Recent studies have found these plastics in the placenta, amniotic fluid and even a baby's first stool. In general, the placenta, an organ that develops during pregnancy, is responsible for providing oxygen and essential nutrients to the developing fetus while removing waste products and keeping harmful substances at bay. However, researchers are concerned that, because of their extremely small size, MNPs might cross a placenta-like barrier and disrupt hormones.

In this study, the researchers investigated the interaction among a mother, the placenta and a developing baby via a tri-culture model, in which they grew three different types of human cells together to act like a real body system. The model included BeWo cells for the placental barrier, HUVEC cells for the fetal blood vessels and H295R cells for the fetal adrenal glands, which produce hormones such as adrenaline and sex steroids.

To track the particles' journey, the researchers tagged the MNPs with a tiny fluorescent marker and added them to the maternal side of the model. They then watched to see whether the particles could make their way to the fetal side.

They saw that smaller particles moved through the barrier more easily than larger ones. PMMA showed the largest measured transfer, with about 11% reaching the fetal-side chamber after three days.

High-powered 3D microscopes revealed that the plastics weren't just floating around the cells but had actually entered them. No particles were found in the H295R cells, but very small polystyrene particles between 50 nm and 200 nm were found inside both the BeWo and HUVEC cells.
The MNPs also acted as endocrine disruptors. Polystyrene caused a drop in estrogen, a hormone essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and decreased the expression of the CYP17 gene in fetal cells, which is essential for the synthesis of steroid hormones. Almost all the other plastics tested reduced levels of a hormone called etiocholanolone, which sends vital signals to the growing fetus.

These findings warn that various types of microplastics may disrupt hormones during pregnancy and affect placental function. The researchers say more work is needed to understand what this could mean for a baby's development and exactly how these tiny plastic particles disrupt the body's hormone-making machinery.

Jeske van Boxel et al, Effects of different micro- and nanoplastic polymers on steroidogenesis in a feto-placental in vitro model, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2026.112871

Part 2

The brain's electrical signatures shift as tinnitus becomes chronic

Ears are built to listen to sounds from the world around us, but for some people, the sound comes from within. Tinnitus causes people to hear ringing or other noises in one or both ears or in their heads, even when there is no actual sound outside. While tinnitus is frequently associated with hearing loss, a substantial proportion of individuals with clinically normal hearing thresholds still experience it, and the underlying mechanism remains murky to scientists. A recent study investigated how brain network patterns change as tinnitus progresses from a new condition to a long-term chronic one in people with clinically normal hearing.

After recording the electrical activity in the brains of people with acute and chronic tinnitus, the researchers found that the two conditions have very different neurophysiological profiles. People with recent-onset tinnitus showed an imbalance between two important brain networks: the salience network, which detects salient or potentially threatening signals, and the executive control network, which supports attention and decision-making. The brain significantly increases its focus on the former while decreasing the latter's activity. Those with chronic tinnitus showed much more balanced switching between these networks, meaning the brain began to adapt rather than worsen.

Meng-Fang Gong et al, EEG microstates and dynamic functional connectivity reveal stage-specific brain networks in subjective tinnitus, iScience (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116995

Researchers uncover hidden mechanism behind congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease affects approximately two in every 100 newborns globally. But why does it occur? An important part of the answer may lie in a previously unknown mechanism on the surface of our cells. Researchers identified this mechanism in a new study.
They have discovered a new communication system on the exterior of the cell that is crucial for the proper formation of the heart during embryonic development.

The mechanism is located in the primary cilium, a microscopic "antenna" that protrudes from most cells in the body. The cilium's role is to interpret the body's signaling molecules, enabling the cell to determine whether it should divide, move or die, for example.

In the study, the researchers show that three proteins, TAK1, TAB2 and PKA-Cα, function as a signaling hub within the cell's antenna and play a significant role in heart formation.

These proteins act as molecular instructions that tell stem cells when and how to develop into heart muscle cells. However, genetic alterations can disrupt this communication, causing 'antenna defects,' which may lead to congenital heart defects.

The researchers observed effects not only in the heart.

In the study, the rare genetic mutations were identified in patients with so-called syndromic congenital heart disease. Syndromic heart defects are caused by an underlying genetic syndrome that often also leads to defects and associated conditions in other organs.

At the same time, experiments in zebrafish and detailed studies of cilia in other tissues suggested that the mechanism is also important for the development of other organs.

When the ciliary mechanism fails, it typically affects the development of several other organs as well. This may explain why some patients with congenital heart disease also have defects and related conditions affecting the brain, kidneys and skeleton. The mechanism provides a unifying explanation for diseases that we have previously struggled to understand.
The researchers therefore think that the discovery could help improve the understanding and treatment of a wide range of diseases caused by defects in the primary cilium.
This new knowledge may eventually make it easier to identify patients early and develop targeted treatments.

TAK1 operates at the primary cilium in non-canonical TGFB/BMP signaling to control heart development, PLOS Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003902

Reducing night lights in cities has ecological effects

Artificial light at night (ALAN) can cause plants to open their buds and sprout leaves earlier in the spring. ALAN can also cause trees to delay changing the colour of their leaves in the fall. These changes can ripple through ecosystems, affecting pollinators, herbivores and insects that lay eggs on plants. ALAN also disorients many migrating birds and other animals.
Some cities have attempted to reduce overall ALAN using techniques such as shielding fixtures, implementing adaptive dimming, reducing light output and choosing warmer colour temperatures.

Urban light-mitigation measures in New York City and Washington, D.C., reduced artificial light at night, particularly blue wavelengths, unlike nearby comparison cities. Reduced lighting was associated with less advanced spring green-up and less delayed autumn leaf coloration, indicating potential mitigation of ALAN-driven shifts in plant phenology.
The authors found that New York City and Washington, D.C., showed a reduction in ALAN after the policies were implemented, especially in the blue band, while Newark and Philadelphia did not.

Plant growth cycles also differed between the cities. ALAN typically advances the start of the growing season and delays the end of the season, but in cities with mitigation policies, the start of the season is several days less advanced than it would otherwise be, as measured by the emergence of new green growth visible in satellite images. Cities with mitigation policies also show a transition to fall colour that is less delayed than in cities without such policies.

According to the researchers, the findings demonstrate the feasibility of using high-resolution satellite images to identify relative differences in ALAN levels and point toward ways in which this tool could support urban ecological research.

Mitigating artificial light at night: effectiveness of policies and implications for plant phenology, PNAS Nexus (2026). DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag237 academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/art … /5/8/pgag237/8750162

What's in the dust? Study finds hidden metals in city streets

If you're in an urban area with strong winds, chances are you are breathing in more than a little dust. You could be exposed to metals from cars, construction sites or pesticides used decades ago.

Road dust from cities contained toxic metals, including lead, arsenic, and cadmium, in one-third of samples. Metal concentrations varied with legacy industrial activity, pesticide use, and port operations. Average concentrations remained below health recommendations, but dry conditions may increase exposure.
These dust samples are not from the middle of the highway. They were collected at public spaces, such as parks, schools and downtown areas where residents are likely to be exposed.

Minh Tri Truong et al, Tracing spatial mid-size Eastern U.S. cities road dust pollution: insights from source apportionment and health risk assessment, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s11356-026-38034-x

Seaweed-derived coating keeps strawberries fresher than a fridge

Researchers have developed an edible, seaweed-derived coating that can keep strawberries fresh for at least four days at room temperature, outperforming uncoated berries stored in the refrigerator.

