One Critical Factor Predicts Longevity Better Than Diet or Exercise, Study Finds

09 May 2026, By D. Nield

https://www.sciencealert.com/one-critical-factor-predicts-longevity-better-than-diet-or-exercise-study-finds

(rattanakun/Canva)

Diet and exercise are both factors that can influence how long you live, but they're not the single greatest predictor of your longevity, research suggests.

According to a recent study, there's something else that might have more of an effect in terms of curtailing your lifespan.

While poor sleep has been previously linked to a host of health issues, this latest investigation found that getting enough shut-eye had a stronger connection to living longer than diet and exercise – factors that are known to add years to your life.

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) crunched the numbers on survey data from across the US, covering the years 2019 to 2025.

Measures of life expectancy were compared against self-reported evaluations of sleep duration, with less than seven hours per night considered a threshold for insufficient sleep.

They then factored in other variables that can affect life expectancy, including physical inactivity, employment status, and educational level. The association between insufficient sleep and lower life expectancy still held. Only smoking had a stronger link.

"I didn't expect [insufficient sleep] to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy," said OHSU sleep physiologist Andrew McHill.

"We've always thought sleep is important, but this research really drives that point home: People really should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible."

Life expectancy's association with sleep is stronger than with many other factors, including diet and exercise. Although, as this graph shows, physical activity and social connections also influence life expectancy. 

(McAuliffe et al., Sleep Adv., 2025)

As a purely observational study, the research, published in 2025, can't prove that less sleep knocks months or years off your life.

A study like this also can't untangle the complex interactions between sleep, diet, and exercise. The results do suggest the amount of sleep you get each night is a significant indicator of long-term health.

Adequate sleep is vital for almost every aspect of our well-being: missing a single night of slumber can impact brain circuitry and the body's immune system, for example.

It's not unreasonable to suggest that such health issues may contribute to mortality in the long run. In particular, the researchers highlight obesity and diabetes as two conditions linked with poor sleep that could reduce life expectancy.

"It's intuitive and makes a lot of sense, but it was still striking to see it materialize so strongly in all of these models," said McHill.

"Getting a good night's sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live."

The good news is that our sleep routines are, at least to some extent, modifiable within the limits of our caregiving and work commitments.

It might be worth quitting that habit of doomscrolling in bed, or squeezing in a session of yoga or tai chi now and then.

Both the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend banking at least seven hours of sleep a night, although there is some evidence that you might be able to catch up on the weekends if you need to.

"This research shows that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as we do what we eat or how we exercise," said McHill.

"Getting a good night's sleep will improve how you feel but also how long you live."

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

What Are You Actually Swallowing When You Take Probiotics?

09 May 2026, ByB. Langdon, The Conversation

https://www.sciencealert.com/what-are-you-actually-swallowing-when-you-take-probiotics

(Douglas Sacha/Moment/Getty Images)



Standing by the counter at the pharmacist waiting to pick up my prescription, I couldn't help noticing the prominent display of probiotics on the counter.

It was two years ago, and I was reading everything I could find on microbiomes and probiotics – whether in books, journals or in shops – in preparation for writing my book The Microbiome: What Everyone Needs to Know.

For days I had focused just on probiotics and here they were, temptingly in front of me, ready for me to buy.

The packaging was so glossy and it's claims so intriguing, I found myself picking up the box to see what they were saying.

"Supporting gut health." "Friendly bacteria."

I was about to get antibiotics for my tonsillitis. Should I get some probiotics? I'd heard they might help replace the "good" gut bacteria that antibiotics can wipe out.

The microbes in everybody's gut make up their individual microbiome.

 (Science Photo Library/Canva)



The pharmacist knew me by sight, partly because he had just looked down my throat and prescribed them for me and partly because I'm a local GP. He nodded encouragingly and pointed at the display.

"These are very popular," he said.

I turned the box over. The packaging did best when describing what it contained. Thirty capsules to be taken every day, each containing 5 billion live cultures.

I compared it with the others on the shelf. Some contained 2 billion, some 10 billion. One contained 25 billion bacteria per capsule. It was a huge number and a huge dosage range. Were these dosages safe?

It wasn't so clear on what live cultures were exactly, describing them variously as "trusted" or "friendly". Higher-dose brands described themselves as "diverse" or "powerful", sounding more like the boardroom of a Fortune 500 company than a dietary supplement.

When it came to what they did, things became vague. Apparently, probiotics are there to "complement your natural gut bacteria" or alternatively to "complement your everyday life".

It took a bit of time for the pharmacist to package up my medication and label it, so I carried on and read the small print.

Each brand was very confident in its ability to survive the stomach acid: they were also confident on the research. "Most researched live culture." "Highly researched strains." I had no difficulty in believing this, it was the lack of claims to efficacy that baffled me.

Finally, I found the actual ingredients. Each listed their various combinations of bacteria, some containing up to 15 different sorts, but always including several versions of lactobacilli and bifidobactera.

Lactobacillus acidophilus I knew as a bacteria needed to make yogurt. Bifidobacteria are also often used in the food industry. Both are typical residents of our guts, known to account for about 12% of our usual gut bacteria.

So why do probiotic products all seem to contain the same bacterial species? And why are their claims always so deliberately vague?

Almost one in 20 adults are taking probiotics: typically those of us with higher educational levels, higher incomes and better diets. If we just knew a bit more about microbes, would we still want to take them?

It is normal to consume a lot of bacteria on our food. Even with freshly washed or cooked food, on a typical day we consume 1.3 billion bacteria a day either on or in our food.

