Podcasts about Nature Communications

Más píxeles de los que ves: Pantallas 8K y 4K prometen imágenes más nítidas, pero un estudio demuestra que tus ojos no las distinguen.  Por Félix Riaño @LocutorCo  Investigadores de Cambridge y Meta descubrieron que el ojo humano tiene un límite real para detectar detalles en pantallas. Más allá de cierto punto, los televisores Ultra HD no se ven mejor, aunque cuesten miles de dólares.  Sigue el pódcast Flash Diario para descubrir más curiosidades de ciencia y tecnología.  Científicos de la Universidad de Cambridge y del laboratorio de realidad de Meta analizaron cuántos píxeles puede distinguir el ojo humano en distintas condiciones. Su conclusión es clara: en un salón promedio, una pantalla 4K o 8K no ofrece una diferencia visible frente a una 2K. El estudio, publicado en Nature Communications, demuestra que los límites de nuestra visión convierten muchos televisores de alta gama en un gasto innecesario. A partir de ahora, la ciencia tiene una medida precisa para responder una pregunta que millones de personas se han hecho frente a una vitrina: ¿realmente se ve mejor un televisor más caro?  Más píxeles no siempre significan mejor imagen, solo más gasto.  Durante años, las marcas de televisión han competido por ofrecer resoluciones más altas: primero Full HD, luego 4K, después 8K. Cada salto prometía una experiencia visual “más real”. Pero un equipo de Cambridge y Meta quiso poner esa promesa a prueba. Construyeron un experimento con un monitor 4K de 27 pulgadas montado en un riel móvil. Dieciocho personas con visión normal observaron líneas finas en distintos colores y distancias. Cuando las líneas eran demasiado pequeñas, los voluntarios ya no podían distinguirlas: veían solo una mancha gris. Con esa información, los científicos calcularon la capacidad real del ojo humano para detectar píxeles individuales.  El resultado fue sorprendente. La mayoría de las personas puede distinguir hasta 94 píxeles por grado en escala de grises, y unos 89 cuando se trata de colores rojo y verde. En cambio, los tonos amarillo y violeta caen hasta 53 píxeles por grado, porque nuestro cerebro procesa peor los detalles de color que los de luz y sombra. Esa limitación biológica significa que, si tienes una televisión de 44 pulgadas y la ves a unos 2,5 metros de distancia —como en la mayoría de salas—, ya estás recibiendo más detalle del que tu vista puede procesar. En otras palabras: comprar una tele 8K no hace que veas mejor, solo hace que pagues más.  Los científicos publicaron una tabla y una calculadora en línea que permiten saber si un televisor realmente ofrece mejoras visibles según el tamaño y la distancia de visualización.Aquí tienes el enlace a la calculadora en línea de la University of Cambridge:Display resolution calculatorPor ejemplo, una pantalla de 40 pulgadas vista a 3 metros se aprovecha totalmente en resolución Full HD. Para notar la diferencia con 4K, habría que acercarse mucho o tener un televisor gigante. Incluso para que una pantalla 8K valga la pena, necesitarías una de 100 pulgadas y verla desde menos de 2 metros. Además, cada píxel adicional consume más energía, requiere más potencia de procesamiento y eleva el precio sin ofrecer beneficios visuales.  El estudio también tiene implicaciones fuera del salón de casa. En la realidad virtual, los videojuegos y los móviles, muchas empresas invierten en pantallas con densidades imposibles de distinguir. Cambridge y Meta advierten que ese esfuerzo podría redirigirse a mejoras más perceptibles, como el contraste, el color o la velocidad de respuesta. El hallazgo pone en duda prácticas comunes como la “submuestra de color”, usada para ahorrar ancho de banda al reducir la resolución de los tonos. El estudio demuestra que el ojo distingue más matices rojo-verde de lo que se creía, lo que podría transformar la forma de comprimir video en el futuro. En resumen, no es que las pantallas 8K sean malas, es que nuestros ojos ya llegaron a su límite.  La ciencia confirma que el ojo humano tiene un límite de detalle. Si ves tu tele desde el sofá, 4K ya es más de lo que puedes distinguir. Antes de gastar en 8K, consulta la calculadora de Cambridge y revisa si realmente lo necesitas.Científicos de Cambridge descubren que el ojo humano no nota diferencia entre 2K, 4K y 8K en tu sala de casa.  

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Lebensraum unkontaktierter Völker bedroht +++ Deutsche wieder so glücklich wie vor Corona +++ Lebensgefahr: Nicht an Kröten lecken! +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Es gibt mindestens 196 unkontaktierte indigene Völker weltweit. Sie haben ihre eigenen Sprachen, Kulturen und Gebiete/ Unkontaktiert, 27.10.2025SKL Glücksatlas: Auf dem Zufriedenheitsplateau/ SKL Glücksatlas, 27.10.2025Resolution limit of the eye — how many pixels can we see?/ Nature Communications, 27.10.2025Anthropogenic or Natural Dispersal: Case of the Spiny-Tailed Iguanas (Ctenosaura) on Clarion Island, Mexico/ Ecology and Evolution, 24.10.2025Light Exposure at Night and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence/ Jama Network Open, 23.10.2025**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

What if your body is learning things your mind doesn't know? What if memory wasn't just something that our brain has?Episode Summary On this episode, I'm exploring a bold idea with neuroscientist Dr Nikolay Kukushkin: memory doesn't just live in the brain. It might be a basic property of life itself. We unpack how scientists define memory (behavioural change over time) versus how the rest of us use the word, and why that distinction matters—from sea slugs to kidney cells. I ask the “muscle memory” question we all carry, and we separate the metaphor from the biology: your basal ganglia automate behaviours, but your muscle cells do literally adapt to patterned use.We go deep on “patterns.” Nikolay's work shows that even non-neural cells can detect minute-scale timing differences—preferring spaced pulses over a single crammed dose. That has huge implications for learning, exercise, nutrition, and even medicine; it suggests timing might be as important as quantity. We also talk about sleep as essential “synaptic housekeeping,” why false memories are an adaptive feature (not a failure), and what it really means to “run out of memory” in our overstimulated world.Finally, we tilt at the big questions: how consciousness might have evolved, why Plato's model of perception eerily echoes today's top-down/bottom-up neuroscience, and what AI still lacks—learning patterns in time within an embodied world. If you've ever crammed for an exam, worried about forgetting your own name, or wondered what your cells are quietly learning from your daily routines, this one will rewire how you think about memory.Guest Biography — Dr Nikolay KukushkinDr Nikolay Kukushkin is a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU. His book One Hand Clapping: Unraveling the Mystery of the Human Mind  traces how consciousness emerged from the natural world; the original Russian edition won the Enlightener (Prosvetitel) Award and the Alexander Belyaev Medal.His recent research (Nature Communications, Nov 2024) showed that non-neural human cells display the classic “spacing effect,” suggesting memory-like temporal patterning beyond the brain.AI-Generated Timestamped Summary [00:00:00] Cold open: reframing memory as cellular, not just neural. [00:01:00] Scientists' definition of memory vs everyday usage. [00:03:00] From behaviour change to cellular change; beyond “plugging a muscle into a brain.” [00:05:00] All cells have experiences; “pattern matters.” [00:06:00] Muscle memory: basal ganglia automation vs literal muscle adaptation. [00:07:00] Shared molecular machinery: “use it or lose it” in brain and muscle. [00:08:00] Nikolay's path: from molecules to minds; bottom-up neuroscience. [00:09:00] Protein quality control: molecular barcodes and cellular “conversations.” [00:11:00] Why sea slugs: short path from molecules to behaviour. [00:13:00] Hypothesis leap: if single neurons learn from pulses, could kidney cells? [00:14:00] The experiment: four 3-min pulses vs one 12-min pulse (spacing wins). [00:16:00] What's uniquely neural: synapses and specific connectivity; where salience arises. [00:19:00] Memory without awareness; non-neural systems can store patterns. [00:20:00] Applications: exercise, diet, medicine; timing as a lever. [00:23:00] The dark mirror: life as obsessive optimisation if we over-pattern. [00:24:00] Personal practice: being mindful of inputs, attention as filter. [00:26:00] Debunking “10% of the brain” and the sleep–memory link. [00:28:00] Sleep weakens synapses; deprivation leads to saturation and hallucinations. [00:30:00] The social-media “soup” analogy for saturated memory. [00:32:00] Names, identity and rehearsal; de-naming as degradation. [00:33:00] Reconsolidation: why false memories are a feature we need. [00:34:00] 9/11/Challenger studies: how memories drift with time. [00:36:00] Ebbinghaus and the spacing effect across species and systems. [00:39:00] Cramming vs spacing: initial strength and decay rates. [00:41:00] The forgetting curve and why “more” can decay slower in memory. [00:42:00] “My whole life is one big experiment on my brain.” [00:43:00] Practical “tip”: fix attention first; follow interest, not force. [00:45:00] Attention economy and selective inputs as memory hygiene. [00:48:00] From smoking to scrolling: a future of information hygiene. [00:50:00] One Hand Clapping: why it feels special to be you. [00:54:00] Plato's “two fires”: ancient echoes of top-down/bottom-up perception. [00:58:00] Intuition as hidden associations; LLMs as an analogy. [01:00:00] AI: excitement, unease, and the risk of outsourcing humanness. [01:03:00] What AI lacks: learning patterns in time without a body. [01:05:00] Close and thanks. [01:06:00] Outro and calls to action.LinksNikolay's website - https://www.nikolaykukushkin.com/His NYC profile - https://liberalstudies.nyu.edu/about/faculty-listing/nikolay-kukushkin.htmlHis book 'One Hand Clapping' - https://www.nikolaykukushkin.com/press-1'Memory Takes Time': research into how wemory is not confined to a particular location or locations in the brain - https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-62731730467-1Herman Ebbinghaus - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Ebbinghaus and The Ebbinghaus Illusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebbinghaus_illusion