An edible agar–zinc–tannic acid coating reduced moisture loss, maintained firmness, and preserved vitamin C and antioxidants in strawberries. Coated berries remained mold-free for ≥4 days at room temperature and ≥6 days refrigerated, exceeding untreated fruit. The coating showed antibacterial activity, no intestinal-cell toxicity, and a lower estimated carbon footprint than refrigeration.
Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the findings offer a simple approach for extending produce shelf life and reducing reliance on refrigeration across the supply chain. Maintaining cold temperatures from farm to warehouse to truck to grocery store requires significant energy and infrastructure, especially for fresh produce transported over long distances.
The coating is made from agar, a substance derived from red seaweed that is widely used as a vegan alternative to gelatin and as a thickener in foods like puddings and jellies. On its own, agar forms a thick gel. But when researchers combined it with zinc, an essential nutrient, and tannic acid, a naturally occurring plant compound found in grapes and tea, the material transformed—self-assembling into tiny microparticles that create a thin protective layer around the fruit.

When dipped in the solution, strawberries, grapes and apple slices emerged with a thin, edible coating that dried completely clear.

The breakthrough could help address one of the food industry's most persistent challenges: reducing food waste.

Ivy Chiu et al, Self-Assembled Metal–Phenolic–Agar Microparticle-Derived Coatings Enable Scalable and Sustainable Fresh Produce Preservation, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2026). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6c06531

Forest floors reveal overlooked seed dispersers: Slugs, beetles and crabs spread viable seeds

A review by researchers has revealed that tiny ground-dwelling invertebrates are overlooked but important seed dispersers, challenging the traditional focus on birds and mammals and offering new insights into forest regeneration and biodiversity conservation.
A synthesis of 43 publications documented viable seed dispersal by at least 51 invertebrate species across 186 plant taxa. Slugs, earthworms, beetles, crickets and crabs can deposit seeds in favourable microsites, sometimes enhancing germination. This short-range dispersal may support regeneration where vertebrate dispersers decline.
The findings highlight an important but underappreciated pathway of seed dispersal that may help sustain plant regeneration, especially in fragmented or degraded ecosystems where larger animal dispersers are declining.

Si-Chong Chen et al, Invertebrate endozoochory: An overlooked pathway of seed dispersal, Trends in Plant Science (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.06.004

Like Zika, Oropouche virus can also affect the brains of unborn babies
Oropouche virus infected human neural stem cells and brain organoids, reducing proliferation, disrupting tissue organization, and increasing inflammatory and cell-death pathways. Historical and recent strains caused similar effects, suggesting inherent neurodevelopmental risk. Organoid results support biological plausibility for congenital abnormalities but do not establish pregnancy outcomes.

Gabrielle Brum et al, Microcephaly-like phenotype triggered by novel reassortant and prototypic Oropouche virus strains in brain organoids, eBioMedicine (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2026.106408

original article.

Social determinants of health linked to more fatalistic cancer beliefs

New research shows that greater cumulative exposure to adverse social determinants of health is associated with beliefs that cancer is unavoidable or a death sentence. This can influence whether people choose to be screened for common cancers or seek treatment after a diagnosis.
Among 1,400 respondents, greater cumulative exposure to adverse social determinants of health was associated with stronger fatalistic beliefs that cancer is unavoidable or inevitably fatal. Poverty, housing insecurity, lack of insurance, discrimination, and social isolation may contribute to reduced screening follow-up and treatment engagement.

Jaitri Joshi et al, Effect of social stressors and social determinants of health (SDOH) on cancer beliefs: Analysis of a cancer center catchment area, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology (2026). DOI: 10.1080/07347332.2026.2666535

Brain scans reveal tau buildup in late-onset psychosis

Hallucinations and delusions that appear for the first time in midlife or later are often treated as psychiatric symptoms whose biological cause is unclear. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests that, for many patients, these symptoms may be linked to brain changes also seen in dementia.
Among 37 people with psychosis onset after age 40, 65% had tau PET positivity and 35% had amyloid positivity, versus 15% and 2% of 47 healthy controls. Tau patterns included amyloid-positive Alzheimer-type and amyloid-negative forms; greater parietal tau in amyloid-positive patients correlated with poorer executive function.
Using positron emission tomography, or PET, the research team found that about 65% of patients who developed psychosis after age 40 showed abnormal buildup of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. By comparison, tau PET positivity was seen in about 15% of healthy older controls. The study also found amyloid PET positivity in 35% of patients, compared with 2% of controls.

The findings provide the first in vivo evidence that diverse tau-related brain changes may be involved in late-onset psychosis. Until now, earlier epidemiological and postmortem studies had suggested a possible relationship between late-life psychotic symptoms and neurodegeneration, but direct evidence in the living brain had been limited.

Patients can show the same symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, but their clinical course and response to treatment can be very different.

Manabu Kubota et al, High prevalence of tau pathologies in late-onset psychosis: A PET study, Molecular Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-026-03749-3

Act now on microplastic risks, businesses urged

Microplastics are pervasive in products, supply chains and ecosystems, with emerging evidence of human-health and environmental harm. Plastic production exceeds 450 million tonnes annually and may nearly triple without intervention. Businesses face increasing regulatory, reputational and litigation risks, requiring monitoring, reporting and reduction of primary and secondary microplastic pollution.

As the science and engineering behind industrial monitoring advance, businesses will be expected to track the level of microplastics in their products and control secondary microplastic pollution."

The white paper highlights many actions businesses can take now to proactively manage risks related to microplastic exposure.

Increased monitoring and transparent reporting, circular business models, recycled-content products and materials innovation can build trust and generate efficiencies in the face of consumer concern.

Businesses that communicate credibly about their microplastic footprints and align marketing practices with actual reduction commitments will be better placed to build durable brand equity.

The question is not whether supply chains including plastics will change but how quickly, and who will lead it.

Martina Linnenluecke et al, Microplastics: Preparing for Australia's Next Regulatory Shift, University of Technology Sydney (2026). DOI: 10.71741/4pyxmbnjaq.32583060

Sunlight-powered setup generates quantum entanglement

Quantum entanglement is crucial for applications such as secure communication, ultra-precise sensing and high-performance computation.

Today's quantum technologies rely on energy-intensive lasers, raising concerns that scaling them up could further increase energy demands. In new work, researchers have demonstrated that quantum entanglement between photons can be generated directly from sunlight, offering a potential alternative.
In Optica, the researchers report that the entanglement they achieved using sunlight was comparable to laser-based approaches after accounting for differences in the bandwidth of the input light.
This technology could one day enable satellites to create secure encryption keys using the sunlight already abundant in space, reducing the need for onboard lasers and much of the supporting hardware.
Sunlight-driven entanglement generation could also provide the crucial ingredient needed to scale up quantum computing without adding to the energy burden.
Researchers conducted an outdoor experiment at MPL. Using quantum state tomography to characterize the resulting quantum state, they found that the entanglement generated from sunlight was about 94% similar to a perfectly entangled state. Additionally, the photons produced during the experiment were correlated in a way that violated Bell's inequality, indicating that the correlation has no classical explanation and must be a result of quantum entanglement.