As soon as our food hits the stomach, our high levels of stomach acid kill or injure almost all the bacteria we consume. Only a few ever reach the colon and those few probiotic bacteria that survive usually only ever stay a few days.

But to swallow a probiotic capsule containing 25 billion, is 20 times the number of bacteria our body is used to handling: a huge microbial load. Even "friendly" probiotic bacteria can cause a serious infection if they get in the wrong place, such as the blood stream.

It's true that most people can manage this huge microbial load fine because of our innate gut defence systems. But probiotics should be avoided by those with weak immune systems, who may be less able to keep these bacteria contained and are at higher risk of them spreading and causing infection.

The reason that out of all the millions of bacteria available in the world, probiotic brands always home in on exactly the same microbes is because these are all bacteria that are known to be safe or used in the food industry since before 1958.

If a microbe is officially designated "Generally Recognized As Safe", then the producer need undertake no further research. And if the producer then sticks to general claims of efficacy – what's known as a "qualified health claim", they don't even have to prove it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg2A5B70OVE&t=1s

Generally Recognized as Safe explained.

But even with no efficacy claims at all, the probiotic industry still seems to get its message across – and, as I handled the box of probiotics, I still had a strong feeling that this product was good for me, would make me healthier, and that I should buy it.

I held the box uncertainly. "Do you want these as well?" the pharmacist asked.
I checked the price: £17.99 for 30 probiotic capsules (low dose) for something I already had inside me from eating ordinary food. I decided to stick to the antibiotic prescription only, for £9.90.

So, do probiotics work?

I have learned to equivocate when asked this, because people who ask me – usually enthusiastically and with a smile – are invested in the concept of probiotics and have often already been taking them.

To avoid upsetting people I now usually say: "Well, they probably haven't done you any harm."

Apart from the cost.

Berenice Langdon, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant, St George's, University of London

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

This Popular Supplement May Boost Your Brain, Not Just Your Muscles

By Taylor & Francis Group, May 8, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/this-popular-supplement-may-boost-your-brain-not-just-your-muscles/

Creatine is best known for boosting athletic performance, but it also plays a key role in how the body produces energy. Research shows it can enhance strength and training capacity, and may even support brain function in certain groups. Scientists are now investigating its potential in areas like mental health and aging. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Creatine is often linked to gym performance, but its real impact goes much deeper.

Creatine is widely recognized as a supplement used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts to improve performance. But its effects extend beyond the gym. Scientists have been studying how this naturally occurring compound influences both physical and mental function, revealing a more complex picture than many people expect.

From supporting energy production to its possible role in future medical treatments, creatine continues to attract attention from researchers.

Dr. Mehdi Boroujerdi, a pharmaceutical researcher and former professor, conducted a detailed review of creatine in the Handbook of Creatine and Creatinine In Vivo Kinetics. His analysis helps clarify how creatine works and what current evidence suggests about its benefits.

How Creatine Works in the Body

Creatine is produced naturally in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas using amino acids such as glycine, arginine, and methionine.

After it is made, creatine enters the bloodstream and is delivered to tissues that require energy, especially muscle. About 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, while smaller amounts are found in the brain, heart, and other organs.

Within cells, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine (PCR), which plays a key role in restoring adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s primary energy source.

This rapid recycling of ATP is essential for tissues that use large amounts of energy, including skeletal muscle, the heart, and the brain. It allows cells to continue functioning during periods of intense activity or stress, which explains why creatine has become so popular among athletes.

Once creatine has been used, it breaks down into creatinine. This waste product is filtered by the kidneys and eliminated through urine.

The body can only store a limited amount of creatine, and individual levels vary. As a result, responses to supplementation can differ from person to person.

Despite frequent claims online, creatine is not a steroid. “Creatine’s role in muscle development is solely to provide energy for contraction and respiration; it is certainly not a substitute for steroids,” Dr. Boroujerdi explains.

Creatine Supplement Benefits and Performance Effects

Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and commonly used supplement form.

Studies summarized in the book show that supplementation increases creatine and phosphocreatine levels in muscle. This supports faster ATP regeneration during short, intense bursts of activity, which can improve strength, sprint performance, and overall training capacity.

Creatine may also have effects beyond physical performance. Research suggests it could support cognitive function, including memory, mood, and processing speed, particularly in individuals with lower baseline creatine levels, such as older adults.

Scientists are also exploring whether creatine could play a role in managing conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, depression, and menopause related muscle and bone loss. While early findings are encouraging, more studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

“Creatine’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties further underscore its promise in clinical settings, though more robust trials are needed to confirm these benefits,” he explains.

“With sufficient justification, appropriate dosage form, and dosing regimen, creatine may eventually be recognized as an over-the-counter therapeutic agent rather than merely a dietary supplement.”

Creatine Dosage and Absorption

A common supplementation strategy starts with a loading phase of 20 grams per day (split into four doses) for 5-7 days. This is typically followed by a maintenance dose of 3-5 grams per day.

“This approach rapidly saturates muscle creatine stores, but a lower daily dose of 3-5 grams can achieve similar saturation over a longer period (approximately 28 days),” Dr. Boroujerdi says.

Not all creatine that is consumed is absorbed by the body. Absorption depends on factors such as digestive stability and the capacity of muscle tissue to store creatine. Taking creatine with carbohydrates may improve uptake by increasing insulin-mediated transport.

Factors That Influence Creatine’s Effects

Research indicates that the effects of creatine can vary based on sex, age, and diet.

Men and women may respond differently due to differences in muscle mass and starting creatine levels. Women often have lower baseline levels, which may lead to greater relative improvements with supplementation.

