How 21st-Century Screens Hijack Brain Circuitry

Summary: Dense urban infrastructure, globalized economic pressures, and hyper-curated digital networks actively hijack ancestral survival instincts. Rather than treating mental health crises as purely localized lifestyle flaws, the authors prove…

Giant trees have tricks to work around drought

Daring tree climbers and researchers have challenged a major assumption in tree drought biology.  In rainforests on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, water transport systems of a colossal, dominating…

‘Stellar death is not the end’: James Webb Space Telescope glimpses the fate of the solar system in a weird exoplanet orbiting a dead star

Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe an oddball gas giant exoplanet orbiting a dead star, a white dwarf, located some 80 light-years away. This “life…

The natural history of every U.S. state is on display at a new D.C. exhibit

The Smithsonian Natural History Museum’s latest exhibit, “From These Lands,” connects visitors with America’s natural history.

Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs, yet its presence is ubiquitous in social settings and celebrations

Few substances are as deeply woven into everyday life as alcohol. It is a fixture at holiday celebrations, work-related social gatherings, sporting events, airports, and brunch or dinner tables. A…

How did it feel to be an American colonist in 1776? Probably itchy, achy and slightly nauseated

Trade the tricorn hats, bonnets and homespun shirts for flip flops, sneakers and soccer jerseys, and the intrepid revolutionaries of 1776 would have looked a lot like the people of…

In Guatemala, Indigenous women build climate resilience with old and new farming methods

In Guatemala’s southwest region lies a large lake with a storied history. Lake Atitlán is one of Central America’s most critical local sources of drinking water, and is surrounded by…

Study Supports and Expands the Primate Brain Lag Hypothesis

Summary: A new study has completely revived and expanded this lost chapter of human evolution. Leveraging modern molecular genetic dating and advanced phylogenetic statistical modeling, researchers revisited the classic dataset.…

This weird ‘hot Jupiter’ exoplanet has a hotspot in the wrong place, and astronomers aren’t sure how

Hot Jupiters are some of the most extreme planets in the universe, blazing gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn that exist so close to their stars that they complete orbits…

Banning transgender girls from school sports affects all children – why allowing strangers to scrutinize children’s bodies may put all girls at risk of harassment

Youth sports have a significant impact on the development of all children. Sports provide children opportunities to build their social skills and confidence, as well as improve their sense of…