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The idea that what we eat shapes how we sleep is catching on fast. A new six-month clinical trial puts the humble avocado at the center of that discussion. 



The research, led by Dr. Kristina Petersen of <a href="https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/?cid=CPC39865&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=216632423&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwu7TCBhCYARIsAM_S3Njk18_xKLXHwaS2Zu0LDF2JIvkEKY6cuE1XfwJLezsIvCB_JPOl65kaAiMzEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State University</a>, was focused on 969 adults with larger waistlines. The study revealed that individuals who ate one avocado each day reported about 30 extra minutes of nightly sleep compared with the control group. 



Heart doctors now treat solid sleep health as seriously as blood pressure. According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/sleep-and-heart-health.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, adults who regularly get fewer than seven hours have higher odds of heart attack and stroke. 



The <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Heart Association</a> includes sleep in its Life's Essential 8 checklist, alongside diet, exercise, and nicotine avoidance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-avocado-nutrients-matter-for-sleep-nbsp">Why avocado nutrients matter for sleep&nbsp;</h2>



According to the researchers, one-third of a medium avocado delivers 13 milligrams of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tryptophan</a>, the amino acid the body uses to make melatonin. It also brings 45 µg of <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">folate</a> and 15 milligrams of <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnesium</a>, which are both tied to smoother circadian rhythms.&nbsp;



Each serving supplies three grams of fiber and five grams of <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/monounsaturated-fats" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monounsaturated fat</a>, nutrients that can trim LDL cholesterol and support steady blood sugar, two issues that often disturb sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocado-improves-sleep-and-diet">Avocado improves sleep and diet</h2>



Volunteers in the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34496276/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HAT</a>) were randomized to eat either one large Hass avocado <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.039130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">daily</a> or fewer than two avocados per month for twenty-six weeks.



Compliance stayed high, about 88 % of the avocado group reported eating the full fruit on recall days, yet their overall calories barely changed, suggesting people swapped rather than piled on food. 



The avocado group scored three points higher on the diet component of Life’s Essential 8 and showed modest reductions in LDL cholesterol, echoing earlier single-food trials.



“Sleep is emerging as a key lifestyle factor in heart health, and this study invites us to consider how nutrition - and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-diet-shifts-the-hidden-costs-of-what-we-eat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a> like avocado - can play a role in improving it,” said Dr. Petersen. Self-reported sleep increased from an average of 6.4 to nearly 7.0 hours per night.&nbsp;



Heart health depends on a variety of factors. While no one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-methane-in-your-gut-says-about-your-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> can solve everything, avocados provide several nutrients that contribute to different areas of cardiovascular well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-avocado-may-influence-sleep">How avocado may influence sleep</h2>



Magnesium <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39252819/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supplements</a> can deepen slow-wave sleep in adults with insomnia, and similar benefits appear when the mineral comes from food.



Tryptophan-rich evening snacks have been <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2654999/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shown</a> to lift nighttime melatonin and lower restlessness in lab studies. Avocados supply both compounds in a heart-healthy package.



The fruit’s steady stream of potassium may also help keep blood pressure dips that occur during deep sleep within a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-you-eat-can-literally-change-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthy</a> range, though that mechanism still lacks direct trial evidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocados-may-influence-hormones">Avocados may influence hormones</h2>



Emerging <a href="https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/FMR-2023-0013" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> also hints that avocados may influence hormonal balance, particularly cortisol and insulin - two key players in sleep and cardiovascular health. 



The monounsaturated fats in avocados have been shown to support insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, both of which can contribute to more restful sleep and improved heart health.



Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, naturally dips at night to prepare us for sleep. Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK326737/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> suggest that nutrient-dense, fat-rich foods like avocados may help regulate the timing and magnitude of these dips, potentially smoothing the transition to deeper sleep cycles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-sleep-and-cardiovascular-links">Diet, sleep, and cardiovascular links</h2>



The study also showed that eating avocados daily improved overall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-protein-packed-diets-are-really-doing-to-your-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a> quality, which is a foundational pillar in Life’s Essential 8. 



A better diet has cascading effects, not just on cholesterol and glucose, but on how the body regulates stress, hormones, and metabolism, all of which feed back into sleep patterns.



While the exact biological link between avocado nutrients and sleep isn't fully mapped, researchers believe the combination of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients may support more stable blood sugar and calm the nervous system, factors that are tied to sleep duration and quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



Because sleep was not the primary endpoint, the researchers relied on questionnaires instead of wearable trackers. 



Future trials that collect objective sleep stages and timing could confirm whether avocado nutrients directly lengthen restorative phases like <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/rem-sleep-what-is-it-why-is-it-important-and-how-can-you-get-more-of-it" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">REM</a> sleep.



The study group already had elevated waistlines, so the results may not translate to leaner adults or children. Researchers also want to see if pairing avocados with exercise or weight-loss plans produces bigger gains on the full Life’s Essential 8 score.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-tips-for-daily-life">Simple tips for daily life</h2>



Swap the late-night cookie for half an avocado on whole-grain toast sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. The mix pairs healthy fat with extra magnesium and tryptophan. 



Keep ripe avocados on the counter and the rest in the fridge to maintain freshness throughout the week. A squeeze of lemon slows browning when you store the second half.



If you take blood-thinning medication, remember that avocados are high in <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamin-k/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vitamin K</a>, and it's important to discuss major diet changes with your clinician first. Adding a single food will not erase poor sleep hygiene, but it can be a good start. 



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.039130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.



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Want better sleep? Try eating an avocado daily

The idea that what we eat shapes how we sleep...

Carbon pollution in the atmosphere is already causing dangerous changes to the climate. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to keep the planet within safe temperature limits. 



Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies aim to slow climate warning by removing CO2 pollution from the atmosphere. An in-depth analysis explains why the job cannot fall on machines alone. 



Plants, soils, and other ecosystems have a part to play in carbon dioxide removal, and this help is urgently needed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-technology-and-co2-removal">Nature, technology, and CO2 removal</h2>



“We must rapidly reduce the production of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a> worldwide. At the same time, we must also remove and store excess carbon already polluting the atmosphere," said Charlotte Streck of the <a href="https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/university-of-potsdam" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Potsdam</a>.



Streck noted that in recent years, innovative high-tech CDR companies have introduced promising solutions for capturing carbon. 



However, these solutions are still in research and development stages, and they are not yet proven at the scale needed, she added.



“At the same time, it’s well established that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> and other ecosystems are effective at storing carbon - while also providing clean air and water, safeguarding biodiversity and keeping the planet cool. We must embrace both high-tech and natural methods of CDR to succeed," said Streck.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-based-carbon-removal">Nature-based carbon removal</h2>



Matthew Brander of the <a href="https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Edinburgh</a> Business School explained that nature-based and engineered carbon dioxide removal can be deployed synergistically.



“Engineered novel CDR methods offer higher durability and lower reversal risks. However, conventional nature-based CDR methods that rely on storing carbon in vegetation and soil are the most immediately deployable methods at scale, and costs are comparatively low," said Brander.



"It’s clear that high-tech and natural CDR methods can complement - not compete with - one another.”



Peter Ellis of <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nature Conservancy</a> pointed out that engineered CDR is extremely expensive and will require huge amounts of cheap renewable energy, along with years of investment in research and development, before it’s ready to scale.



“In contrast, nature-based CDR is cheap and powered by photosynthesis, which has been in research and development in efficient self-replicating prototypes called plants for 3 billion years,” he added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-carbon-dioxide-removal">Defining carbon dioxide removal </h2>



The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as any human activity that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it securely - whether in rocks, soils, oceans, or long-lived products.



These methods differ based on how the CO₂ is captured, such as through photosynthesis, chemical processes, or other reactions.



The removal methods also depend on where the carbon is stored and how long it remains stored - whether in living biomass, mineralized form, or deep ocean sediments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-best-path-for-co2-removal">The best path for CO2 removal</h2>



No single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-may-not-be-effective/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDR option</a> checks every box for cost, speed, scale, and long-term storage. The analysis shows that matching methods to specific needs - and mixing several of them - is the safest path forward.



High-tech systems can lock carbon away for centuries once they work at scale. Yet they are young, expensive, and energy-hungry. 



Natural pathways, such as restoring forests or rebuilding soils, are ready today, cost less, and offer side benefits like habitat and clean water. The downside is that trees can burn, pests can spread, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-near-the-north-pole-signals-major-climate-shifts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate shifts</a> can undo the gains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-a-mixed-approach-works-best">Why a mixed approach works best</h2>



CDR planners often talk about “reversal risk” - the chance that stored carbon could leak back into the atmosphere. For example, injecting CO₂ into rock is risky at first, before it hardens into minerals. 



Forests, meanwhile, can be lost to fire, pests, or land use changes before they reach full maturity. That’s why success depends on mixing solutions so the weaknesses of one are offset by the strengths of another.



“Policymakers and investors should encourage a balanced, comprehensive approach to investments in both nature- and tech-based CDR,” said Streck. 



“A balanced portfolio mitigates against risks of any one strategy and is most likely to make meaningful contributions toward achieving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paris-agreement-which-countries-are-honoring-their-pledges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Agreement</a> goals.”



Currently, most investment is going toward new technologies that haven’t yet scaled. 



But by also supporting proven nature-based projects, we can remove carbon right away - while giving engineers the time to develop more durable, high-tech options for the future.



And there’s no time to waste. Climate math is unforgiving, and every year of delay makes the job harder. 



By pairing shovels and sensors with seeds and soil, we can cut emissions, store carbon, and offer future generations a better shot at a stable climate.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2025.2501267" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate Policy</a>.



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We cannot rely on technology alone for carbon dioxide removal

Carbon pollution in the atmosphere is already causing dangerous changes...

Most people go through life feeling glued to their skin. Hands move, feet follow, and the world stays in front of their eyes. Yet a surprising slice of the population has reported slipping loose, hovering a few feet up, and seeing their own body from the outside. 



The phenomenon is called an out-of-body experience (OBE), and its meaning has long puzzled science.



Researchers estimate that anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of global adults have touched this odd territory at least once.



Such accounts crop up in emergency rooms, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psilocybin-deeply-enhances-meditation-insights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation retreats</a>, and even on living-room couches during an afternoon nap. 