Older adults may benefit from creatine’s potential to help preserve muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive function.

Vegetarians and vegans, who typically consume little creatine through their diets, often have lower baseline levels and may experience stronger responses to supplementation. However, dietary patterns vary, so individual results differ.

“There is a pressing need for well-designed research projects in humans, utilizing labeled creatine to generate relevant data and illuminate the grey areas of our knowledge about these compounds,” Dr. Boroujerdi explains.

Creatine is sometimes combined with other supplements, such as the amino acid beta-alanine, to enhance its effects. However, the effectiveness of these combinations varies, and more research is needed to determine optimal approaches.

Safety, Limitations, and What to Expect

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied dietary supplements and is considered safe for healthy individuals. Its potential uses continue to expand, but it is not without limitations.

“Despite its many benefits, creatine is not a magic bullet. It does not directly build muscle or replace the need for proper training and nutrition. Additionally, the belief that larger doses yield greater benefits is unfounded, as muscle creatine stores have a saturation limit. Excess creatine is simply excreted as creatinine, offering no additional advantage,” Dr. Boroujerdi says.

Concerns about side effects such as kidney damage have largely been dismissed in healthy individuals. However, people with existing kidney conditions should consult a healthcare provider before using creatine.

The benefits of creatine are not the same for everyone. Outcomes depend on baseline levels, dosage strategies and individual physiology.

“For now, creatine is best viewed as a supplement with significant potential, but not a panacea,” Dr. Boroujerdi says. “Whether you’re an athlete, a student, or simply someone looking to support your health, understanding the science behind creatine is key to making informed decisions.”

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

The Y Chromosome May Be Vanishing. What Does It Mean For The Future of Men?

08 May 2026, By C. Cassella

https://www.sciencealert.com/the-y-chromosome-may-be-vanishing-what-does-it-mean-for-the-future-of-men

(Dmitry Bayer/Getty Images)



In 2002, evolutionary biologist Jenny Graves shared a controversial calculation.

The human Y chromosome, she wrote two years later in a commentary, "is running out of time."

The male-determining sex chromosome has lost 97 percent of its ancestral genes in the last 300 million years.

If that rate continues, Graves calculated, it could vanish in several million more.

The doomed fate of the Y chromosome quickly took the media by storm, in many cases without the nuance Graves had intended.

Her evolutionary musings were not supposed to predict the 'end of males', or the termination of the human species; they were a 'back-of-the-envelope' calculation in an academic paper that nevertheless produced a "hysterical reaction".

"It really amazes me that anyone is concerned that men will become extinct in 5 or 6 million years," Graves told ScienceAlert in 2025.

"After all, we have only been human for 0.1 million years. I think we'll be lucky to make it through the next century!"

Typical genetic inheritance in humans. 

(ttsz/Getty Images)



But if Graves' calculation is correct, what does that mean for the Y chromosome – and what does it mean for the future of men?

The good news is that similar chromosomes in other mammals, as well as fish and amphibians, have lost their sex-determining status in genetic shuffles, with species continuing to tell the tale.

In some rodents, for instance, the Y chromosome has been completely and silently replaced.

Three species of Y-less mole vole, for instance, Ellobius talpinus, Ellobius tancrei, and Ellobius alaicus, now have only X chromosomes. Sex-determining genes on their Y chromosomes were shifted elsewhere.

Spiny rats (Tokudaia osimensis), meanwhile, lost their Y chromosome to a new version, which now acts as a sex-determiner in its stead.

"If a new variant … should arise that works better than our poor old Y, it could take over very rapidly," predicted Graves.

"Maybe it already has in some human population somewhere – how would we know?"

After all, sex-determining variants aren't routinely screened for in genome studies, and if the Y chromosome's role transferred to another chromosome in a population, there'd be no obvious differences.

There would still be males, and they'd still be able to reproduce.

The fate of the Y chromosome has captured the world's attention for years now, and yet beneath the surface of sensationalized headlines, many don't realize a potent scientific debate is brewing, throwing two incompatible views of evolution into direct conflict.

One school of thought, which Graves subscribes to, frames the sex chromosome as a crumbling old-timer that is doomed to vanish and could be replaced at any moment.

The other school positions the Y chromosome as a tenacious survivor, at last safe and stable.

Evolutionary biologist Jenn Hughes from MIT's Whitehead Institute agrees with this latter interpretation.

For over a decade now, Hughes and Graves have respectfully disagreed over how to interpret the same evidence, partaking in open academic argument.

In 2012, Hughes and her colleagues found that very few core Y genes have been lost in the human lineage over the past roughly 25 million years.

More recent evidence has strengthened that argument, suggesting there is deep conservation of core Y genes in primates – compared to fish and amphibians, which display gradual deterioration of their Y chromosomes – and some scientists, such as Hughes, interpret this as long-term evolutionary stability of the Y chromosome in primates.

"Our work comparing Y gene content across many mammals showed that the gene loss was rapid at first, but quickly leveled off, and gene loss has essentially stopped," Hughes told ScienceAlert in 2025.

"The genes that are retained on the Y serve crucial functions across the whole body, so the selective pressure to maintain those genes is too great for them to be lost."

Graves disagrees with these interpretations. Just because a gene is deeply conserved does not mean it can't be replaced, she argues.

Plus, the additional genes found in the human Y sequence in recent years are largely repeat copies, she says, some of which could be inactive.

How a Y chromosome repairs itself without a second copy, as there are with two X chromosomes.

 (Silber, Middle East Fertility Society Journal, 2011)



In the past, Graves has called the Y chromosome the "DNA junkyard". Creating lots of copies of a gene can boost the odds that at least one survives, Graves explains, but it can also create evolutionary 'duds' by accident.

