Cat Feeding Habits Shaped by Smell: Japan Univ. Study
A study by Iwate University shows cats eat less when exposed repeatedly to the same food scent, but their intake rebounds when the smell changes, even if the food itself stays the same. Researchers fed twelve cats six times, noting a steady decline in consumption with identical aromas and a sharp increase when a new scent was introduced. The work, published in *Physiology and Behavior*, identifies olfactory habituation and dishabituation as key drivers of feline feeding patterns. The findings suggest simple scent rotation could improve appetite in picky or ill cats.
Brain Reactions to Fearful Faces Predict Psychiatric Hospitalization Risk
A Danish longitudinal study found that patients with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder who exhibit heightened left‑amygdala activity when viewing fearful faces face a higher chance of psychiatric hospitalization within a year. The same risk is linked to faster...
Greenland Sharks Can Live for More than 400 Years — Meaning some of the Ones Swimming the North Atlantic Today...
A 2026 Nature Communications study reveals that Greenland sharks, which can live up to four centuries, retain a functional visual system despite long‑term parasitic copepod attachment. Earlier claims of near‑total blindness stemmed from a misinterpreted 1990s study, while radiocarbon dating...
NASA Releases Final RFP for Mars Communications Orbiter
NASA issued the final request for proposals (RFP) on May 14 for a Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) orbiter, with bids due June 15 and a contract award targeted for Oct. 1. The $700 million program, funded by last year’s budget reconciliation act, aims to...
SCI Redefined as a Broken Brain–Body–Environment Loop
A new perspective in Science Bulletin reframes spinal cord injury as a systems‑level disorder, emphasizing loss of closed‑loop communication, state mismatch, and learning failure. The authors propose a “neuromodulation palette” that layers state‑setting, execution, and plasticity‑biasing to rebuild the brain‑spinal‑environment...
The Two Voyager Probes Are Slowly Running Out of Power, and the Engineers Keeping Them Alive Are Now Making the...
After nearly five decades in space, both Voyager probes are operating with the smallest set of active science instruments in their history. As of May 2026 Voyager 1 runs only its magnetometer and Plasma Wave Subsystem, while Voyager 2 will soon join it...
Axo-Axonic Synapses Drive Split-Second Fly Escape Reflexes
Researchers mined the high‑resolution Drosophila ventral nerve‑cord connectome and catalogued all 1,314 descending neurons, uncovering rare axo‑axonic synapses that modulate motor output. These connections, present in roughly 1 % of possible pairings, directly amplify the giant‑fiber escape pathway, delivering split‑second reflexes....
New AI Tool Could Replace Costly Cancer Gene Expression Profiling
Cedars‑Sinai researchers unveiled Path2Space, an AI model that infers spatial gene expression from standard pathology slides. Trained on breast‑cancer datasets, it predicts the activity of roughly 5,000 genes within minutes, bypassing the weeks‑long, multi‑thousand‑dollar cost of conventional spatial transcriptomics. Validation...
Muscle Mass Is Preserved After Obesity Drug Treatment, Study Suggests
Researchers presented data from a retrospective cohort of 486 obese adults treated with GLP‑1 receptor agonists or the dual GIP/GLP‑1 agonist tirzepatide. Over an average 14‑month course, patients lost about 10 % of body weight, with fat mass dropping 18 % while...
Overactive MYC Helps Tumors Fix DNA Breaks and Resist Chemotherapy, Study Finds
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University discovered that the oncogene MYC, long known for driving tumor growth, also directly repairs DNA breaks in cancer cells. The study, published in Genes & Development, shows a modified form of MYC relocating...
First Outbursting Hot Subdwarf Binary Discovered
An international team using ZTF and TESS has identified ZTF J0007+4804 as the first hot subdwarf–white dwarf binary that exhibits dwarf‑nova outbursts. The system consists of a 0.42 M☉ B‑type subdwarf donor and a 0.48 M☉ accreting white dwarf orbiting every 1.81 hours. Its...
How Outbreaks at Sea Have Been Helping to Shape the Global Health System Since Medieval Times
Outbreaks on cruise ships have long shaped public‑health policy, from medieval harbor quarantines to today’s international health regulations. In April 2026 the Dutch‑flagged MV Hondius reported 11 cases, including three deaths, of Andes hantavirus among 147 passengers and crew. The incident...