Pilots under high G-forces have logged them, and neurologists have induced similar sensations in lab volunteers by tickling a small patch of brain behind the right ear. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obes-the-strangest-trip-of-all">OBEs: The strangest trip of all</h2>



OBEs share a common script: sight and touch split. People feel <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-human-brain-adapts-to-weightlessness-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weightless</a>, hear the room dimly, and watch themselves from above. 



Laboratory work links the effect to the temporoparietal junction, the brain’s traffic circle for balance, vision, and the sense of owning a body. 



When signals there clash - because of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a>, epilepsy, lack of oxygen, or a virtual-reality headset - the mind may decide to leave its usual seat.



Historical texts show that monks, shamans, and soldiers have all written about brief departures. Modern imaging backs them up: the body stays put. 



Yet cardiology monitors sometimes register sudden drops in heart rate during an OBE, hinting at a reflex that calms the nervous system when things feel too intense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surveying-the-floaters">Surveying the floaters</h2>



After years of scattered anecdotes, a fresh survey from the <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a> School of Medicine takes stock. The team surveyed more than 500 adults who were certain they had floated. 



Four out of five said it happened between one and four times; the rest reported at least five departures. Most first left their body in childhood.



Nearly three-quarters called the event spontaneous. Nine percent linked it to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-arabians-burned-harmal-plants-to-heal-and-protect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychoactive compounds</a>, while 8.2 percent said meditation, visualization, or similar practices did the trick. Only 0.7 percent pointed to hypnosis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obes-and-the-stress-connection">OBEs and the stress connection</h2>



The new data reveal a heavy shadow of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/child-maltreatment-triples-the-risk-of-substance-use/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early hardship</a>. Many participants recalled medical trauma or abusive homes. 



They also carried more mental-health diagnoses than peers who had never floated, and the likelihood of a diagnosis increased the longer it had been since that first OBE. 



Many people who’ve had out-of-body experiences (OBEs) worry there’s something wrong with them and keep quiet out of fear of being judged. 



“Unfortunately, many mental-health professionals still view these experiences in the same way,” said Weiler, a neuroscientist with UVA’s <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Division of Perceptual Studies</a>.



Weiler’s team found that individuals who’ve had OBEs often report poorer mental health than those who haven’t. 



However, the researchers believe OBEs may act as “a coping mechanism in response to past trauma,” rather than a sign of illness. 



They urge clinicians to reconsider how they view these experiences and to meet them with “greater openness and sensitivity.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gains-from-leaving-the-body">Gains from leaving the body</h2>



The survey also tracked unexpected upsides. Fifty-five percent of participants said the experience changed their life; seventy-one percent felt a lasting benefit; and forty percent called it the greatest thing that had ever happened to them. 



Many described a lighter view of death, deeper calm, and a sharper sense of connection to other people. These reports match earlier studies in hospital patients, where OBEs sometimes eased anxiety after major surgery.



While stress can tip the brain into an OBE, curiosity clearly plays a role. Some volunteers used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wim-hof-method-helps-fight-stress-inflammation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breathing exercises</a> or sleep-onset tricks to nudge the event on purpose, chasing the mental clarity they felt hovering in the air. 



Scientists studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-slows-biological-aging-at-the-molecular-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> note similar patterns of detachment during deep practice, though the body stays motionless on the cushion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-implications">Clinical implications</h2>



“This view,” the researchers write, “shifts the focus from causation to the possibility that OBEs may also emerge as a consequence - a coping strategy for navigating difficult or traumatic experiences.” 



Their argument moves attention away from the spectacle of floating and toward the stress that often hides underneath. 



“If OBEs are understood not as symptoms of pathology but as coping mechanisms - especially in response to trauma - this reframing can lead to several important shifts in clinical practice, research, and public understanding,” Weiler explained.



“Ultimately, we hope to reduce the stigma around this topic, encourage help-seeking, and build community and resilience among experiencers.”



Therapists who meet an OBE client might soon ask different questions: not “Why did you split from your body?” but “What weight were you carrying when you launched?” 



Workshops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/witnessing-trauma-may-cause-ptsd-in-a-different-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PTSD</a> already teach grounding techniques, yet some clinicians now explore whether guided imagery that safely mimics an OBE can loosen painful memories without triggering panic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-obes-go-from-here">Where do OBEs go from here?</h2>



Portable brain scanners and motion-tracking beds promise sharper views of the moment liftoff begins. Researchers aim to map the split-second traffic between inner ear, skin sensors, and sight that lets the self drift. 



Others wonder whether the heart’s slowdown during OBEs could teach new ways to manage panic attacks or chronic pain.



For now, the lesson is plain: when the mind steps outside, it may be staging a clever retreat, buying time until life feels safe again. 



Listening to the story behind that retreat might help bring both mind and body back into easy conversation.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0191886925002545" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Personality and Individual Differences</a>.



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When the mind leaves the body - Scientists investigate the incredible phenomenon of OBEs

Most people go through life feeling glued to their skin....

In science fiction movies like Frankenstein and Re-Animator, human bodies are revived, existing in a strange state between life and death. While this may seem like pure fantasy, a recent study suggests that a “third state” of existence might actually be present in modern biology.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, this third state occurs when the cells of a dead organism continue to function after its death, sometimes gaining new capabilities they never had while the organism was alive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-third-state-beyond-traditional-boundaries-nbsp">"Third state" beyond traditional boundaries&nbsp;</h2>



Amazingly, if further experiments on cells from dead animals -- including humans -- prove this ability, it could even challenge the definition of legal death.&nbsp;



The study, published in the journal <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/physiol.00004.2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physiology</a>, was led by Professor Peter Noble from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington in Seattle</a> and Alex Pozhitkov from the <a href="https://www.cityofhope.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City of Hope National Medical Center</a> in Duarte, California.



“Life and death are traditionally viewed as opposites,” the researchers wrote in an article for The Conversation. 



“But the emergence of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-snowball-earth-conditions-drove-evolution-complex-multicellular-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multicellular life-forms</a> from the cells of a dead organism introduces a 'third state' that lies beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-come-alive-after-death">Cells come alive after death</h2>



In this third state, certain cells -- when given nutrients, oxygen, bioelectricity, or biochemical signals -- have the capacity to transform into new multicellular organisms, exhibiting new functions even after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-near-death-experiences-validated-by-new-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">death</a>.



The researchers reviewed recent studies showing the incredible capability of cells to reorganize and take on new forms after the death of the organism.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-cells-become-xenobots-nbsp">Skin cells become xenobots&nbsp;</h2>



In 2021, U.S. scientists found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-bioprinted-fully-functional-human-skin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skin cells</a> from dead frogs could adapt to a lab environment and spontaneously form multicellular organisms -- actual living machines called “xenobots.”&nbsp;



While most machines are constructed from materials like steel and plastic, which can degrade or break over time and have harmful side effects, living systems made from self-renewing and biocompatible materials would avoid those negative consequences.



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-can-design-and-build-walking-robots-in-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">xenobots</a> displayed behaviors far beyond their original biological purpose, using hair-like structures called cilia to move through their surroundings.



They also proved adept at material collection, information recording, self-healing, and limited replication.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lung-cells-become-anthrobots-nbsp">Lung cells become anthrobots&nbsp;</h2>



Similarly, other researchers discovered that human lung cells could self-organize into tiny multicellular organisms known as “anthrobots.”&nbsp;



Anthrobots range in size from the width of a human hair to the tip of a sharpened pencil. Remarkably, these multicellular robots are designed to self-assemble and have demonstrated a pronounced healing effect on other cells.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anthrobots-scientists-create-tiny-biological-robots-from-human-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">These anthrobots</a> could not only move independently but also repair themselves and heal damaged nerve cells nearby.



They have shown capabilities surpassing those of the xenobots, addressing critical questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-proteins-can-record-cellular-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cellular assembly</a>&nbsp;and cooperation in the body, and the potential for cells to be reassembled into different structures for varied functions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-functioning-in-the-third-state">Cells functioning in the third state</h2>



The experts point to these examples as evidence of new cellular functions that don’t exist during life, illustrating cellular changes in unexpected ways.&nbsp;



However, how exactly these cells function in the third state after an organism dies remains a mystery. 



One possible explanation, reminiscent of Frankenstein-style ideas, involves a hidden system of “electrical circuits” that reanimate the cells.



These channels and pumps may generate electrical signals that allow cells to communicate and perform specific functions like growth and movement, shaping the structure of the new organism they form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-that-influence-the-third-state-nbsp">Factors that influence the third state&nbsp;</h2>



Whether cells can enter this third state depends on several factors, including environmental conditions such as temperature and energy availability. 



Access to fuel and the ability to metabolize that energy also play a crucial role in whether cells can survive and continue functioning postmortem.



Other variables, like the organism’s age, health, sex, and species type, also influence whether cells can enter the third state. 



The research team suggests that these factors “shape the postmortem landscape” -- determining whether or not cells can persist in this unique state.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexplored-frontiers-in-biology">Unexplored frontiers in biology</h2>



The research opens up “unexplored frontiers” in biology that could one day bring animal cells, and potentially human cells, into this third state.&nbsp;



However, whether this future will resemble something out of Re-Animator, where reanimated tissue leads to catastrophic consequences, remains to be seen. 



In the 1980s cult film, a medical student discovers how to bring human tissue back to life, with dire and violent results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possibilities-for-innovative-treatments-nbsp">Possibilities for innovative treatments&nbsp;</h2>



This third state not only sheds light on the remarkable adaptability of cells, but also opens up possibilities for innovative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-regulation-controlling-cells-to-improve-medical-treatments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatments</a>.



For instance, anthrobots could be created from a person’s own living tissue to deliver medication without triggering an immune response.



Each Anthrobot starts as a single cell from an adult donor’s trachea, equipped with cilia that facilitate movement. 



Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.njit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIJT</a>) developed conditions to maximize this motility, observing various shapes and movement types, marking a significant feature of this biorobotics platform.



These engineered anthrobots, when introduced into the body, could dissolve arterial plaque in patients with atherosclerosis or help clear excess mucus in those with cystic fibrosis.



They are biodegradable and safe, with a limited lifespan and strictly laboratory-bound existence, eliminating concerns of external exposure or uncontrolled proliferation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-transformative-potential-of-the-third-state">Transformative potential of the third state</h2>



Notably, these multicellular organisms have a limited life span, breaking down naturally after four to six weeks. This built-in “kill switch” prevents the risk of potentially harmful cell growth.