It's sort of like a game of telephone. The more a message is shared, the more likely it is to last, but it is also more likely to become distorted.

So why is the Y chromosome like this?

Evolution is to blame.

"In the ancestor of placental mammals, the X and Y chromosomes were identical and had about 800 genes," Hughes told ScienceAlert.


"Once the Y became specialized for male sex determination (about 200 million years ago), the X and Y stopped recombining in males, and the Y started losing genes. Meanwhile, the X could still recombine in XX females, so it remained largely unchanged."

Today, the human Y chromosome has only 3 percent of the genes it once shared with X. But these genes weren't lost at a constant rate. That's the biggest misconception, argues Hughes.

Graves agrees.

Her projected extinction date of 6 million years or so is based on a straight, unflappable deterioration of the Y chromosome, but she says that is highly unlikely, which means the estimate has a wide range of error.

"Anything from now to never," Graves told ScienceAlert. "I was surprised it was taken so seriously!"

While at certain moments it may look like the Y chromosome is stabilizing, Graves argues that these snapshots won't last, even if they have seemingly persisted for 25 million years.

"I don't see any reason to suppose that Y degradation has, or could halt in primates, or any other mammal group," Graves said.

"It's slow and proceeds in fits and starts, for reasons we well understand."

After a public debate between Hughes and Graves in 2011 on whether the Y chromosome is stable or doomed, the audience at the 18th International Chromosome Conference voted 50/50.

They were split right down the middle on which hypothesis was correct.

Let's hope it doesn't take 6 million years for a tie-breaker.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Is The Brain Born 'Blank' or 'Full'? New Study Reveals a Surprise

08 May 2026, By M. Irving

https://www.sciencealert.com/is-the-brain-born-blank-or-full-new-study-reveals-a-surprise

A collage of neurons in the mouse hippocampus, stained with tracer dyes. 

(© Jose Guzman/Jonas group)

A strange mouse study suggests that the brain isn't a 'blank slate' at birth, waiting for memories to be written onto it.

Instead, it appears to start life 'full' and messy, optimizing itself as it learns.

Neuroscientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) examined mouse brains from birth to adulthood, focusing on the complexity of a key memory circuit in the hippocampus.

This region of the brain is involved in spatial memory and in consolidating short-term memories into long-term ones.

The team found that in the youngest mouse brains, this network of CA3 pyramidal neurons was very dense, with seemingly random connections. As they get older, however, they become more refined and organized.

"This discovery was quite surprising," says Peter Jonas, neuroscientist at ISTA.

Left: A young mouse hippocampus is packed with a dense network of neurons.

 Right: This network is pruned as the mouse matures. 

(© Jake Watson/ISTA)



"Intuitively, one might expect that a network grows and becomes denser over time," Jonas explains.

"Here, we see the opposite. It follows what we call a pruning model: It starts out full, and then it becomes streamlined and optimized."

It's unclear exactly why the brain develops this way, but the researchers believe that neurons might connect more efficiently if the groundwork is already laid.

In a blank slate scenario, however, distant neurons would first have to find each other before they could communicate. That would take longer for a growing brain to learn.

Think of it this way: If you had to navigate from one spot to another, that would be much faster if you already had a dense network of roads, and all you had to do was pick which ones to take to get from A to B.

If, on the other hand, you had to build your own road from scratch to reach your destination, it's probably going to take a lot longer.

The team measured electrical activity and other cellular processes at three developmental stages in mice: just after birth, at around 7 or 8 days of age; in adolescence, between days 18 and 25; and in adulthood, around 45 to 50 days of age.

This revealed that neurons in this mouse hippocampal circuit start off dense and random but refine themselves into a more structured network over time.

Neurons filled with biocytin – a tracer that labels them during recording – are fixed and stained to allow full reconstruction of their shapes. 

(© Jose Guzman/Jonas group)



The researchers suggest that this may be because the hippocampus has a tough job of processing and linking information from your eyes, ears, and nose.

"That's a complex task for neurons," says Jonas.

"An initially exuberant connectivity, followed by selective pruning, might be exactly what enables this integration."

Whether or not these findings apply to human brains remains to be seen.

But either way, it's intriguing to think that your brain may be a work of art chiseled out of marble, rather than sculpted out of clay.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

Scientists Have Created The First Ever 'Smell Map', And It's Stunning

07 May 2026, By J. Cockerill

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-created-the-first-ever-smell-map-and-its-stunning

The first detailed map of smell receptors in the nose of a mouse. 

(Datta Lab/Harvard)

Smell is a powerful sense. It signals to your body whether something will taste good (or terrible), that you are finally home, that it's about to rain, or spring has arrived, or the dog needs a bath.

But of all the senses, smell may be the least understood.

Now, scientists have brought us closer to understanding this mysterious sense by creating a detailed map that shows the arrangement of the thousands of different types of smell receptors embedded in the noses of mice.

The result is absolutely hypnotic.

A microscope photo of a cross-section of a mouse nose. The mouse was genetically modified to express green fluorescent protein in smell neurons. A small subset of dying neurons is labeled in red. 

(Datta Lab/Harvard)

"Olfaction is super-mysterious," says neurobiologist Sandeep Datta, senior author on the study. "It's the sense that has been missing a map for the longest time."

The map is based on data from more than 300 mice.

In the nose of a mouse, there are around 20 million olfactory neurons that each express one of thousands of kinds of cell receptors. Each of those neurons carries scent information from the nose to the brain.

