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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 10, 2026 at 9:12am

Language of thought is not natural language

Philosophers, linguists and cognitive scientists have debated the relationship between language and thought for thousands of years, with many arguing that we use language to think. There are good reasons to suspect a close relationship between logic and language.

Abstract thinking has properties that look a lot like language. You can divide a thought into subcomponents, like little atoms of logical propositions, and you can combine them in a hierarchical manner to make more complex structured rules, very akin to language.
But neuro scientists thought while we largely depend on language to communicate about logical reasoning—from presenting a problem to explaining how we have arrived at conclusions—the brain might use a separate system for the reasoning itself.
There are aspects of thinking that seem to go beyond some of the limitations of language. Logical reasoning demands precision that language often lacks. And language is linear, progressing one word at a time, whereas evaluating available information to reach logical conclusions can require thinking in less linear ways.
Some people find it useful to talk through their problems—but language isn't necessary for logical reasoning, cognitive neuroscientists say.
In research published in the journal PNAS, researchers have shown that people can perform well on tasks that require logical reasoning even if their language abilities are severely impaired. What's more, brain imaging shows that language-processing parts of the brain are not called on for logical reasoning.

The scientists worked with two patients who had experienced strokes that damaged language-processing parts of their brains, leaving them with severe impairments in both understanding and producing language. They designed language-free logic games in which participants were asked to infer relationships between sets of numbers.
As participants solved increasingly difficult puzzles, it became clear that people don't need language for this kind of reasoning. Patients with language impairments solved the problems as well as a control group and were even able to communicate the rules they inferred using gestures or with a sketch.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 10, 2026 at 8:34am

Softening aging ovaries could help extend fertility as women get older

Fertility declines as women get older for many reasons, such as a drop in egg quality, decreased follicle numbers and hardening of ovarian tissues. That's a problem for would-be mothers in many countries who prefer to have their children later in life, often in their 30s and 40s. Current treatments for infertility include hormone therapy and in vitro fertilization (IVF), which primarily focus on treating hormonal imbalances and helping eggs mature or be fertilized.
But in research published in the journal Nature Aging, scientists may have found a way to help women stay fertile longer by softening their ovaries. The researchers wanted to understand why ovaries stiffen with age and whether this could provide a route for future fertility treatments.

Finding the cause

To discover what could be causing ovarian tissue to harden, researchers collected healthy human ovarian tissues from young, middle-aged and older women. They also sourced samples from patients with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), POI (premature ovarian insufficiency) and endometriosis.

The team measured protein levels and gene activity in these tissues and found increased levels of the inflammatory protein interleukin-11 in aging and diseased ovaries.

To see how this might relate to stiffness, they cultured ovarian fibroblasts, the cells that produce connective tissue, in the laboratory and exposed them to the protein. They found that the protein triggered the cells to produce excess collagen, a structural material that can build up during scarring and make tissues stiffer.

Next, the researchers genetically modified mice so they could not respond to interleukin-11. The result was that these animals had less ovarian stiffening and better ovarian function as they aged. The same was true in mouse models of chemotherapy-induced POI and PCOS.
In the final part of the experiment, the scientists injected older mice and rats with a nanoparticle treatment containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) that could switch off interleukin-11. This caused their ovaries to become less stiff, improving fertility. In older mice, the pregnancy rate increased from 25% to 50%, while the average litter size also increased. The treatment also improved fertility in rats, with more animals becoming pregnant and producing larger litters.

Although it is highly speculative at this stage and requires much more research, blocking this inflammatory pathway could form the basis for new fertility treatments, as the authors acknowledge in their paper.

Meng Wu et al, Modulating IL-11-dependent matrix stiffness to delay ovarian aging, Nature Aging (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-026-01159-2

Stuart A. Cook, Targeting interleukin-11 to slow ovarian aging, Nature Aging (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-026-01137-8

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 10, 2026 at 8:21am

The team found that a key signal comes from microorganisms, especially fungi, as they break down dead plant material. During decomposition, fungi release acidic metabolites, including organic and phenolic acids. These compounds diffuse into the surrounding soil and create stable local pH gradients around the decaying material.

Roots can detect this acidity pattern even before direct contact and use it as directional information, bending away from the more acidic side. However, the "plant graveyard" does not send a permanent warning signal—it stops automatically after the matter has turned into soil. "Once the plant material had almost fully broken down, the acidic warning signal faded—and the roots stopped bending away.
How this happens
Within the root, an external signal is transformed into a growth decision: Cells on the root surface detect that one side of the root is exposed to stronger acidity than the other. This uneven signal changes the distribution of the plant hormone abscisic acid, or ABA, across the root tip.

As a result, the internal framework of root cells is rearranged, causing one side of the root to grow differently from the other. The root then bends away from the decaying plant material.
Saprotropism shows how plants interpret microbial activity in the soil and make growth decisions accordingly.
The discovery of saprotropism—a term coined by the study authors—opens new research avenues, such as how roots interpret microbial activity in soil. In the long term, a better understanding of such root behaviors could help inform approaches in agriculture, soil management and crop resilience.
Understanding the molecular basis of saprotropism opens new opportunities to develop crops with an enhanced ability to detect and avoid pathogen-rich environments.