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Technische Lösung bei unheilbarer Augenkrankheit +++ Erstmals Stechmücken in Island entdeckt +++ Bestimmte Gene könnten anfällig machen für Cannabis-Konsum +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Subretinal Photovoltaic Implant to Restore Vision in Geographic Atrophy Due to AMD, New England Journal of Medicine, 20.10.2025Mosquitoes arrive in Iceland, RUV, 20.10.2025Genome-wide association studies of lifetime and frequency of cannabis use in 131,895 individuals, Molecular Psychiatry, 13.10.2025Invariant HVC size in female canaries singing under testosterone: Unlocking function through neural differentiation, not growth, PNAS, 20.10.2025Oomycetes manipulate plant innate immunity through galacturonide oxidases, Nature Communications, 20.10.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

En este capítulo, exploramos la historia genética del caballo ibérico a partir de un nuevo estudio publicado en Nature Communications. El análisis de ADN antiguo ha revelado la existencia de un linaje autóctono que habitó la península durante más de veinte mil años, convivió con los primeros caballos domesticados y desapareció coincidiendo con las Guerras Púnicas, en un periodo de grandes movilizaciones entre África, Iberia e Italia. Los restos del yacimiento tartésico de Casas del Turuñuelo, en Guareña (Badajoz), han sido fundamentales para esclarecer este capítulo perdido de la historia equina. Nos lo explica Jaime Lira Garrido, investigador del Centro de Antropobiología y Genómica de Toulouse y miembro del equipo del Turuñuelo.

In this episode of SpaceTime, we uncover the latest findings in Martian meteorology, delve into Earth's ancient tectonic activity, and prepare for humanity's return to the Moon.Raging Winds on Mars: Unveiling Martian Weather PatternsA groundbreaking study published in the journal Science Advances reveals that wind speeds on Mars can reach up to 160 km/h, significantly higher than earlier estimates. Lead author Valentin U.H. Meckel from the University of Bern discusses how these powerful winds, along with dust devils, play a crucial role in shaping Mars' climate and dust distribution. This episode explores how the observations from the European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter have provided unprecedented insights into Martian atmospheric dynamics, which are essential for planning future manned missions to the Red Planet.Unlocking Earth's Deep Past: New Insights into SubductionIn a surprising twist to our understanding of early Earth, a new study published in Nature Communications suggests that subduction and continental crust formation occurred much earlier than previously believed. Researchers utilized advanced geochemical analysis of ancient olivine crystals to challenge the notion of a stagnant lid tectonic regime during the Hadean eon. This episode discusses the implications of these findings on our understanding of Earth's geological history and the processes that shaped our planet's surface.NASA's Artemis II: Preparing for Lunar ExplorationNASA is set to send astronauts back to the Moon with the Artemis II mission, slated for launch in early 2026. This episode provides an overview of the mission's objectives, including a ten-day crewed flyby of the Moon, which will test the Orion spacecraft and gather crucial scientific data. As the crew prepares to explore the lunar far side, we discuss the significance of this mission for future lunar habitation and potential manned missions to Mars.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesScience Advanceshttps://www.science.org/journal/sciadvNature Communicationshttps://www.nature.com/ncomms/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-your-guide-to-space-astronomy--2458531/support.Raging Winds on Mars: Unveiling Martian Weather PatternsUnlocking Earth's Deep Past: New Insights into SubductionNASA's Artemis II: Preparing for Lunar Exploration(00:00) Wind speeds on Mars and their implications(12:45) New findings on early Earth's tectonic activity(21:15) NASA's Artemis II mission overview(30:00) Science report: Octopus handedness and air pollution effects on sleep apnea

In this week's episode of the Xtalks Life Science Podcast, host Ayesha Rashid, Senior Life Science Journalist at Xtalks.com, spoke with Juan Domínguez-Bendala, PhD, Director of Stem Cell and Pancreatic Regeneration Programs, Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami, to discuss his research team's new research published in Nature Communications that could redefine diabetes treatment. Dr. Domínguez-Bendala team's study reveals how THR-123, a small peptide, can trigger the regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, effectively restoring normal blood sugar levels in preclinical models. The discovery opens the door to a potential new class of regenerative therapies for insulin-dependent diabetes, offering hope for millions of patients worldwide. Dr. Domínguez-Bendala's scientific journey includes a PhD he earned under Dr. Jim McWhir, co-creator of Dolly the sheep, to pioneering research in human embryonic stem cells at the University of Miami's Diabetes Research Institute, where he now leads his own lab and chairs the university's Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight (ESCRO) Committee. Tune in to hear how Dr. Domínguez-Bendala's team's findings could change the way we think about diabetes and the promise of teaching the pancreas to heal itself. For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage. https://xtalks.com/vitals/ Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: https://twitter.com/Xtalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xtalks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Europäer trinken im weltweiten Vergleich am meisten Alkohol - mit Folgen +++ Elektroschrott: Milliardenschwere Ressource +++ Sport trainiert auch unsere Immunabwehr +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Alcohol Policies Volume 20B, IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, WHO, 20252050 Critical Raw Materials Outlook for Waste Electrical and Electronic in the European Union plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and United Kingdom, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Technische Universität Berlin, WEEE Forum, ecosystem, 14.10.2025Natural killer cells from endurance-trained older adults show improved functional and metabolic responses to adrenergic blockade and mTOR inhibition, Scientific Reports, 14.07.2025Antarctic seep emergence and discovery in the shallow coastal environment, Nature Communications, 01.10.2025Cognitive decline before and after mid-to-late-life smoking cessation: a longitudinal analysis of prospective cohort studies from 12 countries, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 13.10.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Estudo australiano publicado na Nature Communications concluiu que mulheres têm quase o dobro das probabilidades de desenvolver depressão

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Mann überlebt wochenlang mit Schweine-Leber +++ Frauen haben ein genetisch bedingt höheres Risiko für Depressionen +++ Durch den Schwarzwald streift ein Elch +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Genetically engineered pig-to-human liver xenotransplantation, Journal of Hepatology, 08.10.2025Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025, EMBER, 07.10.2025Global renewable capacity is set to grow strongly, driven by solar PV, IEA, 07.10.2025Sex-stratified genome-wide association meta-analysis of major depressive disorder, Nature Communications, 26.08.2025Sperm sequencing reveals extensive positive selection in the male germline, Nature, 8.10.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Estudo publicado na Nature Communications apresenta Dolphin: sistema que deteta marcadores de doenças em células individuais que permite diagnóstico da doença antes da manifestação dos sintomas