Now that the proof-of-principle demonstration is complete, the researchers are working toward a field-deployable product by making improvements in brightness and the quality of entanglement.

Cheng Li et al, Generating quantum entanglement from sunlight, Optica (2026). DOI: 10.1364/optica.601797

Common blood storage bags may leach microplastics into stored blood

In the 1970s, PVC bags revolutionized the storage of blood and blood products for transfusion. Disposable plastic (PVC) bags replaced reusable glass bottles, making the process more convenient and safer from contamination. Over half a century later, the same disposable plastic bags are creating a new kind of problem because of microplastics (MPs). These tiny particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, are formed by the polymer degradation of plastic materials as they break down and age.

In a recent study published in Environment & Health, researchers from China investigated how microplastics are released from medical storage bags into the blood and preservation fluids used for transfusions.

They found PVC microplastics not only in blood-preservation fluids but also in stored blood samples, with microscopy showing that some particles attached to red blood cells. Their levels rose substantially during storage, increasing by roughly seven- to 20-fold over 30 days compared with freshly opened blood bags in the tested systems.

Storage conditions also played a role in the amount of plastic being shed. Microplastic levels increased with higher storage temperatures, and the bags were shaken to simulate transportation.

Microplastics do not belong anywhere on this planet, but they have made their way to every corner of Earth. There is growing evidence that these microscopic plastic particles have invaded many tissues and organs throughout the human body, including the lungs, liver, placenta, blood and blood vessels.

Studies have already documented that microplastics leach from everyday disposable medical gear, including IV infusion sets, syringes, IV bags and even the tubing used in kidney dialysis. For instance, IV infusion bags alone can shed up to 5,455 plastic particles into every litre of fluid.

Blood bags are typically made of PVC.

Part 1

High-tech techniques, including Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, revealed that tiny, irregular plastic fragments floating in blood storage solutions were PVC particles shed from the bags. Raman spectroscopy identified the particles' chemical fingerprints, while scanning electron microscopy captured microscopic changes in blood transfusion bags. The microscopy also showed that plastic particles attached directly to the outer membranes of stored red blood cells.

Tests revealed that storing blood bags at room temperature caused significantly more plastic to break off than storing them at 4 °C did. Simulated transport placed additional physical stress on the bags, causing the plastic to crack and peel and releasing significantly more particles into the liquid than in bags that remained still.

When healthy red blood cells were exposed to these microplastic-containing fluids for 30 days, their intracellular ATP—the chemical energy that keeps them alive and maintains their shape—gradually declined. Some cells also lost their disk shape and became spiky over time.

The researchers also identified a potential solution—ultrafiltration, which passes the storage liquid through extremely fine filters before it is added to blood. It removed 78%–85% of the microplastics. With most of the particles filtered out, red blood cells retained their normal shape, maintained their energy levels and were protected from shape changes.

The findings provide direct evidence that microplastics contaminate blood storage systems and can affect the quality of stored blood.

Ning Li et al, Microplastics Released from Blood Storage Bags: A Hidden Contribution to Red Blood Cell Storage Lesions, Environment & Health (2026). DOI: 10.1021/envhealth.6c00110

Part 2

Decades of data reveal who's most at risk of snakebites and how to prevent them

Snakebites aren't random but are predictably correlated with a variety of environmental and socioeconomic factors, according to a study published Aug. 6, 2026, in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases .
Snakebite is considered a neglected tropical disease, responsible for as many as 1.4 million deaths per year and disproportionately affecting rural populations in low- and middle-income countries. However, limited information is available on the environmental and socioeconomic factors influencing snakebite incidence.
Across 142 studies (>200,000 cases), nearly 70% of snakebites occurred during outdoor work, especially farming and construction. Risk increased during rainy seasons and evening hours and was associated with poverty-related factors including inadequate footwear, insecure housing, and limited health education. Prevention should complement antivenom through workplace safety, housing, rural development, and education.
In the study, researchers synthesized data from 142 studies documenting more than 200,000 snakebites worldwide dating to the 1800s. The review found that snakebite is strongly related to occupation, with nearly 70% of cases occurring during outdoor work such as farming and construction. It is also related to timing, with most cases occurring during rainy seasons and during the evening and early-night hours. Snakebite cases were also correlated with factors related to poverty, such as lack of adequate footwear, poorly secured homes and limited access to health education.
These results highlight areas where targeted policies might significantly reduce the risk of snakebite, including workplace safety, rural development, housing improvement and health education. The authors note that the dataset is limited because it is mostly focused on South Asia and has inconsistent reporting of variables involved in each snakebite incident.
The authors say, "The scoping review told us something we needed to hear: limiting ourselves to antivenom will never address the behavioural and environmental factors that put people at risk in the first place. The inverse care law is particularly relevant to snakebite; the people most exposed to snakes—because of where they live and the work they do—are also the people furthest from a hospital that can treat them. You cannot fix that gap with antivenom alone; antivenom sits at the wrong end of the problem."

Behavioural and environmental risk factors associated with snake–human conflict: A scoping systematic review, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014505

Why do people's pupils dilate when they're surprised?

When people encounter new information that challenges their expectations, their pupils are likely to dilate. This physiological response is a sign that something is happening in the brain to help the person adapt to the new situation, according to a new study.
Surprising events elicit activity in the part of the brain known as the locus coeruleus, which is the primary source of norepinephrine, the chemical messenger that drives the body's fight-or-flight stress response. This activity is correlated with a change in pupil diameter as well as with specific brain waves measured by electroencephalography (EEG).
The researchers found in their experiments that surprising colours—those that didn't match predictions—elicited pupil dilation and amplified certain brain waves. They also found that these measurements were related to reductions in bias and adjustments in learning: When images looked like what the participants thought they were going to see, participants were biased toward their expectations. Yet pupil and brain measurements showed that participants were also able to learn from unexpected results and adjust their subsequent predictions accordingly.

In surprising situations, the researchers found, the norepinephrine spike is almost like a refresh mechanism—it's a sign the brain is adjusting to new information that changes expectations.
The brain holds on to some mental context, and then when it recognizes that you're in a new situation, you replace that context. Changes in pupil diameter, as well as specific EEG readings, are external markers showing that the brain is loading that new context. This both limits the effect that the previous context has on perception and also provides a clean slate, unencumbered by previous expectations, thereby allowing one to learn faster.

Tiantian Li et al, Fluctuations in arousal reflect latent state transitions that facilitate behavioural optimization, Nature Human Behaviour (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-026-02533-1

Scientists discover a brain cycle that may explain why learning eventually stalls

For many who have struggled to learn a new language or instrument, it's a familiar pattern: They make rapid progress at first, then hit a plateau that no amount of diligent practice or concentration seems to break.

Biologists identified a physical mechanism in the brain that may help explain why such plateaus occur: A scaffold-like structure surrounding brain cells, called the extracellular matrix, helps control when the brain can change during learning. In the auditory cortex, this matrix loosens within hours of a practice session and rebuilds itself within about a day—a cycle that lets the learning from a session take hold before the next one. As a skill is mastered, the rebuilding cycle fades and eventually stops altogether, as if the brain has decided that learning is finished and it's time to protect what's been gained.
In the adult auditory cortex, extracellular matrix loosens within hours of training and rebuilds by about 24 hours, supporting learning and consolidation. This remodelling declines and ceases as skills are mastered. Enzymatic matrix disruption impaired learning and degraded retained performance, indicating roles in both plasticity and stability.