“This research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into life's physiological limits, paralleling inquiries in embryogenesis,” the authors concluded.&nbsp;



To sum it all up, gaining a deeper understanding of how certain cells can continue functioning and transform into multicellular organisms after an organism’s death, the "third state," holds great potential for advancing both personalized and preventive medicine. 



Stay tuned...this field of biology is getting very interesting, indeed.



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"Third state" of existence between life and death confirmed by scientists

In science fiction movies like Frankenstein and Re-Animator, human bodies...

Astronomers have recently captured a rare and remarkable image of a giant exoplanet in an unusually tilted planetary system just 60 light-years away.



Using NASA’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-may-reveal-how-fast-the-universe-is-expanding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, researchers have directly observed 14 Herculis c - one of the coldest planets ever imaged. This observation offers new insights into the evolution and behavior of planets in systems unlike our own.



The findings mark a significant leap forward in our ability to detect and study cold, older exoplanets thanks to Webb’s infrared sensitivity and imaging tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-14-herculis-c-comes-into-focus">'14 Herculis c' comes into focus</h2>



Only a small number of the nearly 6,000 known exoplanets have been directly imaged. Most of those tend to be blazing hot - often hundreds or even thousands of degrees Fahrenheit.



By contrast, 14 Herculis c is strikingly cold, with a temperature around 26 degrees Fahrenheit (or -3 degrees Celsius). The planet is also massive, estimated to weigh about seven times more than Jupiter.



William Balmer is co-first author of the new paper and a graduate student at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a>.



“The colder an exoplanet, the harder it is to image, so this is a totally new regime of study that Webb has unlocked with its extreme sensitivity in the infrared,” he said.



“We are now able to add to the catalog of not just hot, young exoplanets imaged, but older exoplanets that are far colder than we’ve directly seen before Webb.”



Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captured the faint glow of 14 Herculis c, a planet orbiting a star much like our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/widest-high-resolution-photo-of-the-sun-ever-captured-solar-orbiter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sun</a>.



The central star, 14 Herculis, is slightly smaller and cooler than the Sun but otherwise quite similar. The system’s outer planet now offers a vivid window into planetary physics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planetary-system-in-disarray">Planetary system in disarray</h2>



What makes this system even more fascinating is its unusual orbital layout. The two known planets, 14 Herculis b and 14 Herculis c, do not orbit in the same flat plane like the planets in our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiral-structure-discovered-at-the-edge-of-our-solar-system-oort-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a>.



Instead, their orbits are inclined about 40 degrees to each other, forming a tilted, crisscrossing dynamic around the star.



This extreme misalignment is the first of its kind ever seen in a directly imaged planetary system. The result is a gravitational tug-of-war as the two massive planets pull at each other while circling the star.



“The early evolution of our own solar system was dominated by the movement and pull of our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jupiters-past-how-the-young-gas-giant-shaped-our-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gas giants</a>,” Balmer said.



“They threw around <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-that-once-threatened-earth-may-target-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroids</a> and rearranged other planets. Here, we are seeing the aftermath of a more violent planetary crime scene. It reminds us that something similar could have happened to our own solar system. The outcomes for small planets like Earth are often dictated by much larger forces.”



One theory suggests that an early collision ejected a third planet, leaving the remaining two in skewed orbits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-reveals-14-herculis-c-s-orbit">Webb reveals 14 Herculis c's orbit</h2>



Webb’s image does more than show a planet - it also reveals hints about its atmosphere and orbit. 



14 Herculis c orbits its star at a distance of about 1.4 billion miles, placing it between Saturn and Uranus in terms of location if it were in our solar system.



The planet’s orbit is highly elliptical - like a football - and closer to the star than earlier estimates suggested.



The researchers measured the planet’s brightness at a specific infrared wavelength - 4.4 microns - using Webb’s coronagraph. 



Combined with known data about the planet’s mass and the system’s age, the team expected the planet to be brighter at that wavelength - but it wasn’t.



“If a planet of a certain mass formed 4 billion years ago, then cooled over time because it doesn't have a source of energy keeping it warm, we can predict how hot it should be today,” said Daniella C. Bardalez Gagliuffi of <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amherst College</a>, co-first author of the paper with Balmer.



“Added information, like the perceived brightness in direct imaging, would in theory support this estimate of the planet’s temperature.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-clues-in-a-cold-atmosphere">Carbon clues in a cold atmosphere</h2>



But 14 Herculis c turned out to be dimmer than expected. Researchers argue that a process known as carbon disequilibrium chemistry - often observed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brown-dwarfs-detected-outside-the-milky-way-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brown dwarfs</a> - is the likely reason.



In these very cold atmospheres, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide show up in places where methane should dominate. 



The likely cause is rapid mixing that pushes warm molecules from deep within the planet into colder upper regions.



“This exoplanet is so cold, the best comparisons we have that are well-studied are the coldest brown dwarfs,” Bardalez Gagliuffi explained.



“In those objects we see carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide existing at temperatures where we should see methane.”



“This is explained by churning in the atmosphere. Molecules made at warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere are brought to the cold, upper atmosphere very quickly.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beginning-of-a-new-chapter">Beginning of a new chapter</h2>



Researchers hope that this early look at 14 Herculis c is just the beginning. 



Webb's tiny light holds data, but future spectroscopic observations will reveal even more. They could give scientists a much clearer picture of the planet’s atmospheric makeup.



That, in turn, could help explain not just how this strange system formed, but how planetary systems evolve when governed by giant forces and chaotic events.



By pushing the boundaries of what we can see, Webb has once again opened a door - to a cold and tilted world far from Earth, where the rules of planet-making seem just a little different.



The research was presented at the <a href="https://aas.org/meetings/aas246" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society</a> in Anchorage, Alaska.



The study has been accepted for publication in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2041-8205">The Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.



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Webb Telescope reveals a chaotic, cold, and strange exoplanet

Astronomers have recently captured a rare and remarkable image of...

A soft, stretchable contact lens can now track eye pressure and movement, even when the eyelids are shut. It sends high-resolution, real-time data to a phone without blurring vision or causing discomfort.



The twin measurements - intraocular pressure and subtle shifts in gaze - are vital for catching problems like glaucoma before damage occurs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-smart-contact-lens-works">How the smart contact lens works</h2>



Created by engineers at the <a href="https://en.uestc.edu.cn/">University of Electronic Science and Technology of China</a> and tested in rabbits and people, the lens merges capacitive and magnetic sensors inside a five-layer film.



Serpentine copper wires register pressure changes as small as one millimeter of mercury (mmHg). A wafer-thin, neodymium-doped band answers the pressure coils with a magnetic pulse that reveals eye movement.



Both signals reach an exterior receiver the size of ordinary specs and then hop wirelessly to any Bluetooth-ready device.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-eye-pressure-matters-overnight"><a></a>Why eye pressure matters overnight</h2>



Glaucoma steals sight by slowly eroding the optic nerve. The damage often begins with pressure spikes that emerge after lights-out, when standard tonometers cannot operate.



Excess pressure is not the whole story: rapid eye movement sweeps and irregular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gaze-and-intention-the-unspoken-language-of-survival/">gaze</a> fixes also correlate with disease risk.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smart-contact-lens_stretchable-BCL_credit-Micro-Nano-Journal_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smart-contact-lens_stretchable-BCL_credit-Micro-Nano-Journal_1s.webp" alt="Design and working principle of the BCL. (i) Schematic diagram of BCL-based closed-eye capacitive intraocular pressure (CIOP) and magnetic eye movement (MEM) monitoring. (ii) Key components of the BCL. (iii) Optical images depicting the BCL in initial, stretched, and twisted states, and the experimental setup worn on an eyeball. (iv) Wireless transmission of CIOP and MEM signals to portable devices. b Three-dimensional image illustrating the thickness of various BCL components. c Height profile along the pink line in (b), displaying the height of multilayer components. d Finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results of the BCL under a series of pressing heights, with corresponding experimental height results. e Biocompatibility Characterization of the BCL. Credit: Microsystems &amp; Nanoengineering" class="wp-image-1973876"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Design and working principle of the BCL. (i) Schematic diagram of BCL-based closed-eye capacitive intraocular pressure (CIOP) and magnetic eye movement (MEM) monitoring. (ii) Key components of the BCL. (iii) Optical images depicting the BCL in initial, stretched, and twisted states, and the experimental setup worn on an eyeball. (iv) Wireless transmission of CIOP and MEM signals to portable devices. b Three-dimensional image illustrating the thickness of various BCL components. c Height profile along the pink line in (b), displaying the height of multilayer components. d Finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results of the BCL under a series of pressing heights, with corresponding experimental height results. e Biocompatibility Characterization of the BCL. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Microsystems &amp; Nanoengineering</figcaption></figure>



Until now, no wearable system captured both cues while the eyes stayed closed. The new lens does, offering a missing night-time readout that could sharpen diagnosis and tailor drug timing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineering-the-smart-contact-lens">Engineering the smart contact lens</h2>



The device builds its sensing core on a transparent elastomer shaped like a standard hydrogel lens. Five nested sheets keep the profile thinner than the edge of a credit card.



The outer face hosts the copper coil, tuned to deform with corneal bulges caused by pressure shifts. A middle layer embeds stretchable conductors leading to a micro-scale circuit. 



Beneath that lies the magnetic film, followed by a comfort cushion that rests on the eye. A final, oxygen-permeable coating seals the stack and preserves clarity.



Tests on rabbit eyes showed the lens surviving thousands of blinks and pressure cycles without delamination. Human volunteers wore it for two hours under continuous monitoring and reported no burning, redness, or blur.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-continuous-data-and-instant-feedback">Continuous data and instant feedback</h2>



A glasses-mounted Tesla meter reads the magnetic changes from the lens with more than 97 percent accuracy, translating those variations into horizontal, vertical, and rotational eye motion.



At the same time, the coil’s resonance shift reveals pressure. A companion phone app plots both streams in real time and stores them for later review. 



Clinicians can compare overnight peaks to daily baseline values, flagging patterns that merit therapy adjustments.



“This technology bridges a long-standing gap in ophthalmic care,” noted Dr. Guang Yao, co-lead author of the study.