Zhulatai Bao et al, Roots navigate around decay regions by sensing local pH gradients, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.adw6568. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw6568

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 10, 2026 at 8:18am

'Saprotropism' helps roots avoid decaying plant matter—but not animal decay

Decaying matter shapes life in soil, but it can also create hostile zones for growing roots.
Researchers have now identified "saprotropism," a root response that guides plants away from decaying plant-derived matter—but not animal-derived decay.
The study published in Science, reveals how roots adapt their growth direction by sensing local pH gradients around rot.

Plants cannot run away from danger or toward something they desire. Instead, they adjust the direction in which they grow. Shoots bend toward light (a well-known phenomenon called phototropism), roots and shoots use gravity to grow downward and upward, respectively (gravitropism), and roots can also bend toward water (hydrotropism).

These directional growth responses, known as plant tropisms, help plants navigate changing environments. Now, researchers from China and Austria describe a new member of this family: saprotropism, from "sapro," meaning rotten or decaying.

The researchers first showed that direct contact with decaying plant tissue strongly inhibited root growth and activated defense pathways linked to immunity and pathogens. In other words, roots treated these decay zones as biologically threatening environments.

Animals instinctively avoid rotten food because it often harbours harmful microbes.
The newly identified tropism enables roots to actively bend away from decaying plant matter. In experiments, roots avoided decay zones made from "fleshy" matter such as apples or leaves, and—contrary to initial assumptions—also from woody material such as sawdust.
However, when the researchers tested animal-derived decay, such as small pieces of chicken meat, the roots showed no directional growth response.

One of the striking findings was therefore that the roots did not simply avoid anything rotten.
They responded specifically to decomposing plant material. This tells us that saprotropism is not a general reaction to rot, but a dedicated response to plant-derived decay.
The response was observed not only in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but also in crop species including rapeseed, tomato and wheat—suggesting that saprotropism is widespread among plants.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 9:25am

Targeted phages curb Crohn's-linked gut inflammation by disabling harmful E. coli traits
IBD affects millions, with rates continuing to rise, particularly among children. Although current treatments can be effective, they can fail long term or require escalating doses, increasing the risk of serious side effects.

A research team at McMaster University has developed a targeted approach to treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using bacteriophages, viruses that infect specific bacteria, to disarm harmful microbes without disrupting the broader gut ecosystem.
Targeted bacteriophages directed against adherent-invasive E. coli reduced gut inflammation in experimental models of Crohn’s disease by suppressing virulence traits, particularly adhesion to intestinal cells, without eradicating the bacteria or disrupting the microbiota. Phage therapy also potentiated steroid efficacy, enabling lower doses, and stool-based functional assays may identify patients most likely to benefit.
IBD is shaped by a combination of genetics, immune responses and the gut microbiome. The research team focused on a group of bacteria known as adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), which have been linked to inflammation in some people with Crohn's disease. These bacteria can be difficult to identify and selectively target, making them an important test case for more precise microbiome-based therapies.
Working with E. coli strains isolated from patients with Crohn's disease, the team used controlled experimental models to isolate how AIEC contribute to inflammation and explore ways to neutralize their harmful behaviour without damaging beneficial bacteria.
To target AIEC without collateral damage, the team turned to bacteriophages (phages), which are naturally occurring viruses that infect bacteria with remarkable precision.

Phages work like a lock-and-key system—each phage targets only certain bacteria. That precision gives us a way to intervene without wiping out the entire microbiome.

The team identified and characterized phages that selectively target AIEC strains isolated from patients with IBD and found that this approach significantly reduced gut inflammation.

The phages did not eliminate the bacteria entirely. Instead, they altered their behavior by suppressing a molecular "grappling hook" that helps AIEC attach to the gut lining and trigger immune responses. When that virulence mechanism was turned off, inflammation subsided.

The bacteria were still there, but they lost the traits that drive inflammation as the bacteria can't do as much damage anymore.
The researchers also found that phage therapy enhanced the effectiveness of a commonly used steroid treatment for IBD. When combined with the phage, a lower-than-standard dose produced benefits comparable to higher doses of the drug alone. While phages have previously been shown to increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, this is the first time a positive collaboration between phage and a non-antibiotic drug has been reported.

The findings point to a precision-medicine approach for IBD.

Kyle Jackson et al, Phage intervention improves colitis and response to corticosteroids by attenuating virulence of Crohn's disease–associated bacteria, Science Translational Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adz4589

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 9:13am

International expert team says science alone won't save coral reefs

Coral reefs are rapidly declining due to climate change, overfishing, pollution and habitat loss, threatening food security, coastal protection and cultural identity. The article argues that scientific research and restoration are insufficient without strong public engagement and political will. It proposes integrating science with art, design and community collaboration to translate complex data into emotionally resonant experiences, thereby motivating broader participation in reef conservation. The Coral Art-Science Consortium is introduced as a global platform to coordinate such interdisciplinary efforts and promote collective action for reef protection.

