepsy, dementia, and depression.

This light is not merely a by-product; it might also play a functional role in the brain. Murugan emphasized that examining it could “uncover hidden dimensions” of our cognitive processes.

“I hope that the possibility of detecting and interpreting light signals from the brain will inspire new questions previously deemed unfathomable,” she stated. “For instance, can UPEs permeate the skull and influence other brains within the vicinity?”

This study serves as a preliminary exploration, suggesting that plenty remains to be uncovered about our illuminating brains.

Nonetheless, Murugan expressed hope that the team’s discoveries will “ignite a new discussion regarding the significance of light in brain functionality.”

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About our experts

Dr. Nirosha Murugan is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada. She was recently appointed as Tier 2 Canada Research Chair of Biophysics at the University of Algoma in Ontario.