“The ability to monitor both intraocular pressure and eye movement continuously - even when the eyes are closed - offers a more complete picture of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-helps-prevent-cataracts-and-maintain-eye-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eye health</a>.”



“It enables early intervention and more accurate tracking of disease progression, particularly for glaucoma patients. And because it's wireless and wearable, it can be used comfortably at home, not just in clinics.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-early-warning-signs">Detecting early warning signs</h2>



Eye movement data hint at disorders far outside ophthalmology. Irregular REM cycles mark sleep apnea and some mood conditions. Tremor-like micro-saccades can foreshadow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-increases-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parkinson’s disease</a>.



By delivering a clean, night-long trace, the smart contact lens could help neurologists map early warning signs without bulky lab gear. It may also aid attention studies, tracking gaze stability during prolonged tasks.



The research team foresees layering a drug-reservoir ring onto the current design. In such a closed-loop lens, a pressure spike could trigger a micro-valve to release medication directly onto the cornea.



Add a thin glucose sensor, and the system might warn diabetics of rising blood sugar while dosing their eyes as needed. 



Modular fabrication means each medical discipline could swap in its own sensing film without reinventing the core electronics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smart-contact-lens-monitors-vision-health">Smart contact lens monitors vision health</h2>



Biocompatibility assays showed no toxic leachates or immune response over a week-long animal trial. Vision tests confirmed that the lens preserved contrast and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-retinal-cells-explain-complex-color-perception/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">color perception</a>.



The next hurdles are mass production and regulatory review, both eased by the fact that the base materials already appear in commercial lenses and wearable electronics. As costs drop, the device could reach pharmacies as a prescription add-on rather than a hospital-only tool.



Until now, monitoring eye health meant using slit-lamp exams or wearing daytime-only sensors - not a lens that worked around the clock.



The stretchable bimodal contact lens rewrites that rulebook, letting vision care continue after the lights go out. 



By catching nocturnal pressure surges and mapping every flicker of motion, it gives doctors a fuller, round-the-clock picture of the organ they struggle hardest to observe.



For millions at risk of silent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ai-could-protect-millions-of-people-from-vision-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vision loss</a>, a routine morning sync with their phone could soon replace guesswork with precise, night-laden data - and turn sleep into an ally in safeguarding sight.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41378-025-00946-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Smart contact lens keeps an eye on your health, night and day

A soft, stretchable contact lens can now track eye pressure...

Dogs aren’t just companions who brighten our daily routines. They may also be key players in monitoring how Valley fever moves through certain regions in the United States.



This disease, also called coccidioidomycosis, involves inhaling fungal spores found in dry soil conditions. 



<a href="http://vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/jane-sykes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jane Sykes</a>, lead author of a recent <a href="https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Davis</a> study, worked with her team to see how information from dog infections could apply to humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-valley-fever">Understanding Valley fever</h2>



When disturbed by wind, construction, or agricultural activity, the spores of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/coccidioides-immitis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coccidioides immitis</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/coccidioides-posadasii" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coccidioides posadasii</a> can ride on dust particles and travel into the lungs.



Some pets like to dig into dirt, creating an ideal chance to breathe in fungal particles. These Valley fever spores thrive in the Western parts of the country, often in places with specific soil moisture levels.



Though many people who are exposed may not experience symptoms, those who do often report flu-like illness, including fatigue, cough, fever, chest pain, and muscle aches.



In some cases, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems, Valley fever can become severe, spreading from the lungs to other parts of the body such as the skin, bones, joints, or even the brain, where it may cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harmful-microbes-persist-on-hospital-surfaces-after-disinfection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meningitis</a>. 



Diagnosis is typically confirmed through blood tests or imaging, and while mild cases often resolve without treatment, antifungal medications like fluconazole are prescribed for moderate to severe infections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unusual-canine-clues">Unusual canine clues</h2>



The researchers discovered patterns by checking large collections of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lost-in-translation-how-we-misread-our-dogs-emotions/">dog</a> blood tests. 



They found that most positive results are linked to certain states with known contamination zones, but they also noticed smaller clusters appearing in locations not typically flagged for this infection.



“Dogs are sentinels for human infections,” said Jane Sykes. 



Her team collected blood test data in different areas to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/valley-fever/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">identify rising trends</a> and potential health concerns for people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-puts-dogs-at-risk">What puts dogs at risk</h2>



Some vets <a href="https://vfce.arizona.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">note</a> that certain breeds may be more prone to lung ailments, but any fungus exposure can be an issue. 



This might involve dusty backyards, fields, or construction sites, where spores in the soil can become airborne.



In regions with droughts or strong winds, soil dryness allows fungal particles to swirl into the air. Intense rainfall can also boost <a href="https://today.ucsd.edu/story/dangerous-airborne-fungus-boosted-by-california-droughts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fungal growth</a>, which further contributes to sporadic spikes in infection.



Researchers see these canine cases as indicators for possible spread in the broader population. Common symptoms in people include fatigue, cough, and sometimes sore joints.



Health agencies note that valley fever can become serious for those with weakened immune systems. Because dogs are tested more readily in certain regions, their results may warn us before human cases spike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-valley-fever-in-new-zones">Mapping valley fever in new zones</h2>



Scientists have spotted positive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uncovering-the-truth-the-reality-behind-canine-dna-testing/">canine</a> cases outside historically recognized areas. Jane Sykes explained that pockets of infection can appear in nearby states that might be overlooked.



“We should be closely watching those states because there could be under-recognition,” she said. This under-recognition means some doctors in these regions may not be aware of the disease and could miss early signs in humans.



Decades of shifting <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate patterns</a> have altered soil conditions. Over 130 places in the United States have recorded heavier bursts of rain in recent years, raising concerns about potential fungal growth when storms finally soak the land.



As new weather extremes develop, the fungus might have more opportunities to spread. Researchers keep emphasizing how environmental changes can shift the boundaries of diseases, leading to surprises in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-virus-can-remain-in-sperm-months-after-infection/">infection</a> data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-yourself-and-your-pet">Protecting yourself and your pet</h2>



Many dog owners wonder if this infection is preventable. Avoiding areas with visible dust clouds is one measure, though it can be tough when your pet loves running outdoors.



Some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30690600/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vets</a> provide guidance on ways to limit exposure if your area is known for this fungus. 



Though these spores are hard to avoid entirely, regular checkups and early tests may help pets and owners stay aware of new health risks.



Veterinarians who live in spots with many valley fever cases watch for respiratory problems in dogs. A sudden cough or limp can signal hidden issues, prompting tests that reveal infection.



If caught early, there are antifungal treatments that can relieve symptoms. The goal is to manage lung damage and reduce further spread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-valley-fever-and-the-future">Dogs, valley fever, and the future</h2>



Researchers who track these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-infection-equips-the-body-to-fight-off-the-flu/">infections</a> see a bigger picture beyond local hotspots. They hope more states will gather accurate data so public health teams can warn residents who may be at risk.



Better knowledge about where the spores hide allows for timely alerts. Clear communication between veterinarians and medical professionals could help limit the toll on both animals and people.



Trends linked to heavy rain, population growth, and soil changes highlight the complexity of valley fever. Officials suggest that improved teaching for doctors could keep illness from going unnoticed.



Dogs may help identify emerging dangers because their health data can fill the gaps where human data are patchy. Scientists remain hopeful that continued studies will keep the public informed about this evolving fungal risk.



The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/231/5/e986/8108831?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Infectious Diseases</a>.



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Scientists discover that dogs can alert humans to this quickly-spreading disease

Dogs aren’t just companions who brighten our daily routines. They...

Among tens of thousands of ant species, many show complex behaviors like agriculture and tool use. Longhorn crazy ants add a new twist to that story. Their brains are minuscule, but they manage coordinated, goal-oriented actions. 



A recent study shows that these ants can clear obstacles from a path before a food load even arrives. This action seems to require planning, yet it emerges without any <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-you-give-caffeine-to-ants-many-interesting-things-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ant</a> holding a clear mental map.



Dr. Ehud Fonio, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weizmann Institute of Science</a>, is the lead author of the study.



“Here we show for the first time that workers of the longhorn crazy ant can clear obstacles from a path before they become a problem - anticipating where a large food item will need to go and preparing the way in advance," said Dr. Fonio.



"This is the first documented case of ants showing such forward-looking behavior during cooperative transport."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ants-plan-ahead-for-obstacles">Ants plan ahead for obstacles </h2>



The team made their discovery during fieldwork at the Weizmann Institute. Ants were seen removing pebbles before a food-carrying group arrived. This suggested some form of anticipation.



“When we first saw <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-many-ants-live-on-earth-at-any-point-in-time-total-number-is-astounding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ants</a> clearing small obstacles ahead of the moving load we were in awe. It appeared as if these tiny creatures understand the difficulties that lie ahead and try to help their friends in advance,” said Dr. Ofer Feinerman, co-author of the study.



This chance observation led to a large-scale experiment involving 83 trials. The team replaced pebbles with plastic beads and placed cat food as bait. 



Ants cleared beads that blocked the path between food and nest, but only when the food was intact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crazy-ants-clear-the-way-for-big-food">Crazy ants clear the way for big food</h2>



The ants cleared beads mainly when a single large pellet was present. With crumbs, they rarely cleared anything. This shows context sensitivity. Bead clearing happened only when it helped the group.



Ants transported the beads short distances, around 50 millimeters. They placed them away from the nest-food corridor. This effort reduced the food transport time by up to 15 times.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/longhorn-crazy-ants_carrying-bead_credit-Alessandro-Crespi_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/longhorn-crazy-ants_carrying-bead_credit-Alessandro-Crespi_1s.webp" alt="Worker of longhorn crazy ant clearing a bead. Credit: Alessandro Crespi" class="wp-image-1973861"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Worker of longhorn crazy ant clearing a bead. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Alessandro Crespi</figcaption></figure>



When large pellets were pinned down and could not be moved, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-ants-have-found-a-new-way-to-spread-across-the-globe-on-cars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ants</a> still cleared obstacles. But they ignored beads completely when no food or only crumbs were present.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ants-respond-to-scent-not-sight">Ants respond to scent, not sight</h2>



The study’s most surprising finding was that ants began clearing without even seeing or touching the food. The trigger? Fresh pheromone markings left by recruiters.