Datta and team sequenced the genes of around 5 million individual nasal tissue cells, giving them a dataset of around 2.3 million olfactory sensory neurons to work with.

Then, they mapped out where active genes related to scent receptors were located.

The olfactory map revealed a highly organized arrangement of receptors in the nose. 

(Brann et al., Cell, 2026)

"Our results bring order to a system that was previously thought to lack order, which changes conceptually how we think this works," Datta says.

Previously, scientists had trouble detecting the receptors, and they assumed their arrangement must be random: any olfactory sensory neuron could express any one of the 1,100 possible olfactory receptors.

The new map, however, reveals that the kind of receptors these neurons express is very much based on the specific order in which they are arranged.

Because of this, they form a gradient of receptors in narrow horizontal bands that span from the top to the bottom of the nose.

As Datta and team write in their paper, spatial order in the olfactory system "arises from a continuously varying transcriptional code that precisely organizes the many discrete channels responsible for smell."

Further experiments revealed that this layout is modulated by naturally occurring retinoic acid, a molecule that can adjust gene expression within cells.

By using drugs to adjust the levels of retinoic acid in the mice, the team was able to shift the gradient of smell receptors in the nose.

They also found the arrangement of receptors in the nose aligns with how the brain's olfactory bulb is organized.

The team hopes that by getting a better grasp on the anatomy of smell in mice, they may better understand what's going on in the human nose, too.

Of course, there are many differences between the noses of mice and humans, but as mammals, we do tend to share some physical and genetic similarities.

Knowing how smell actually works could also one day help us understand how to restore it in people who have lost this world-enriching sense.

"Smell has a really profound and pervasive effect on human health, so restoring it is not just for pleasure and safety but also for psychological well-being," Datta says.

"We cannot fix smell without understanding how it works on a basic level."

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

A Single Dose of Psilocybin Induces Lasting Brain Changes, New Study Suggests

06 May 2026, By J. COCKERILL

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-single-dose-of-psilocybin-induces-lasting-brain-changes-new-study-suggests

Psilocybin appears to 'loosen up' patterns of brain activity. 

(Alllex/E+/Getty Images)

Just one insightful psychedelic trip can have a profound impact on a person, and a new study goes some way to explaining why.

The research suggests a single dose of psilocybin (the psychedelic compound in 'magic mushrooms') that sufficiently 'shakes up' the brain's tried-and-true patterns could improve a person's mental well-being for up to a month after their trip.

Many studies on the effects of psilocybin have looked at groups receiving the drug for therapeutic reasons.

Instead, this new work investigated how 28 healthy participants who had never tried psilocybin before reacted to a 25 milligram dose, which is enough to elicit a strong psychedelic trip.

The results may help to explain some of the improvements seen in people with depression, addiction, and anxiety.

"We already knew psilocybin could be helpful for treating mental illness," says UC San Francisco (UCSF) neurologist Robin Carhart-Harris. "But now we have a much better understanding of how."

Psilocybin is best known as the active compound in 'magic mushrooms'. 

(Yarphoto/Getty Images)



Carhart-Harris and team assessed the novice trippers' experiences through a series of psychological tests to gauge factors like cognitive flexibility, sense of well-being, and psychological insights gleaned during the trip.

To compare these self-reported dimensions with something a bit more objective, the scientists also recorded the brain activity of participants using electroencephalography (EEG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

EEG readings were taken before the trip, and then one, two, and four and a half hours into it.

Meanwhile, fMRI and DTI readings were taken before the psilocybin session, and then one month after.

Participants undertook two sessions. They were informed that with each session they would receive a dose of psilocybin, but they wouldn't know how much.

In the first session, all participants were given 1 milligram of psilocybin, which is low enough to be considered a placebo. This was the control.

A month later, participants were given 25 milligrams in a second session. The same psychological and neurological tests were conducted in the preliminary phase as during the full-dose replication, to gather baseline data.

As you can imagine, it was obvious to many participants which session had included the drug, which somewhat limits the findings.

Nevertheless, the data revealed a link between a temporary uptick in brain entropy – a measure of how widely the brain's neural activity varies – and psychological insight reported the following day.

Participants with greater brain entropy under the influence of psilocybin, along with next-day psychological insight, also reported greater improvements in psychological well-being one month post-trip.

"Our data shows that such experiences of psychological insight relate to an entropic quality of brain activity and how both are involved in causing subsequent improvements in mental health," explains Carhart-Harris.

"It suggests that the trip – and its correlates in the brain – is a key component of how psychedelic therapy works."

The experience of insight appears particularly crucial to the long-term effects on well-being. Perhaps this could help doctors hone the use of psilocybin in a clinical setting by further investigating what dose and settings promote those deeper revelations.

Some researchers, however, question whether heightened brain entropy is a reliable marker of the psychedelic state. In a recent critical review, for instance, an international team of neuroscientists suggests that this view may oversimplify things. Their review calls for a more nuanced understanding of how entropy relates to the psychedelic experience.

Carhart-Harris and team also acknowledge in their report, "we may not have yet discovered a sufficiently sensitive assay for detecting (true) functional brain changes post-psilocybin," writing that further work will be needed to fill this gap.

But the fact that a single dose of a drug can have lasting effects on subjective well-being – particularly when the trip itself involves physical brain changes that appear related to subjective psychedelic experience and next-day insights – is, as neuroscientist Taylor Lyons from Imperial College London says, "especially exciting."

"Psilocybin seems to loosen up stereotyped patterns of brain activity and give people the ability to revise entrenched patterns of thought," says Lyons.

