A team of scientists has now identified how our brains work to process phrases that include negation (i.e., “not”). When we’re told “This coffee is hot” upon being served a familiar caffeinated beverage at our local diner or cafe, the message is clear. But what about when we’re told “This coffee is not hot”? Does that mean we think it’s cold? Or room temperature? Or just warm? The new study reveals that that phrases that include negation mitigates rather than inverts meaning. In other words, in our minds, negation merely reduces the temperature of our coffee and does not make it “cold.” “We n ..read more

Adult heterosexual men with sexist and homophobic views can potentially improve their attitudes toward gay men and women by engaging in critical dialogues that use illustrations as a springboard, according to a new study. The process by which people shift from a prejudicial stance to one of relative acceptance is a key innovation of the study. Guided by trained facilitators, critical dialogues reflect illustrations depicting different gender roles and sexual identities. The images are designed to evoke feelings and opinions on masculinities and homosexuality, the researchers say. By using cri ..read more

Researchers have identified mechanisms in the brain’s hippocampal network that ketones rescue. These findings in mice build on previous research showing that ketones can alleviate neurological and cognitive effects. As we age our brain naturally becomes more insulin resistant. This creates a breakdown in communication between neurons, causing symptoms like changes in mood, cognitive decline, and eventually neurodegeneration. Nathan A. Smith, associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and fellow researchers studied the mechanisms in the brain that break ..read more

The air coming out of office buildings in urban areas may be more polluted than once believed, researchers say. The new study in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability states modern buildings continually release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to outdoor air and are likely to be an important contributor to the VOC burden of the urban atmosphere. The team conducted direct measurements of outdoor-indoor air pollutant exchange in a high-performance office building using state-of-the-art air quality instrumentation and an advanced building automation platform. “We traditionally think of f ..read more

Vessel strikes—exacerbated by increased vessel traffic in foraging areas used by juvenile humpback whales—are a major driver of increased whale strandings, a new study shows. The strandings on the east coast of United States remain a concern for biologists and citizens alike. Why this increase has occurred over a number of years is still being debated. By the early 1900s, populations of many large whales were devastated by commercial whaling. Today large whales are still affected by multiple human-caused stressors. These include pollution, entanglement in fishing gear, disturbances such loud ..read more

A new study uncovers new insights into factors associated with stroke treatment delays and where in the United States patients are more likely to experience slower responses. When it comes to responding to a stroke, speed is a crucial factor. The longer it takes for someone experiencing a stroke to get to a hospital, the worse the outcome will be. Yet across the United States, delays to treatment can be significant. The findings, published in the journal Stroke, highlight where interventions should be focused in order to improve stroke outcomes across the country. During acute stroke, a blood ..read more

Cicadas have made national headlines this year, appearing in massive numbers almost overnight in some parts of the eastern US. Here, Gene Hall, manager of the University of Arizona Insect Collection, offers 10 things that make the insect unique: 1. Cicadas stay underground for years and can emerge en masse “Cicada life cycles can range from three years for our local species to up to 17 years for those in the Midwest and eastern United States,” Hall says. “It is thought that these mass emergence events that you have seen in the news may have evolved as a strategy to deal with predators. I have ..read more

A nondescript mass of bone and teeth has helped a scientist expand the geographic footprint of a large cat that roamed the Earth tens of thousands of years ago. “You can’t even tell what it is, let alone which animal it came from,” says John Moretti, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences and lead author of the study in The Anatomical Record. “It’s like a geode. It’s ugly on the outside, and the treasure is all inside.” The fossil looks like a lumpy, rounded rock with a couple of exposed teeth that are a little worse for wear, having been submerg ..read more

A new study may help redefine how scientists map the surface of the moon, making the process more streamlined and precise than ever before. The research describes enhancements to a mapping technique called shape-from-shading. The technique is used to create detailed models of lunar terrain, outlining craters, ridges, slopes, and other surface hazards. By analyzing the way light hits different surfaces of the moon, it allows researchers to estimate the three-dimensional shape of an object or surface from composites of two-dimensional images. Accurate maps can help lunar mission planners to ide ..read more

A new study reveals a previously unknown function of opioid receptors in the development of the enteric nervous system, often referred to as the “brain in the gut.” This discovery challenges conventional understanding of opioid receptors, shedding new light on their significance beyond pain management and addiction. To identify the genes critical for the development of enteric nervous system (ENS), the research team conducted a series of experiments using zebrafish embryos, which share many genetic similarities with humans. The ENS is a network of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract that pl ..read more