Unpredictable Childhoods May Hinder a Young Adult’s Ability to Take Positive Risks
Researchers tracked 167 adolescents over seven years and found that exposure to unpredictable life events—such as moves, cohabitation changes, or parental job loss—was associated with heightened frontoparietal activation during a cognitive control task at age 17. This elevated brain activity...
New Blood Test Detects Tumor DNA to Guide Treatment in Advanced Cancer Cases
A new circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test received FDA clearance to guide therapy for patients with advanced solid tumors. The assay demonstrates 95% sensitivity across 12 cancer types and can pinpoint actionable mutations within seven days. Priced at roughly...
Gymnopilus Mushrooms Yield Antibacterial Gymnopilin A10, Gymnoprenol B13
Researchers have isolated a novel antibacterial compound, gymnopilin A10, from the East Asian mushroom Gymnopilus orientispectabilis. The molecule inhibits the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum at 200 µg per disk, offering a potential biocontrol tool against bacterial wilt. The study also characterizes a...
This Week In Space Podcast: Episode 210 — ESCAPADES at Mars
Episode 210 of *This Week In Space* features Dr. Robert Lillis discussing NASA’s Mars ESCAPADE mission, a pair of low‑cost orbiters designed to measure how the Red Planet’s atmosphere is being stripped away. Built largely by Rocket Lab and launched on Blue Origin’s New Glenn, the...
Scientists Find Climate Change Is Reducing Oxygen in Rivers Worldwide
A new satellite‑AI study of more than 21,000 rivers shows global warming has cut average dissolved oxygen by 2.1% since 1985. If the trend continues, rivers could lose another 4%‑5% of oxygen by 2100, pushing many waterways into hypoxic conditions....
Tart Cherries (Prunus Cerasus) and Metabolic Health in Overweight and Obesity: Evidence From Preclinical and Clinical Studies
A new Frontiers in Nutrition review evaluates tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) as a functional food for overweight and obese adults. Pre‑clinical animal work consistently shows anti‑inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolic benefits, while human trials suggest modest reductions in blood pressure and...
Aggregation-Induced Stabilization of Pheophorbide, a Water-Soluble Chlorophyll Derivative
Researchers synthesized pheophorbide (Phide), a water‑soluble chlorophyll derivative derived from Spirulina, and developed a rapid HPLC‑UV method for its quantification. Experiments showed that Phide forms concentration‑dependent aggregates in aqueous solution, and high‑concentration samples retained 63.3% of their color after six...
Multimodal MRI Local Metrics and Cognitive Performance Following Water Intake in 12-H Water-Restricted Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized controlled trial of 64 university students examined how acute water intake after a 12‑hour fluid restriction influences brain imaging and cognition. Participants received 500 mL, 200 mL, 100 mL of water, or no water, and urine osmolality, multimodal MRI (fALFF, ReHo,...
Infant-Derived Bifidobacterium Strains Screened in Vitro for Alleviating Intestinal Disorder Caused by Escherichia Coli
Researchers screened 38 infant‑derived Bifidobacterium strains and identified strain D2 as the most potent antagonist of pathogenic Escherichia coli. In vitro, D2’s cell‑free supernatant, rich in acetic acid, disrupted E. coli biofilms, damaged cell membranes, and prevented adhesion to HT‑29 intestinal...
Demonic Attacks in Dreams Follow a Chilling Multi-Night Pattern
Researchers from National University and Boston University analyzed 124 adults’ dream diaries over a two‑week period, capturing 1,599 reports. They identified sixteen nightmares with overt demonic content, of which five unfolded as multi‑night sequences that escalated to full demonic attacks....
Scientists Reversed Memory Loss by Recharging the Brain’s Tiny Engines
Scientists at Inserm, the University of Bordeaux and the Université de Moncton have engineered a receptor, mitoDreadd‑Gs, that temporarily boosts mitochondrial activity in mouse models of dementia. Activating this tool restored normal energy production in neurons and markedly improved memory...
May 16, 1925: The Birth of Nancy Grace Roman
Nancy Grace Roman, born May 16, 1925, rose from a childhood astronomy club to become NASA’s first chief of astronomy in 1961. She championed the concept of a permanent space‑based observatory, lobbying Congress for funding that culminated in the 1977 approval of the Hubble...
NASA Just Put a 30-Day Clock on a $700 Million Mars Contract, and the Deadline Tells You Everything About How...
NASA has posted a 30‑day Request for Proposal to build a new Mars Telecommunications Network, a $700 million contract aimed at replacing aging relay orbiters. The agency’s current fleet—Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN and ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter—are well beyond design life...