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Physik-Nobelpreis für drei Quantenforscher +++ Grüne Elektronik: Platinen auf Holzbasis +++ Wie Gold in Fichtennadeln kommt +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Nobel Prize in Physics 2025, The Nobel Prize, 7.10. 2025Printed circuit board substrates derived from lignocellulose nanofibrils for sustainable electronics applications, Scientific Reports, 8.3. 2025Biomineralized gold nanoparticles along with endophytic bacterial taxa in needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies), Environmental Microbiome, 28.8. 2025Identification of “Spinal Enlargements” Correlating with Paired and Unpaired Fins in Zebrafish, Brain, Behaviour and Evolution, 29.8. 2025Enhanced deep Southern Ocean stratification during the lukewarm interglacials, Nature Communications, 6.10. 2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Nella puntata 582 esploriamo tre modi diversi di indagare la mente e la realtà: dalla creatività che mantiene giovane il cervello, al sonno che regola emozioni e memoria, fino alle misurazioni quantistiche che sfidano i limiti stessi della conoscenza.Ilaria ci racconta come un recente studio pubblicato su Nature Communications ha dimostrato che diverse attività creative come suonare, ballare o dipingere possano mantenere il cervello giovane. I ricercatori hanno utilizzato particolari “orologi cerebrali” per stimare l'età biologica del cervello e hanno osservato che, in alcune persone creative, esso risulta fino a sette anni più giovane rispetto all'età anagrafica.Le analisi hanno evidenziato come chi si dedica regolarmente a esperienze artistiche o cognitive — dal tango ai videogiochi strategici — presenti una rete di connessioni neuronali più efficiente. Vi state tutti già iscrivendo ad un corso di tango? Per approfondire: https://neurosynth.org/Nell'esterna di questa settimana Anna intervista il Dr. Mattia Aime, Professore e neuroscienziato all' Università di Berna in Svizzera. Mattia studia uno dei fenomeni cognitivi più affascinanti: il sonno. E la sua ricerca sta portando alla luce quanto il sonno sia importante non solo per le nostre capacità cognitive ma anche per le capacità di regolare le nostre emozioni. Ne vogliamo parlare perché' nella nostra società il sonno spesso viene visto come qualcosa di superfluo che ci fa perdere tempo riducendo la nostra performance. Tanto che abbiamo addirittura dei proverbi a riguardo e nell'intervista cominciamo proprio da uno di questi: sarà vero che ci dorme non piglia pesci?Andrea infine ci ricorda che ogni progresso scientifico si basa su misure sempre più precise, e che la meccanica quantistica, pur offrendo strumenti straordinari per migliorare la precisione, impone anche dei limiti, per esempio il principio di indeterminazione di Heisenberg, secondo cui non si possono conoscere contemporaneamente con accuratezza assoluta grandezze come posizione e quantità di moto.Un recente studio ha però mostrato come sia possibile aggirare questo vincolo misurando invece osservabili modulari, grandezze “compatibili” che rappresentano una sorta di versione quantistica complementare di quelle normalmente incompatibili.I ricercatori hanno realizzato questo tipo di misura utilizzando gli stati a griglia del moto meccanico di uno ione intrappolato, ottenendo incertezze inferiori al limite quantico standard. Hanno inoltre esteso l'approccio a un'altra coppia di osservabili, numero e fase, dimostrando un vantaggio metrologico rispetto ai limiti classici.Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scientificast-la-scienza-come-non-l-hai-mai-sentita--1762253/support.

In this podcast episode, MRS Bulletin's Sophia Chen interviews Bharat Gwalani from North Carolina State University and Mert Efe from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory about their single-step, energy-efficient method for making a samarium cobalt magnet. Using a process they call “friction stir consolidation,” the researchers apply heat and pressure simultaneously to fuse the two powders together. Their method results in low porosity to make a magnetically stronger, higher quality material than that made by using the conventional method. This work was published in a recent issue of Nature Communications.

Imaginez un peu : transformer de simples cellules de peau en ovule.Imagine that: transforming simple skin cells into egg cells.Ouais.Yeah.Et qu'ils puissent être fécondés.And that they can be fertilized.C'est la prouesse que des chercheurs expliquent dans Nature Communications.This is the feat that researchers explain in Nature Communications.C'est potentiellement énorme pour l'infertilité mais ça soulève de sacrées questions.It's potentially huge for infertility but it raises some serious questions.Alors, premier point : la science derrière tout ça.So, first point: the science behind all this.L'équipe de Paula Amato de l'Oregon Health and Science University, eh bien elle a réussi à créer ces ovocytes humains fonctionnels.The team of Paula Amato from the Oregon Health and Science University, well, they succeeded in creating these functional human egg cells.Ils ont même pu être fécondés par des spermatozoïdes.They could even be fertilized by sperm.Bon, ça a donné des embryons, mais ils avaient des anomalies, alors ils ont été détruits, hein.Well, it resulted in embryos, but they had abnormalities, so they were destroyed, you know.Les idées d'application, il y en a : traiter certaines infertilités, permettre aux couples de même sexe d'avoir des enfants génétiquement liés ou pallier le manque de don de gamètes, un vrai sujet en France par exemple.There are ideas for application: treating certain infertilities, allowing same-sex couples to have genetically related children or compensating for the lack of gamete donation, a real issue in France, for example.Mais, attention, hein, Paula Amato le répète, on parle de moins d'une décennie avant d'imaginer utiliser ça en clinique.But, be careful, Paula Amato repeats it, we're talking about less than a decade before considering using this in a clinical setting.On en est vraiment qu'au tout début.We are really only at the very beginning. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Fungos são fantásticos! Separe trinta minutinhos do seu dia e descubra, com a Mila Massuda, espécies que reorganizam seus cromossomos de um jeito totalmente inesperado e outras capazes de reconhecer formas no ambiente e ajustar seu comportamento.Apresentação: Mila Massuda (@milamassuda)Roteiro: Mila Massuda (@milamassuda) e Emilio Garcia (@emilioblablalogia)Revisão de Roteiro: Vee AlmeidaTécnico de Gravação: Julianna Harsche (@juvisharsche)Editora: Angélica Peixoto (@angewlique)Mixagem e Masterização: Bruno Midões (@bruno_midoes) Produção: Prof. Vítor Soares (@profvitorsoares), Matheus Herédia (@Matheus_Heredia), BláBláLogia (@blablalogia), Caio de Santis (@caiodesantis) e Biologia em Meia Hora (@biologiaemmeiahora)Gravado e editado nos estúdios TocaCast, do grupo Tocalivros (@tocalivrosReferênciasFUKASAWA, Y. et al. Spatial resource arrangement influences both network structures and activity of fungal mycelia: A form of pattern recognition? Fungal ecology, v. 72, p. 101387–101387, 12 set. 2024.TIAN, L. et al. Normal meiosis in the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum despite the irregular distribution of haploid chromosomes between two nuclei. Nature Communications, v. 16, n. 1, 12 ago. 2025.

