Human understanding of AI can't keep up with its advancement, researchers say

In a recent editorial published in Science, Microsoft's chief scientific officer, Eric Horvitz, and researcher Robert West from the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at EPFL in Switzerland issue a stark warning about AI. They say the advancement of AI systems rapidly being woven into our everyday lives is beginning to outpace our understanding of them. At the same time, AI's understanding of human behaviour is expanding.
The authors of the editorial point to three main areas where AI is becoming less understandable. The first is the rise of AI-directed AI design, in which AI is increasingly designing and improving other AI systems. The authors say the cycles involved in this process outpace human understanding and occur in "high-dimensional spaces that resist intuition." They say that while the performance of the systems may improve, humans struggle to understand why or how.

The second trend is the interactions between AI agents. Now at scale, these agents are forming multi-agent ecosystems whose internal communication may drift away from human language and reasoning. As newly formed AI interactions and communications become more complex, humans become less capable of interpreting them.

Lastly, adaptive AI agents are quickly learning more about human behavior, creating a one-sided situation in which AI understands us better than we understand it. As they parse untold amounts of data from interactions with humans and data showing how humans interact with each other, AI systems begin to understand us better than we understand ourselves and certainly better than we understand them.

The authors write, "Through sustained interaction, they can build increasingly detailed models of human behaviour and psychology, capturing not only preferences but also latent drivers such as fear, uncertainty, and the need for social belonging."
So what happens when AI systems reach a point beyond human understanding? The authors warn that without strong countermeasures, the resulting opacity could lock in AI systems that are powerful but effectively ungovernable by humans. They say that once this happens, recovering human agency may not be possible. This imbalance of understanding could affect personal autonomy, democratic decision-making and trust in institutions.

As AI's understanding of humans deepens, the authors warn that one outcome is that the output of AI systems may increasingly reflect human expectations instead of reality, essentially telling humans only what they want to hear. Without understanding, we won't know that this is happening. In addition, human curiosity, skepticism and scrutiny of AI may simply wane.
More subtle is the possibility that we will gradually lose interest in understanding and guiding AI. As AI systems become deeply embedded in human environments, they may respond to preferences but also shape them. Systems optimized for engagement or approval may reduce friction and discourage scrutiny. Over time, curiosity and skepticism may erode, leading to neglect and acceptance," the authors write.
Some of these risks may be speculative, but they are based on extrapolating current trends into the future.

Eric Horvitz et al, A narrowing window to understand AI, Science (2026). DOI: 10.1126/science.aei3167

Trees may store less carbon than expected in the future

It's normal to think that if a tree is photosynthesizing, it's also growing. But that's not necessarily so—and a new study of oak trees, published in the journal Science Advances, found that even as they photosynthesize late into the year, their growth stops by midsummer.
Much of the long-term carbon storage that forests provide depends on trees converting the carbon they absorb through photosynthesis into new wood. Many researchers have predicted that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels will enhance photosynthesis and stimulate tree growth, putting some of that planet-warming carbon into long-term storage inside wood.

However, the observed decoupling of photosynthesis from growth suggests that increased carbon uptake does not necessarily translate into greater wood production. Instead, some of the absorbed carbon may be used to produce foliage or used in short-lived metabolic processes rather than being locked away long term, reducing the amount of carbon stored in forests compared with previous expectations.

The finding has climate implications.

Decoupled carbon assimilation and growth responses to aridity in temperate deciduous oaks, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady7139. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady7139

Why cells started sticking together could help explain how animals first evolved

A recent study published in Nature may help us understand the beginnings of animal evolution billions of years ago.
Animal bodies are made up of trillions of cells that stick together and cooperate. Billions of years ago—before animals evolved—every living thing on Earth was a single-celled organism. Eventually, some of these cells began sticking together, working together and then reproducing as multicellular organisms. Some of these early multicellular organisms evolved into present-day plants or fungi, while others evolved into animals.
The researchers found that after feeding a specific bacterium to a unicellular relative of animals, the single cells began to stick to one another, revealing a possible way our ancestors began to evolve into animals billions of years ago.
Feeding a specific bacterium to the unicellular holozoan Ministeria vibrans induced stable cell aggregation, improving feeding efficiency and potential protection of resources. During this transition, M. vibrans expressed adhesion and signalling proteins homologous to those in animals, indicating that key molecular machinery for multicellularity predated animal origins.
M. vibrans survives by eating bacteria. Researchers rigorously tested different bacterial foods until they found one that encouraged single M. vibrans cells to stick together and become multicellular. The bacteria got trapped between the aggregating cells, meaning it was more efficient for M. vibrans to collect food by sticking together rather than remaining single-celled organisms. Further, by sticking together, the cells might be able to protect their food from other organisms.

Sticking together also provides opportunities for cells to exchange genes via mating, which may produce new genetic combinations that enable adaptation to new environments.
The researchers observed that when M. vibrans evolved from unicellular to multicellular, it produced the same proteins that many animal cells use to stick together. The multicellular form of M. vibrans also produced many proteins that animal cells use to communicate and coordinate behaviour. The team concluded that the unicellular organisms that evolved into animals also likely used these proteins to form multicellular bodies and cooperate.

Ruibao Li et al, A unicellular relative links aggregative multicellularity to animal origins, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10748-5

Why chickens come in so many colors, and what one gene reveals about evolution

From snow white and jet black to golden brown, domestic chickens display a wider range of plumage colors than almost any other livestock species. A new international study explains why: A single gene is capable of producing this full spectrum. The study provides an example of how genetic diversity and visible traits can emerge within a short evolutionary period. The findings have now been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers show how the remarkable colour diversity of domestic chickens arises at the molecular level. The study focused on the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), a protein molecule that controls colour formation in the skin cells of vertebrates.

The gene that encodes this pigmentation receptor has undergone an unusually high degree of change in domestic chickens since their domestication. The research team identified 18 different variants of the gene—a level of diversity not found in wild birds. The Researchers show that the accumulation and recombination of mutations within a single gene has given rise to numerous new variants, with directly visible effects on the birds' appearance.
MC1R functions like a molecular switch: Depending on how active it is, a cell produces either more dark pigment or more light pigment. Using cell cultures, the researchers demonstrated that individual gene mutations can either increase or decrease the activity of this switch. When several mutations occur together, they can reinforce or counteract one another, creating color patterns that none of the individual changes could produce on their own.

Domestic chickens exhibit exceptional plumage diversity due to extensive variation in a single gene, MC1R, which encodes a key pigmentation receptor. Eighteen MC1R variants, generated by accumulated and recombined mutations, modulate receptor activity to shift dark/light pigment production and create complex colour patterns. This illustrates rapid evolution of visible traits over a short domestication timescale.

Cheng Ma et al, Ultrarapid MC1R protein and associated plumage color evolution in the domestic chicken, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2605288123

Flu infection may weaken tuberculosis defenses by disrupting key immune pathways
Controlled human influenza infection reduced blood immune control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with post‑influenza samples showing increased mycobacterial growth. This loss of control was linked to disruption of type I interferon signalling pathways. Seasonal influenza vaccination may indirectly enhance TB control in high‑burden settings.

Claire M. Broderick et al, Influenza coinfection inhibits control of mycobacterial infection in a human challenge model, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72363-2

Cows v plants: Which milk delivers the best health benefits?

New research has shed light on the growing debate between cow's milk and plant-based alternatives. Results of the study, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggest that cow's milk has the edge over plant-based alternatives when it comes to bone strength and nutrient absorption.
Milk is more than just calcium, protein and fat—it's a complex whole food, and how its nutrients are packaged together is more important than initially thought.
Milk contains more than 100 nutrients and bioactive substances, arranged in a unique physical structure.

This structure affects how nutrients are digested and absorbed, how blood sugar responds after a meal, how fats affect cholesterol, and how the gut microbiome responds.