Uncovering C. Elegans Immunity via Genetic Screens
Recent genetic screens in Caenorhabditis elegans have revealed a sophisticated, cross‑tissue immune network that operates without classical immune cells. Sensory neurons such as AWC and ASJ modulate intestinal p38 MAPK and transcription factor activity via proteins like OLRN‑1 and NPR‑15,...
Dark Matter May Be Evidence That Our Universe Is a Simulation
Physicist Melvin Vopson argues that digital information possesses a measurable mass of 3.19 × 10⁻³⁸ kg per bit, constituting a fifth state of matter. He proposes that the cumulative mass of information—estimated at 10⁹³ bits—could account for the universe’s missing dark matter and...
Scientists Catalog the ‘Fractal Dimensions’ of More than 130,000 Islands
A new study of more than 130,000 islands reveals that coastlines are far smoother than previously thought, showing the lowest fractal dimensions among island features. By measuring fractal dimensions across coastline, elevation, size distribution and volume, researchers found that geometric...
Metabolic Stress Worsens Parkinson’s via Mitochondrial Ferroptosis
Researchers led by Zheng et al. have demonstrated that metabolic stress intensifies Parkinson’s disease by disrupting mitochondrial function and triggering iron‑dependent ferroptosis. Using cellular and animal models, they showed that energy deficits cause mitochondrial membrane loss, excess iron accumulation, and...
The Overlooked Organ That Could Be Hiding Your True Alzheimer’s Risk
A new Neurology study of over 2,000 seniors found that reduced kidney function, measured by eGFR, significantly raises blood levels of Alzheimer’s biomarkers such as tau, amyloid‑beta, and especially neurofilament light chain. The elevation persists even after excluding participants who...
Forty Years and Multi-Tonne Xenon Detectors Have Brought Dark-Matter Searches to the ‘Neutrino Fog’ without a Signal, While a Tentative...
The LUX‑ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, a ten‑tonne liquid‑xenon detector, completed 417 live days in December 2025 and reported no WIMP interactions, reaching the irreducible solar‑neutrino background that now limits its sensitivity. In May 2026 a MIT‑led team re‑analyzed public LIGO‑Virgo‑KAGRA data and identified...
Mind Wandering Enhances the Brain’s Ability to Learn Hidden Patterns, New Study Suggests
A new study published in Neuroscience of Consciousness shows that brief lapses in self‑control during mind wandering diminish response inhibition while simultaneously sharpening implicit statistical learning of hidden patterns. Researchers measured this trade‑off in 240 university students using a Cognitive...
A Solar Radio Burst that Should Have Faded in Days Kept Screaming for Three Weeks — and the Structure Feeding...
A Type IV solar radio burst persisted for 19 days, eclipsing the previous five‑day record. The emission originated from a helmet streamer that functioned as a corotating electron reservoir, repeatedly re‑energized by three coronal mass ejections. Continuous coverage from NASA’s STEREO...
The Mediterranean Sea Is Capable of Generating Hurricanes and Climate Change Will Make Them Worse
Recent Mediterranean tropical‑like cyclones, dubbed medicanes, have caused severe damage in Greece, Libya and North Africa, with the 2026 Jolina storm highlighting the growing threat. Scientific consensus now defines medicanes and notes they occur fewer than three times a year,...
New Research Reveals A Little-Known Way Coffee Affects The Brain
A recent double‑blind crossover study found that a single 200 mg dose of caffeine – roughly two 8‑ounce cups of coffee – enhances sensory‑motor integration in the brain, as measured by short‑latency afferent inhibition (SAI). The improvement was detected only with...
This Many Hours Of Sleep Is The Sweet Spot For Healthy Aging
A new Nature study using UK Biobank data found a U‑shaped link between sleep duration and biological aging. The smallest gaps between biological and chronological age occurred with 6.4‑7.8 hours of sleep, varying slightly by sex. Both short (8 hrs) sleep were...
AST SpaceMobile Shows Near-100 Mbps Broadband From Space on a Standard Phone
AST SpaceMobile demonstrated a peak download of 98.9 Mbps from its Block 1 BlueBird satellites directly to an unmodified smartphone in the Bahamas. The test proves that satellite‑to‑phone broadband can achieve near‑gigabit speeds without a dish or special hardware. The company is...