Today's Headlines: The government is officially shut down, and OMB apparently spent its last working hours ordering at least 16 federal agencies to send out a pre-written email blaming Democrats for it—an illegal little parting gift to federal workers. With the shutdown, you can forget about getting jobs or inflation data for now (except from payroll firm ADP, which says companies shed 32,000 jobs in September—so, yeah, not great). Meanwhile, the Supreme Court told Trump he can't just boot Fed Governor Lisa Cook on the spot, kicking that fight to January. At the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth is rolling out strict NDAs and even random polygraphs for thousands of staffers, including top brass, in his ongoing war against leakers. And in actual science news, researchers in Nature Communications announced they've managed to create functional human eggs from skin cells in a lab—early proof-of-concept that could eventually transform fertility treatments, though no babies are being made from them anytime soon. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: The Handbasket: Trump mandates all federal agencies send email blaming Dems for potential gov't shutdown  Yahoo: While the government is closed, jobs and inflation data go unreported NBC News: U.S. companies shed 32,000 jobs in September in latest sign of labor market weakness NYT: Supreme Court Allows Lisa Cook to Remain at Fed, for Now WaPo: Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks Wired: Scientists Made Human Eggs From Skin Cells and Used Them to Form Embryos Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the written word — and possibly even before speech — humans have communicated through drawing. From crude scratches in the dirt or on cave walls to the arcane symbology of the laboratory whiteboard, our instinct for conveying our thoughts visually is pretty extraordinary. We see or understand something in the world, we build an idea in our mind of what we think we see, and then using our hand and the utensil we re-create it to communicate the share our perception with others. Along the way, we add in our own understanding and experience to craft that communication in ways that might not correspond with a specific object in the world at all.How we do this — and how we can learn to be better visual communicators — is at the heart of our conversation with Judy Fan, who runs the Cognitive Tools Lab in Stanford University's Department of Psychology.We've been nominated for a 2025 Signal Award for Best Science & Education Podcast! Vote for us in the "Listener's Choice" category by October 9.Learn More:Cognitive Tools Lab, Stanford Department of PsychologyFan, J., et al. (2023) "Drawing as a versatile cognitive tool." Nature Reviews Psychology. (pdf)Hawkins, R., Sano, M., Goodman, N., and Fan, J. (2023). Visual resemblance and interaction history jointly constrain pictorial meaning. Nature Communications. [pdf]Fan, J., et al. (2020). Relating visual production and recognition of objects in human visual cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. [pdf]Fan, J., Yamins, D., and Turk-Browne, N. (2018). Common object representations for visual production and recognition. Cognitive Science. [pdf]More recent papersWe want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.eduSend us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Umwandlung von Zellen für Befruchtung gelungen +++ Yoga kann bei Senioren zu Stürzen führen +++ Paradiesvögel tanzen sportlich zur Paarung +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Induction of experimental cell division, Nature Communications, 30. September 2025The effect of an Iyengar yoga-based exercise programme on falls, The Lancet, 23. September 2025Dancing male riflebirds create a dynamic sensory trajectory, Current Biology, 29. September 2025Neue Chance für den Feldhamster in Sachsen, 1. Oktober 2025Adaptations in wing morphology, eLife, 30. September 2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Politik und die richtigen Wörter +++ Ursprung Nordsee-Krater gelöst +++ Tagträumen hilft im Job +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Speaking of Debt: Framing, Guilt, and Economic Choices, CESifo Working Paper No. 12060 2025.Multiple lines of evidence for a hypervelocity impact origin for the Silverpit Crater, Nature Communications, 20.09.2025Gaining Career Purpose Through Lightning Bolts: Examining the Strength and Psychological Foundations of Work-Related Epiphanies, Journal of Management, 11.07.2025.Neanderthal coasteering and the first Portuguese hominin tracksites, Scientific Reports, 03.07.2025The JWST weather report: Retrieving temperature variations, auroral heating, and static cloud coverage on SIMP-0136, A&A Volume 702, October 2025.Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Imaginez un duo de jumeaux de plus de soixante ans. Même patrimoine génétique, parcours de vie souvent proches, habitudes semblables. Et pourtant, après douze semaines d'un simple ajout à leur alimentation, l'un d'eux se souvient mieux, apprend plus vite, tandis que l'autre ne constate aucun changement. Quelle est la différence ? Des prébiotiques, ces fibres alimentaires qui nourrissent les bonnes bactéries de notre intestin.Cette scène n'est pas une fiction mais le cœur d'une étude publiée début 2024 dans Nature Communications. Des chercheurs britanniques ont recruté 36 paires de jumeaux âgés en moyenne de 73 ans. Tous ont suivi un programme d'exercices et reçu des acides aminés bénéfiques pour la musculature. Mais un seul des deux jumeaux de chaque paire recevait, en plus, un supplément quotidien de prébiotiques. Trois mois plus tard, les résultats sont frappants : ceux qui avaient nourri leur microbiote intestinal obtenaient de meilleurs scores dans des tests de mémoire visuelle et d'apprentissage. Notamment, ils faisaient moins d'erreurs dans un exercice consistant à mémoriser des associations entre des images et des emplacements, un test considéré comme sensible aux premiers signes du déclin cognitif.Comment expliquer ce lien étonnant entre intestin et mémoire ? Tout passe par ce que les scientifiques appellent l'axe microbiote-intestin-cerveau. Les milliards de bactéries logées dans nos intestins produisent en permanence des molécules, comme des acides gras à chaîne courte ou même certains neurotransmetteurs, capables de circuler dans le sang et d'agir sur le cerveau. En modulant l'inflammation, en influençant la chimie cérébrale et même en dialoguant via le nerf vague, le microbiote peut contribuer à protéger ou à fragiliser nos capacités cognitives.Dans cette expérience, les prébiotiques ont favorisé la croissance de bifidobactéries, connues pour leurs effets bénéfiques. Et cette transformation interne s'est traduite par un petit coup de pouce mental. Certes, l'effet n'est pas spectaculaire, et il reste limité à une courte période et un petit échantillon. Mais il s'agit d'une preuve élégante, renforcée par le choix de jumeaux, que nourrir son intestin peut aussi nourrir sa mémoire.Ce résultat ouvre des perspectives intrigantes : et si, avec l'âge, un simple ajustement alimentaire suffisait à retarder le déclin cognitif ? Et si la clé pour protéger notre mémoire se trouvait dans notre assiette, dans ces fibres oubliées qui, silencieusement, font travailler pour nous des milliards de microbes alliés ? La recherche continue, mais une chose est sûre : notre intestin a bien plus à dire à notre cerveau que nous ne l'imaginions. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Vorm Marathon am besten Training zurückschrauben +++ Eidechsen in der Stadt geselliger als auf dem Land +++ Apfelessig-Studie zurückgezogen +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Training Volume and Training Frequency Changes Associated with Boston Marathon Race Performance, Sports Medicine, 06.09.2025City lizards are more social, Biology Letters, 24.09.2025Retraction: Apple cider vinegar for weight management in lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 23.09.2025The first emergence of unprecedented global water scarcity in the Anthropocene, Nature Communications, 23.09.2025"Lab-Quakes": Quantifying the Complete Energy Budget of High-Pressure Laboratory Failure, AGU Advances, 28.08.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Dust from car tires can be bad for fish — what might it do to us?As car tires wear, they shed billions of ultrafine particles of rubber that contain a complex mix of chemicals, including one called 6PPD-Quinone that's been linked to mass die-offs of migrating salmon. Now researchers are sounding the alarm that this chemical is accumulating in humans, and we have no clear understanding of its toxicity. An international team of scientists, including Rachel Scholes from the University of British Columbia, are calling for more scrutiny of the chemicals that go into car tires, since so much ends up in our environment. Their paper was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.Fecal Transplants seem to have lasting metabolic effectsTransplanting the gut microbiome has been held out as a hope for a range of disorders, from obesity to mental health issues. A study that followed obese adolescents four years after receiving a fecal microbiota transplant from healthy individuals has shown positive impacts on the recipients' weight and metabolic health. Dr. Wayne Cutfield, a pediatrician and professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said they also found after all this time that the donor bacteria have remained established in the recipients' gut microbiome. The study is in the journal Nature Communications. An ant queen clones sexual slaves of another species for her daughtersIn a truly bizarre tale from the animal world, researchers have discovered a species of ant where the queen gives birth to males of two totally different species. Somewhere along their evolutionary path, these Messor ibericus queen ants in southern Europe developed an ability to clone male Messor structor ants for her daughters to mate with and to produce a hybrid working class. Jonathan Romiguier, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Montpellier in France, said these M. ibericus ants essentially domesticated ants of another species. The study was published in the journal Nature. Why other apes can't walk a mile in our shoesA feature that distinguishes humans from other primates is the ability to walk upright. The major evolutionary change in the structure of our pelvis that allows for our bipedalism has now been traced genetically and developmentally. Human pelvic blades initially form in the embryo like other primates, but then flip their growth from vertical to horizontal, to give the human pelvis its unique basin shape. This new research led by Terence Capellini, Chair of the human evolutionary biology department at Harvard University and postdoctoral student Gayani Senevirathne, was published in the journal Nature.Women glow. So do men. Understanding our 'inner light'You might have been told by an admirer that you have a unique glow. In two groundbreaking studies, researchers have demonstrated the reality of that poetic compliment. Using ultra-sensitive instruments capable of detecting individual photons, Canadian researchers have imaged a biological source of incredibly faint light, known as Ultraweak Photon Emissions (UPE), that has potential as a future non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool. Daniel Oblak, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Calgary, oversaw a study where they unequivocally demonstrated that living things, like mice, give off an extremely faint glow that dims when they die. His study was published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. In a separate study, Nirosha Murugan, — an assistant professor of tissue biophysics at Wilfred Laurier University — discovered that these UPEs can also detect different mental states in the brain. That study was published in the journal iScience.