It's the way all the parts of milk interact that appears to link to many of its health benefits.
The findings suggest that while plant-based drinks are increasing in popularity, they do not consistently match the nutritional quality or health outcomes associated with dairy milk.

Researchers found that regular milk consumption is linked to stronger bones and a lower risk of fractures, with some evidence showing up to a 43% reduction among people who drink one to two cups a day.

In contrast, calcium supplements, often used as a replacement, showed mixed results and were, in some cases, associated with a higher risk of heart disease, particularly among older women.

The difference, researchers said, comes down to the way nutrients are delivered.

Milk provides a natural package of nutrients that work together. Calcium in milk is combined with protein, phosphorus and other components that help the body absorb and use it efficiently. This is something that plant-based drinks and supplements cannot fully replicate.
Part 1

The research highlights that the nutrients added to many plant-based milks, such as soy, almond, oat and rice, may not be as easily absorbed. In many cases, these products also contain added sugars, oils or stabilizers to improve taste and texture.

The research also raises concerns about the growing trend of replacing dairy with plant-based alternatives for children.

"There is a common perception that plant-based drinks are automatically healthier, but that's not always the case", say the researchers.
"For some groups, especially children, omitting dairy products without careful planning can lead to nutrient gaps, particularly in protein, calcium, iodine and vitamin B12 needed for growth and development. Deficiencies can leave children vulnerable to conditions such as protein-energy malnutrition, rickets, scurvy, goiter and developmental delays.

The research supports a "food first" approach to nutrition, where whole foods like milk are prioritized over supplements and heavily processed alternatives.

"Milk remains one of the most accessible and effective ways to deliver essential nutrients", they conclude.
As consumer choices evolve, it is critical that people have clear, accurate information to make informed decisions about their health.

Therese A. O'Sullivan et al, Exploring the dairy milk matrix beyond isolated nutrients—a narrative review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2026). DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2026.2648097

Part 2

Could the World Cup cause the next pandemic? Scientists mapped the risks

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted by three North American nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Spread across 11 U.S. host cities, the 2026 World Cup is bringing together teams and fans from 48 countries. From travel logistics to accommodations for hundreds of thousands of visitors, organizers are addressing a host of considerations. For public health officials, one of those factors is the spread of disease.
The World Cup brings together 48 teams from across the globe, but it also provides an opportunity for disease to spread.
Disease surveillance has taken on a whole new meaning in the post-pandemic world. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be the event commanding the most attention, but other outbreaks—both domestic and international—are also of concern. COVID-19 is still lingering, global health officials are still monitoring the hantavirus outbreak that rocked a cruise ship last month, and here in the U.S., the country is seeing the largest number of measles cases since the disease was considered eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Meanwhile, more common viruses and bacteria continue to affect daily life.

But how worried should you really be about catching any of these diseases at the World Cup?
The researchers created a detailed risk assessment of 12 diseases: dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, measles, pertussis, mumps, rubella, Mpox, Ebola, Marburg virus, cholera and typhoid.

Modeling of 12 infectious diseases indicates that the 2026 World Cup adds only a small excess importation risk relative to usual U.S. travel volumes. Slightly elevated risks are projected for dengue, chikungunya, Lassa fever, and, to a lesser extent, measles and mumps, with southern cities more affected and Seattle lowest risk. COVID-19 cases are expected but considered manageable.

The overall estimate is that the excess risk of any of these diseases spreading is "generally small".
But that doesn't mean there's zero risk posed by the World Cup.
Each city has its own profile and environmental factors that make it more or less prone to certain diseases. Atlanta, Miami and Dallas, for example, have been flagged for elevated risk of diseases like dengue fever and chikungunya because they are farther south and home to more mosquitoes.

https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/06/11/world-cup-diseases-outbreak/

and

https://epistorm.github.io/IDWC26-importation/

Why drinking alcohol makes you reach for chips and nachos
Alcohol stimulates release of the liver hormone FGF21, which enhances a specific appetite for protein and savory foods. When this drive is satisfied with protein-rich whole foods, total energy intake does not rise markedly. When it is directed toward ultra-processed “protein decoy” foods high in fat and carbohydrates, overall energy intake increases, promoting weight gain.

original article.

A part of your brain can listen even when you are under the influence of Anesthesia!

Our brains might be more alert when unconscious than we realized.
A new study of brain cells in the hippocampus shows that people under general anesthesia can process language in real time and even learn to recognize sounds.

It raises some fascinating new questions about what it means to be conscious and what the brain might be doing when it's hovering in an unconscious state under the weight of anesthetic drugs.

But it leaves the door open to further studies about what is happening in the unconscious brain during sleep or coma.

Seven patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy were involved in the study, led by researchers .
Microelectrodes called neuropixels measured their brain cell activity. These electrodes capture very high-resolution data from individual neurons, and haven't been used on the hippocampus before this study.
The probes recorded activity from hundreds of individual neurons to see how the brain reacted to a series of sounds and language prompts.
The findings show that the brain is far more active and capable during unconsciousness than previously thought.
Even when patients are fully anesthetized, their brains continue to analyze the world around them.
The hippocampus handles important jobs in terms of learning and memory.

The researchers wanted to take a look at the hippocampus under anesthesia because it sits deep within the brain, far from where sensory information is first processed, in the cortex.
Neural activity showed that the brain was sorting through nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and was even trying to predict the next word in a sentence – not dissimilar to the way that generative AI models formulate responses by looking for the most likely next word.

"This kind of predictive coding is something we associate with being awake and attentive, yet it's happening here in an unconscious state," say the neuro-scientists.
The findings suggest that certain processing abilities may not be anchored to consciousness, and can be carried out without us being 'awake'.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10448-0

Physicists Discover How Slime Mold 'Makes Decisions' Without a Brain

Slime molds are slippery, nebulous beings.
They're not true molds. They're not even fungi. For most of their lives, they exist as either plasmodia or amoebae, and they refuse to be held back by the rigid structures that govern other life forms.

Slime molds are also renowned for somehow, without brains or even nervous systems, exhibiting behavior that could be described as intelligent.

But what coordinates that collective motion? Is there really a central force?

A new study suggests there is – but probably not the one you're thinking of.
The most famous slime mold, and the protagonist of many scientific experiments, is the vivid yellow Physarum polycephalum, a scientific name that loosely translates to 'the small bubble with many heads.'

That's pretty apt: As a plasmodium, its single-celled body plan is pretty much a big bag of cell nuclei and goo.

This branching, blobby lifestyle makes it more physically mobile than the fungi it was once mistaken for. When P. polycephalum runs out of food, it can crawl to the next juicy log.
But this strange locomotion isn't a blind search. Slime molds can somehow solve mazes in search of food and remember how to find it again.

And, in broad terms, they can 'make decisions', selecting a particular action against alternatives.
Now, scientists have begun to understand how this decentralized decision-making might work.

The slime mold is really averse to blue light, which means it's possible to 'trap' it inside a barrier made of nothing more than the beams of glowing 470 nm light waves.
However, as footage from the new study shows, a starving slime mold will try to escape its blue-light barriers in search of food, sending out small, localized protrusions to find a way through.

In the moments before it does, it looks as though it's bubbling, brewing, twitching, pulsing – until it rushes outward, free from the confines of the trap.

Unlike neural systems, P. polycephalum relies on rhythmic peristaltic contractions to drive internal flows and redistribute mass, allowing it to adapt to its environment
Part 1

Using blue light traps, researchers explored the routes taken by P. polycephalum when faced with a life-or-death situation.

The light traps used in this experiment look a bit like geometric stencil sheets you might've used as a child.

Blue light shines on the agar jelly surface, punctuated by gaps: regions without light that take the form of different two-dimensional geometric shapes (such as a triangle, square, or hexagon).
Scientists placed the starved slime molds into these light-free regions, trapping them – but only for a while.