Caras, Melissa L., Experience-dependent modulation of extracellular matrix integrity supports perceptual skill learning and memory, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2601801123

Dry needling is different from acupuncture. So what's involved? And is it effective?
Dry needling inserts solid needles into painful muscle areas, unlike acupuncture’s traditional point selection. It may provide short-term relief for neck, shoulder, and low-back pain but appears no more effective than exercise or other treatments, with uncertain placebo-independent benefit. Minor adverse effects are common; rare serious harms include pneumothorax and infection.

 original article.

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer's. How complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain
Taxi and ambulance drivers had among the lowest Alzheimer’s mortality rates, potentially because continual navigation engages hippocampal spatial-memory systems. Intensive navigation is associated with hippocampal structural changes, and complex environments correlate with lower Alzheimer’s risk. Whether screen-based spatial work provides similar protection remains untested.

original article.

Is Morbi's Mysterious 'Dancing Water' : Mystery Finally Solved

An 18-foot-deep farm well in Virparda village of Gujarat's Morbi district has gone viral after producing continuous, tide-like waves since August 2. While the unusual sight sparked fears of seismic activity, experts have ruled out any connection to an earthquake. The phenomenon is reportedly caused by heavy upstream rainfall rapidly recharging underground aquifers. The increased groundwater pressure forces trapped air out of rock pores, creating rhythmic bubbling and oscillating waves inside the well. Trapped air beneath the water may be causing the ripples.

Morbi District Collector Swapnil Khare has ordered a scientific assessment.

And the above explanation is what science gives!

Mushroom behind 'tiny people' hallucinations identified

People in communities thousands of miles apart have described the same strange experience after eating a mysterious mushroom: vivid visions of tiny humans moving through and interacting with the physical world around them. Known as Lilliputian hallucinations—a reference to the 6-inch-tall inhabitants of "Gulliver's Travels"—the phenomenon has long been thought to stem from cultural influences rather than biology.

A new study suggests otherwise.

Using DNA sequencing, researchers confirmed that a single mushroom species, Lanmaoa asiatica, is responsible for these hallucinations in Southwest China and the northern Philippines.

Three completely independent cultures have reported the same specific type of hallucination, and two cases are attributed to the same DNA-verified mushroom species. That indicates that these bizarre psychological effects aren't cultural manifestations or coincidences—they must have a shared underlying chemical and neurological basis.
People pretty much always report seeing dozens or hundreds of little people, about 3 to 30 centimeters tall (1 to 12 inches), in incredible detail, like they're actually there. About 90% of people describe them as little elves or clowns or other fairy-like figures dressed in colorful clothes.

What's fascinating is they interact with the physical world using the laws of physics that govern us. They're not walking through walls or anything. They're falling off the edge of tables, walking around objects. One person told me that while they were eating soup, the little people were jumping off their spoon into the bowl and swimming around. As they scooped a bite, the little people remained in their mouth.

They also discovered that the mushroom contains none of the psychoactive compounds known to science, including psilocybin. Instead, the findings point to an entirely new hallucinogenic compound that could offer new insights into neurological disease and how the brain shapes perception and consciousness.
However, Lilliputian hallucinations predate this mushroom. There are myths about tiny people in pretty much every culture's folklore. People have also reported these hallucinations from alcohol withdrawal, dementia, macular degeneration and other neurological conditions. So, it seems like this phenomenon is fundamental to how the human mind and brain work.
That's what makes this mushroom different—it reliably produces this effect, whereas those conditions very rarely trigger it.

Colin Domnauer et al, Phylogenomic systematics of Lanmaoa (Boletaceae) reveals cryptic diversity, resolves global evolutionary relationships, and suggests a novel psychoactive lineage, Mycologia (2026). DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2026.2670968

Early-life stress leaves a 'scar' inside brain cells

More than half of the world's children are exposed to early-life stress from abuse, household dysfunction such as violence or drug use, or other traumatic experiences. Accumulation of four or more such experiences can trigger much higher risks for long-term mental and physical health challenges in adulthood.

Experiencing severe stress during childhood can make a person more vulnerable to anxiety, depression and other mood disorders when faced with hardships as an adult. Researchers have uncovered how trauma early in life can leave a lasting effect on the brain.
Scientists already knew that stress early in life changes the activity of genes in the brain. In a new study, the research team discovered that this is due to alterations in how brain cells package DNA, leaving the brain's genetic stress response vulnerable to being easily turned on and reducing tolerance to stress.
This new finding reveals a physical scar left by trauma experienced during development inside brain cells, providing scientists with a concrete biological target to develop new treatments and interventions.
The researchers set out to understand how trauma during early development physically changes the brain to make it more sensitive to stress later in life. They focused on a region of the brain called the ventral tegmental area, where brain cells that produce dopamine—a chemical messenger—are responsible for processing important things in the environment, including rewards and adversity.
When these brain cells are activated abnormally, which can happen in response to stress, they disrupt how the brain processes rewards, leaving individuals vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

Within dopamine-producing neurons, the researchers zoomed in on the epigenome, a set of molecular tags that direct the cell's machinery to turn genes on and off, which in turn affects cells' activity.

Inside cells, DNA is coiled like a slinky. The DNA coils are wrapped around histone proteins that help determine how tightly or loosely the coil is wound.

When the genetic slinky is compressed, its genes are turned off. As the DNA slinky stretches and opens, genes are more easily accessible to be turned on.

The researchers found that an enzyme called SETD7 was more abundant in the dopamine neurons of young mice that had experienced stress compared with mice reared in a typical environment. SETD7 helps place a chemical tag—H3K4me1—on the genetic slinky, marking the structure for uncoiling, which in turn makes the cell more reactive to everything going on in the environment.
The researchers then artificially boosted SETD7 in young, stress-free mice. Even without early-life stress, these mice grew up with a stretched-open DNA structure in their dopamine-producing brain cells, making it easier to turn on the genes that respond to stress. Such mice had a lower tolerance for stress in adulthood.

The researchers found that, as adults, mice whose SETD7 levels had been boosted when they were young had more reactive dopamine neurons and more anxious behavior compared with mice with normal levels of SETD7 throughout their lives.
Part 1

Conversely, when the researchers blocked the SETD7 enzyme from adding too much of the H3K4me1 tag after early-life stress, the slinky remained closed, shielding mice from becoming hypersensitive to stress later in life. Despite experiencing both early-life and adult stress, mice with their SETD7 levels dampened were able to remain as social and exploratory as unstressed mice, and their dopamine neurons were active at normal levels.

There are currently no treatments for what early-life stress does to the brain, partially because we have not had a clear picture of what molecular mechanisms to target.
This work is exciting because it reveals a clear mechanism and also helps explain why the impact of stress is both latent and broad. Additionally, if we can step in with supportive care, therapy or social resources to buffer children during those sensitive windows of development, we may be able to protect the epigenome—preventing the genetic slinky from locking into an open position and perhaps giving the developing brain a chance to build natural resilience.

Kim HJJ, et al. Early-life stress alters H3K4me1 in VTA to prime stress sensitivity, Neuron (2026).