Dr. Eli Levenson-Falk joins Sebastian Hassinger, host of The New Quantum Era to discuss his group's recent advances in quantum measurement and control, focusing on a new protocol that enables measurements more sensitive than the Ramsey limit. Published in Nature Communications in April 2025, this work demonstrates a coherence stabilized technique that not only enhances sensitivity for quantum sensing but also promises improvements in calibration speed and robustness for superconducting quantum devices and other platforms. The conversation travels from Eli's origins in physics, through the conceptual challenges of decoherence, to experimental storytelling, and highlights the collaborative foundation underpinning this breakthrough.Guest BioEli Levenson-Falk is an Associate Professor at USC. He earned his PhD at UC Berkeley with Professor Irfan Siddiqui, and now leads an experimental physics research group working with superconducting devices for quantum information science. Key TopicsThe new protocol described in the paper: “Beating the Ramsey Limit on Sensing with Deterministic Qubit Control." Beyond the Ramsey measurement: How the team's technique stabilizes part of the quantum state for enhanced sensitivity—especially for energy level splittings—using continuous, slowly varying microwave control, applicable beyond just superconducting platforms. From playground swings to qubits: Eli explains how the physics of a playground swing inspired his passion for the field and lead to his understanding of the transmon qubit, and why analogies matter for intuition. Quantum decoherence and stabilization: How the method controls the “vector” of a quantum state on the Bloch sphere, dumping decoherence into directions that can be tracked or stabilized, markedly increasing measurement fidelity. Calibration and practical speedup: The protocol achieves greater measurement accuracy in less time or greater accuracy for a given time investment. This has implications for both calibration routines in quantum computers and for direct quantum measurements of fields (e.g., magnetic) or material properties. Applicability: While demonstrated on superconducting transmons, the protocol's generality means it may bring improved sensitivity to a variety of platforms—though the greatest benefits will be seen where relaxation processes dominate decoherence over dephasing. Collaboration and credit: The protocol was the product of a collaborative effort with theorist Daniel Lidar and his group, also at USC. In Eli's group, Malida Hecht conducted the experiment.Why It MattersBy breaking through the Ramsey sensitivity limit, this work provides a new tool for both quantum device calibration and quantum sensing. It allows for more accurate and faster frequency calibration within quantum processors, as well as finer detection of small environmental changes—a dual-use development crucial for both scalable quantum computing and sensitive quantum detection technologies.Episode Highlights Explanation of the “Ramsey limit” in quantum measurement and why surpassing it is significant. Visualization of quantum states using the Bloch sphere, and the importance of stabilizing the equatorial (phase) components for sensitivity. Experimental journey from “plumber” lab work to analytic insights, showing the back-and-forth of theory confronting experiment. Immediate and future impacts, from more efficient calibration in quantum computers to potentially new standards for quantum sensing. Discussion of related and ongoing work, such as improvements to deterministic benchmarking for gate calibration, and the broader applicability to various quantum platforms.If you enjoy The New Quantum Era, subscribe and tell your quantum-curious friends! Find all episodes at www.newquantum.era.com.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Viele CO2-Zertifikate helfen Unternehmen nicht, klimaneutral zu werden +++ Mischwälder nicht immer die beste Lösung gegen Klimawandel +++ Hunde können Angstschweiß riechen +++ *** Korrektur: In dieser Folge haben wir nachträglich eine Nachricht ausgetauscht. In einer Meldung zu Genen in Organen hatten wir zu stark vereinfacht: Es war fälschlicherweise von männlichen und weiblichen Genen in Organen die Rede. Korrekt ist, dass die Gene in den untersuchten Organen nach geschlechtstypischen Mustern abgelesen werden, wobei die laut der in der Meldung besprochenen Studie nicht unbedingt dem Geschlecht laut Geschlechtschromosen entsprechen müssen. Diese Meldung haben wir nachträglich durch eine andere ausgetauscht.**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:The negligible role of carbon offsetting in corporate climate strategies, in: Nature Communications, 10.09.2025Copernicus 2025Monitor Reanimation 2025, ADAC, 19.09.2025Multiyear Drought Strengthens Positive and Negative Functional Diversity Effects on Tree Growth Response, Global Change Biology, 10.09.2025Not just avoidance: dogs show subtle individual differences in reacting to human fear chemosignals, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 15.09.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Emily Wong from the University of New South Wales in Sydney about her work on how evolution shapes mammalian genes. As the head of the Regulatory Systems Lab at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and an associate professor at UNSW, Emily's research centers on gene control and enhancers. We delve into her pivotal 2017 publication in Nature Communications, where she investigated transcription factor binding in liver-specific contexts, shedding light on the regulatory mechanisms at play in mammals. Emily elaborates on her postdoctoral work at the European Bioinformatics Institute and the innovative hybrid systems she used to dissect genetic variation effects, which allowed her to differentiate between cis-regulatory and trans-regulatory influences. By employing techniques like ChIP-seq, she was able to illustrate the combinatorial effects of transcription factors on gene expression, paving the way for her collaborative efforts across disciplines and organisms. We also examine Emily's findings regarding enhancer function through comparative studies between zebrafish and marine sponges. Using historical data on conserved genetic sequences, she and her team identified enhancer regions that displayed activity in specific vertebrate cell types, despite their evolutionary divergence from sponges. This unexpected result suggests deeper insights into how enhancers can be co-opted for new functions as species evolve. Furthermore, we dive into Emily's latest ventures involving advanced methodologies such as chromatin accessibility profiling with ATAC-seq and how these insights can elucidate the genomic landscape of metazoan embryogenesis. She highlights significant correlations between enhancer turnover and DNA replication timing, suggesting evolutionary implications that should be taken into account in future genomic studies.   References Wong, E. S., Zheng, D., Tan, S. Z., Bower, N. I., Garside, V., Vanwalleghem, G., Gaiti, F., Scott, E., Hogan, B. M., Kikuchi, K., McGlinn, E., Francois, M., & Degnan, B. M. (2020). Deep conservation of the enhancer regulatory code in animals. Science, 370(6517), eaax8137. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax8137 Cornejo-Páramo, P., Petrova, V., Zhang, X. et al. Emergence of enhancers at late DNA replicating regions. Nat Commun 15, 3451 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47391-5   Related Episodes Ultraconserved Enhancers and Enhancer Redundancy (Diane Dickel) Enhancer Communities in Adipocyte Differentiation (Susanne Mandrup) Enhancer-Promoter Interactions During Development (Yad Ghavi-Helm)   Contact Epigenetics Podcast on Mastodon Epigenetics Podcast on Bluesky Dr. Stefan Dillinger on LinkedIn Active Motif on LinkedIn Active Motif on Bluesky Email: podcast@activemotif.com

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Schimpansen fressen pro Tag vergorene Früchte mit so viel Alkohol wie zwei kleine Biere +++ Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung rät zum Aufrechterhalten der Brandmauer +++ Globaler Wasserhaushalt immer unberechenbarer +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Ethanol ingestion via frugivory in wild chimpanzees, Science Advances, 17.09.2025Zwischen Abgrenzung, Einbindung und Tolerierung. Fallbeispiele für den Umgang mit rechtspopulistischen Parteien in Europa, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 18.09.2025State of Global Water Resources 2024, WMO, 18.09.2025Microscopic geared metamachines, Nature Communications, 20.08.2025More than just one man and his dog: The many impacts of puppy acquisition on the mental health of families including children in the UK, Plos One, 17.09.2025**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, begins subtly in midlife and accelerates with age, increasing your risk of frailty, falls, and fractures As your body ages, muscles become less responsive to training, and physical gains come more slowly, even when effort and consistency remain the same A 2025 study published in Nature Communications found that older muscles fail to activate key growth pathways and repair signals after exercise, explaining the reduced adaptation Despite slower gains, exercise remains essential not just for physical strength but also for brain function, heart health, immune regulation, and metabolic resilience across the aging process Longevity benefits peak at around 40 to 60 minutes of strength training per week; exceeding this reverses the gains and increases the risk of overtraining

Juno Mission's Discovery of Callisto's Auroral Footprint: NASA's Juno mission has successfully identified the elusive auroral footprint of Callisto, one of Jupiter's Galilean moons. This significant finding confirms that all four Galilean moons interact with Jupiter's magnetosphere, providing vital data on the energetic particles and magnetic fields involved in this interaction. The discovery was published in the journal Nature Communications on September 1, 2025.Record-Breaking Fast Radio Burst RB Float: An international team of astronomers has identified one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever observed, named RB Float. Traced to a galaxy 130 million light years away, this FRB emitted as much energy in a few milliseconds as the Sun produces in four days. This breakthrough marks a significant advancement in the study of FRBs, allowing scientists to pinpoint their origins with unprecedented accuracy.Murchison Wide Field Array Upgrade: The Murchison Wide Field Array in Australia has completed a major upgrade, doubling its antennas to 8,192. This enhancement boosts its capabilities in exploring fundamental questions in astronomy, including the epoch of reionization and the mysterious odd radio circles.NASA's Climate Satellites Under Threat: A political struggle looms as proposed budget cuts threaten two critical NASA satellites monitoring carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Scientists warn that terminating these missions would undermine decades of research essential for understanding climate change and holding polluters accountable.For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve and Hallie signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.✍️ Episode ReferencesJuno Mission Discovery[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)Fast Radio Burst Research[Astrophysical Journal Letters](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X)Murchison Wide Field Array Upgrade[MWA](https://www.mwa.gov.au/)NASA Climate Satellites[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)Astronomy Daily[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here