Spurred by hunger, the molds started growing within an hour, then expanded their dense network of tubules with gusto to explore and fill the trap.
During this exploratory phase, slime mold movement is governed by a kind of localized cytoplasmic streaming, a flow of cellular fluid pushed along by molecular contractions.

Tentatively, seeking food and freedom, the molds extended small protrusions into the field of blue light in all directions. Most of these were quickly withdrawn, but some extended so far that the molds found a way to escape.

"Small protrusions emerge all around the trap boundary (exploration protrusions), yet escapes only happen close to the longest axis within the shape," the researchers explain.
By the 'longest axis', they mean the longest possible line that can be drawn across the shape. Which seems a little odd: Why take the longest path and not the shortest route?

The researchers think it has something to do with the way slime molds mobilize.

Only over the course of time does the organism ultimately settle on the contraction mode most efficient for transport, which coincides with the escape," the researchers explain.

Well, each time the slime mold is testing an escape route, it's effectively reorganizing its body, allowing the peristaltic contractions to course through its being, to find the most efficient way to move.
The longer the path, the more pressure the mold's peristaltic contractions can build up, which means it can push more of its gooey mass outward in one go.

"The trap shape ultimately sets the mode most efficient for transport, allowing pressure to build up along the longest axis and driving the plasmodial escape," the team explains.
So while it might seem that the slime mold is 'making decisions' about which way to move, this study suggests it actually hinges on mechanical processes involving fluid flows.

https://journals.aps.org/prxlife/abstract/10.1103/rv7g-d9kx

Part 2

Tool raises red flags on suspect journals
An online tool that tracks publishing patterns in academic journals could warn researchers about potentially problematic journals before they submit their work to them. The platform, called Journal Trends, allows users to get a breakdown of a journal’s published papers by country and year, which can raise any red flags such as a sudden surge in publications. These indicators alone don’t prove a journal is untrustworthy, but might indicate that researchers should investigate a journal further, says the tool’s developer.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01707-1?utm_source=Live+...

Scientist creates 'mini‑universe' to measure time without a clock

A closed quantum system of 24,000 ultracold atoms was engineered to act as a “mini-universe,” in which an internal, entropic notion of time emerges without reference to an external clock. Changes in particle distribution define a time parameter that has a direction, orders events, and can speed up or slow down. A Schrödinger-like dynamics can be formulated in this entropic time, providing an experimental test bed for quantum cosmology and quantum gravity concepts.

Giovanni Barontini, Testing the problem of time with cold atoms, Physical Review Research (2026). DOI: 10.1103/1h9j-df4k

One daily drink no longer looks harmless, as alcohol's risks rewrite moderate drinking rules
Alcohol consumption above one drink per day is associated with increased risks of mortality, disability, and chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. No significant protective health effects were observed at any level of alcohol intake, and risks outweigh potential benefits even at low consumption. The findings provide a quantitative benchmark, indicating that even moderate drinking elevates health risks.
After medical experts reviewed more than 7,200 scientific articles on alcohol-related diseases and injuries to determine the level of risk for each condition, the researchers applied those risks to large national health data sets. They then used statistical modeling to estimate how different drinking levels influence long-term health outcomes.
It turns out that two drinks per day, which might be considered 'moderate' from a social standpoint, is associated with a substantially elevated risk of a premature death caused by alcohol.
In addition to mortality risk, researchers examined how drinking patterns influence chronic and acute alcohol-related conditions such as cancer (e.g., esophageal, oral, and breast), cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and injury.

The study overturns a common misconception that alcohol can protect health. "We did not observe a significant protective effect of alcohol on health at any level of consumption," say the researchers.
At low levels, alcohol may be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke. But when you look across the full range of health outcomes, including cancer and other chronic diseases, those potential benefits are outweighed by the risks even at seven drinks per week.

Alcohol Intake and Health Study: No protective effect at low levels, with mortality increasing to 1 in 25 at 14 drinks per week, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (2026). doi.org/10.15288/jsad.25-00435

Alcohol policy, commercial influence, and the public health costs of ignoring evidence: The case of the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (2026). doi.org/10.15288/jsad.26-00142

Vagus nerve stimulation may quiet pain through newly mapped brainstem pathway

Physical pain is essential for survival, as it allows animals to detect when they are injured or unwell, seek shelter and address their ailments. Yet when it becomes chronic, pain can also become highly distressing and debilitating.

While there are now several therapeutic strategies for managing chronic pain, an emerging one that has been found to be particularly promising is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). VNS entails the delivery of mild electrical pulses to the nerve that connects the brain to organs throughout the body.

Past studies suggest that VNS based therapy can reduce the pain associated with various medical conditions, including chronic headaches, fibromyalgia and joint inflammation. The neural processes by which it can ease pain, however, are still poorly understood.

Researchers  carried out a study aimed at better understanding how VNS acts on pain, specifically focusing on neurons in the brainstem, a stalk-like structure at the base of the brain. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that VNS-based therapy acts on a previously unknown neural pathway involved in the processing of pain.

VNS has been used clinically for several neurological and psychiatric conditions, and growing evidence suggests that it can also help relieve pain

The main objective of this study was to identify specific populations of neurons and neural pathways that play a role in the effects of VNS on the sensory perception and emotional processing of pain. To achieve this, the researchers carried out a series of experiments involving adult mice.

Initially, the team examined the roles of different groups of neurons in a part of the brainstem known as the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS). This allowed them to identify a specific set of neurons that appeared to play a role in pain-related perceptions and behaviours.

The neurons they identified had axons (i.e., long fiber-like extensions) that reached the periaqueductal gray (PAG). The PAG is a small, almond-shaped segment of the midbrain known to play a role in intense emotional experiences, pain modulation and fight-or-flight responses.

Part 1

The researchers then focused on these neurons, selectively activating or inhibiting them while measuring pain-related behaviours.
They also recorded their neural activity while the animals experienced painful stimuli or received VNS. Finally, we traced the anatomical connections linking the spinal cord, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the periaqueductal gray, and downstream dopamine circuits.
Using various techniques to activate specific neurons, trace their connections and record neural activity, they were able to identify neurons that responded most strongly to pain. When they then exposed the mice to VNS, they could determine whether this intervention acted on these neurons and modified their activity.

They identified a specific brainstem pathway, from the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract to the periaqueductal gray, that converts pain signals into behavioural and emotional responses," Deng said.

Activating this pathway produced pain-like behaviours, while inhibiting it reduced pain behaviour. They also found that this pathway influences dopamine signals in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting a circuit mechanism through which VNS may affect both the sensory and emotional components of pain.
The results of this study offer valuable new insight into the neural processes by which VNS eases chronic pain.

Yuan Tang et al, A brainstem pathway underlying vagal modulation of somatic pain and affective states, Nature Neuroscience (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02313-0.

Part 2

Manakins' dazzling dances may owe their origins to an ancient diet shift

Few animals put on a show quite like manakins. In the rainforests of Central and South America, males of these small tropical birds, with strikingly bright plumage, often gather at communal display sites (leks), where they clear their own dance courts and spend much of their lives performing high-speed backflips, snapping their wings like firecrackers, and running through choreographed routines with other males, all to attract a mate.

Behind these seemingly effortless performances is far more than meets the eye: years of practice, females who raise the young alone, and—it turns out—a change in diet that began with their distant ancestors. A new paper on this topic appears in Current Biology.

Over millions of years, the relentless competition for mates is thought to have driven manakin plumage and dances to ever greater extremes through sexual selection, the evolutionary force behind extravagant features such as the peacock's tail and the stag's antlers. Only a small number of the most attractive males are usually chosen as mates, and across the generations, that intense selection by females pushes favored traits further.