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 9:08am

Ocean acidification may be shrinking the brains of the world's most intelligent invertebrates

An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe brain shrinkage appears to be most pronounced in the areas that interpret visual information, correlating with significant reductions in normal feeding behaviors and suggesting serious consequences for the future of squid and other cephalopods.
Elevated CO₂ levels simulating future ocean acidification (pH 7.8) reduced bigfin reef squid brain volume by ~49% after 90 days, with strongest effects in visual centers (optic lobes −52%, optic tracts −62%) and no change in body size. These neural changes correlate with large reductions in hunting and feeding behaviour, implying impaired visual processing and major ecological consequences.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09506-6

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 8:43am

Ancient extinctions that may have been influenced by these emissions include the end of the Ordovician Period around 440 million years ago, when up to 85% of shallow marine species died, including many trilobites and corals. Another occurred at the end of the Devonian Period around 370 million years ago, when many marine species, especially reef-building corals and bony armored fish like Dunkleosteus, died out.

The end of the Permian Period, or the "Great Dying," occurred around 252 million years ago and wiped out up to 96% of marine species and 70% of land species. Around 201 million years ago, the end of the Triassic Period eliminated many groups of giant reptiles that dominated land, sea and sky, making way for the rise of dinosaurs.
Although these events occurred millions of years ago, they provide natural experiments for investigating interactions and cycles among the solid Earth, atmosphere, oceans and biosphere. Understanding their causes helps scientists better understand the sensitivity of Earth systems to large-scale environmental change.

Earth's systems are deeply interconnected, and major environmental changes rarely result from a single isolated process.

Emily Stewart et al, Metamorphic sulfur release as a driver of sustained cooling and mass extinction, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aee2277. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee2277

Part 2

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 8:41am

Scientists find gas emissions from rocks may have contributed to ancient climate swings, mass extinctions

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has uncovered new evidence about processes that may have contributed to ancient mass-extinction events, some of the most dramatic ecosystem reorganizations in Earth's history.
They combined deep-earth geochemistry and atmospheric science to show that natural sulfur and carbon released from metamorphic rocks affect the environment in ways similar to emissions from volcanic eruptions, long considered the primary drivers of mass-extinction events.
Evidence shows that the process that wipes out species is a climate swing, or an oscillation back and forth between hot and cold climates.

Some extinctions are correlated with the timing of eruptions in large igneous provinces, which are massive magmatic areas that have seen lots of volcanic eruptions and lava spewing out of Earth's surface. As long as geology as a field has existed, scientists have thought that volcanic eruptions and their emissions were the primary trigger for rapid global cooling and climate swings. Now scientists found another process that contributes to these events: metamorphism.

Metamorphism of sulfur- and carbon-bearing rocks in large igneous provinces can release substantial SO₂ and CO₂, producing sulfate aerosol–driven short-term cooling followed by long-term CO₂ warming. This mechanism can generate pronounced climate oscillations, offering an additional driver of ancient mass extinctions beyond direct volcanic degassing.
Metamorphic processes occur when rock under Earth's surface is exposed to extreme heat, like when rock in large igneous provinces, such as the Ferrar large igneous province in Antarctica or the Siberian Traps in Russia, is heated by magma. If that rock contains sulfur and carbon, the heating process results in sulfur and carbon emissions, allowing them to seep out at ground level as gases.

Sulfur emissions become sulfate particles in the atmosphere that act like tiny mirrors, reflecting some of the sun's energy back into space. Earth then absorbs less energy from the sun, leading to cooling spikes. Sulfates also act as "cloud seeds," attracting water vapor to form clouds with liquid droplets that disperse water more efficiently and reflect more sunlight, also contributing to cooling spikes.

Cooling spikes are the result of sulfur, which doesn't stay in the atmosphere for more than a few days before dissipating.
The opposite warming effect is due to carbon, which is also released in the metamorphic process but doesn't react with other particles. Carbon remains in the atmosphere for hundreds, thousands or even millions of years. Even after sulfate-driven cooling spikes, the atmosphere is several degrees warmer than before due to carbon gas continually warming while sulfur aerosols cool and eventually disappear from the system.
Part 1

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on July 9, 2026 at 7:10am

The benefits of exercise were evident in concrete cognitive gains: the most active students significantly outperformed their sedentary peers on the working-memory tasks. Brain scans using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) confirmed these behavioral differences at a neural level and helped researchers further understand the underlying mechanisms. For instance, in physically fit students, the prefrontal cortex, an important area for cognitive control and decision-making, showed steadier and more efficient blood flow during the difficult memory task.

In contrast, the brains of less active students had to work much harder and showed different patterns of activation to get similar—or often worse—results. Basically, it seemed that regular exercise created a buffer that shielded the brain from the cognitive scramble of watching too many short videos.

Tian Feng et al, Exercise modulates behavioural and neural mechanisms of working memory in excessive short video users, Frontiers in Psychology (2026). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1875248

Part 2

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