Part 2

Meta says its AI model hacked another company, adding to worries about bots going rogue
A Meta AI model gained unintended internet access during cybersecurity testing and exploited a third-party vulnerability; the incident is under investigation. Related tests reported unsanctioned online actions by AI agents under reduced safeguards, highlighting containment needs for cyber-capability evaluations.
source: News agencies

Brain activity reveals two stages of visual processing before conscious perception
EEG decoding indicated early occipital activity (~200 ms) encoding individual visual offsets and their temporal order without conscious separation. Later central-parietal activity (~450 ms) represented the integrated percept and behavioural reports, consistent with sequential unconscious encoding followed by conscious visual integration.

Maëlan Q. Menétrey et al, Sequential neural dynamics underlie unconscious integration and conscious perception of visual stimuli, PLOS Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003894

How to keep the Earth habitable when the sun dies

In a billion years, the sun will start to run out of fuel and expand to become a red giant. Earth's oceans and atmosphere will be burned away, and Earth will likely be engulfed by the sun altogether. The sun will then shrink to a dim white dwarf, and all light and warmth in the solar system will diminish. In a hundred trillion years, the galaxy's ability to produce stars will be exhausted, and everything will turn dark. However, there's a way for life to escape this fate—and what's more, we wouldn't need to leave the planet to do it. We just need to build some safeguards.

A proposed long-term strategy uses a sunshade, artificial fusion power from gas giants, and orbital adjustment to protect Earth during solar evolution. Antimatter-driven core heating could sustain tectonics, while directed mass beams could alter Solar System motion. The concept remains highly speculative and requires extreme resources.

Gabriel Harry, Retaining Earth's Habitability Beyond the Life of the Sun, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society (2026). DOI: 10.59332/jbis-079-07-0230. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.13084.

Brain turns listening inward during REM sleep, EEG recordings suggest
Across wakefulness to phasic REM sleep, EEG responses to external sounds progressively decreased, while responses to heartbeats were preserved or strengthened in 25 participants. This indicates a selective shift from external to internal sensory processing rather than global sensory suppression. An audio–cardiac response index may help characterize altered consciousness.

Sensory processing reallocation from auditory to cardiac signals in REM sleep, Current Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.024

A baby's lungs may begin responding to vitamin D sooner than once thought
Many pregnant women around the world are low in vitamin D. This is a very common issue that has prompted inquiries over the years. It is believed that low levels in pregnant women can cause harm to foetal development. Currently, scientists are asking a controversial question. What if the key time for vitamin D effects is before a woman knows that she's pregnant? By week 16 of pregnancy, the structural makeup of their developing airways—that is, the blueprint of breathing—is complete.
This timing begs an interesting question. According to a recent review published in Nutrients, it is not the amount of the nutrient that is important. Rather, it is the timing of the availability of vitamin D.

In short, this is the most important factor that would help us understand childhood asthma. New research suggests that there should be more focus on supplementation during the initial weeks, even before conception. The bulk of the early lung development generally occurs by the time clinical trials first start taking place.
All earlier vitamin D studies were conducted after conception, never before.
A 2025 Cochrane review affirms this trend. The research found that giving a high dose of vitamin D during pregnancy probably protects against wheezing in childhood, though it probably makes "little to no difference" to doctor-diagnosed asthma. Giving more vitamin D to pregnant women lowered wheezing in toddlers on average but did not convincingly prevent an asthma diagnosis.

Notably, these studies pointed out that all these trials started quite late and usually measured vitamin D only once. The researchers say that these designs yield only "weak evidence against the periconceptional hypothesis because they were not designed to test it."
The main takeaway is this: taking vitamin D before pregnancy might matter more than taking huge doses afterwards.

In the early weeks, when the fundamental branches of the lungs are established, it is likely that vitamin D benefits airway programming the most.

The review noted that none of the large trials, in fact, tested giving vitamin D pre-conception or in the first trimester. If timing matters, starting the supplements after 20 weeks may have been too late. The researchers argue that focusing on a higher dose in late pregnancy won't uncover an asthma-prevention effect if it was needed earlier.

Looking to the future, the researchers call for new trials that begin several weeks before conception and continue through early pregnancy. They also suggest measuring vitamin D repeatedly (not just once) and following children longer, with objective lung tests. Such studies could identify if a "vitamin D vacuum" in early pregnancy leaves lungs more vulnerable to asthma.

Oana Raluca Temneanu et al, Timing over Dose: Maternal Vitamin D, Periconceptional Window, and Early-Life Respiratory Programming, Nutrients (2026). DOI: 10.3390/nu18142333

People carrying a rare gene variant have naturally low body fat, healthier livers and better blood sugar levels

There are people around us who can maintain their weight despite what they eat. This has led scientists to believe that a person's metabolism and tendency toward obesity may have genetic factors behind them. A large study sequencing the genomes of more than 1 million people across three continents, found genetic clues that could drive this tendency. The findings are published in Nature.
They used exome sequencing to identify the specific parts of DNA responsible for building proteins, looking for rare gene variants and their associations with the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol (TG) in the blood (TG: HDL), a marker linked to several heart and metabolic risk factors and diseases.

They pinpointed 59 genes associated with this marker that help regulate how the body balances, stores and burns energy. One of the major players is the FNIP1 (folliculin-interacting protein 1) gene, which essentially acts as a brake on energy expenditure, stopping cells from burning too much energy.

About 1 in 7,000 people carry a rare, naturally occurring genetic mutation that switches off one copy of the FNIP1 gene. This anomaly appeared to come with its share of metabolic advantages, including significant protection against obesity and liver fat, a more favourable distribution of body fat and around 60% lower odds of cardiometabolic disease, among others.
In this study, the researchers built a massive data set that allowed them to identify meaningful patterns in genetic variants associated with healthier metabolism. The team collected genetic data and health records from 1,032,116 people across 11 study groups spanning North America, Europe and Asia.

To read the participants' DNA, they focused specifically on the exome, the 1% of our DNA that contains the instructions for making proteins. Then they looked at TG: HDL in their blood and matched those results with advanced diagnostic data. Using a powerful software program called REGENIE, they searched for genetic variants associated with higher or lower TG: HDL.

The study showed that a simple blood measurement like the TG: HDL ratio, which is the ratio of triglycerides to HDL, the "good" cholesterol, can act as a highly accurate indicator of full-body metabolic health. A higher TG: HDL ratio was strongly associated with excess body fat, dangerous fat buildup around vital organs, insulin resistance and higher blood pressure.

Fifty-nine independent genes were found to directly shape how the body balances energy, stores fat and manages metabolism. Nearly all of them operate in the liver and fat tissue, the body's core metabolic hubs. Of these, 23 genes—close to 40%—already had drugs targeting them, either approved or being tested in clinical trials.

They found that carriers of the rare FNIP1 gene variant had a very healthy metabolic profile. Compared with noncarriers, they showed lower levels of blood fats, including triglycerides and bad cholesterol; lower body weight and body-fat percentage; and a healthier distribution of body fat. They also had lower blood sugar and significantly less fat stored in the liver.
Part 1

The researchers then tested the effect in mice by disabling the FNIP1 pathway in the liver. Even when fed a high-fat, high-sugar junk-food diet for up to 30 weeks, these mice were strongly protected against weight gain and fat buildup in the liver.