In manakins, diet may also play a role in the evolution of these dazzling displays.
Researchers now uncovered a link between the birds' diet and changes in display behaviour.
The researchers sequenced the genomes of lek-mating manakins and observed genetic fingerprints of strong sexual selection as well as changes in taste and digestion. Through reconstruction of dietary patterns, genome-wide surveys, and lab experiments, they examined the order of those changes in the birds' evolutionary history to work out their timing.
Part 1

Male manakins are not only showmen, but extraordinary athletes. In some species, their wing muscles are among the fastest-contracting in nature. A displaying male's heart can race from rest to near its limit in seconds, and males may spend up to 90% of the daylight hours performing, almost year-round. Such effort burns a lot of energy, and manakins draw it substantially from their fruit-based diets. But eating fruit is not necessarily straightforward for a bird: Many plants protect their unripe fruit with toxic compounds, making them tough to digest, and many birds cannot even taste sweetness, having lost the necessary receptor far back in their evolutionary history.

Remarkably, some bird species have found a way around these problems through independent evolutionary innovations.
Earlier research led by scientists has shown that hummingbirds, songbirds and woodpeckers re-evolved a sense of sweetness by chance modifications to the receptor for savory taste that happened to make it sugar responsive. The new study adds manakins to that list, confirmed by tests in lab-grown cells.
Manakins re-evolved a sweet sense of their own—and did it their own way, by altering a different part of the receptor than songbirds use.
Evolution kept arriving at the same answer along different paths. And taste sits within something larger: fruit in tropical forests is conspicuous and abundant year-round, likely providing the energy needed for females to raise the young alone and for males to put on their incredible displays.
A second key change was in digestion: The enzyme lactase—which in mammals breaks down milk sugar—has lost much of its activity in manakins. When active, lactase also breaks down certain plant compounds found in unripe fruit, releasing products that block sugar absorption. With reduced lactase activity, the manakins may pass these compounds through harmlessly and absorb more energy from the fruit.

The change traces back to when the manakins' lineage first turned to fruit. Mapping these changes onto a family tree of more than 1,300 related bird species revealed a clear order: The dietary changes came first, deep in the manakins' ancestry, and the elaborate mating system and displays followed much later.

Genomic and physiological changes in a sexually selected and frugivorous bird radiation, Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.021

Part 2

How you can stop your cat from bringing home unwelcome pathogens
Outdoor-roaming pet cats have 3–5 times higher odds of carrying zoonotic pathogens than indoor-only cats and similar odds to feral cats, with ~100 zoonoses detected, including rabies, Toxoplasma and Salmonella. Free-roaming cats transmit pathogens via hunting and fecal contamination of shared spaces. Restricting unsupervised roaming, using enclosures or leashes, and maintaining vaccination and parasite control reduce risks to humans, wildlife and cats.

original article.

Cooling ingredients in e-cigarettes may cause irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest
Synthetic cooling agents WS-3 and WS-23 in nicotine e-cigarette aerosols altered heart rate variability and increased premature beats in mice, with WS-23 tripling arrhythmias versus nicotine alone. In human cardiomyocytes, coolants modified rhythm only under hormonal stress. Nicotine absorption was unchanged. Findings indicate coolant-dependent pro-arrhythmic cardiac effects, with uncertain long-term and human impacts.

Influence of Cooling Agents on the Arrhythmogenic and Autonomic Effects of Electronic Cigarettes in an in vivo Model, Circulation Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology (2026). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCEP.125.014253

Alpha-gal syndrome, the life-threatening meat allergy caused by tick bites

It's common knowledge that ticks can spread infections that cause serious illnesses, including Lyme disease. Now health officials are trying to raise awareness of a lesser-known problem: a life-threatening allergy to meat triggered by tick bites.

The problem, known as alpha-gal syndrome, was first linked to a particular species of ticks about 15 years ago. But cases are on the rise as more people report symptoms such as hives, diarrhea and itchiness after eating as little as a mouthful of meat and—in some cases—dairy. The allergy doesn't impact consumption of seafood or poultry. Chicken, turkey and eggs are all OK to eat.

For years, the standard treatment has involved avoiding foods that come from cows, pigs and lambs while carrying an epinephrine injector in case of medical emergency. But regulators recently approved the first drug for the condition, and more therapies may be on the way.

Unlike other tick-borne illnesses, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal syndrome isn't caused by a bacteria or a virus. Instead, it occurs when the human immune system triggers an allergic response to a type of sugar, known as alpha-gal.

Alpha-gal is found in the meat of most mammals, but not in humans or other primates. It's also found in the saliva of certain ticks.

When eaten, the sugar is normally harmless. But when ticks bite through the skin, they can introduce the sugar directly into the bloodstream. That triggers the development of antibodies—immune system proteins that fight off foreign invaders—that quickly learn to identify and attack alpha-gal sugar molecules.

It turns out that the skin is a fantastic way to make an allergic response.

If this all happened orally, and we were eating alpha-gal like we do with steaks or barbecue, then we wouldn't become allergic. People that develop the antibodies will often experience a strong allergic reaction a few hours after consuming meat or dairy. But it can take weeks or months for the problem to develop, with the severity of symptoms often increasing over time.

 Rising cases also reflect the expanding habitat range of the lone star tick, the primary source of the condition in the U.S. Moreover people are now more aware of the disease and symptoms.

Part 1

People usually seek medical attention after experiencing worrisome symptoms, including hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing and swelling of the lips, throat, tongue or eyelids. Some people may only experience digestive issues, including diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and nausea.

Doctors diagnose the allergy based on results from a blood test, symptoms and other details reported by the patient, including whether they recall any recent bug bites.
The blood test detects the presence of alpha-gal antibodies, but not all patients with a positive result develop the condition. Sometimes the test can also be wrong.
Doctors generally advise patients to avoid beef, pork, lamb and other meats from mammals. Some people are still be able to consume dairy products from these animals, including milk, cheese and butter. Those with particularly severe reactions may need to avoid foods made with other animal byproducts such as gelatin, which is found in marshmallows and gummy bears.

One rare exception: meat from a small number of pigs that have been genetically modified to not produce alpha-gal. Approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration in 2020, the pigs are bred as part of an experimental effort to harvest animal organs for transplantation into humans. Deactivating the alpha-gal gene was a critical first step to make sure the human immune system wouldn't immediately reject the foreign organs. Meat from these so-called "GalSafe" pigs is available from a company called Amaroo Hills.

People with the syndrome may also have to avoid certain medical products and implants. For instance, many heart valves are made from cow or pig parts.

The allergy can fade away in some people after several years. Commins has seen that happen in about 15% to 20% of his patients. But it's critical to avoid new tick bites.
In 2024, the FDA approved an injectable drug called Xolair for a variety of food allergies, including alpha-gal syndrome. The drug doesn't reverse the condition but helps reduce severe allergic reactions after accidental exposure to meat.

Source: News agencies - AP

Part 2

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New research suggests maternal asthma may heighten risk of retinopathy of prematurity
Maternal asthma was associated with approximately a twofold increase in risk of treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity in a cohort of 2,237 screened premature infants. The association appeared independent of established risk factors such as gestational age and birth weight. Findings support maternal asthma control during pregnancy as a potential strategy to reduce severe ROP risk.

Dallin Milner et al, The Clinical Association of Maternal Asthma and the Development of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Preterm Infants, Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases (2026). DOI: 10.1177/24741264261421789

Killing cancer requires immune cells to infiltrate tumors' hostile microenvironment—sugar shields can help them break in

Tumors create a hostile microenvironment that impairs immune and CAR-T cell function, partly via altered surface glycans and inhibitory molecules such as galectin-3. Glycoengineering CAR-T cells to express a modified glycan “sugar coat” reduces galectin-3 binding, enhances T-cell survival and communication in tumors, and prolongs antitumor activity, emphasizing resilience and microenvironment adaptation over increased cytotoxic potency.

original article.

