Neuroscie

Growing Fear of Nature: Study Reveals Causes of Rising Biophobia

Summary: An increasing number of people experience fear, discomfort, or disgust toward nature—a phenomenon known as biophobia. The findings reveal that negative emotions form through both external factors such as…

Mental Illness Can Also Bring Strengths

Summary: Mental illness is typically defined by its challenges, but growing evidence shows it is also linked to surprising strengths. Certain psychological conditions are associated with enhanced creativity, social sensitivity,…

Cognitive Profiles in Schizophrenia Are Being Ignored

Summary: A major scientific review reveals a deep knowledge gap in how cognition is affected when schizophrenia and personality disorders occur together. Despite the high prevalence and severe outcomes tied…

Creativity Key to Slowing Brain Aging

Summary: Regular creative activity is linked to a younger-looking brain and slower brain aging, according to a large international brain-imaging analysis. People who regularly danced, made music, created visual art,…

Life

Nature

Newfound bat skeletons are the oldest on record

Two fossilized bat skeletons unearthed in western Wyoming represent a new species and are the oldest set of bat bones yet discovered, researchers say. The incredibly complete fossils of Icaronycteris…

Astronomy

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was Earth’s first real-life defense test

Artist’s depiction of an asteroid floating in space. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), Martin Kornmesser (ESA), Serge Brunier (ESO), Nick Risinger (Photopic Sky Survey) At this point in…

How do you fire someone into the sun?

Firing our villain straight at the Sun results in a big miss. Credit: Michael Brown, CC BY To point a rocket directly at the sun and hit would require great…

Cosmic ray puzzle resolved as scientists link ‘knee’ formation to black holes

LHAASO experiment. Credit: LHAASO Collaboration Milestone results released by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) on November 16 have solved a decades-old mystery about the cosmic ray energy…

If the supernova standard candle is wrong, it could solve the Hubble tension

An illustration showing how Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs) expand with the universe. Credit: Gabriela Secara, Perimeter Institute CC-BY-4.0 Last time I wrote about new data that overturns the standard cosmological…