The results identify FNIP1 as a key player in how the human body manages energy and metabolic biomarkers. Researchers are hopeful that blocking it therapeutically could eventually be used to tackle heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

George Hindy et al, FNIP1 variants are associated with favourable metabolism in 1 million humans, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10864-2

Part 2

Most people are unaware of the environmental effects of sunscreen

UV filter compounds enter the marine environment directly or indirectly. Direct pathways include swimming or other water-based recreational activities, and indirect pathways include washing towels that have been used to dry sunscreen-coated skin, washing off residue during showering and even in urine.

Traditional sewage and water treatment technologies cannot effectively remove most UV filters, and organic UV filters have been reported in 95% of wastewater effluents and 86% of surface waters globally. They have also been detected in marine environments worldwide, from busy tourist locations to remote areas such as Antarctica and the Arctic, highlighting the extent of this contamination.

UV filter pollution has also been linked with agricultural practices, where recycled wastewater and sludge biosolids used as fertilizers can transfer UV filters onto crops and into runoff that eventually reaches rivers and coastal waters.

New research has revealed a striking gap in awareness about the environmental impacts of sunscreen, with more than half of people never having considered that the products they use to protect their skin from the sun's rays could be harmful once they enter the ocean.
That is despite extensive scientific evidence showing that sunscreen ingredients—particularly ultraviolet (UV) filters—can pose a number of risks to marine organisms, including fish, algae and coral reefs.

The research also showed that more than 8 out of 10 people were unaware of the existence of reef-safe sunscreen, an unregulated marketing term often used by brands to imply reduced harm to marine life, despite this not always being the case. This inconsistency is another issue explored within the study.
The researchers say their findings highlight a clear gap between scientific evidence and public awareness and have direct implications for future marine policy and regulation, product labeling and consumer guidance.

That, they add, is because public opinions are essential in encouraging manufacturers to develop choices that balance human and environmental safety.
A key piece of data is that 55% of participants had never considered that sunscreen may be harmful to the marine environment. This demonstrates just how vital clear and accessible communication is in bridging the gap between research and public awareness.
In the study, 281 participants voluntarily responded to a set of five questions on the topic, and 89% reported using sunscreen at some point within the year. However, 81% were unfamiliar with the term reef-safe, and 55% had never considered sunscreens harmful to the marine environment.
The researchers say these findings emphasize the need for clear public messaging and more transparent and regulated product information.

Anneliese A. Hodge et al, User habits and public perceptions of sunscreen pollution: A global review and case study of Britain's Ocean City, Marine Policy (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107244

One million years without sex fails to erase stick insects' unused biological system
In Timema stick insects reproducing asexually for ~1 million years, X-chromosome dosage compensation remains functional in rare males. Its persistence despite prolonged absence of sexual reproduction indicates that sex-chromosome regulatory mechanisms may not rapidly decay after their original selective role is removed.

Darren J. Parker et al, Dosage compensation and meiotic sex chromosome inactivation are maintained under relaxed selection, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2531501123

Why a doctor saying 'it's normal' can backfire

A new study suggests that when physicians try to reassure patients by saying their symptoms are "normal," patients may infer that treatment isn't necessary—and become less inclined to seek it. Doctors may think they're saying "Don't panic." But many patients hear "Don't bother" instead.
Doctors use "normal," it seems, to mean common and well understood. Patients often interpret it as meaning acceptable—or not worth treating.
Published in Nature Human Behaviour, the findings of 14 experiments involving 9,371 participants and a wide range of health conditions, from menopause and migraines to dental pain, seasonal allergies and elevated blood glucose levels.

The findings come amid broader conversations about patients feeling dismissed in health care settings, sometimes described as "medical gaslighting." The study identifies a communication gap that may contribute to those experiences, even when doctors are trying to help.

The good news is that miscommunication isn't inevitable. The researchers also tested two simple ways to reduce it: pairing normalizing language with an explicit recommendation for treatment and explaining that "normal" was meant in a statistical, not normative or prescriptive, sense.

Both approaches helped close the communication gap.
The key takeaway for patients: If you're unsure what your doctor means when they say a symptom is "normal," don't assume it means treatment isn't recommended and you should just live with it. Ask.

Common symptoms can still deserve attention—and treatment.

Seyi Lawal et al, Reassurance through normalization inadvertently suppresses treatment, Nature Human Behaviour (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-026-02542-0

Genome study reveals centromeres as one of the fastest-changing regions in human DNA
A centromere is a specific region on a chromosome that ensures that, when a cell divides, the chromosome separates accurately so each new cell receives the correct amount of genetic material. Despite their essential role, centromeres remain one of the last major blind spots in the human genome.

A recent study published in Nature set out to reveal what had been hidden inside human centromeres, using advanced long-read sequencing and custom-built computational tools to piece together 2,110 complete centromeres. The researchers sampled individuals from 28 population groups across five continents, then compared their centromeres with 5,747 assembled by the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium to trace how these regions differ and evolve.

They discovered 226 major centromere haplotypes—distinct genetic patterns—and 1,870 new genetic variants. By studying a four-generation family, they were able to follow centromeres as they changed from parent to child, tracking genetic changes across generations.
They discovered that centromeres mutated faster than any other part of the human genome, with certain chromosomes accumulating changes at up to 20 times the rate of others.

The kinetochore attachment site, the anchor point where the chromosome attaches to the cell machinery during division, mutated faster than any other part.
The results revealed that centromeres have far more genetic and structural diversity than previously appreciated. When a cell divides, it attaches each chromosome to a protein handle called a kinetochore. For years, scientists assumed there was only one handle per chromosome.

This sequencing found that some centromeres break that rule: Around 6% have two kinetochores, and about 1% have three. Even more importantly, these multi-handled centromeres run in families, passing from parents to children across generations.

While mapping centromeres, the researchers noticed something remarkable: On chromosomes 10 and 21, some people carried centromeres that were separated by more than a million years of evolution from the other modern versions.

Comparing these sequences with ancient genomes indicated that modern humans outside Africa might have inherited these unique centromeres from ancient human relatives through interbreeding with Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Based on the findings, the researchers proposed a kind of evolutionary tug-of-war between centromere DNA and its binding proteins. The anchor point mutates so often that they keep changing both the DNA sequence and the chemical markers that control how it's used, driving rapid evolution in these critical regions of our genome.

Shenghan Gao et al, A global view of human centromere variation and evolution, Nature (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10841-9

Female Brains Wake Up from Anesthesia Differently Than Male Brains
Ketamine anesthesia drives female-specific microglial activity in mice, offering insight about the anesthetic and highlighting the need to study sex as a biological variable.
All over the world, doctors perform more than 300 million surgeries each year. While some procedures require local anesthetics, other ones and people undergoing them go under general anesthesia .
While doctors must ensure that patients go under anesthesia for the procedure, it is equally important that they wake up after the surgery. Researchers have previously found that male and female animals respond differently to the general anesthetic ketamine, but they did not fully understand its underlying molecular basis.
Now, scientists found that sex differences in ketamine recovery arise due to distinct dynamics of neurons and immune cells called microglia in male and female brains. Their findings, published in Science Advances, offer a deeper understanding of ketamine anesthesia recovery and highlight the need to study sex as a biological variable.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz6517

Growing rice on the moon

The Moon's surface is a tough place to farm. It has no organic material, and the nitrogen sources that plants need, like ammonia and nitrate, are essentially absent.

Scientists in Japan have created a portable plasma device that can turn air into fertilizer, helping rice grow in simulated lunar soil.