The mysterious tooth condition affecting millions of children
Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a common developmental enamel defect affecting first permanent molars and often incisors, leading to weak, discolored, sensitive teeth unrelated to oral hygiene. Suspected contributors include early-life illness, antibiotics, perinatal complications, environmental factors, and genetic susceptibility. MIH cannot currently be prevented, so management focuses on fluoride, sealants, fillings, crowns, or extractions, plus aesthetic treatments in older patients. Improved diagnostic consistency and etiological research are needed to refine prevention and care.

original article.

Powerful UFO spotted blasting from a distant black hole

Astronomers have detected one of the most powerful ultra-fast outflows ever seen from a distant supermassive black hole. Using XMM-Newton and NuSTAR, a team studied a hyper-luminous quasar at cosmic noon and found two distinct wind components blasting away from the black hole, details of which are outlined in a paper submitted to the arXiv preprint server on June 3. The study has been submitted to the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics and is currently under minor revision.
Black holes consuming large amounts of material tend to lash out, driving powerful winds of gas outward from the vicinity of the accretion disk. These winds are known as ultra-fast outflows, or UFOs, when they exceed 10% of the speed of light. They are thought to be a key mechanism by which black holes regulate both their own growth and that of their host galaxies. By depositing energy into the surrounding gas, they heat it, slow star formation and can eventually quench the galaxy entirely. This kind of regulation is thought to typically take place during cosmic noon—roughly 1.6 to 3.5 billion years after the Big Bang—when both black holes and galaxies are growing at their peak rates.

UFOs leave their fingerprints in X-ray spectra as absorption features. They create dips caused by highly ionized iron in the outflowing gas absorbing X-rays as they travel toward us. Because the gas is moving outward at a significant fraction of the speed of light, these features appear shifted to higher energies than expected—a blueshift that reveals both the presence and the speed of the wind.

Most previous detections at high redshift relied on gravitationally lensed quasars—objects whose light is magnified by a foreground galaxy, boosting the luminosity. While useful, lensing can introduce some uncertainties.
In this new study, the team combined XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations from October 2024 with an archival XMM-Newton observation from 2017 and produced a high-quality X-ray spectrum of WISSH13. It showed two clear absorption features. Modeling showed that these features arise from two different components of the same UFO, traveling at roughly 10% and 30% of the speed of light.
Part 1

The slower component was detected in both the 2017 and 2024 observations, suggesting it is a long-lived feature of the system. The faster component appeared only in the newer data, indicating it may be launched in short-lived episodes. "The detection of two distinct velocity components (∼0.1c and ∼0.3c) with different variability patterns suggests a complex, stratified outflow," the team writes.

The researchers explain that the observations are consistent with a layered wind structure predicted by theoretical models, in which a faster "spine" launched from the innermost regions of the accretion disk is surrounded by a slower "sheath" originating farther out.

Together, the two components eject around 21 and 24 solar masses of material per year, respectively. This ranks them among the most massive and powerful UFOs known. This is also the highest-redshift UFO detected from a non-lensed quasar to date.

Interestingly, despite their enormous power, the team found that the winds follow the same scaling relations observed in lower-redshift active galaxies. The team notes that future instruments, particularly the planned NewAthena X-ray observatory, will be able to identify such winds in distant quasars.

G. Lanzuisi et al, The WISSHFUL program: the highest redshift UFO discovered in a non-lensed QSO, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2606.05312

Part 2

Global surveys find carbon uptake in tropics overestimated

An international team of researchers has found plants in the tropics absorb much less carbon dioxide than previous modelling had suggested, which has implications for ecosystem management.
Global atmospheric CO₂ measurements combined with ocean and fossil-fuel flux estimates and aircraft data indicate tropical ecosystems absorb substantially less CO₂ than many models suggest and may be near carbon neutral. This reduces the estimated tropical land carbon sink and refines understanding of ecosystem contributions to the global carbon cycle.

Britton B. Stephens et al, Improved latitudinal carbon budgets from global airborne surveys, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2523984123

Dolphins know how to avoid troublesome males by listening for their 'names'

When female bottlenose dolphins want to avoid males known for pushy mating behaviours, they listen out for their unique signature whistles.

Male dolphins can be highly aggressive and coercive during courtship. If a female tries to escape, a male may bite, slam his body into hers or slap her with his tail. Much is already known about what males do during these encounters, but the scientists wanted to know whether and how females try to outsmart them.
The research team combined decades of data tracking the lives of Shark Bay dolphins with a field experiment using high-quality audio recordings of the signature whistles of 11 adult male dolphins. The aquatic mammals use these whistles to identify themselves, and other dolphins can recognize them, much like human names.

The scientists then tracked down 17 adult female dolphins in the wild. During each test, they played a recording of a specific male to a female, one at a time, through an underwater speaker. Most of the females heard two or three different male whistles, while others heard only one.

As the sounds played, the researchers flew a drone overhead to capture the exact moment a female heard a whistle and her reaction.

Females likely to be fertile or about to become fertile swam away immediately and stayed away longer when they heard the whistle of a male known for frequently herding females during mating attempts. In the Shark Bay population, males that herd females more often are also more likely to be coercive.

"Females who were reproductively available showed a significantly stronger aversive response to the identity signals of males who coerced females at higher rates," the study authors wrote in their paper.
Female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins use male-specific signature whistles to identify and avoid males with histories of frequent herding and coercive mating behaviour. Reproductively available females showed stronger avoidance responses to whistles of more coercive males, indicating individual recognition and behaviour adjustment based on males’ past conduct rather than only personal experience.

Alice Bouchard et al, Female dolphins use individual vocal labels to track coercive males, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2531602123

Digital tools reveal hidden extinctions as AI reshapes global conservation

Technology can be nature's ally, with digital tools exposing critical gaps in scientific knowledge and highlighting where action is most urgently needed to safeguard plants and fungi.
AI, digitization, and global data sharing are rapidly transforming plant and fungal conservation by exposing data gaps, revealing underestimated extinction risk, and enabling probability-based extinction assessments. Large-scale digitization of herbaria and fungaria improves taxonomy, climate-impact analyses, and equitable access, while genomic methods unlock historical fungal specimens. Climate-driven shifts in flowering phenology and persistent geographic data biases highlight the need for expanded, standardized, and globally coordinated biodiversity infrastructures.

Harnessing the benefits of specimen digitisation, New Phytologist (2026).

Your body's secret sugar code could predict disease years before it strikes

Scientists have found that hidden health signals coating your cells could change medicine forever. The new study has shown sugar molecules in your body may reveal disease long before it's detected. The research, published in Nature Chemical Biology, shines a spotlight on glycans—tiny, complex sugar chains that coat your cells and proteins.

For years, these sugar molecules were dismissed as little more than biological decoration. Now, researchers say, they're anything but.

"Glycans aren't just sitting there. They're actively controlling how our immune system works and how diseases develop.

Glycans, complex sugar chains on cells and proteins, dynamically reflect physiological state and are strongly influenced by lifestyle, environment, and disease. Specific blood glycan patterns can predict conditions such as type 2 diabetes up to a decade before clinical diagnosis, indicating potential for early risk stratification and personalized medicine, pending validation in large, standardized cohorts.
Unlike your DNA, which barely changes over time, glycans are constantly shifting, reacting to your lifestyle, environment and even hidden illness. That makes them a real-time snapshot of your health—and potentially a powerful early warning system. In fact, the study found glycan patterns in blood can predict diseases like type 2 diabetes up to 10 years before diagnosis.

This flips medicine on its head. Instead of waiting for people to get sick, we could spot the risk early and step in sooner.
Because glycan patterns are influenced by a complex mix of genetics, hormones and environmental factors, they're deeply individual, making them ideal for personalized health care. The glycome gives us a live window into how the body is changing. DNA can't do that.
In the future, a simple blood test could reveal your unique disease risks and guide tailored treatments. But researchers caution there is still work to do. Bigger long-term studies and global standards are needed before glycan testing becomes routine.