The Life of Earth

https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/

New Research Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About How the Brain Makes Decisions

By U. of Illinois Grainger College of Engin., May 6, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/new-research-challenges-long-held-beliefs-about-how-the-brain-makes-decisions/

Researchers have uncovered evidence that early brain regions may play a more active role in decision-making than traditionally believed, challenging long-standing hierarchical models. These findings suggest that intelligence may rely on dynamic, interconnected processes, offering new perspectives that could influence future AI design.

 Credit: Shutterstock

New research challenges traditional views of how the brain makes decisions, suggesting that even its earliest regions play a more active and dynamic role than previously thought.

New research from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that how the brain makes decisions could influence the future design of artificial intelligence. Led by electrical and computer engineering professor Yurii Vlasov and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study shows that early brain regions play a role in decision-making, challenging long-standing ideas about how the brain is organized.

The human brain is often described as the most complex structure in the universe. Its inner workings remain so difficult to understand that reverse-engineering it was named one of the National Academy of Engineering’s 14 grand challenges in 2008. For years, scientists have based artificial intelligence systems such as convolutional neural networks on the assumption that decisions arise through a step-by-step flow of information, starting in early sensory regions and ending in the frontal cortex. However, researchers like Vlasov are now reexamining that assumption.

Beyond Hierarchical Models of Intelligence

Another way to understand the brain focuses on natural intelligence, which has been shaped by evolution rather than designed by humans. In this framework, decision-making does not happen in a simple sequence. Instead, it involves interconnected feedback loops that send signals in both directions across different brain regions.

Mouse navigating in naturalistic virtual reality using its whiskers to make perceptual decisions to turn left or right. Contrary to traditional views on brain organization, the perceptual decision making is represented strongly at the very early stages of cortical computations in the primary cortex.

 Credit: The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign



Natural intelligence also stands out for its efficiency. It can perform complex computations while using far less energy than current AI systems. To better understand how this works, Vlasov and his team studied the brain from a systems-level perspective, looking at how different parts interact rather than examining them in isolation.

“We want to learn from a billion years of evolution,” Vlasov said. “How is that biological intelligence organized architecturally? Can we learn from the architectural side of the brain and emulate that to make AI more effective, less power-hungry, and more intelligent than it currently is? In the level of decision-making, that’s where current AI is lacking.”

Early Brain Regions and Decision Signals

To tackle the complexity of the brain, the researchers focused on its earliest processing stages, which handle sensation and perception. They recorded neural activity in mice as the animals moved through a virtual reality corridor and made decisions based on what they perceived.

The results were unexpected. Signals linked to decision-making appeared in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), an area traditionally associated with basic sensory processing. This suggests that decision-related activity begins earlier in the brain than previously thought.

Further analysis showed that S1 is influenced by higher-level brain regions through feedback loops. This top-down modulation indicates that decision-making is not driven only by one-way, feed-forward signaling, but instead involves ongoing interactions across multiple levels of the brain.

“The neural code of the brain is still mostly an unknown language,” Vlasov said. “But this systems-level understanding can be viewed as a potential impact on how more efficient artificial neural networks can be built — how the next generation of AI can be thought through. Maybe with these analogies that we learn from real brains, we can improve AI further.”

Implications for Future AI Architectures

The findings do not provide a direct blueprint for building better artificial intelligence, but they offer a new way to think about it. By studying how the brain organizes and processes information, researchers may identify principles that can improve AI systems.

Vlasov and his team plan to continue exploring how brain activity changes over time, with a focus on fast temporal dynamics. They are also developing new tools to measure and analyze neural signals more precisely.

“By looking at the fast temporal dynamics of neural activity, maybe we can understand better how these feedback loops are engaged in making decisions,” Vlasov said. “Maybe that’s the approach that potentially uncovers these currently unknown mechanisms — how these feedback loops are organized dynamically and how they form and shape different levels of processing. Maybe that can be implemented in new architectures for AI.”

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Scientists Discover How Coffee Impacts Memory, Mood, and Gut Health

BY U. COLLEGE CORK, MAY 6, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-how-coffee-impacts-memory-mood-and-gut-health/

New research explores how coffee interacts with the gut–brain axis, shedding light on how it may influence both the microbiome and mental well-being. The findings suggest that regular coffee consumption alters microbial activity and is linked to shifts in mood, stress, and cognitive function. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Coffee alters gut bacteria and improves mood and cognition, with both caffeinated and decaf offering distinct mental health benefits.

Researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland, a leading research center at University College Cork, have, for the first time, closely examined how coffee produces positive effects on the gut-brain axis.

The study, published in Nature Communications and supported by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), shows that regularly drinking both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can shape the gut microbiome and influence mood and stress.

Although coffee’s benefits for digestion and mental well-being are well known, the biological processes behind these effects have not been fully understood. This study explored how coffee affects the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the two-way communication system linking the gut microbiome and the brain, using a wide range of measurements.

Study Design and Participant Analysis

The research followed 31 coffee drinkers and 31 non-coffee drinkers using psychological evaluations, caffeine and diet logs, and stool and urine samples to track changes in gut microbes and self-reported mood and stress. “Coffee drinkers” were defined as individuals who regularly consume 3-5 cups per day, an amount considered safe and moderate for most people by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Participants then avoided coffee for two weeks while continuing psychological assessments and biological sampling. During this period, regular coffee drinkers showed clear shifts in gut metabolite profiles compared to non-coffee drinkers.

Photo (L-R): Professor John Cryan, Dr Serena Boscaini and Dr Gerard Moloney.

 Credit: Provision.



After this phase, coffee was reintroduced in a blinded setup. Half of the participants received decaffeinated coffee, while the others consumed caffeinated coffee. Both groups reported lower levels of stress, depression, and impulsivity, indicating that coffee improved mood regardless of caffeine content.