It may sound like science fiction, but a team of researchers from Japan have made it possible to harvest fresh rice on lunar soil. 

The researchers developed a portable plasma device that converts ordinary air into nitrogen fertilizer, When applied to soil designed to simulate the Moon's surface, it neutralized the soil's harsh alkalinity and released trapped nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium. This enabled the researchers to grow rice seedlings in the lunar soil.

Beyond its off-world potential, the researchers note that their low-power, fossil-fuel-free technology could help make farming on Earth more sustainable too. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-026-00602-3

Too Cool To Care? Air Conditioning Weakens Climate Action Support: behavioural insulation

Study finds that the more people rely on air conditioning to stay cool, the less likely they are to support broader efforts to cool cities and cut energy use.
As global temperatures rise, air conditioning has become essential to protect people from extreme heat. But a new study has found that widespread reliance on private cooling may be creating a paradox in cities: the more effectively households cool themselves indoors, the less urgency they feel to support the broader climate measures needed to cool cities.
The study has found that households that depend heavily on air conditioning are less likely to adopt energy-saving habits or support community-wide heat mitigation strategies. The findings, published in Sustainable Cities and Society, describe this phenomenon as “behavioural insulation”, where effective indoor cooling dampens the perceived urgency to address heat through collective action.
Heat awareness does not always change behaviour

To explore how people respond to rising temperatures, the researchers analysed survey responses from 967 adults across 416 households in Singapore, together with spatial heat indicators and household electricity consumption records.

The results revealed a clear divide. People who felt more affected by heat were more likely to discuss climate issues and encourage others to act. But this rarely translated into lower household energy use. Those who relied most on air-conditioning tended to consume more electricity and were less likely to adopt energy-saving habits.

One of the key findings is that experiencing heat does not automatically translate into lower-energy behaviour or stronger collective climate action.
The researchers also observed that heavy air-conditioning users showed less support for public heat mitigation measures such as expanding urban greenery, increasing tree cover and improving neighbourhood shading, even while spending more on keeping their own homes cool.
According to the researchers, the findings point to something more systemic than individual indifference — a gradual shift in which widespread private cooling may weaken the behavioural conditions associated with support for collective climate action.
The researchers say they are not arguing against air-conditioning, as cooling is essential for comfort, health and wellbeing. Rather, they argue that cooling should be complemented by urban design strategies which include shading, greening, improved ventilation, reflective building materials and climate-sensitive planning, that reduce outdoor temperatures in the first place.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670726003318...

Eye contact may help babies learn
Have you ever noticed how babies get hooked the moment someone makes eye contact with them? That eye contact is not only cute; it may also send a powerful message to a baby. For years, scientists have been investigating whether social messages like eye contact and baby talk do more than engage babies. They may help synchronize babies' brains with adult brain waves. But the biggest question remained: Does it actually help babies learn?
A new study, published in Nature Communications, offers an answer. Scientists found that 9-month-old infants were able to learn a novel language when the face in a video looked directly at them with fully visible eyes.

Using electroencephalography, or EEG, brain scanning, scientists detected a kind of "neural handshake" between the adult's and infant's brains, synchronized through eye contact.
The results showed how vital eye contact may be for babies' learning. When the person in the video made eye contact while their eyes were fully visible, the infants succeeded in learning the invented language. They recognized which combinations of sounds formed "words" and demonstrated this understanding by spending more time looking at novel sound combinations than ones they had heard before.
The findings provide support for a key assumption of developmental psychology: "Adults curate infants' information selection through ostensive marking of valuable content using social cues such as eye contact." In other words, adults not only provide information for infants but also help them select what to learn.

However, when the speaker's eyes were partly obscured by dark glasses or entirely covered by opaque ones, the babies did not learn. It was as if the switch for learning was off. This was not because they stopped paying attention; the babies looked at the screen for roughly the same amount of time whether the speaker's eyes were visible or not.

Although their eyes were glued to the screen, hiding the speaker's eyes appeared to "scramble" the message, and the participants did not acquire the new language.

The intriguing pattern held for all infants, regardless of whether they were from Singapore or the UK. Babies in both groups were selective learners only when learning from a speaker making visible eye contact.
Part 1

What made the visible-eyes videos different? To answer that question, researchers used EEG readings. The adult speaker's EEG readings were recorded in advance during video production, while the babies wore EEG caps as they watched the videos. Analyzing brain signals allowed researchers to determine the degree of matching between the adult's and baby's brain activity.

Researchers found that adult-to-infant neural coupling—the one-way matching of adult brain waves to infant brain waves—predicted the infants' ability to learn. Only adult→infant neural coupling, not the infants' own rhythmic brain activity, predicted learning ability.

"The key insight," the authors point out, "is that speaker-to-listener neural coupling is a better predictor of selective learning than infants' own neural activity." Statistical tests supported this: Once researchers accounted for the strength of adult-to-infant coupling, the direct effect of gaze on learning essentially vanished. In short, eye contact drove a brain-to-brain signal that explained the learning boost.

Wei Zhang et al, Adult-to-infant unidirectional neural coupling mediates selective social learning in infants from the United Kingdom and Singapore, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75831-x

Part 2

What if there's a star inside a black hole?
A dark-matter halo with an exotic pressure–density relation can mathematically surround a neutron star with an event horizon while leaving the star nonsingular and structured inside. Such configurations exist only within a narrow halo-density range and require dark-matter densities far above expected astrophysical values, so they remain theoretical.

Chen Tan et al, A Neutron Star Hidden Inside a Black Hole, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2608.06224

Arthritis origins may begin before birth

Researchers have discovered that some joints may be more susceptible to inflammatory arthritis before birth, offering new insight into why rheumatoid arthritis attacks particular joints while sparing others.
"The embryonic origins of site-specific arthritis", published in Nature Immunology, provides new insight into one of the long-standing mysteries of rheumatoid arthritis: why inflammation targets certain joints while leaving others relatively unaffected.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness when the immune system attacks the synovium, the tissue lining the joints. Over time, this inflammation can damage cartilage, bone and surrounding tissues.

The study compared two finger joints that differ in their susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers compared proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, which are commonly affected by the disease, and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints near the fingertips, which are usually spared.

They found that the PIP joints contained larger synovial volumes and higher levels of PI16-positive (PI16+) fibroblasts, a specialized type of connective tissue cell. These differences were established before birth, suggesting that the tissues themselves may play an important role in determining where disease occurs.

The embryonic origins of site-specific arthritis. Credit: NDORMS

Part 1

For decades we have known that rheumatoid arthritis selectively targets particular joints, but one of the great unanswered questions is why?
These new findings suggest that the answer lies not only in the immune system but also in the tissues themselves. The cellular and structural characteristics established during development may help determine where inflammation takes hold later in life.
Researchers found that the developing joints were made up mainly of structural cells, including cartilage-forming cells and fibroblasts, rather than immune cells. They then investigated what drives these cells to develop into their different specialized forms.

One population that drew particular attention was the synovial lining fibroblasts. These cells produce substances that lubricate the joint to help protect and maintain smooth movement, yet they can also behave abnormally in arthritis. Further analysis suggested that the lining may come from two different sources, both the cartilage and surrounding joint fibroblasts.

