Neural Navigations #46

This morning, we said goodbye to Joey after 45 wonderful days together in Berlin for dog sitting. He changed my life in ways I never imagined. Inspired by our time with Joey, we’ve already started searching for a new, larger, pet-friendly flat to welcome a dog into our family permanently. The bond between a human and a dog is incredibly powerful, and Joey showed me just how deep that connection can be. We will miss him dearly and are already planning our next visit. With a heart full of memories and a few tears shed, I’m excited to share this week’s edition with you, even if it’s a bit later than usual. Let’s dive in!

Science, Technology & Space

Time ticks faster on the moon by 57 microseconds per Earth day. With lunar exploration ramping up, NASA has been tasked with defining a time zone for the moon. New calculations show that time is ever so slightly faster on the lunar surface, which can affect navigation.

Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies may be churning out a lot of the universe’s high-energy neutrinos. Two teams using data from IceCube, the world’s premier neutrino observatory located in Antarctica, have independently identified a common type of these active galaxies, called Seyfert galaxies, as likely neutrino producers.

NASA's Juno probe reveals lava lakes across Jupiter's volcanic moon Io.

The Meteor Crater in Arizona, formed by a meteorite impact 50,000 years ago, provides valuable insights into the geological processes of planetary bodies. Preserved by its desert climate, the crater is a key site for studying impact craters.

Researchers have innovated reactors that use fly ash to effectively mineralize CO2, presenting a sustainable approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing global climate goals.

Brain, Body & Mind

Supranormal hearing is achieved by boosting aar synapses. Researchers have enhanced auditory processing in young mice by increasing inner ear synapses using neurotrophin-3. This study supports the hypothesis that synapse density impacts hidden hearing loss in humans. The findings could lead to new treatments for hearing disorders by preserving or regenerating synapses.

A new study reveals that using digital devices to manage children's tantrums hampers their ability to regulate emotions later in life. Researchers found that frequent use of tablets or smartphones for calming children results in poorer anger management skills.

New research shows people are more likely to accuse others of lying when AI makes the accusation first. This insight highlights the potential social impact of AI in lie detection and suggests caution for policymakers. The study found AI's presence increased accusation rates and influenced behavior, despite people's general reluctance to use AI lie detection tools.

A new study documents the first case of Down syndrome in a Neandertal child named "Tina," found in Spain. Despite severe hearing loss and vertigo, Tina survived to at least 6 years old, indicating she received extensive care from her group. This discovery highlights the Neandertals' capacity for altruistic behavior.

A new study uncovers the different patterns and reasons behind procrastination using a mathematical framework. It shows that procrastination is influenced by factors like immediate rewards and uncertainty about future outcomes. These insights can help develop personalized strategies to combat procrastination and improve productivity.

Researchers developed three new MDMA variants (ODMA, TDMA, and SeDMA) that retain the therapeutic benefits while reducing side effects. These compounds affect mood-regulating brain structures similarly to MDMA but have fewer toxic breakdown products and lower interaction with serotonin receptors.

Researchers found that people over 50 with anxiety have twice the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Using UK primary care data from 2008-2018, the study compared 109,435 patients with anxiety to 878,256 without. Results showed increased Parkinson’s risk and identified additional risk factors like depression and sleep problems.

Skeletons reveal ancient Egyptian scribes had bad posture at work. The skeletons of ancient Egyptian scribes reveal the health toll of sitting on the floor while performing administrative tasks like writing.

'Bridge editing' could be even better at altering DNA than CRISPR. The CRISPR gene-editing technique has revolutionised biology, but now an even more powerful system called bridge editing could let us completely reshape genomes.

Honeybees can detect the subtle scents of lung cancer in the lab — and even the faint aroma of disease that can waft from a patient’s breath.

Researchers from?Aarhus University?and the?University of Oxford?have collaborated to uncover how our brain reacts to and recognizes music. Their study reveals that listening to music triggers a complex chain reaction of events in the brain, a discovery that could potentially be used in the future to help screen for dementia.

Recent research reveals that intermittent fasting and a standard healthy diet both enhance brain function in obese adults with insulin resistance, with intermittent fasting yielding better cognitive gains.

Nature & Environment

Record amount of water from 2022 Tonga eruption is still in atmosphere. Millions of tonnes of water vapour have been lingering in the atmosphere since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted in 2022– possibly contributing to global warming.

Winter ‘sauna’ helps endangered frogs fight off fungal disease. Warm retreats made using bricks in greenhouses give frogs a place to keep toasty in winter, which helps protect them from deadly chytrid fungal infections.