Microbiome Changes and Beneficial Bacteria

Certain bacteria, including Eggertella sp and Cryptobacterium curtum, were found in higher levels among coffee drinkers than non-coffee drinkers. Eggertella sp is believed to support gastric and intestinal acid production, while Cryptobacterium curtum plays a role in bile acid synthesis. These functions may help remove harmful gut bacteria and reduce stomach infections. Higher levels of Firmicutes bacteria were also observed, which have been linked to positive emotional states in females.

Only participants who consumed decaffeinated coffee showed clear improvements in learning and memory, suggesting that compounds other than caffeine, such as polyphenols, may drive these cognitive effects. In contrast, caffeinated coffee was associated with reduced anxiety along with better alertness and attention. Caffeine was also linked to a lower risk of inflammation.

Expert Insights on Coffee and Health

Corresponding author of the study, Professor John Cryan, Principal Investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, commented, “Public interest in gut health has risen hugely. The relationship between digestive and mental health is also increasingly being better understood, but the mechanisms behind coffee’s effects on this gut-brain axis have remained unclear.

“Our findings reveal the microbiome and neurological responses to coffee, as well as their potential long-term benefits for a healthier microbiome. Coffee may modify what microbes do collectively and what metabolites they use. As the public continues to think about dietary changes for the right digestive balance, coffee has the potential to also be harnessed as a further intervention as part of a healthy, balanced diet.”

“Coffee is more than just caffeine—it’s a complex dietary factor that interacts with our gut microbes, our metabolism, and even our emotional well-being,” said Professor Cryan. “Our findings suggest that coffee, whether caffeinated or decaffeinated, can influence health in distinct but complementary ways.”

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What Happens to Your Birds at Night — You've Never Seen This

 Backyard Bird Mind May 3, 2026 

Every evening your yard goes quiet. The feeders empty. The branches go still. And most people have no idea what actually happens next. 🌙🐦 

Where do your birds go when the light leaves your yard? The answer is far more specific, far more deliberate, and far stranger than most people realize.

 In this video, we go into the dark — into the exact roost sites, the physiological strategies, and the extraordinary things your birds do between dusk and dawn that most people never get to see.

🔴 Where the Cardinal Actually Goes Every Night — and why your holly bush may be his bedroom 

🔴 Regulated Hypothermia — the chickadee drops its body temperature by 22°F to survive the cold 

🔴 The Communal Roost — why twelve bluebirds that won't share a perch by day pack into the same box at night 

🔴 Unihemispheric Sleep — how birds sleep with one eye literally open and what they are listening for 🔴 The Great Horned Owl, the Cat, and the Sensory Network Running Through Your Dark Yard 

🔴 Why Robins Sing at 1am in Well-Lit Neighborhoods — and why it's your streetlight's fault 

🔴 What Is Flying Over Your House Right Now — the spring migration you cannot see but is happening above your roof tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xftmgUhS7Q

The Life of Earth

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Darwin’s Islands Still Evolving: Giant Daisies Rewrite the Rules of Evolution

By F. K. Hansen, Norwegian U. of Sci. and Tech., May 4, 2026

https://scitechdaily.com/darwins-islands-still-evolving-giant-daisies-rewrite-the-rules-of-evolution/

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) was a British naturalist whose work transformed biology by providing a unifying explanation for the diversity of life. Through observations made during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, he developed the theory of evolution by natural selection, proposing that species change over time as heritable traits that improve survival and reproduction become more common. 

Credit: Shutterstock

Galápagos plants show repeated evolution and emerging species, emphasizing evolution’s flexibility and active role today.

The Galápagos Islands have long stood as a living laboratory of evolution, but their story is far from finished. Nearly two centuries after Darwin’s famous finches reshaped our understanding of life, new research reveals that evolution on these remote islands is still unfolding in unexpected ways.

When Charles Darwin arrived in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle, he collected birds that he later studied in England. At first, he thought they included sparrows, woodpeckers, finches, and even a single tit. He later realized they were all closely related finches, with differences in their beaks reflecting adaptations to different diets.

This became a classic example of parallel evolution, where similar traits emerge more than once but through different genetic routes.

Darwin’s observations of these finches helped support his theory of evolution by natural selection, showing how species can change over time in response to their environments.

“More than 150 years after Darwin’s work on the Galápagos transformed our understanding of life on Earth, these islands continue to reveal new biology,” says Professor Michael D. Martin at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) University Museum.

Herbarium sheet with Scalesia incisa collected by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle in the Galápagos Islands from 1831-1836. 

Credit: GBIF, Cambridge University Herbarium (CGE) collection



Ongoing Discoveries in Galápagos Science

Martin is part of a global research team that includes scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; the University of California, Davis; the University of Copenhagen; the Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galápagos; the University of Georgia, Athens; the University of British Columbia; and other institutions. Together, they examined evolution in the plant genus Scalesia, often called the Galápagos giant daisies. Their findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

“Just like Darwin’s famous finches, these plants evolved rapidly after arriving on the Galápagos from mainland South America,” says Vanessa Bieker of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the study’s lead author.

The Scalesia genus is relatively young, with all existing species emerging within the past one million years. Despite this short timespan, they have adapted to a wide range of island environments, from humid highland forests to dry lowland areas.

Plants in the genus Scalesia have evolved adaptive traits multiple times, but not always using the same genes. The photo shows the serrated leaves of Scalesia affinis (radiate-headed scalesia).