The process appeared to be influenced by specific localized signals such as low oxygen levels. This may provide insights into the mechanisms driving their function and help identify ways to restore their normal protective role in disease.
The researchers found important differences between the PIP and DIP joints. A bespoke image analysis tool showed that PI16+ fibroblasts that were enriched in the PIP joints were specifically located around blood vessels and at sites where tendons and ligaments connect with surrounding tissue.

They also showed that PI16+ fibroblasts responded differently to inflammatory signals compared with other fibroblast populations. While PI16+ fibroblasts shared a common pro-inflammatory response with PI16- fibroblasts, they also displayed distinct changes in pathways linked to tissue organization and immune regulation.

The team also identified striking structural differences between the joints. Using high-resolution 3D imaging at Diamond Light Source at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, they found that the synovial tissue surrounding PIP joints was larger and organized differently from that seen in joints that are not usually affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Together, these cellular and structural differences may help explain why inflammation develops in some locations but not others.
Together, the findings suggest that the tendency of rheumatoid arthritis to affect particular joints may be shaped by tissue architecture established during development. Rather than being determined by immune activity alone, vulnerability to inflammation may depend on the local cellular and structural environment of each joint.

Sarah Davidson et al, The embryonic origins of site-specific arthritis, Nature Immunology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41590-026-02542-2

Female gut muscles reshape to meet the demands of reproduction, preclinical study suggests

Organs don't just grow in early life; they can change in response to physiological or environmental challenges in adulthood. Researchers have now identified an active role for the intestinal muscles in remodelling the gut after reproduction.
Reproduction remodels intestinal smooth muscle in female fruit flies and mice, elongating contractile filaments without increasing cell number and reducing contractility. In flies, mating lowers juvenile hormone receptor signalling in muscle, permitting growth, while epithelial growth is promoted by the same hormone. These changes may enhance nutrient absorption during reproduction.

Alessandro Mineo et al, The sex and reproductive plasticity of intestinal muscles instruct gut size, Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.024

A 236-million-year-old fossil challenges the story of mammalian live birth

Some cynodonts may have been giving birth to live young much sooner in evolutionary history than previously assumed. A new Frontiers in Mammal Science study has offered the first compelling evidence that cynodonts may have been viviparous—a reproductive mode characterized by live birth.

Researchers showed for the first time that live birth was present in at least one mammalian ancestor, Chiniquodon theotonicus, which lived approximately 236 million years ago. This implies that viviparity among early cynodonts originated in the mammalian lineage at least 95 to 90 million years earlier than previously thought.

Cynodonts thrived in the Triassic, a period of recovery and restructuring of ecosystems after one of the most devastating mass extinctions in life history. This meant high competition for resources and strong predatory pressures. Combined with a trend toward aridity and strong seasonality, embryos of viviparous species would be better protected than those of egg-laying species.

Until now, giving birth to live young was considered a relatively modern evolutionary acquisition in the mammalian lineage. The finding raises questions about which other traits believed to have appeared much later were already present among cynodonts, the researchers say.

Early Origin of Viviparity in the Mammalian Lineage, Frontiers in Mammal Science (2026). DOI: 10.3389/fmamm.2026.1845319

Nature's original bioplastic may have fed animals for hundreds of millions of years

Long before humans discovered biodegradable plastics, microorganisms had already invented their own. Many bacteria and archaea produce natural bioplastics called polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), storing them inside their cells as reserves of carbon and energy.
Until now, scientists thought that only microorganisms themselves could break down these substances. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, have now overturned that long-standing assumption.

In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, they show that animals ranging from marine worms and starfish to terrestrial species, including earthworms, have enzymes capable of degrading microbial PHAs. The findings reveal a previously overlooked way in which microbial carbon can enter animal food webs.
Microbial PHAs occur naturally in soils, sediments and aquatic environments worldwide. They are produced whenever microorganisms store excess carbon for later use and are among the few naturally occurring plastics that are completely biodegradable. Because PHAs are increasingly manufactured as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, understanding how they are degraded in nature has become an important area of research.
The new findings suggest that animals, together with microorganisms, may contribute to the breakdown of these natural bioplastics. More fundamentally, they reveal that animals can exploit a microbial carbon reserve that had previously been thought to be inaccessible to them.

Animal degradation of microbial storage polyhydroxyalkanoates, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-026-03153-8

**

Fungal age remains elusive as underground networks continually grow, split and recycle
Fungal age is difficult to define because mycelial networks continually grow, recycle tissue and fragment into genetically identical units. Longevity likely varies among species and lifestyles, requiring genetic tracking, long-term experiments and microfluidic systems to characterize persistence and life cycles.

Exploring the concept of longevity in fungi, Trends in Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2026.07.001

Fridge-free vaccines

Scientists have successfully trialled vaccines that do not need to be refrigerated or frozen, which could slash the number of vaccine doses that are wasted each year. Sixty volunteers received a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine that had been kept as a dry powder for a year at room temperature before it was dissolved and injected. The jab was “safe and well tolerated” and gave “equivalent” immune responses to the conventional vaccine. The team will launch a larger trial of 160 people in the coming months.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(26)00369-X/fulltext?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=e2b449d6f7-nature-briefing-translational-research-20260812&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-928f7c52f0-50323416

AI agents struggle to perform original scientific research

Among the many predictions about the future of artificial intelligence is that models will one day be able to conduct scientific research on their own, leaving humans out of the equation. Already, they can write code, run experiments and search scientific literature, but carrying out open-ended research would require a significant leap in ability.
In a paper posted on the arXiv preprint server, researchers tested AI's ability to conduct open-ended research and found that it came up short.
The study authors gave frontier agents (cutting-edge, state-of-the-art AI tools designed to carry out complex, multi-step tasks autonomously) six days to conduct research and write papers based on two then-unpublished AI conference submissions. This ensured they couldn't just find the answers online.

The agents had full access to the internet, dedicated computing power and approximately $3,000 in model-use credits, meaning they had a budget to conduct open-ended exploration and run experiments. The topics they had to research and write about were the structure and controllability of language-model personas and designing a detector for distribution shifts in tabular foundation models.

Once the six days were up, human researchers reviewed the AI-written papers and graded them as they would papers submitted to a top-tier AI conference.

The frontier agents did not do well at all. Both papers received unambiguous rejection scores (2/6 and 1/6 overall) from the expert human reviewers. Although the AI understood the research questions and proposed some directions that closely mirrored those of the original researchers, its scientific reasoning suffered from major flaws. Experimental designs were weak, and the agents handled negative feedback poorly, often adding caveats to existing findings rather than redesigning their studies.

They also managed their time poorly and spent less than half of their allocated API budget. Despite having time, they rushed through their work and submitted papers that fell far short of publishable standards.

The reviewers did not hold back on their assessments of the agents:

"The experiments and methodological choices were bizarre and hard to understand. The results seem clearly a result of post hoc choices."—David Africa, expert reviewer.
"Upon testing a few unsuccessful signals using a PFN's internals, going from there to 'there are no signals we can use that leverage a model's internals' is a huge leap, a kind of 'proof by example' fallacy that is highly non-scientific."—Viet Nguyen, expert reviewer.
While these results are a sobering reality check on AI's ability to perform scientific research, they do not mean models have no place in the lab. In the near term, they are more likely to serve as assistants handling routine tasks rather than being deeply involved in the process of discovery.

Peter Kirgis et al, Can AI agents conduct open-ended AI research? Early evidence from two case studies, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.27191