Even without food, these chemical signals caused some ants to start clearing beads. Of 155 observed ant-bead interactions, 97.2 percent were preceded by a nearby scent mark.



Direct contact with food was not necessary. Just encountering a pheromone trail within a 20 mm radius of a bead triggered clearing. This suggests that the behavior is socially driven, not based on internal plans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-collective-intelligence-of-ant-colonies">Collective intelligence of ant colonies</h2>



The experts discovered that crazy ants use a decentralized form of cognition. Instead of individual planning, their colony acts like a brain. 



Each ant is a unit responding to chemical cues. Together, they clear obstacles as if they understand the goal.



“Taken together, these results imply that our initial impression was wrong: in reality, individual workers don’t understand the situation at all. This intelligent behavior happens at the level of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paleontologists-found-the-oldest-ant-species-on-earth-113-million-years-old-with-scythe-like-jaws/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">colony</a>, not the individual," explained study co-author Dr. Danielle Mersch.



"Each ant follows simple cues - like fresh scent marks left by others - without needing to understand the bigger picture, yet together they create a smart, goal-directed outcome."



“We find this to be even more awe-inspiring than our initial guess,” said Feinerman.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-rules-for-complex-behavior">Simple rules for complex behavior </h2>



Interestingly, some ants cleared multiple beads in sequence. One ant removed 64 beads. These "serial clearers" often focused on the same sector around the food, repeatedly working in the same direction.



Some switched sectors but returned to old ones. This pattern hints at possible short-term memory or chemical trail-following. Researchers suggest these ants could be following pheromone gradients repeatedly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/longhorn-crazy-ants_intelligence_swarm_credit-E-Fonio_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/longhorn-crazy-ants_intelligence_swarm_credit-E-Fonio_1s.webp" alt="Examples of experimental set-up and close-up of collective transport of prey and of obstacle-clearing behavior. Credit: E Fonio, D Mersch, O Feinerman" class="wp-image-1973864"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Examples of experimental set-up and close-up of collective transport of prey and of obstacle-clearing behavior. Click image to enlarge. Credit: E Fonio, D Mersch, O Feinerman</figcaption></figure>



The research shows how complex behavior emerges from simple rules. It also highlights the power of external memory. Pheromone trails serve as shared information banks etched into the environment.



In this system, memory and action are collective. No single ant plans ahead. Yet their joint behavior gives the illusion of foresight. This mirrors how neurons form intelligent thought in the human brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-ant-intelligence">Significance of ant intelligence </h2>



This work changes how we think about planning in nature. It shows that meaningful coordination does not require conscious intent. 



In ants, intelligent-seeming food-related outcomes arise from distributed actions and shared cues. These findings deepen our understanding of swarm behavior. 



The study also suggests new directions for robotics, where machines could collaborate without central control by using simple signals.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1533372/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience</a>.



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Swarm intelligence: Ants can anticipate obstacles and plan ahead

Among tens of thousands of ant species, many show complex...

Scoops of lunar soil still surprise half a century after Apollo 17. The latest astonishment comes from specks of glass "moon beads" that sparkle like confetti under laboratory lights. 



Each bead measures under a millimeter and erupted 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago, yet it keeps the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-that-once-threatened-earth-may-target-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon</a>’s volcanic diaries locked inside.



The team behind the new analysis includes Thomas Williams, Stephen Parman, Alberto Saal, and Ryan Ogliore of <a href="https://washu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University in St. Louis</a> and <a href="https://www.brown.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiery-eruptions-left-moon-beads-behind">Fiery eruptions left moon beads behind</h2>



Molten basalt once blasted into vacuum, froze mid flight, and rained back as droplets now known as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/petrology/article/65/4/egae026/7622998" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pyroclastic glass beads</a>. 



These eruptions behaved like the fiery fountains seen today on Kīlauea, launching material dozens of miles high.



Because no atmosphere cushioned the spray, the droplets cooled instantly and recorded chemical signals from deep lunar magma. That process turned them into perfect time capsules for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-ridges-on-moons-surface-suggest-that-it-is-still-active/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planetary</a> scientists.



Astronauts found the first orange deposit at <a href="https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1990lgvp.work...56S" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shorty Crater</a> in 1972 and packed pounds of the vivid soil for study. 



Those bright colors hinted at titanium rich magmas that differ from the darker green beads sampled elsewhere on the Moon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-beads-hold-gas-and-water">Moon beads hold gas and water</h2>



Researchers prize the beads because they trap internal gases that never leaked to space. Melt inclusions inside similar beads carry 615 to 1,410 parts per million <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21617039/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a>, rivaling Earth’s upper mantle.



That unexpected moisture rewrote textbooks that once labeled the Moon bone dry. It also raised questions about how much volatile material escaped during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/total-lunar-eclipse-will-paint-the-moon-blood-red-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon</a> forming impact.



The new study focuses less on what sits inside each bead and more on what clings to the outside. There, nanoscale minerals reveal the chemistry of eruption clouds that once roared above the surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-tools-reveal-fine-details">New tools reveal fine details</h2>



Ogliore’s lab used a <a href="https://snsf.stanford.edu/facilities/xsa/nanosims" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NanoSIMS instrument</a> that bombards samples with ions and counts the fragments one atom at a time. 



Complementary microscopes and an <a href="https://www.cameca.com/products/apt/technique" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atom probe tomography system</a> in partner institutions filled out the picture.



Earlier Apollo <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20070025090" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> listed the beads’ colors but could not inspect coatings thinner than a red blood cell. Today’s gear slices those coatings like digital deli meat, mapping every element.



“We’ve had these samples for 50 years, but we now have the technology to fully understand them,” said Ogliore.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-bead-coatings-show-eruption-clues">Moon bead coatings show eruption clues</h2>



The shine comes from mounds of zinc sulfide just billionths of an inch high. In mineral form that compound is called sphalerite, the chief ore of zinc on Earth. 



Each mound starts rich in iron where it touches the glass, then grades to purer zinc toward the top. That gradient suggests eruption clouds cooled and thinned as the beads rode outward.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/moon_sparkling-volcanic-glass-beads_credit-Icarus_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/moon_sparkling-volcanic-glass-beads_credit-Icarus_1s.webp" alt="Schematic diagram of a lunar lava fountaining volcanic eruption. Two glass bead trajectories through the volcanic gas cloud are illustrated with the arrowed lines (one lofted, one shallow). Three stages of bead evolution are depicted: 1) outgassing, 2) ingassing, 3) desublimation/condensation. Beads on different trajectories will encounter different conditions during stage 3 along different path lengths. Credit: Icarus" class="wp-image-1973856"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic diagram of a lunar lava fountaining volcanic eruption. Two glass bead trajectories through the volcanic gas cloud are illustrated with the arrowed lines (one lofted, one shallow). Three stages of bead evolution are depicted: 1) outgassing, 2) ingassing, 3) desublimation/condensation. Beads on different trajectories will encounter different conditions during stage 3 along different path lengths. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Icarus</figcaption></figure>



Coatings on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dry-side-of-the-moon-reveals-new-details-about-its-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> beads elsewhere carry sodium chloride, gallium, or fluorine, supporting the idea that fire fountain gases were packed with volatile metals. 



Those films are just a few hundred atoms thick, yet they store clues about pressure, temperature, and gas composition with a fidelity unmatched by larger rocks. They also explain why small beads can sparkle against a dusty gray landscape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-moon-beads-guide-future-missions">How moon beads guide future missions</h2>



Knowing how volatiles behaved in ancient eruptions helps refine models of lunar resource distribution. Future astronauts looking for sulfur or zinc deposits might follow pathways mapped by these tiny mounds.



The coatings also record sulfur isotope shifts that trace gas flow, information that can calibrate seismic and orbital data about past volcanic vents. 



Such cross checks are vital as NASA targets Artemis <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-provides-update-on-artemis-iii-moon-landing-regions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">landing zones</a> near similar pyroclastic plains.



These glass beads reveal that the Moon’s volcanic past was more dynamic than previously assumed. Rather than being geologically quiet, ancient eruptions threw material high into space, cooled it instantly, and preserved complex gas chemistry.



By identifying specific minerals on the bead surfaces, scientists can now trace how gas pressures dropped and compositions shifted within seconds. That kind of resolution reshapes how we think about volcanic eruptions in a vacuum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



These beads do more than tell us about the Moon, they offer a glimpse into how volcanic processes might look on other airless worlds. 



Planets and moons without atmospheres, like Mercury or some asteroids, may also host surface materials with preserved eruption signatures if similar pyroclastic activity occurred.



Studying these processes in lunar samples gives researchers a benchmark for interpreting future samples from other missions, such as Mars’ moons or even returned asteroid regolith. 



This broader view helps scientists compare geologic histories across the solar system and refine our understanding of how planetary bodies lose or retain volatiles.



Williams and colleagues now want to compare orange, green, and black beads across core samples to watch eruption styles evolve over minutes. 



They will also hunt for any beads that show metallic zinc rather than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/zincblende" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sphalerite</a>, a sign of even lower eruption pressures.



The Moon still keeps many secrets, but its glittering beads talk louder each time a new tool listens. Continued cooperation between microscopists and mission planners promises to turn more of that lunar whisper into a readable history.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001910352500154X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Icarus</a>.



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Moon volcanoes left sparkling clues behind in the form of tiny glass beads

Scoops of lunar soil still surprise half a century after...

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an arena faster than anything else. The sight of skaters hurtling across the ice excites viewers, but deeper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> activity may be flickering beneath the surface of a fan’s mind.



Fans come from all walks of life. Some passively watch the puck glide around, while others hang on every shift, penalty, and shot attempt as if the future of the universe depends on the next goal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-of-hockey-fans-during-a-game">Brains of hockey fans during a game</h2>



In a recent study by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a>, researchers used a tool known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to see if certain people’s brains respond differently during key points in a game. 



<a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/recreation-and-leisure-studies/people-profiles/luke-potwarka" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Luke Potwarka</a>, associate professor at the University of Waterloo, led this project and took a keen interest in moments that even casual observers might shrug off. 



“We found that for fans who really love the sport, these face-offs were moments of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental</a> engagement,” said Dr. Potwarka. 