Maja Pučić-Baković et al, Large glycomics datasets as a tool to understand the function of glycans, Nature Chemical Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41589-026-02217-x

Many cancers originate from a single cancer cell and evolve through early bursts of chromosome changes
Tumors across multiple cancer types arise from a single ancestral cell that acquires early shared copy number alterations, followed by punctuated bursts of additional chromosomal changes generating diverse subclones. High aneuploidy, TP53 mutations, genome doubling, and elevated CNA burden correlate with greater intratumoral diversity, spatial heterogeneity, advanced stage, and poorer outcomes.

Hanghui Ye et al, A pan-cancer single-cell analysis of intratumoral copy number diversity and evolution, Cancer Discovery (2026). DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-25-0964

Seeking health information does not automatically improve health behavior, says researcher

People are increasingly seeking health information online , but the information they find is not leading to better health decisions. The concern is not a lack of information but people's digital literacy and ability to make sense of it.
Among people aged ≥50, online health information seeking is shaped by education, digital skills, and internet habits, and does not automatically translate into healthier behaviour. Physicians remain the primary trusted source, while many struggle to assess online information reliability. Unequal digital literacy can widen health inequalities, indicating a need to strengthen critical digital and health literacy rather than only expanding digital services.

Marianne Paimre, Patterns of Online Health Information-Seeking Behaviour and Related Factors Among Estonian Older Adults, Tallinn University (2026). DOI: 10.60518/etera/150

Psychologists say patients are turning to chatbots as mental health professionals

More than three-quarters of psychologists report their patients are discussing artificial intelligence in therapy, using the technology to seek additional support with their mental health, find a diagnosis, or for friendship and intimate relationships, according to a survey
Most psychologists report patients use AI chatbots to supplement therapy for self-diagnosis, coping support, and companionship, often feeling validated but sometimes developing dependency or distorted thinking. Clinicians express substantial concern about chatbots’ limited nuance, risk of reinforcing negative beliefs, and potential to encourage self-harm. AI is viewed as a possible adjunct when professionals are unavailable, not a replacement for human care.

AI should always be used carefully. Developed with guidance from an advisory panel of experts in digital mental health, clinical psychology, and youth and adolescent well-being, APA's recommendations for users include:

Verifying any mental health or medical information generated by AI with a health care practitioner.
Asking for strategies aligned with research-backed therapeutic approaches.
Prompting AI to challenge your thinking or provide alternative perspectives.
Limiting your use of AI so it does not interfere with sleep, hobbies, school, work or social interaction.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/chatbots-mental-health-2026

How many elementary particles are there?
Even if you know your fermions from your bosons, the actual number of fundamental particles — the electrons, quarks and other building blocks of physics — is still uncertain. From the 17 that feature on posters on classroom walls, “where you stop depends on your taste for complexity and mystery”, explains science writer Natalie Wolchover. “Plausible answers range from 17 to — in all seriousness — 995.5.”

https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-many-elementary-particles-are-th...

Why just sharing a stick while walking can significantly improve balance
Could the secret to preventing dangerous falls be surprisingly simple? For older adults, these unexpected tumbles are a leading cause of injury, affecting roughly 1 in 4 people 65 and older each year. What if the key isn't complex technology or intensive therapy, but something as straightforward as a shared connection? Forget holding hands—new research reveals a surprising twist in how two people can become a dynamic duo against sudden loss of balance.
A rigid mechanical link between two side-by-side walkers improves post-perturbation stability and speeds balance recovery compared with no link or an elastic connection. Benefits are greatest when only one partner is perturbed, with the unperturbed individual acting as a stabilizing anchor. High-frequency (~15 Hz) tactile interactions mediate rapid corrective forces, suggesting a fast sensorimotor communication channel through touch.

A recent study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, demonstrates that when two individuals walk side by side, a rigid link between them dramatically accelerates balance recovery after unexpected slips.

Scientists put this to the test with 12 pairs of volunteers on a specialized treadmill, finding that a simple stick, unlike an elastic band or no connection at all, transforms walkers into a rapid-response team, significantly improving stability and speeding recovery from perturbations.
The results demonstrated an improvement in stability when an interaction was present, particularly in the case of a slip perturbation," the researchers note. The unperturbed walker essentially became an effective stabilizer.

Sandrine Gayrard et al, Instability analysis of perturbed gait in dyads: holding a stick together provides effective assistance and is accompanied by information exchanges, Journal of the Royal Society Interface (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2026.0206

Evolution can make cells smaller without slowing down their growth

A new study shows that evolution can substantially reduce cell size without significantly compromising cells' ability to grow.
"Why are cells the size they are?" The question may seem simple, but cell size influences fundamental processes, including metabolism, growth and cell division. Despite the enormous diversity of shapes and sizes found in nature, each cell type tends to remain within a relatively narrow size range. When a cell becomes too large or too small, its function can be compromised.

Previous studies have shown that each cell type tends to have a characteristic size, and that this size is important for its function. When we make cells larger or smaller, they start to perform worse.
The question driving this study was how, over the course of evolution, cells of such different sizes could arise if even small changes to a cell's normal size can come with biological costs.

To address this question, the researchers used experimental evolution. Over approximately 1,500 generations, they selected the smallest yeast cells in each population every day. But these cells also had to compete for nutrients and multiply quickly before the next round of selection.

Experimental evolution in yeast over ~1,500 generations produced substantially smaller cells without major loss of growth rate by selecting simultaneously for reduced size and rapid proliferation. Genome sequencing revealed mutations in conserved growth and cell-cycle pathways that causally reduced size, indicating that evolution can partially uncouple cell miniaturization from growth capacity.
The results of this study suggest that evolution can gradually fine-tune fundamental cellular mechanisms to alter cell size, partially uncoupling two traits that appeared to be inevitably linked: miniaturization and growth capacity.

Ana Garoña et al, Experimental evolution of cellular miniaturization reveals a putative mechanism for cell size evolution, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2531280123

Genetic study finds urban rodents may be evolving against common poisons

For years, pest control professionals throughout the Northeast have reported a troubling pattern. In some neighbourhoods, rodents seemed increasingly difficult to eliminate, even when standard control methods were used. Now researchers think they may know one reason why.
A study found that 84% of house mice sampled from urban areas in the Northeast carried at least one genetic mutation linked to rodenticide resistance, suggesting many mouse populations may be evolving ways to survive the poisons commonly used to control them.

Urban house mice in northeastern U.S. cities show high frequencies of Vkorc1 mutations linked to anticoagulant rodenticide resistance, with 84% carrying at least one mutation and ~70% carrying known resistance alleles. About 35% of Norway rats carry Vkorc1 variants of uncertain functional impact. Findings indicate widespread, evolving resistance and support integrated, less chemical‑reliant rodent management.

Jin‐Jia Yu et al, Distribution and frequency of Vkorc1 polymorphisms in house mice and Norway rats in the northeastern United States, Pest Management Science (2026). DOI: 10.1002/ps.70833

Levels of 'forever chemicals' in dolphins and whales are rising globally
PFAS concentrations in cetaceans have increased globally since 2000, with highest levels in Pacific populations and coastal dolphins and porpoises. Contamination varies by species, region, sex, and age, with maternal transfer exposing calves early and males accumulating higher burdens. Data gaps remain for several regions. Findings support stricter PFAS controls and continued biomonitoring.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X26007368...

original article.

Everyday chemical exposures linked to preterm birth and lower birthweight
In one of the largest studies of chemical exposures during pregnancy to date, new research has found that pregnant women are exposed to dozens of everyday chemicals, many of which can affect how early a child is born or a child's weight at birth. These outcomes influence a child's health throughout life.