 Credit: Michael Martin, NTNU University Museum



“The appearance of different species varies dramatically, from low shrubs to tall trees. Most striking are the leaves, which range from large and entire to small and deeply lobed,” says Martin.
Leaf Adaptations and Genetic Mysteries

Lobed leaves, often with complex and jagged edges, are believed to help these plants cope with heat and dryness by limiting water loss and improving heat release. Until now, scientists did not know how this trait developed at the genetic level.

By sequencing the full genomes of all known Scalesia species, the team found that lobed leaves evolved multiple times, appearing independently in different branches of the family tree.

A Galápagos National Park guide searching for Scalesia plants on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos. New research shows how the island fuels parallel evolution, as Scalesia plants have evolved the same adaptive traits, but using different genes.

 Credit: Michael D. Martin, NTNU



Some populations may already be on separate evolutionary paths. Many Scalesia groups could represent unique lineages that have not yet been formally classified as distinct species.

Parallel Evolution and Genetic Pathways

“Even more surprising was that each time this trait evolved, it did so through different genes—even though all of them belong to the same biological system controlling leaf development,” says Bieker.

“This provides a clear example of parallel evolution: nature arriving at the same solution multiple times, but through different genetic pathways. Instead of being controlled by a single ‘master gene,’ evolution appears to draw on an entire network of interacting genes, tweaking different components to produce similar outcomes.”

Close-up of serrated leaves of Scalesia affinis (radiate-headed scalesia). 

Credit: Michael Martin, NTNU University Museum



Repeated Trait Evolution and Ongoing Speciation

These findings offer new insight into how complex traits can evolve repeatedly in nature.

The study also shows that evolution in these plants is still happening today.

“Populations within the same species show large genetic differences and have been isolated from one another for long periods. This means new species may be in the process of forming. Many Scalesia populations may represent distinct evolutionary lineages that have not yet been formally described,” says Martin.

Conservation Implications and Evolution in Action

The researchers suggest that each isolated population should be treated as its own conservation unit, which could change how the Galápagos ecosystem is protected in the future. Their work also provides a detailed view of how a single species can quickly branch into many distinct forms.

“Our findings highlight the flexibility and creativity of evolution,” says Bieker.

She notes that Darwin also collected many plant specimens during his time in the Galápagos. Seventy-eight of these were later identified as entirely new species, including four types of Scalesia.

The Life of Earth

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NASA Satellite Reveals Just How Fast Mexico City Is Sinking

05 May 2026, By M. Janetsky, Associated Press

https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-satellite-reveals-just-how-fast-mexico-city-is-sinking

Mexico City's Angel of Independence monument has had 14 steps added to its base over the years as the land around it has gradually sunk. 

(Orbon Alija/E+/Getty Images)

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico City is sinking by nearly 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) a year, according to new satellite imagery released this week by NASA, making it one of the world's fastest-subsiding metropolises.

One of the world's most sprawling and populated urban areas, at 3,000 square miles (about 7,800 square kilometers) and some 22 million people, the Mexican capital and surrounding cities were built atop an ancient lake bed.

Many downtown streets were once canals, a tradition that continues in the rural fringes.

Extensive groundwater pumping and urban development have dramatically shrunk the aquifer, meaning that Mexico City has been sinking for more than a century, leaving many monuments and older buildings — like the Metropolitan Cathedral, where construction began in 1573 — visibly tilted to the side.

The contracting aquifer has also contributed to a chronic water crisis that is only expected to worsen.

"It damages part of the critical infrastructure of Mexico City, such as the subway, the drainage system, the water, the potable water system, housing and streets," said Enrique Cabral, a researcher studying geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

"It's a very big problem."

Mexico City is sinking so fast that the subsidence can be spotted from space.

Mexico City is a well-known hot spot of subsidence, but new satellite data has revealed just how fast the region is sinking. The dark blue color on this map indicates areas found to be subsiding by more than half an inch (more than 2 centimeters) per month. 

(NASA/JPL-Caltech/David Bekaert)

In some parts it is happening at an average rate of 0.78 inches (2 centimeters) a month, according to NASA's newly released report, such as at the main airport and the iconic monument commonly known as the Angel of Independence.

Overall that means a yearly subsidence rate of about 9.5 inches (24 centimeters). Over the course of less than a century, the drop has been more than 39 feet (12 meters), according to Cabral.

"We have one of the fastest velocities of land subsidence in the whole world," he said.

The NASA estimates are based on measurements taken between October 2025 and January 2026 by a powerful satellite known as NISAR, which can track real-time changes on the Earth's surface and is a joint initiative between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization.

NISAR scientist Paul Rosen said that by capturing details of the Earth from space, the project is also "telling us something about what's actually happening below the surface."

"It's basically documentation of all of these changes within a city," Rosen said.

He added: "You can see the full magnitude of the problem."

With time the team hopes to be able to zoom in even more on specific areas and someday get measurements on a building-by-building basis.

More broadly, researchers hope to apply the technology around the world to track things like natural disasters, changes in fault lines, the effects of climate change in regions like Antarctica and more.

Rosen said it could be used to bolster alert systems, letting scientists alert governments to the need for evacuations in cases of volcano eruptions, for example.

For Mexico City the technology amounts to a big advance in studying the subsidence issue and mitigating its worst effects, according to Cabral.

For decades the government has largely ignored the problem other than stabilizing foundations under monuments like the cathedral.

But following recent flare-ups of the water crisis, Cabral said, officials have begun to fund more research.

Imagery from the NISAR satellite and the data that comes with it will be key for scientists and officials as they plan on how to address the problem.

"To do long-term mitigation of the situation," Cabral said, "the first step is to just understand."

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