Elsa Fouragnan is an Associate Professor and UKRI Future Leader Fellow at the University of Plymouth. We talk mainly about her work on focussed transcranial ultrasound stimulation, a new non-invasive way other stimulating (human) brains, including deep areas that can't be reached with TMS. We also discuss her childhood in French Polynesia, how she started doing research, what it's like seeing a brain during surgery, and much more.This was the first episode I recorded in-person. The audio quality is really good, with the minor exception that I made a really silly error during editing, such that quiet parts are sometimes not entirely audible. A few words are not audible, but this shouldn't affect comprehension.BJKS Podcast is a podcast about neuroscience, psychology, and anything vaguely related, hosted by Benjamin James Kuper-Smith.Support the show: https://geni.us/bjks-patreonTimestamps0:00:00: Elsa's childhood in French Polynesia and in mainland France0:10:25: Why Elsa studied engineering and started doing research0:19:04: How Elsa started working on Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation0:23:08: What is Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation?0:28:20: Is it safe?0:36:12: What can you do with it/what kind of stimulations is it?0:53:41: The practicalities of using TUS1:04:42: What it's like to see brain surgery in the operating theatre1:10:11: Back to the skull being a problem and which brains regions can be reached with TUS?1:18:49: The future of TUS1:27:59: A book or paper more people should read1:30:13: Something Elsa wishes she'd learnt sooner1:34:51: Advice for PhD students/postdocsPodcast linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-podBlueSky: https://geni.us/pod-bskyElsa's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/fouragnan-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/fouragnan-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/fouragnan-bskyBen's linksWebsite: https://geni.us/bjks-webGoogle Scholar: https://geni.us/bjks-scholarBlueSky: https://geni.us/bjks-bskyReferences and linksUa Pou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ua_PouFolloni, Verhagen, Mars, Fouragnan, ... & Sallet (2019). Manipulation of subcortical and deep cortical activity in the primate brain using transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation. Neuron.Liptrot (2015). The Outrun.Murphy & Fouragnan (2024). The future of transcranial ultrasound as a precision brain interface. PLoS Biology.Yoo, Mittelstein, Hurt, Lacroix & Shapiro (2022). Focused ultrasound excites cortical neurons via mechanosensitive calcium accumulation and ion channel amplification. Nature Communications.Yaakub, ... & Fouragnan (2024). Non-invasive Ultrasound Deep Neuromodulation of the Human Nucleus Accumbens Increases Win-Stay Behaviour. BioRxiv.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Bestimmte Gene sorgen für Furchen und Wölbungen im Gehirn +++ Moore könnten bei Verteidigung helfen +++ Gottesanbeterinnen haben fiese Paarungs-Tricks +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Cortex folding by combined progenitor expansion and adhesion-controlled neuronal migration, Nature Communications, 28.8.2025Renaturierung als Verteidigungsstrategie: Wie Feuchtgebiete Europa schützen sollen, RiffReporter, 10.8.2025Luring cannibal: Dishonest sexual signalling in the springbok mantis, Functional Ecology, 20.8.2025Rauchen und Dampfen: Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Deutsche Krebshilfe und DKG fordern strengere Regeln, 1.9.2025Selection at the GSDMC locus in horses and its implications for human mobility, Science, 28.8.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

本期节目，我们以斯坦福跨性别生物学教授琼·拉夫加登的著作《进化的彩虹》为起点，一起探索生物世界里那些“非模板”的性别角色和广泛存在的同性性行为。为什么在进化中看似“不利于”繁殖的同性性行为没有被淘汰？它仅仅是“意外”还是隐藏着不为人知的进化优势？我们还会将目光投向人类本身，回顾从备受争议的“同性恋基因”Xq28研究，到近年来大规模的全基因组关联分析（GWAS），科学是如何一步步揭示性取向的复杂性的。当我们试图用简单的模板去框定复杂的生命时，这个模板本身才是问题所在。⏰ 时间轴00:26 《进化的彩虹》，开启一场关于生物多样性、性别与性的科学探讨。06:48 打破性别模板：从雄性可变雌性的小丑鱼，到“爸爸怀孕”的海马，再到拥有“假阴茎”的雌性鬣狗，见识自然界中颠覆想象的性别角色。16:21 人类的性别光谱：Facebook上的56种性别选项是什么？聊聊间性人群体在“二元论”社会中所面临的困境。21:05 动物界的同性性行为：以倭黑猩猩和日本猕猴为例，看同性间的亲密行为如何成为化解矛盾、巩固联盟，甚至只是为了“Have Fun”的社交方式。30:04 同性恋的进化优势？黑天鹅的雄性配对会共同“偷蛋”育雏，其后代存活率竟远高于异性家庭。33:24 “同性恋基因”为何存在：探讨适应性假说、基因多效性以及“叔叔假说”，揭示同性恋可能带来的隐性繁殖优势。40:12 科学如何研究同性恋：回顾从1993年备受争议的X染色体“同性恋基因”研究，到2019年近50万人的大型GWAS分析，科学认知发生了怎样的变化？46:59 最终的思考：我们总是试图寻找某个“致病基因”，这是否源于一种想把“非模板”病理化的倾向？也许，多样性本身就是答案。故事征集正在听节目的你是否有过性别认同的艰难时刻呢？你与同性朋友是否有超越友谊的联结呢？如果你愿意与我们分享你的故事，欢迎在shownotes中填写问卷给我们投稿。

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Wir lernen erst im Grundschulalter, Gefühle richtig zu verstehen +++ Die Nasa will ein Atomkraftwerk auf dem Mond bauen +++ Diese Spinne hat den Längsten! +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Conceptual knowledge increasingly supports emotion understanding as perceptual contribution declines with age, Nature Communications, 24.07.25Duffy to announce nuclear reactor on the moon, Politico, 04.08.25Russisch-chinesisches Atomkraftwerk soll auf dem Mond entstehen, MDR, 04.04.24Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps, and an integrative revision of Monocentropus Pocock, 1897 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Eumenophorinae), ZooKeys, 22.07.25Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial, nature medicine, 04.08.25Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten +++ Rekord-Blitz von 829 Kilometern Länge bestätigt +++ Breitband-Test für Viren +++ Mehr als 30 Jahre "altes" Baby geboren +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Update ErdeA New WMO-Certified Single Megaflash Lightning Record Distance: 829 km (515 mi) occurring on 22 October 2017. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 31.07.2025vPro-MS enables identification of human-pathogenic viruses from patient samples by untargeted proteomics. Nature Communications, 31.07.2025Exclusive: A record-breaking baby has been born from an embryo that's over 30 years old. Bericht der Technology Review, 29.07.2025Compassionate-Use-Programm für Psilocybin erstmals in Deutschland möglich. Mitteilung vom Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, 31.07.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

What if medicine worked to get you healthier overall—not just people like you or for one or another symptom? In the latest episode of TGen Talks, host Karie Dozer sits down with Nicholas Schork, Ph.D., and Laura Goetz, M.D., co-authors of a recent commentary published in Nature Communications, From Precision Interventions to Precision Health, to explore the promise—and complexity—of truly personalized healthcare. Traditional medicine treats symptoms. Precision healthcare, however, rethinks that model entirely. By tapping into genomics, environment, lifestyle, and even real-time data from wearable devices, Drs. Schork and Goetz discuss developing highly individualized approaches that don't just treat illness—they aim to prevent it. Together, they unpack how this shift could redefine everything from how drugs are tested, to how diseases are managed, and even how we define “health.” They discuss cutting-edge innovations like anti-sense oligonucleotides—drugs custom-made for an individual's genetic code—and the rise of geroprotectors, compounds designed to support whole-body wellness as we age. They discuss the difficulties of such specific treatments and the differences in the way different patients might metabolize and respond to the same medicine. The future of medicine isn't one-size-fits-all. It's N-of-1—and it might just be closer than you think.

Does it feel like your brain got faster in the last few years? You're not crazy. New studies show even if you DID NOT get the virus, your brain aged during the pandemic. The findings of this study looking at 1,000 people were published in Nature Communications. Dr. Fred Browne, our infectious disease expert, shared feedback about this. IMAGE CREDIT: Dr. Fred Browne / Griffin Health

Article by Connor Yeck Plunge into the shallows off the Florida Keys, Hawaii or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and you are likely to meet a startling sight. Where there were once acres of dazzling coral - an underwater world of dayglo greens, brassy yellows and midnight blues - is now a ghostly landscape, with many reefs seemingly drained of their pigment. Caused by stressful conditions like warming ocean temperatures, coral bleaching is a leading threat to some of our planet's most diverse and vital ecosystems. Now, a team of researchers has found that some corals survive warming ocean temperatures by passing heat-resisting abilities on to their offspring. Corals teach their offspring to beat the heat The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, are the result of a collaboration between Michigan State University, Duke University and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, or HIMB, at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa. This work, funded by the National Science Foundation and a Michigan State University Climate Change Research grant, is crucial in the race to better conserve and restore threatened reefs across the globe. Coral reefs are habitats for nearly a quarter of all marine life, protecting coastlines from storms and erosion and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people around the world. Though still alive, bleached corals are at a much higher risk of disease, starvation and eventual mortality. In their latest study, the team explored how resistance to thermal stress is passed down from parent to offspring in an important reef-building species known as rice coral. These findings are helping researchers breed stronger, heat-tolerant generations to better face environmental stress. "The Coral Resilience Lab in Hawaii has developed amazing methods to breed and rear corals during natural summer spawning," said Spartan biochemist and study co-author Rob Quinn, whose lab takes samples of these corals and generates massive datasets on their biochemistry with instruments at MSU. "This is a true scientific collaboration that can support coral breeding and reproduction to cultivate more resilient corals for the warming oceans of the future." A colorful crowd The kaleidoscopic of shades we associate with healthy coral is the product of a bustling exchange of resources between a coral animal and its algae partners. When all is well, you might think of this relationship as that of tenants living in a home and paying a bit of rent. In exchange for cozy, sheltered spaces found within the coral tissue as well as nutrients, algae use photosynthesis to produce sugars. These sugars can provide up to 95% of the energy that coral needs to grow and form the sprawling, breathtaking reefs we know. In tropical waters often lacking nutrients, disruptions in this exchange - like those that occur during bleaching events - can be disastrous. When looking at a specimen of coral that's suffered bleaching, you're glimpsing a coral that's "kicked out" its algae, leaving behind a pale skeleton. "Corals are like the trees in an old growth forest; they build the ecosystems we know as reefs on the energetic foundation between the animal and algae," explained Crawford Drury, an assistant researcher at the Coral Resilience Lab at HIMB and co-author of the study. In the waters of Kaneohe Bay, the Coral Resilience Lab is spearheading research to best understand this coral reef ecology and the molecular mechanisms driving thermal stress. The lab is likewise pioneering the breeding of thermally resistant coral for experiments and the restoration of reefs, a highly specialized process few labs in the world can achieve. So, while you'd usually be hard pressed to find fresh coral for study in East Lansing, MSU's partnership with the Coral Resilience Lab has led to a globe-spanning collaboration that closes the gap between field and laboratory. "HIMB and MSU have developed a really amazing partnership. I'm just happy they've let me be a ...