A cohort of >5,000 mother–child pairs showed maternal exposure to a mean of 45 everyday chemicals, including phthalates, replacement plasticizers, PAHs and halogenated phenols. Higher levels of several phthalates, alternative plasticizers and PAHs were associated with shorter gestation and lower birthweight, and newer replacement plasticizers exhibited similar adverse associations.
The research, published in JAMA Network Open, found that pregnant women in the study were exposed to an average of 45 different chemicals, including phthalates, replacement plasticizers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated phenols. These chemicals are found in food, water, air pollution, personal care products, fragrances and other household objects.

These chemicals are difficult to avoid because they're found in a wide range of products we use every day. It can be difficult to know whether products contain them, and even when we do know, we have limited control over exposures.
Although there are some practical steps people can take, reducing harmful chemicals at the source is the most effective way to protect children and families.

Phthalates and replacement plasticizers, in particular, are found in many baby care products, such as toys, diaper creams and shampoos. The new study found several additional phthalates, including those that replaced banned phthalates, and plasticizer chemicals in women's samples.
The study included more than 5,000 pairs of mothers and children born between 2000 and 2021 and collected data on chemicals found in maternal urine samples, pregnancy duration and birth weight. Researchers tested for 113 different chemicals commonly found in homes and in air, food and water and found that, on average, 45 were present in each sample (the maximum they observed in a sample was 64). The team then examined how differences in gestational age and birth weight were linked to these chemical exposures.

Several phthalates and alternative plasticizers showed a consistent association with earlier delivery. Phthalates, replacement plasticizers and PAHs were also linked to lower birth weight. Some less-studied chemicals that the researchers identified, including halogenated phenols, were also associated with lower birth weight. The researchers also identified plasticizers recently introduced to replace toxic chemicals like phthalates. However, these newer substances had similar health effects to the chemicals they replaced.

Gestational exposure to ten classes of priority chemicals and birth outcomes in the ECHO Cohort, JAMA Network Open (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.18883

Antisocial behaviour in young people linked to changes throughout the brain

Conduct problems—including persistent rule-breaking, aggression, irritability and difficulty following school rules—are associated with small but widespread differences in brain structure, according to a major international study of more than 14,000 children and adolescents.
Conduct problems in 14,000 youths aged 5–21 were associated with small but widespread reductions in cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volumes, scaling with symptom severity and present across the full spectrum, not only in diagnosed conduct disorder. Effects were modest, influenced by environmental factors, and support dimensional rather than categorical views of behavioural disorders.
Importantly, these brain changes were found not to be limited to young people with a formal diagnosis of conduct disorder—a mental health condition in children and adolescents characterized by persistent patterns of antisocial behavior. Instead, they were present across the full range of severity, including in youngsters with mild behavioral difficulties.

The study's authors say this research marks an important step forward in understanding the biological and developmental roots of conduct problems, with the potential to inform more effective, tailored interventions for young people worldwide.
According to the team's findings, the more serious a young person's conduct problems, the more pronounced the differences in brain structure. The researchers found this to be true for the thickness of the cortex (the outer layer of the brain), the surface area of the cortex, and the size of key subcortical regions—areas found deeper in the brain.

Marlene Staginnus et al, Dimensional Associations Between Conduct Problems and Brain Structure Across 18 International Cohorts in ENIGMA, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2026.03.002

Scientists uncover how physical activity may help protect older adults against cancer
Scientists have discovered that aging muscle may contribute to cancer growth by releasing fewer extracellular vesicles, tiny particles that cells use to communicate with one another. Their study also found that the composition of these particles changes with age, weakening protective signals that help suppress tumor development.
Encouragingly, exercise appears to restore this protective function. Published in Nature Communications, the findings offer fresh insights into healthy aging and cancer prevention, as well as potential biomarkers and therapies tailored to older adults.

Aging and sarcopenic muscle secrete fewer extracellular vesicles and show reduced levels of the tumor-suppressive microRNA miR-7a-5p, weakening muscle-to-tumor inhibitory signaling and favoring cancer growth. Exercise reactivates the declining pathway controlling vesicle release, restoring protective signaling. Extracellular vesicle miR-7a-5p is proposed as a potential biomarker of cancer risk in older adults.

Kah Yong Goh et al, Sarcopenia promotes tumorigenesis by disrupting NOTCH-SDC2-regulated biogenesis of muscle-derived extracellular vesicles, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72410-y

Pakistani genomes reveal 34,000 knockouts that could explain why mouse-based drugs fail in humans

A comprehensive analysis of 173,303 genomes from Pakistan, published today in Nature, is upending how scientists understand human genetics and drug development. By identifying 34,000 people who are "human knockouts," with complete loss of function of at least one gene, the study reveals variation in the human genome needed to shape new treatments for human diseases while also illuminating why drugs developed in mice often fail in humans.
Analysis of 173,303 Pakistani genomes identified ~34,000 individuals with complete loss-of-function in ≥1 gene, yielding knockouts in ~6,500 protein-coding genes. Many genes deemed essential from mouse models are variable in humans, clarifying failures of mouse-based drug targets (e.g., RXFP1) and highlighting protective knockouts (e.g., CIDEB) as therapeutic candidates. The resource improves prediction of drug efficacy and safety, including ancestry-translatable insights, and demonstrates the value of consanguineous South Asian populations for human genetics and drug development.
Crucially, the study reveals that genes considered "essential" to life and intolerant to changes, based on mouse models, are actually variable in humans—a finding with profound implications for pharmaceutical development.

The genomes also contain information needed to uncover the functions of two-thirds of human genes that remain a mystery even 25 years after the completion of the Human Genome Project.

Allan Gurtan, Analysis of 173,303 exomes and genomes in the Pakistan Genome Resource, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10667-5. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10667-5

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How early life experiences shape schizophrenia risk

Researchers have found that childhood trauma, poverty, social isolation and other adverse life experiences are associated with brain changes linked to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders—findings that could help researchers identify people at risk earlier and develop interventions before severe symptoms emerge.
Early-life adversity, including trauma, poverty, social isolation, discrimination, and food insecurity, is associated with alterations in brain structure, function, and neurochemistry linked to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. These factors do not singly cause schizophrenia but increase risk in vulnerable individuals. Understanding these neurobiological pathways may enable earlier, more targeted, and potentially preventive interventions.
Overall, the researchers found evidence that greater exposure to adverse conditions early in life is associated with differences in brain structure, brain function and neurochemistry—all of which have been previously linked to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Social Determinants of Health and Neurobiology Across the Schizophrenia Course: A Systematic Review, JAMA Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2026.1312

The kombucha paradox: Measurable effects, uncertain well-being benefits

Kombucha has become part of the wider boom in gut-friendly foods and drinks. But a major heart health charity is urging consumers to look more carefully at what these products actually contain.
The British Heart Foundation has warned that some popular gut-friendly products can come with drawbacks. Commercial kombucha may be a healthier alternative to some sugary fizzy drinks, but store-bought versions can contain added sugar. Other fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut, can be high in salt.

The warning points to a wider problem. Foods and drinks sold with a health halo are not always straightforwardly healthy. The fact that a product contains potentially active compounds does not prove it will produce a meaningful benefit.

Kombucha is often sold as more than a fizzy drink. Because it is fermented, it is commonly linked with gut health, well-being and even stress resilience.

But in a controlled human study, the results were more complicated. Drinking kombucha each day changed some metabolic markers in the body, but did not clearly change how healthy adults responded to acute laboratory stress.
But it tells us something important: Biological activity does not automatically mean a meaningful health benefit.
Daily consumption of a controlled kombucha drink for eight weeks altered metabolic biomarkers but did not meaningfully change acute stress responses, including cortisol, autonomic measures, or self-reported stress, compared with placebo in healthy adults. Kombucha’s measurable biological activity therefore does not translate into demonstrated well-being or stress-resilience benefits, and health claims remain unsupported.

original article.