Student-Built System Unlocks Fully Autonomous Electroporation for 96- and 384-Well Workflows
At UCLA’s Living Biofoundry, two students engineered a fully autonomous version of the Fisher Scientific BTX Gemini X2 electroporator, enabling 96‑ and 384‑well plate workflows without human intervention. They built a custom software bridge to communicate with the instrument’s proprietary...
What the US Would Lose If It Eliminates the National Center for Atmospheric Research
The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), labeling its work as "climate alarmism," prompting a lawsuit from NCAR’s parent organization. Former NASA chief scientist Waleed Abdalati warned that eliminating NCAR would strip the...
Eating After 9 Pm? Stress and Late-Night Snacking May Multiply Gut Health Risks
Researchers presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026 a study linking late‑night snacking with chronic stress to a 39.3% rise in abnormal bowel habits and a 1.7‑2.5‑fold increase in gut issues. Analyzing NHANES and the American Gut Project, the team identified...
This Dangerous Bird Has a Secret Hiding in Plain Sight
Researchers led by Dr. Todd Green discovered that the helmet‑like casque of cassowaries fluoresces under ultraviolet light, producing distinct patterns that differ by species and even by individual. Southern and northern cassowaries showed extensive fluorescence covering up to 90% of...
Researchers Identify First Suite of Human Antibodies Against Measles Virus
NIH‑funded researchers have isolated and structurally mapped the first comprehensive set of human monoclonal antibodies against measles virus, revealing nine distinct epitopes on the H and F surface proteins. One antibody, 4F09, locked the fusion protein and cleared virus from...
May 15, 2026 Zimmerman/Batchelor Podcast
Robert Zimmerman’s new book *Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8* chronicles the historic 1968 mission that first took humans to another world. The title is now available in three formats: a hardback and paperback print edition, an ebook, and an audiobook....
Printed Oxygen 'Highways' Shatter 2D Transistor Speed Limit
Researchers in China have developed a room‑temperature printed gallium oxide (GaOx) tunneling contact that bridges metal electrodes to WS₂ 2D transistors. The 3.6 nm‑thin GaOx layer, rich in oxygen vacancies, delivers a record electron mobility of 296 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹ and a contact resistance...
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[Comment] Emerging Β-Lactam and Β-Lactamase Inhibitor Strategies for Complicated Urinary Tract Infections
Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) and acute pyelonephritis remain leading causes of hospitalisation and antibiotic consumption worldwide. Rising rates of ESBL‑producing and carbapenem‑resistant Gram‑negative bacteria are eroding the efficacy of existing β‑lactam regimens. Recent phase‑3 data show that novel β‑lactam/β‑lactamase...
![[Editorial] Psychedelics: After the Renaissance](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/0209621e0bb12cfb7c4d55228ae4b98d.webp)
[Editorial] Psychedelics: After the Renaissance
A 2026 executive order signed by President Donald Trump earmarks $50 million for psychedelic research and directs the FDA to issue National Priority Vouchers for breakthrough psychedelic therapies. The order highlights COMP360, a synthetic psilocybin candidate for treatment‑resistant depression, as the...
Serif: Non-Viral DNA Delivery with Goldilocks Durability
Serif, a Flagship Pioneering spin‑out, has unveiled a non‑viral DNA‑based therapeutic platform that pairs AI‑designed DNA sequences with mRNA co‑factors. The approach leverages lipid‑nanoparticle delivery to achieve expression durability longer than conventional mRNA but without the permanent genome integration of...
What’s Black and White and Reveals Historic Porpoise Distributions?
A new study in Ecology and Evolution mined Sweden’s digitized newspaper archives from the 1700s‑1900s, uncovering 1,490 porpoise mentions that translate to roughly 1,455 individual Baltic harbor porpoises. The historic data reveal that porpoises once inhabited the entire Swedish coastline,...
Scientists Hunted Down the Psychedelic Key to Slow Aging—And It’s Inside This Magic Mushroom
Researchers at Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine reported that psilocin, the active metabolite of psilocybin, prolonged the lifespan of human fibroblast cells by up to 50% and boosted survival rates in elderly mice to 80% versus 50% for...
The BioPharm Brief: Oncology Momentum, CAR-T Advances, Strategic Expansion
AstraZeneca’s exploratory POTOMAC trial showed that combining its checkpoint inhibitor Imfinzi with BCG lowered early recurrence risk in patients with high‑risk non‑muscle‑invasive bladder cancer. At ASGCT 2026, Imviva presented early remission data from an allogeneic CAR‑T platform targeting lupus, hinting at...