These were the moments when fans weren’t just watching, they were mentally preparing, anticipating, and evaluating what might come next.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-hockey-moments-activate-the-brain">Key hockey moments activate the brain</h2>



Face-offs happen countless times in any hockey match. They reset play and give teams a chance to gain control of the puck in strategic areas.



Serious fans often lean forward at that moment. They know a face-off close to the opponent’s net can decide momentum, even if it does not produce an immediate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-learn-new-skills-much-faster-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal</a>.



The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/dorsomedial-prefrontal-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dorsal medial prefrontal cortex</a> is one region that can show stronger signals when emotional intensity ramps up. Researchers noticed that fans with higher <a href="https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/an-examination-of-the-relationship-between-leisure-activity-invol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ego involvement</a> showed more activation in that area during offensive face-off moments.



For casual observers, these face-offs seemed more ordinary. They responded strongly to obvious events such as a goal, but their brains did not light up as much for plays setting the stage for potential scores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emotional-attachment-changes-brain-activity">Emotional attachment changes brain activity</h2>



People who identify with a sport often build personal rituals around watching games. They might rearrange plans or wear specific clothing to support their team.



That personal attachment can translate into heightened emotional states when a possible shift in the game’s balance is on the line. Researchers suggest that these insights could help broadcasters tailor content to engage longtime supporters and casual viewers alike.



Fans with strong ego involvement don’t just enjoy hockey, they see it as part of who they are. That identity shapes how they process information, narrowing their focus during key game moments and increasing emotional investment in outcomes.



In the study, individuals who felt most connected to the sport showed heightened activity in both sides of their dorsomedial prefrontal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cortex</a>, especially when offensive face-offs occurred. 



This suggests that identity-linked attention kicks in before anything major happens on the ice, not just after a big play unfolds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-brain-data-from-hockey-fans">Using brain data from hockey fans </h2>



Sports broadcasters could focus on face-offs or other subtle cues with more compelling commentary. That extra detail might capture the attention of viewers who have yet to develop a strong bond with the game.



Production crews might also highlight slow-motion replays of a critical face-off to show tactics and anticipation. This approach could gradually spark interest for newcomers while feeding the excitement of loyal fans.



Hockey is a fast-moving event. Goals and penalties are the high-drama moments that grab headlines. Yet this study shows that smaller details can captivate those who hold hockey close to their hearts.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-casual-fans-might-miss">What casual fans might miss</h2>



The absence of strong neural responses from casual fans during offensive face-offs highlights how much knowledge shapes perception. 



Without a deeper understanding of hockey strategy, these viewers may not recognize the tension and possibilities building in those moments.



This difference matters because it means broadcasters can’t assume every viewer sees the same game. What seems ordinary to one person might feel like a make-or-break moment to someone else, depending on how much of their identity is tied to the sport.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-brain-responses-beyond-hockey">Exploring brain responses beyond hockey</h2>



These findings open up possibilities for researchers who want to see how fans react in other sports. 



Differences in knowledge, loyalty, and emotional ties likely play a role in how viewers respond to game events. Basketball, soccer, and baseball each have distinct moments akin to hockey’s face-offs. 



As scientists continue to refine <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/sep/wearable-brain-imaging-device-shines-light-how-babies-respond-real-world-situations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wearable brain-imaging devices</a>, they may reveal new ways to understand the bond between spectators and the sports they love.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-96895-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Loyal hockey fans show higher brain activity during matches

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an...

School,,Education,And,Laziness,Concept,-,Tired,Teenage,Student,Girl

Late nights are a badge of honor in many high‑school hallways, yet the cost often hides in plain sight. When classes, homework, and screens shave hours off nightly rest, stress hormones rise and moods wobble. 



A new investigation of nearly two thousand middle‑schoolers marks out a simple guardrail: sleep in a little on weekend mornings, but stop well before lunchtime.



After tracking wrist‑device data and mental‑health scores, the team observed the best outlook in teens who added under two extra hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shut‑eye</a> on Saturdays and Sundays.



<a href="https://cas.uoregon.edu/directory/natural-sciences/all/sojeongk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sojeong Kim</a> of the University of Oregon, presenting the findings today at the SLEEP 2025 meeting in Seattle, led the study with colleagues from the <a href="https://abcdstudy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development project</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-teens-don-t-sleep-enough">Most teens don’t sleep enough</h2>



Only <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/dstr-dietary-physicalactivity-sleepbehavior2013-2023-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23 percent</a> of U.S. high‑school students log at least eight hours on a school night, federal surveyors reported last year. Sparse rest shows up as poorer attention, slower memory consolidation, and heavier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional swings</a>.



The <a href="https://aasm.org/advocacy/position-statements/teen-sleep-duration-health-advisory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Academy of Sleep Medicine</a> advises 13‑ to 18‑year‑olds to bank eight to ten hours each night for steady growth and learning. 



Yet biology pushes adolescents to prefer late bedtimes, while early bells drag them out of bed before their <a href="https://nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circadian rhythm</a> finishes its natural cycle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teens-naturally-sleep-and-wake-up-late">Teens naturally sleep and wake up late</h2>



Teenagers experience a biological delay in their circadian rhythm, meaning they naturally fall asleep and wake up later than younger children or adults. 



This shift is caused by changes in <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/melatonin-for-sleep-does-it-work" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melatonin</a> production during puberty, which pushes the body's internal clock back by one to two hours.



Because school start times don’t align with this shift, teens are often forced to wake up while still in their biological night. 



The resulting disconnect between natural sleep patterns and social demands is known as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8707256/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social jetlag</a>, a condition that has been linked to mood disorders and reduced academic performance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weekend-sleep-boost-of-1-2-hours-helps-mood">Weekend sleep boost of 1–2 hours helps mood</h2>



Researchers call the practice of extending weekend sleep <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36612896/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weekend catch‑up sleep</a>. Kim’s group sorted participants into three bands: no catch‑up, one to two hours, and more than two hours.&nbsp;



Those in the middle group scored lowest on internalizing symptoms, a bundle of anxiety and low mood markers, even after the team adjusted for sex, race, and socioeconomic status. 



The results echo a South Korean cohort in which teens adding 60–119 minutes on weekends reported higher well‑being than those who slept in longer.



“The results show that both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-new-mothers-feel-exhausted-despite-getting-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleeping</a> less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms,” explained Kim.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weekend-sleep-tracked-using-fitbits">Weekend sleep tracked using fitbits</h2>



Researchers collected data from 1,877 teens with an average age of 13.5 years. Each participant wore a Fitbit device to objectively measure sleep duration across both weekdays and weekends.



To track mental health, the team used the <a href="https://aseba.org/wp-content/uploads/BPM-Y11-18_511-sample-copy-watermark-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brief Problem Monitor–Youth</a>, a tool that evaluates internalizing symptoms like anxiety and low mood. 



Weekend catch‑up sleep was calculated by subtracting average weekday sleep from weekend totals, then categorizing teens into three groups based on this difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-too-much-rebound-can-backfire">Why too much rebound can backfire</h2>



At first glance, extra hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rest</a> should erase weekday debt. But oversleeping drags the body clock later, making Sunday night shut‑eye harder to achieve and starting a fresh deficit cycle. 



Long morning lie‑ins also trim daylight exposure, one of the easiest cues for resetting melatonin release.



Laboratory work <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11578994/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">links</a> irregular sleep‑wake patterns with higher evening cortisol and amygdala reactivity, biological changes tied to anxious rumination. 



Kim’s data reinforce the idea that stability, not sheer quantity, keeps teenage brains on an even keel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parents-can-support-better-sleep-routines">Parents can support better sleep routines</h2>



A two‑hour allowance is practical: if a teen usually rises at 6:30 a.m., a target of 8:30 a.m. on Saturday lets friends stay up for a movie without wrecking Monday. 



Families can dim house lights an hour before bed, swap late‑night scrolling for music or journaling, and schedule weekend sports or chores mid‑morning so alarms are still needed.



“Many teens try to make up for lost sleep by sleeping in on weekends,” Kim said. Parental buy‑in helps translate that urge into a measured routine rather than an open‑ended Sunday sleep marathon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-school-schedules-still-matter">School schedules still matter</h2>



Household tweaks compete with systemic hurdles. U.S. high schools typically start before 8:00 a.m., yet laboratories show adolescent brains remain in a biological night until about that hour. 



Districts that shifted bells past 8:30 a.m. report stronger attendance and lower crash rates, supporting the idea that policy can lighten the private work parents now shoulder.



Weekend guidelines will not replace nightly sufficiency. The new study found no benefit for teens who grabbed little or no rebound sleep, underscoring that weekday restriction still carried emotional costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-tools-may-guide-weekend-sleep-habits">Better tools may guide weekend sleep habits</h2>



Kim’s team plans longitudinal analyses to test whether moderate weekend recovery predicts future mental‑health resilience. 



Wearable devices give scientists a sharper lens than self‑reports and may soon guide personalized alerts, nudging students to adjust bedtime before mood dips.



Until then, a modest Saturday lie‑in stands out as a simple win: enough to refill the tank, not enough to flood the system.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/48/Supplement_1/A115/8136037" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleep</a>.



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Weekend catch up sleep benefits teens when done right

Late nights are a badge of honor in many high‑school...

Physicists at MIT have spotted a fresh type of magnetism in nickel iodide (NiI₂), a two‑dimensional crystal. It mixes traits of everyday magnets and subtle, hidden ones, yet forms a distinct spiral pattern at the atomic level.



Qian Song, a research scientist at MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory (<a href="https://mrl.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MRL</a>), and his team were the first to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09034-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">identify</a> and manipulate this <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.01607" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">p‑wave magnetism</a> in lab-grown nickel iodide flakes. They showed they could flip the spiral spin pattern using a small electric field.



Scientists have studied <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/ferromagnet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ferromagnets</a>, like fridge magnets and compass needles, where all spins align. 



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/antiferromagnetism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antiferromagnets</a>, on the other hand, have alternating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetic-north-pole-is-moving-faster-than-ever-as-it-races-toward-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spins</a> that cancel out overall. This new state blends both: it has a preferred spin direction yet remains magnetically balanced thanks to its spiral layout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nickel-atoms-form-a-magnetic-spiral">Nickel atoms form a magnetic spiral</h2>



Researchers created single‑crystal flakes of nickel iodide. These were a few nanometers thick and tiny but perfectly layered. 



The nickel <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-milky-way-galaxys-magnetic-space-turbulence-captured-in-unprecedented-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atoms</a> in this lattice arrange their spins in a spiral, which can twist left‑handed or right‑handed.



The team tested how these spirals interacted with traveling electrons. They used <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-021-00516-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circularly polarized light</a> and found that electrons matched the spin direction of the spiral. This confirmed the presence of p‑wave magnetism in the material.



Next came a key breakthrough: using a tiny voltage to switch the spiral’s handedness. When the electric field aligned with the spiral, it forced a switch from left to right, changing how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-field-has-a-dent-and-nasa-is-watching-closely/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electrons</a> spin along specific paths.



<a href="https://physics.cmit.edu/faculty/riccardo-comin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Riccardo Comin</a>, co‑author from MIT, noted this is more efficient than moving electric charge. Since only spins shift, there’s far less heat loss, the usual problem with conventional electronics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-memory-devices">Improving memory devices</h2>



Spintronics stores data using electron spin, not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/altermagnetism-third-form-of-magnetism-existence-confirmed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">charge</a>. This could allow denser, faster, low‑power memory. 



Song said the control of p‑wave magnets with small electric fields “could save five orders of magnitude of energy.”



Libor Šmejkal of the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/max-planck-research-groups" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Group</a> praised the results, noting they confirm theoretical expectations and highlight new possibilities for unconventional magnets.



In traditional electronics, current flows by moving electric charge. This generates heat, which limits how small and fast devices can get. <a href="https://www.physics.umd.edu/rgroups/spin/intro.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spintronics</a> changes that by transmitting information using spin instead of charge.



Spin currents could allow for cooler, denser, and more efficient devices. If p-wave materials can be used at scale, they might replace some components in hard drives, logic gates, or <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08253-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neuromorphic chips</a> designed to mimic the brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effect-works-only-in-extreme-cold">Effect works only in extreme cold</h2>



Right now, these effects show up only below about 60 K, around –346 °F, colder than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/liquid-nitrogen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">liquid nitrogen</a>. Comin acknowledged that room‑temperature performance remains the next challenge.



But p‑wave magnetism could guide the search for materials that work at everyday conditions. This state connects spins, electric fields, and atomic structure in a way that opens new design paths.



Symmetry plays a major role in how materials behave at the quantum level. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/spiral-magnetic-order_nii2_new-form-magnetism_credit-MIT_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/spiral-magnetic-order_nii2_new-form-magnetism_credit-MIT_1s.webp" alt="Spiral magnetic order (light blue arrows) on the triangular lattice of NiI2 (black spheres represent Ni atoms) enables electrically switchable (white jagged lines) p-wave magnetism. Spin-up (orange dots) and spin-down (blue dots) electrons propagate in opposite directions and reverse their paths when the handedness of the spiral magnetic order is switched (left vs. right). Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology" class="wp-image-1973823"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Spiral magnetic order (light blue arrows) on the triangular lattice of NiI2 (black spheres represent Ni atoms) enables electrically switchable (white jagged lines) p-wave magnetism. Spin-up (orange dots) and spin-down (blue dots) electrons propagate in opposite directions and reverse their paths when the handedness of the spiral magnetic order is switched (left vs. right). Click image to enlarge. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology</figcaption></figure>



In p-wave magnets like nickel iodide, the broken <a href="https://www.paradim.org/highlights/MIP_67" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inversion symmetry</a> (where the atomic structure isn't identical when flipped) helps create the conditions for <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.202017116" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spin–electric field coupling</a>.



This asymmetry allows electric fields to control magnetic properties in ways not possible with traditional magnets. That’s key for building devices that respond to low voltages with high precision, especially for next-generation memory and quantum components.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-for-practical-use">Challenges for practical use</h2>



One hurdle in bringing p-wave magnetism to consumer devices is stability. Many exotic magnetic states only appear at ultracold temperatures or degrade quickly under ambient conditions.



To be viable, materials must combine the right crystal structure, spin properties, and resistance to interference from heat or strain. 



Developing such compounds will require close collaboration between experimental physicists, materials scientists, and device engineers.



The reported study draws on advanced tools: first‑principles calculations and symmetry analysis, confirming p‑wave magnetism’s electrical control in a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.8b06475" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type II multiferroic</a>.



NiI₂ itself has been featured earlier in <a href="https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/157577" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> of <a href="https://www.bnl.gov/magnets/helical-project.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">helical magnetism</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/natrevmats201646" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiferroics</a>. This latest work builds on multiyear efforts to understand how spiral spins and electric polarization interact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-room-temperature-magnetic-spirals">Room-temperature magnetic spirals</h2>



Scientists aim to identify materials that show similar p‑wave traits above room temperature. Real‑world devices like spintronic memories or processors could benefit from such efficient, controlled magnetism.



The intersection of theory and experiment here is powerful. It points directly at applications. It also signals that we might be entering a new era in how we use electron spin in technology.



P‑wave magnetism has sparked interest beyond MIT. Research groups across Europe and Asia are investigating similar magnetic states in other two‑dimensional materials, hoping to unlock room‑temperature applications.



This work draws on <a href="https://www.nature.com/subjects/condensed-matter-physics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">condensed matter physics</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/materials-synthesis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials synthesis</a>, and <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2020/explained-quantum-engineering-1210" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum engineering</a>. 



The convergence of these fields suggests that progress will depend on shared data, open-source modeling tools, and collaborative frameworks that cross national and disciplinary lines.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09034-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Physicists observe a new form of magnetism for the first time

Physicists at MIT have spotted a fresh type of magnetism...

Many people today outlive their parents and grandparents, yet the extra years often bring a tangle of chronic illnesses. Scientists want those later decades to feel less like overtime and more like prime time, so they are probing ways to postpone the biological slide that usually accelerates after age 65.



One avenue getting serious attention swaps crash diets for chemistry. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-caloric-restriction-help-you-live-longer-its-complicated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cutting calories</a> without malnutrition stretches the life of mice, worms, and even rhesus monkeys, but sticking to that routine is tough and can cause dizziness, brittle bones, and hair thinning. 



Researchers are hunting for pills that give the same benefits while letting dinner stay on the plate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-aging-research">Importance of aging research</h2>



Aging drives most top killers - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/morning-coffee-drinkers-have-a-lower-risk-of-heart-disease-and-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-scientist-discovers-that-common-non-cancer-drugs-when-combined-can-kill-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-was-extremely-rare-in-ancient-times-so-why-is-it-now-so-prevalent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementia</a> - by pushing cells toward dysfunction. Delaying the underlying process could reduce the burden of several conditions at once instead of treating each separately. 



Public health economists note that trimming even a few years off late-life disability would save billions in care costs and lift quality of life for millions.



Most drug discovery still targets single diseases, yet a growing field called geroscience treats aging itself as the root cause. 



Caloric-restriction mimetics, or CRMs, sit high on the wish list because they tap into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intermittent-fasting-slows-aging-by-boosting-cell-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolic circuits</a> that animals already use to survive lean times. 



When those circuits turn on, cells tidy up damaged proteins, improve energy use, and bolster stress defenses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caloric-restriction-and-its-hurdles">Caloric restriction and its hurdles</h2>



Classic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dietary-restriction-slows-brain-aging-and-increases-lifespan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">caloric restriction</a> usually means eating 20–40 percent fewer calories than normal for years on end. 



The evidence in rodents is striking, but people find the regimen unsustainable, and severe energy cuts can weaken immunity. A safer strategy aims to flip the same molecular switches with medication.



Computational screening tools now search drug libraries for compounds that make human cells mimic the gene-expression profile seen under calorie shortfall. 



The approach is faster than testing each molecule in live animals first and often highlights drugs already approved for other conditions, cutting years off the path to clinical trials.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rilmenidine-common-pill-fights-aging">Rilmenidine - common pill fights aging</h2>



One surprising hit from these searches is rilmenidine, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/rilmenidine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypertension medicine</a> taken by mouth for three decades. 



After machine-learning models flagged it, a team led by molecular biogerontologist João Pedro Magalhães at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Birmingham UK</a> put it to the test in Caenorhabditis elegans, a small soil worm favored by aging researchers. 



“For the first time, we have been able to show in animals that rilmenidine can increase lifespan,” he said. 



The same trial delivered another bonus: older worms benefited almost as much as young ones, hinting that humans would not need to start treatment in middle age.



The drug’s safety record also helps. Doctors prescribe rilmenidine worldwide for high blood pressure, and side effects are rare and relatively mild: they include palpitations, insomnia, and drowsiness in a few cases. 



As Magalhães noted, “We are now keen to explore if rilmenidine may have other clinical applications.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-rilmenidine-acts-inside-cells">How rilmenidine acts inside cells</h2>



Rilmenidine binds to imidazoline receptors, tiny docking stations on cell membranes that regulate metabolism. In worms, one receptor called <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Characterization-of-NISH-1_fig1_355334171" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nish-1</a> turned out to be essential. 



“We found that the lifespan-extending effects of rilmenidine were abolished when nish-1 was deleted," the research team explained. They then re-introduced the receptor gene. Rescuing the nish-1 receptor reinstated the increase in lifespan after treatment with rilmenidine.



Those findings outline a clear pathway for future drug tweaks aimed at boosting potency or reducing any unwanted effects.



Downstream from nish-1, the treated worms ramped up autophagy - the cell’s waste-disposal system - and tolerated heat stress better than untreated peers. 



Neither developmental timing nor fertility shifted, suggesting the drug targeted aging pathways rather than growth or reproduction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-across-species">Testing across species</h2>



C. elegans <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-junk-is-crucial-for-human-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shares many genes</a> with humans, yet researchers need data from mammals before moving to people. 



The Birmingham group therefore fed rilmenidine to mice and saw gene-expression changes in liver and kidney tissue that matched the classic caloric-restriction signature. 



Blood biomarkers of metabolism shifted toward youthful levels, reinforcing the idea that the pill taps into ancient survival programs conserved across species.



Because the compound is already approved, early-phase human trials could focus directly on biological markers such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-loss-has-a-greater-impact-on-heart-health-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inflammatory proteins</a>, insulin sensitivity, and muscle strength. 



Rilmenidine’s oral delivery is a practical advantage over drugs that require injections or special diets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-rilmenidine-and-anti-aging">Future of rilmenidine and anti-aging</h2>



Longer human studies must still rule out subtle harms and confirm that improved markers translate into healthier years. Even so, experts see momentum building. 



“With a global aging population, the benefits of delaying aging - even if slightly - are immense,” Magalhães said.



Regulators will need fresh guidelines for drugs that target aging rather than a diagnosed disease, and ethicists are debating fair access. Yet the prospect of taking a small daily tablet instead of counting every calorie is hard to ignore. 



If rilmenidine or similar compounds keep proving safe and effective, the next generation of seniors may find that staying healthy deep into their eighties feels less like luck and more like routine science.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.13774" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aging Cell</a>.



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Common blood pressure drug slows aging and boosts lifespan, even in older animals

Many people today outlive their parents and grandparents, yet the...

Dementia,And,Alzheimer's,Disease,Medical,Concept,,3d,Illustration.,Memory,Loss,

The first hints of fading memory arrive quietly - misplaced keys, a forgotten appointment - yet together they mark the slow, inevitable creep of cognitive decline. As more adults cross the half-century mark, that gradual loss of mental sharpness looms large, reshaping conversations about healthy aging. 



Recent work following thousands of older Europeans now argues that one everyday choice casts a bigger shadow over <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-weakens-brain-function-and-focus-in-daily-tasks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain function</a> and cognitive decline than most people realize.



A research team led by University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) analyzed lifestyle data from 32,000 adults in 14 European countries who were at least 50 years old and showed no signs of dementia when tracking began. 



Across as many as 15 years, participants completed memory and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9999359/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">verbal-fluency tests</a>, providing one of the most detailed portraits yet of how thinking skills change in later life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-behaviors-linked-to-cognitive-decline">Behaviors linked to cognitive decline</h2>



The investigators assembled sixteen lifestyle “packages” from four common habits: smoking, moderate or vigorous exercise at least once a week, weekly social contact with friends or family, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-marijuana-really-safer-than-alcohol-science-weighs-in/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">daily alcohol intake</a> capped at two drinks for men or one for women. 



They compared every package with a reference pattern that included all four healthy behaviors. By separating the habits instead of folding them into a single <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01254-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wellness score</a>, the team could see which ones truly moved the needle on brain performance.



“Smoking may be among the most important lifestyle factors affecting how quickly our cognitive skills decline as we age,” suggests a new study led by UCL researchers. 



That headline finding emerged once the data were crunched: participants who smoked experienced the steepest drops in test scores. 



Their memory and word-finding abilities fell up to 85 percent more over ten years than scores among non-smokers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-s-outsized-impact">Smoking’s outsized impact</h2>



“Our study is observational, so cannot definitively establish cause and effect, but it suggests smoking might be a particularly important factor influencing the<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-vaping-help-people-quit-smoking-cigarettes-new-study-breaks-it-down/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> rate of cognitive ageing</a>," lead author Dr. Mikaela Bloomberg explained.



She noted that earlier studies linked clusters of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forming-healthy-habits-takes-much-longer-than-21-days/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthy habits</a> to slower decline, yet those studies rarely teased apart which behaviors mattered most. By isolating each habit, the new analysis revealed that lighting up stood apart from the rest.



Interestingly, when cigarettes dropped out of the picture, the remaining lifestyle combinations produced very similar cognitive trajectories. 



Whether participants exercised a little less, enjoyed an extra drink, or skipped a weekly gathering, their brains aged at nearly the same pace as those following the reference lifestyle - as long as they did not smoke. 



“Previous evidence suggests that individuals who engage in healthier behaviors experience slower cognitive decline; however, it was unclear whether all behaviors contribute equally to cognitive decline or whether specific behaviors drive these results," Dr. Bloomberg added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-biology-and-cognition">Smoking, biology, and cognition</h2>



<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cigarette smoke</a> exposes tiny cerebral blood vessels to a mix of toxins that stiffen vessel walls and limit oxygen flow. The same chemicals spark chronic inflammation, leaving neurons vulnerable to damage. 



Over years, those insults can accelerate the shrinkage of key brain regions linked to memory and language. 



Exercise, moderate drinking, and social engagement can bolster overall health, but they struggle to counter the direct harm tobacco inflicts on neural tissue.



Still, the study offered a glimmer of good news for current smokers who embrace other healthy habits. 



“Our findings suggest that among the healthy behaviors we examined, not smoking may be among the most important in terms of maintaining cognitive function,” Dr Bloomberg said. 



“For people who aren’t able to stop smoking, our results suggest that engaging in other healthy behaviors such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/metamorphosis-exercise-triggers-molecular-changes-in-major-organs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regular exercise</a>, moderate alcohol consumption and being socially active may help offset adverse cognitive effects associated with smoking.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cognitive-decline-and-global-health">Cognitive decline and global health</h2>



Worldwide, about one in five adults continues to smoke, and the habit remains more common in lower-income regions where dementia care is often scarce. 



Because memory loss erodes independence, quitting earlier in life can spare families emotional strain and reduce medical costs tied to long-term care. 



The new analysis strengthens the case for investing in cessation services - nicotine-replacement therapy, counseling, and prescription aids - before cognitive slips gain momentum.



The researchers accounted for age, gender, education, wealth, chronic illnesses, and country of residence, confirming that smoking’s influence held steady even after those factors were considered. 



By following participants over such a long span, the team also captured changes that shorter studies might miss, reinforcing confidence in the pattern they observed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-now-that-you-know-what-will-you-do">Now that you know, what will you do?</h2>



Skipping cigarettes emerges as the clearest step toward safeguarding late-life thinking, yet the study suggests that pairing a smoke-free routine with modest weekly movement, sensible drinking limits, and regular social contact yields an even sturdier foundation. 



A brisk walk through the neighborhood, a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/morning-coffee-drinkers-have-a-lower-risk-of-heart-disease-and-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cup of coffee</a> with a friend, and a single evening drink offer manageable ways to keep neurons working smoothly.



Cognitive decline rarely arrives overnight, but its grip tightens with each passing year. This large-scale European study highlights how one habit - smoking - quickens the slide more than any other measured behavior. 



Armed with that insight, adults can stack the odds in their favor: stub out the cigarette, stay active, connect with others, and enjoy alcohol in moderation. 



Small choices made today shape the clarity of tomorrow’s thoughts, giving every reader a practical path toward a sharper, more confident future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49262-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Doctors say this lifestyle choice is the biggest contributor to cognitive decline and dementia

The first hints of fading memory arrive quietly - misplaced...

We often hear advice about healthy eating: reduce sugar, increase vegetables, eat local. But one question rarely gets attention: how do we actually know what nutrient data our food contains?



The answer lies in food composition databases (FCDBs). These databases list the nutrients in food: proteins, fats, vitamins, and more. They also include complex compounds like phytochemicals and antioxidants. 



Food composition databases help guide nutritionists, policy makers, researchers, and even farmers. But how reliable are they?



A new review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition highlights a major problem. Many FCDBs are outdated, incomplete, or hard to access. This issue hits hardest in regions that need <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nutritional insights</a> the most.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-status-of-food-data">Global status of food data</h2>



The researchers reviewed 101 FCDBs from 110 countries, and their findings raise concerns. 



Many FCDBs can be found online, but that’s not enough. Only 30% of databases are truly accessible. Just 69% can work with other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a>. Only 43% allow data to be reused easily. These weaknesses reduce their long-term value.



The problem is not evenly spread. Europe, North America, and parts of Asia have better data systems. But many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America lack updated or complete databases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters">Why this matters</h2>



Food databases are essential for crafting policies, health programs, and food safety rules. 



Without reliable food data, countries cannot detect nutrient gaps or create effective school <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-crisis-why-u-s-goals-remain-out-of-reach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meals</a>. Breeding crops for nutrition or enforcing labeling laws becomes impossible.



There is also a cultural cost. Many Indigenous and rural communities have rich food traditions. If these foods do not appear in databases, they risk being excluded from nutrition programs and policy debates. Eventually, they might disappear from farms and markets too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-databases-lack-local-data">Food databases lack local data</h2>



The review highlights several major gaps. Many FCDBs rely on borrowed data from other countries. That creates problems. A food’s nutrient content can vary depending on the soil, climate, crop variety, and how it's cooked.



There is also no global agreement on food names, nutrient definitions, or measurement units. That makes international comparisons difficult. 



Most databases list just 38 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-food-safety-ai-can-detect-contamination-early/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> components. But modern research shows food contains thousands of biomolecules with health effects.



Another concern is how rarely databases get updated. About 39% have not been revised in over five years. Some, like those in Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, have not been updated since they were created over 50 years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cost-of-not-updating-food-data">Cost of not updating food data</h2>



Food systems are changing rapidly. Climate shifts, migration, and technology are altering what people eat. Old data cannot reflect those changes. To maintain reliable FCDBs, countries need labs, specialists, and steady funding. 



Many low and middle-income nations do not have these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resources</a>. The gap between well-covered regions and underrepresented ones keeps growing. But there is hope. The review also points to an initiative doing things differently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-profiling-foods-from-every-continent">Profiling foods from every continent</h2>



The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) stands out. Managed by The American Heart Association and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, PTFI tackles the very problems holding back most FCDBs.



What makes it unique? PTFI goes far beyond the 38 commonly tracked nutrients. Using advanced techniques like metabolomics and mass spectrometry, food is analyzed for over 30,000 biomolecules.



Unlike most databases focused on national diets, PTFI is profiling foods from every continent, with special attention to underrepresented and Indigenous foods that are often left out of traditional systems. 



It is designed to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable - the gold standard for data sharing and transparency. All of PTFI’s data is freely available online, using globally accepted protocols so that anyone, from a government to a food startup, can use it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-global-nutrition">Improving global nutrition </h2>



The study makes one thing clear. We cannot improve global nutrition if we do not understand our food at the molecular level. Right now, outdated and uneven food databases keep many people in the dark.



Better food data means better policies, healthier people, and stronger food systems. Initiatives like PTFI show that change is possible. They help us view food not just as calories or nutrients but as a source of cultural identity, health, and resilience.



We need global cooperation, advanced technology, and fairness in data access. Everyone should have the right to know what’s in their food and to have their food traditions valued and preserved.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1552367/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



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