'Timescapes' may explain why animal species perceive events so differently

There is evidence that nonhuman animals perceive the world, and how it unfolds in time, differently from humans and from each other. For example, certain beetles can see flickering in lights up to around 500 Hz, while in humans that flickering appears as a steady light after 60 Hz. Humans see flashed objects as lagging behind moving objects when they actually aren't. While other animals also seem to experience this illusion, the flash appears in a different location. Apparent motion—where stationary objects appear to be moving—also has been shown to differ in humans and mice.

In a new paper, published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a group of researchers propose a strategy for understanding the temporal aspects of animal experiences through the characteristic way their perceptions are organized and updated over time, which they refer to as the animal's "timescape."

Most attempts to compare animal time perception have relied on a single metric and are too crude to capture real experiential differences. Thus far, most attempts have focused on the critical flicker fusion threshold (CFFT), which is the rate at which a flickering light is perceived as steady. While the CFFT may provide an interesting look at one aspect of the temporal discrimination of visual content, the authors of the new study say it falls short of providing an in-depth understanding of how animals perceive time and may even be misleading.
After noting the wide range of 4–500 Hz in CFFTs in different animals, they write: "Based on these vast differences in CFFTs, one might be tempted to conclude that streams of experience flow extremely slowly or extremely fast when compared with a human benchmark. However, this conclusion would be hasty. Even in humans, CFFTs are uninformative about the temporal regularities over which our perceptual mechanisms anticipate, organize, revise or attend to perceptual inputs. Moreover, CFFTs are fundamentally a measure of retinal sensitivity. As such, they offer little information about the timescapes of perceptual experiences in general."

The researchers propose that an animal's timescape can better be described using five experimentally testable temporal "windows," which give a richer, more biologically grounded picture of animal experience. These include synchronization of the binding of contents in a single perceptual moment (synchronization), how perceptual content is updated with subsequent input (revision), how long attention is sustained on something (attention), how long perceptual content is present after a stimulus offset (persistence), and how long it takes to perceive something before switching (stability).

Experiments across various studies have shown that different species show strikingly different durations for each window, suggesting genuinely different temporal organizations of experience. The researchers say temporal illusions are also powerful tools for probing these windows across species. They give multiple examples of how illusions provide insights into each window.
For example, one illusion, referred to as "motion dazzle," consists of a camouflage strategy using contrasting patterns that disrupt the accurate perception of motion and speed to confuse predators. This illusion can help researchers learn more about the synchronization window. They say the luminance contrasts of an image are scanned and then processed at different latencies. Dark-to-light transitions are processed before light-to-dark transitions and are then perceived as parts of the same image with different latencies. The effect differs across species.
Part 1

The authors also describe illusions related to the window of revision, where later perceptual inputs change the perceptual representations of something that occurred earlier. This is also called postdiction. These illusions are not limited to visual processes but also occur in auditory and tactile processes and have been observed in several animals.

"A key feature of these illusions is their time sensitivity, usually occurring only within a range of 100–450 ms in humans. A classic example is apparent motion. When two frames containing the same perceptual object but having a spatial offset are presented close together in time, it looks as though the object has moved from position A to B.

"Even though this motion percept is contingent on the second frame showing the object in position B, the object appears to be moving even in the first frame. This happens in humans when the two frames are separated by no more than 150 ms. This illusion is ubiquitous across both vertebrate and invertebrate animal species. Macaques, mice, pigeons, Drosophila, and fish perceive apparent motion. However, the temporal range over which apparent motion is best perceived may vary," the study authors write.
Ultimately, the authors say these windows could form the foundation for investigating principles of temporal phenomenology in animals by providing more informed speculations about phenomenological principles across species. Future work may develop theoretical models that predict how different windows should relate to each other and explore whether there are temporal dimensions of experience in other species that humans don't have at all.
The study authors conclude, "While this research program is of obvious interest to empirical, theoretical and philosophical inquiries in consciousness science, it can also contribute ecological insights. Understanding the dynamic constraints on perception and attention can further allow us to capture species-specific behavior (as in our example of the peacock courtship display) and coordination with the environment, conspecifics and/or predators (e.g., understanding motion dazzle as a predator-escape strategy).

"Similarly, the pace and rhythms of experience can inform real-world infrastructure designs. For instance, better understanding the temporal experience of birds may help reduce collisions with wind turbines, as motion blur may reduce the visibility of rapidly rotating blade edges for some species."

Ishan Singhal et al, Timescapes of non-human experience, Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2026.05.002

Part 2

World's highest-consuming 10% cause up to $5.7 trillion a year in environmental damage, study finds
The environmental damage caused by the world's highest-consuming 10% of people is worth $1.7 trillion to $5.7 trillion a year. At the central and upper estimates, this is several times more than the international community has committed to spend on climate action and biodiversity conservation combined, and is on the scale of the funding estimated to be needed globally to address these crises.
This finding, published in Communications Sustainability, puts a price on the harm this group inflicts across four planetary boundaries: climate change, biodiversity loss, nutrient pollution and freshwater use.

The average annual damage bill for a person in the global top 10% is $2,300 to $7,500. In the United States, where per-person impacts are highest, the figure rises to $19,000 to $63,000—equivalent to 6% to 20% of their income or 0.8% to 3% of their wealth. More than 60% of the global top 10% live in the U.S. and EU. In the EU, 40% to 45% of the population falls within this highest-consuming group, and in the U.S. it is more than half the population.

Biodiversity loss is the single largest contributor to the global damage bill, accounting for 47% to 56% of the total. Climate change accounts for 36% to 45%. The finding underlines recent calls to tackle biodiversity and climate crises together rather than treating them as separate policy challenges.
The figures are likely conservative. They cover only four of nine planetary boundaries and reflect direct consumption alone. For the highest-income individuals, roughly half of emissions come from investments rather than personal consumption—impacts not captured in this analysis.

The scale of the damage bill illustrates the potential revenue if polluter-pays principles were applied to high-consuming groups. The researchers note that environmental taxation focused on luxury consumption rather than basic goods tends to be more progressive and more effective at reducing emissions, though they stress that pricing is one tool among several and does not justify or compensate for the damage itself.

Inge Schrijver, Environmental damages of the top ten percent consumers exceed global climate and biodiversity funding gaps, Communications Sustainability (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s44458-026-00079-x. www.nature.com/articles/s44458-026-00079-x

How do flocking birds and schools of fish move? New research offers crystal-clear answer
Flocking birds and schools of fish are a familiar sight. While previous research has uncovered the broad dynamics driving these movements, their underlying intricacies remain a mystery. Now a study by a team of  mathematicians offers new insights into these phenomena. It reveals that flocks and schools behave in ways similar to a soft crystalline material, with individual birds and fish serving as "atoms" that are evenly spaced in a lattice-like formation.
The findings, reported in the journal Physical Review Fluids, offer detailed insights into the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic interactions crucial in aerospace and automotive engineering, robotics and energy harvesting.
Lines of birds or fish behave like an elastic material with regularly spaced individuals held together by flexible, or spring-like, bonds—akin to soft crystalline substances in which atoms are arranged in an orderly, repeating pattern.
The research team proposed a mathematical model to explain these movements—one akin to those of soft crystalline materials, or soft crystals. These ordered solid materials can change their properties in response to stimuli, such as temperature or physical force, which makes their atomic organization fragile. The researchers subsequently saw a connection between crystalline organization and how birds or fish move together while adjusting their movements and formation in response to air or water flows, predators or objects such as rocks or buildings.

Crystalline organization is inherently fragile, as positions are susceptible to deformations and instabilities. In similar ways, birds and fish must sense and respond quickly to other forces in order to maintain long columnar formations. So while soft crystals, flocks of birds, and schools of fish are fragile in their makeup, such fragility may also be advantageous as it can be responsive to its surroundings.

Christiana Mavroyiakoumou et al, Modeling flying formations as flow-mediated matter, Physical Review Fluids (2026). DOI: 10.1103/tp8s-76vr