In this podcast episode, MRS Bulletin's Sophia Chen interviews Ashley Bucsek from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor about her laboratory-scale three-dimensional (3D) x-ray diffraction (XRD) microscope to replace studies done in synchrotron facilities. A key element of the design is the material used to make the x-rays. Instead of using a solid metal as a target, Bucsek's research group used a liquid metal source to generate the x-rays, thereby circumventing melting. Among the advantages of miniaturizing the microscope are its immediate availability and the possibility of conducting long-term studies. This work was published in a recent issue of Nature Communications.

Un equipo del Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (CSIC/Universidad de Zaragoza) ha logrado controlar el comportamiento cuántico de nanocintas de grafeno, lo que supone un paso clave hacia la creación de bits cuánticos completamente orgánicos, únicamente de carbono. El hallazgo ha sido publicado en la prestigiosa revista Nature Communications. Los bits cuánticos (qubits) son la base para construir ordenadores cuánticos, que están llamados a revolucionar la potencia de cálculo actual y resolver problemas imposibles para los ordenadores actuales. El investigador del CSIC en el INMA y líder de esta investigación David Serrate explica el alcance de este hallazgo.

Extreme Heat: More Dangerous Than We Think?Extreme heat, one of the adverse consequences of climate change, exacerbates drought, damages agriculture, and profoundly impacts human health. Heat is the top weather-related killer in the United States, contributing to deaths that arise from heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. As temperatures are projected to increase, so will the risk of heat-related deaths. Urban heat islands, cities with large numbers of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, are ‘islands' of hot temperatures due to the reduced natural landscape, heat-generating human-made activities, and large-scale urban configuration. More than 40 million people live in urban heat islands in the United States, with this number only increasing as people continue to move from rural to urban areas. Around 56% of the world's total population lives in cities. Those living in large cities are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat, with research showing an increased mortality risk of 45% compared to rural areas. The risk of heat-related exhaustion and death is a major public health concern that is exacerbated by the climate crisis. The National Weather Service is in the process of creating a new interface known as HeatRisk, which uses a five-point scale to monitor the heat-related risk for vulnerable populations based on local weather data and health indicators. By mapping heat risk, climate scientists hope that individuals will now have a better understanding of the safety concerns associated with being outside during times of extreme heat. Understanding Heat Index DynamicsBefore stepping outside, most individuals check the daily weather prediction to get a sense of the average temperature. In order to measure the perceived temperature, climate scientists use a heat index, a calculation that combines air temperature and relative humidity to create a human-perceived equivalent temperature. Accurate prediction of the heat index is imperative as every passing year marks the warmest on record, with dangerous extreme heat predicted to become commonplace across arid regions of the world. Therefore, tracking such calculations is necessary in assessing future climate risk. Areas especially vulnerable to extreme heat heavily rely on an accurate prediction of temperature to determine if it is safe to go outside.However, there are over 300 heat indexes used worldwide to calculate the threat from heat, defeating the potential universality of this metric. Each heat index weighs factors differently, making it difficult to differentiate between various metrics. Dozens of factors are used to estimate the daily temperature based on predictions of vapor pressure, height, clothing, or sunshine levels. In addition, most heat indexes report the temperature assuming that you are a young, healthy adult and are resting in the shade, not in the sun. If outdoors, the heat index could be 15 degrees higher. If you are older, you may not be as resilient during intense temperatures.As a result, many climate scientists are calling for heat indexes that reveal the apparent risk of being outdoors on any given day. The elderly, children and infants, and those suffering from chronic diseases are more vulnerable to high temperatures than healthy, young adults, which needs to be accounted for when surveying temperature risk. Advanced Heat Assessment Tools: HeatRisk and WBGTThe National Weather Service's HeatRisk index is different from previous models as it identifies unusual heat times and places, also taking into account unusually warm nights. As such, it provides a more universal measure accounting for the degree to which people in the area are acclimated to various heat temperatures. The HeatRisk index can thus be used to gauge levels of danger associated with temperature, potentially altering an individual's behavioral patterns. For those working in outdoor fields, the WetBulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) measure can be particularly useful as a way to measure heat stress as it takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle, and cloud coverage. Different from the heat index, the WBGT includes both temperature and humidity and is calculated for areas in the shade. If not exercising or working outdoors, people can revert to the HeatRisk scale to calculate the potential hazards of being outside for longer periods. Heat Indexes are Harder to Calculate Than They AppearBecause scientists have to account for a variety of factors like geography, physics, and physiology, establishing a truly universal heat index is unlikely. For regions like Colorado, creating the criteria for a heat advisory has proven shockingly difficult. Heat indexes typically rely on temperature and humidity, however, the Colorado landscape is so dry that an advisory is very rarely triggered, even during heat waves. In such scenarios, the HeatRisk index provides a better gauge for outdoor safety. Most people underestimate the dangers of extreme heat and often ignore warning messages from local authorities. Educational programs are vital in informing the public on the dangers of extreme heat.Who is David Romps?David Romps, UC Berkeley professor of Earth and Planetary Science, is at the forefront of heat index research. Romps has found that those exposed to extreme heat suffer restricted blood flow and are often unable to physiologically compensate. Through his research, Romps believes that heat index calculations often underestimate the potential heat impacts on individuals, with the human body being more susceptible to heightened temperatures than commonly understood. Further ReadingCenter for Climate and Energy Solutions, Heat Waves and Climate ChangeHuang, et.al, Economic valuation of temperature-related mortality attributed to urban heat islands in European cities, Nature Communications, 2023National Weather Service, What is the heat index?National Weather Service, NWS Heat Risk PrototypeNational Weather Service, WetBulb Globe TemperatureSharma, More than 40 million people in the U.S. live in urban heat islands, climate group finds, NBC News, 20232023 was the world's warmest year on record, by far, NOAA, 2024Coren, The world needs a new way to talk about heat,  The Washington Post, 2023Hawryluk and KFF Health News, A New Way to Measure Heat Risks for People, Scientific American, 2022UC Berkeley Heat Index Research, David RompsUS EPA, Climate Change Indicators: Heat-Related DeathsUS EPA, What are Heat Islands? For at transcript of this episode, please visit  https://climatebreak.org/calculating-threats-from-rising-temperatures-using-heat-indexing-with-professor-david-romps/

In this episode of SpaceTime, we uncover groundbreaking discoveries and innovative advancements in the realm of space and planetary science.Record-Breaking Cosmic Structure DiscoveredAstronomers have imaged an unprecedented cosmic structure, a massive cloud of energetic particles surrounding a galaxy cluster that spans nearly 200 million light years. This remarkable finding, presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, challenges existing theories about particle energization, suggesting that giant shock waves and turbulence are at play rather than nearby galaxies. We delve into the implications of this discovery for our understanding of cosmic magnetic fields and the dynamics of galaxy clusters.A New Approach to Building MarsA recent study has revealed a novel method for planetary core formation, suggesting that molten sulfide rather than metal could create a core in rocky planets like Mars. This research, published in Nature Communications, offers fresh insights into the early evolution of terrestrial worlds, particularly in sulfur-rich environments. We discuss how this finding could reshape our understanding of Mars's geochemical timeline and its core formation process.High-Performance Infrared Nano AntennasScientists have developed innovative gold nano antennas that significantly enhance the capabilities of thermal infrared cameras, improving image quality and sensitivity. This advancement, led by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, allows for clearer observations of thermal infrared radiation, with applications ranging from astronomy to national security. We explore the technology behind these nano antennas and their potential impact on various fields.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesNature Communicationshttps://www.nature.com/ncomms/American Astronomical Societyhttps://aas.org/Sandia National Laboratorieshttps://www.sandia.gov/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 74 for broadcast on 20 June 202501:00 Record-breaking cosmic structure discovered12:15 A new approach to building Mars22:30 High-performance infrared nano antennas30:00 Science report: New dinosaur species discovered

From collagen powders to $100 creams, the skincare industry thrives on promises. However, many of the products we rely on for younger, healthier skin are built on shaky evidence. In this episode, world-renowned dermatologist Professor John McGrath breaks down what's real and what's not. We explore how skin truly ages, what happens beneath the surface, and why some popular treatments don't do what they claim. John dismantles three of the biggest myths in skincare, including the truth about SPF, collagen, and “bio-active” ingredients that never make it past the top layer of your skin. Professor McGrath is a Professor of Molecular Dermatology at King's College London and editor of the British Journal of Dermatology. His research has transformed how we understand genetic skin disorders and vitamin D's role in skin health. This conversation is packed with surprising insights - and one daily step that really does support healthier skin as you age.

Sponsor Details:This episode is brought to you with the support of Insta360 - the pioneers in 360-degree video technology. To explore their innovative range and claim your special offer, visit store.insta360.com and use the coupon code SpaceTime at checkout.In this episode of SpaceTime, we tackle some of the universe's most pressing mysteries, including new insights into the Hubble constant, the surprising geology of Venus, and the building blocks of stellar formation.Resolving the Hubble Constant DebateNew data from the James Webb Space Telescope may have finally reconciled the long-standing discrepancy in the measurement of the Hubble constant, the rate at which the universe expands. For years, scientists have grappled with differing values derived from cosmic microwave background radiation and supernova observations. Lead author Wendy Friedman discusses how recent findings suggest that the standard model of cosmology holds up, with the Hubble constant now estimated at 70.4 kilometres per second per megaparsec, aligning more closely with earlier measurements. This breakthrough could reshape our understanding of the universe's expansion and evolution.Venus's Thin CrustNew research indicates that Venus's crust is unexpectedly thin, challenging previous assumptions about the planet's geology. A study published in Nature Communications reveals that Venus lacks the tectonic activity seen on Earth, resulting in a crust that is about 40 to 65 kilometres thick. This research proposes a model of crust metamorphism that could explain how volcanic activity persists on Venus, despite the absence of plate tectonics. Upcoming missions, including NASA's Davinci and Veritas, aim to gather more data that could confirm these findings and enhance our understanding of Venus's geological processes.Building Blocks of Stellar FormationA recent study highlights that the formation of stars is influenced not only by the amount of gas in a galaxy but also by its distribution. Observations from the WALLABY survey, conducted using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Telescope, reveal that star formation is concentrated in areas with higher gas density. Lead author Seona Lee explains how this research sheds light on the intricate processes that govern star formation, suggesting that gas location is critical for the birth of new stars across various galaxy types.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstrophysical Journalhttps://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637XNature Communicationshttps://www.nature.com/naturecommunications/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 66 for broadcast on 2 June 202501:00 Resolving the Hubble constant debate12:15 Venus's surprisingly thin crust22:30 Building blocks of stellar formation30:00 Science report: New links between autism and Parkinson's disease

ReferencesNature Metabolism.2019.VOL 1 JULY 666–675J Oncol. 2014 Dec 9;2014:524101.Nature Communications 2023. 14, # 1323 JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2023 Jul 5;8(9):1123–1137.McVie, Christie.1973 "Why" from Fleetwood Mac. "Mystery to Me" lp.https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgG6FtQOCQ&si=dRAhat8i2H8V7CVNSchubert,F. 1828. Piano Sonata 22. A Major. D.959.https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=olmgg0y2o9A&si=zvaktahOQCAr9uH8

Es este episodio especial conversamos con Rolando González-José sobre la institucionalidad de la Antropología Biológica (y de la ciencia) en distintos contextos, en especial en la América Latina del presente. Rolando González José es Investigador Principal del CONICET (Argentina) y Coordinador del Programa de Referencia y Biobanco Genómico de la Población Argentina. Se graduó de Biólogo en la Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, y realizó su Doctorado en Biología Humana en la Universidad de Barcelona, España. Fue dos veces Vicedirector del Centro Nacional Patagónico, el mayor centro de investigación multidisciplinaria del CONICET en la Patagonia. También fue Director del Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas. Fue presidente de la Asociación Argentina de Antropología Biológica entre 2009 y 2011, y Vicepresidente de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Antropología Biológica (entre 2013 y 2015). Presenta más de 120 publicaciones en distintas revistas científicas incluyendo Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), Nature Communications, Journal of Human Evolution, American Journal of Human Biology, PLoS Genetics, entre otras. En el año 2004 fundó el Grupo de Investigación en Biología Humana, integrado por 15 profesionales entre los que se cuentan antropólogos, genetistas, nutricionistas, biólogos, médicos e informáticos. Sus intereses de investigación giran en torno a la genética de poblaciones, la evolución de la variación craneofacial eh homínidos, el poblamiento Americano, las poblaciones cosmopolitas de Latinoamérica y el desarrollo de dispositivos basados en tecnología de imagen para aplicaciones biomédicas. Contact Dr. González-José: rolando@cenpat-conicet.gob.ar Twitter: @RoloGonzalezOK Facebook: facebook.com/rolando.gonzalezjose ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org, Twitter: @HumBioAssoc Cristina Gildee, Co-Host, SoS Producer, HBA Junior Fellow Website: cristinagildee.org, E-mail: cgildee@uw.edu, Twitter:@CristinaGildee Anahi Ruderman, Co-Host, SoS Co-Producer, HBA Junior Fellow E-mail: aniruderman@gmail.com, Twitter: @ani_ruderman Miguel Ochoa, Guest Co-Host E-mail: mochoa88@uw.edu,

Send us a textAnswer a few questions to help me improve this podcast here.We all want to live long and well—but how do we determine how many good years we have ahead?In this episode of Live Long and Well with Dr. Bobby, we explore how to estimate both our total lifespan and the number of years we can expect to remain active and pain-free. Dr. Bobby reflects on personal experiences, emerging science, and time-tested frameworks to help you reframe your health trajectory with clarity and motivation. While we may not find exact answers, the tools and thought experiments shared in this conversation can shape the way we live now—and influence how we plan for the future.We begin with why this topic matters, touching on personal stories of loss, aging milestones, and medical advancements. Then we move into three frameworks: how many years you might live (using tools from actuarial tables to cardiovascular risk calculators), how many of those years might be "good," and the wildcard of unpredictable events.The simplest predictor comes from actuarial life tables, which estimate life expectancy by age and sex. A 55-year-old man today might expect to live to 79; a woman to 82. More advanced tools include the Framingham Risk Score, which factors in cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes to estimate 10-year cardiovascular risk. Research suggests that sharing these risk scores can lead to behavior changes, as shown in this meta-analysis of 28 studies and preliminary evidence of outcome improvements.On the genetics side, polygenic risk scores offer a glimpse into inherited risks, though they remain research tools for now (Nature study). More accessible are tests for specific genes like APOE4, which increases the risk of dementia (PubMed).Beyond numbers, simple physical tests can offer insight. The Brazilian sit-stand test links mobility with mortality risk: fewer than 8 points doubles your six-year mortality risk. Grip strength, too, is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality across 17 countries (PubMed).While biologic clocks based on DNA methylation are generating buzz, their utility remains limited due to variability between samples and testing methods (Nature Communications).When it comes to estimating “good” years—those lived free from major pain or disability—the data are sparse. Some disease-specific tools (e.g., for MS or dementia progression) exist, but there's no universal actuarial equivalent. However, we know muscle mass and aerobic capacity decline predictably with age—1–2% muscle loss per year and a 10% drop in aerobic fitness per decade (OUP Journal). Predicting your future function can begin with assessing how far you can walk, whether stairs leave you breathless, or how your weight and strength compare to a decade ago.Finally, we can't forget unpredictable events: the odds of a serious fall increase significantly after 65, and vision or hearing loss multiplies that risk (NCOA). Building physical resilience now can reduce these odds—see

The NASA Kepler Spacecraft has discovered more than 2,000 planets which have been confirmed to be orbiting distant stars. It performs this remarkable feat by imaging more than 145,000 stars simultaneously to observe and measure the tiny dips in light which occur as a planet passes in front of its star. Astronomers have long known that many of the solar systems in the Milky Way have more than one star. To investigate the possibilities for life in a double star system, Dr Max Popp a scholar at Princeton University and Dr. Siegfried Eggl of Germany's Max Plank Institute substituted the real giant planet orbiting the stellar pair Kepler 35A and B with an Earth sized one orbiting the Kepler AB pair with periods between 341 and 380 days. Their detailed analysis is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Minecraft is a movie and a very popular video game with iconic block graphics that characters can "mine" for building material and gems. It's also what cognitive scientist Charley Wu and his team utilized to study how people learned as they played. Their unique study focused on both individual and social learning — and they found a clear answer to which players were most successful. (Hint: Get you a player who can do both.) Their results were published recently in the journal Nature Communications. Want to hear more about new science research? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy