Anton Petrov, Mar 23, 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQa0DowQ_oE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQa0DowQ_oE
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Thursday, 26 March 2026
The Truth About Collagen Supplements: Scientists Reveal What Actually Works
By Anglia Ruskin U., March 25, 2026
New research indicates collagen may support certain aspects of healthy aging, but its broader health and fitness claims remain uncertain.
Collagen supplements are often marketed as a way to support everything from glowing skin to better workouts. But the strongest evidence so far points to a narrower reality. The most comprehensive review to date found that collagen can benefit skin health and help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, while offering little evidence of any real advantage for sports performance.
That conclusion comes from a new umbrella review published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum. It combines results from 16 systematic reviews, 113 randomized controlled trials, and nearly 8,000 participants worldwide.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis and meta-regression covering the full range of health outcomes linked to collagen use.
Their approach made it possible to examine how dosage and duration influence results. The findings indicate that longer use is associated with greater gains in skin elasticity and hydration, along with improvements in osteoarthritis symptoms such as pain and stiffness.
Benefits for Aging, But Limits for Performance
The analysis also found small but measurable improvements in muscle mass, muscle structure, and tendon composition, supporting collagen’s potential role in healthy aging.
At the same time, the data showed no meaningful benefits for post-exercise recovery, muscle soreness, or tendon strength. This suggests collagen is not effective as a quick performance-enhancing supplement.
The researchers also reviewed evidence related to oral health and cardiometabolic factors, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Results in these areas were inconsistent or inconclusive, with limited evidence that collagen significantly improves metabolic health, gum disease, or dental appearance.
The study notes that more recent trials tend to report stronger outcomes in some areas, likely due to advances in supplement formulations and improved research methods.
Expert Perspective and Future Research
Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and co-author of the study, said: “This study brings together the strongest evidence to date on collagen supplementation.
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis. Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy ageing, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use.
“This study marks an important step towards more informed public guidance and better-designed future research. We need more high-quality clinical trials, including research examining long-term health outcomes, optimal dosing, and differences between collagen sources.”
https://scitechdaily.com/the-truth-about-collagen-supplements-scientists-reveal-what-actually-works/
A sweeping analysis of global research suggests collagen supplements may offer measurable benefits for skin health and joint conditions, particularly with consistent, long-term use.
Credit: Shutterstock
New research indicates collagen may support certain aspects of healthy aging, but its broader health and fitness claims remain uncertain.
Collagen supplements are often marketed as a way to support everything from glowing skin to better workouts. But the strongest evidence so far points to a narrower reality. The most comprehensive review to date found that collagen can benefit skin health and help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, while offering little evidence of any real advantage for sports performance.
That conclusion comes from a new umbrella review published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum. It combines results from 16 systematic reviews, 113 randomized controlled trials, and nearly 8,000 participants worldwide.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) conducted the first comprehensive meta-analysis and meta-regression covering the full range of health outcomes linked to collagen use.
Their approach made it possible to examine how dosage and duration influence results. The findings indicate that longer use is associated with greater gains in skin elasticity and hydration, along with improvements in osteoarthritis symptoms such as pain and stiffness.
Benefits for Aging, But Limits for Performance
The analysis also found small but measurable improvements in muscle mass, muscle structure, and tendon composition, supporting collagen’s potential role in healthy aging.
At the same time, the data showed no meaningful benefits for post-exercise recovery, muscle soreness, or tendon strength. This suggests collagen is not effective as a quick performance-enhancing supplement.
The researchers also reviewed evidence related to oral health and cardiometabolic factors, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. Results in these areas were inconsistent or inconclusive, with limited evidence that collagen significantly improves metabolic health, gum disease, or dental appearance.
The study notes that more recent trials tend to report stronger outcomes in some areas, likely due to advances in supplement formulations and improved research methods.
Expert Perspective and Future Research
Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and co-author of the study, said: “This study brings together the strongest evidence to date on collagen supplementation.
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis. Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy ageing, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use.
“This study marks an important step towards more informed public guidance and better-designed future research. We need more high-quality clinical trials, including research examining long-term health outcomes, optimal dosing, and differences between collagen sources.”
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Scientists Just Broke the Solar Power Limit Everyone Thought Was Absolute
By Kyushu U. March 25, 2026
A new “energy-multiplying” solar breakthrough could push efficiency beyond 100% and transform how we capture sunlight.
Solar energy is widely seen as a key tool in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and slowing climate change. The Sun delivers a vast amount of energy to Earth every second, but today’s solar cells can only capture a small portion of it. This limitation comes from a so-called “physical ceiling” that has long been considered unavoidable.
Breakthrough Spin-Flip Technology Boosts Solar Efficiency
In a study published today (March 25) in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers from Kyushu University in Japan, working with collaborators at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz in Germany, introduced a new approach to overcome this barrier. They used a molybdenum-based metal complex known as a “spin-flip” emitter to capture extra energy through singlet fission (SF), often described as a “dream technology” for improving light conversion.
This method achieved an energy conversion efficiency of about 130%, exceeding the traditional 100% limit and pointing toward more powerful future solar cells.
Collaboration and Experimental Results
“We could not have reached this point without the Heinze group from JGU Mainz,” Sasaki says. Adrian Sauer, a graduate student from the group visiting Kyushu University on exchange and the paper’s second author, brought the team’s attention to a material that has long been studied there, leading to the collaboration.
When combined with tetracene-based materials in solution, the system successfully harvested energy with quantum yields of around 130%. In practical terms, this means about 1.3 molybdenum-based metal complexes were activated for every photon absorbed, surpassing the conventional limit and demonstrating that more energy carriers were generated than incoming photons.
Scientists may have found a way to squeeze more energy out of sunlight than ever thought possible—breaking a long-standing “efficiency ceiling” in solar technology.
Credit: Stock
A new “energy-multiplying” solar breakthrough could push efficiency beyond 100% and transform how we capture sunlight.
Solar energy is widely seen as a key tool in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and slowing climate change. The Sun delivers a vast amount of energy to Earth every second, but today’s solar cells can only capture a small portion of it. This limitation comes from a so-called “physical ceiling” that has long been considered unavoidable.
Breakthrough Spin-Flip Technology Boosts Solar Efficiency
In a study published today (March 25) in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers from Kyushu University in Japan, working with collaborators at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz in Germany, introduced a new approach to overcome this barrier. They used a molybdenum-based metal complex known as a “spin-flip” emitter to capture extra energy through singlet fission (SF), often described as a “dream technology” for improving light conversion.
This method achieved an energy conversion efficiency of about 130%, exceeding the traditional 100% limit and pointing toward more powerful future solar cells.
How Solar Cells Work and Why Energy Is Lost
Solar cells generate electricity when photons from sunlight strike a semiconductor and transfer their energy to electrons, setting them in motion and producing an electric current. This process can be visualized as a relay, where energy is passed along particle by particle.
However, not all sunlight contributes equally. Low-energy infrared photons lack the power to excite electrons, while high-energy photons, such as blue light, lose excess energy as heat. Because of this imbalance, solar cells can only utilize roughly one-third of incoming sunlight. This restriction is known as the Shockley–Queisser limit and has posed a major challenge for decades.
Solar cells generate electricity when photons from sunlight strike a semiconductor and transfer their energy to electrons, setting them in motion and producing an electric current. This process can be visualized as a relay, where energy is passed along particle by particle.
However, not all sunlight contributes equally. Low-energy infrared photons lack the power to excite electrons, while high-energy photons, such as blue light, lose excess energy as heat. Because of this imbalance, solar cells can only utilize roughly one-third of incoming sunlight. This restriction is known as the Shockley–Queisser limit and has posed a major challenge for decades.
Using Singlet Fission To Multiply Energy
“We have two main strategies to break through this limit,” says Yoichi Sasaki, Associate Professor at Kyushu University’s Faculty of Engineering. “One is to convert lower-energy infrared photons into higher-energy visible photons. The other, what we explore here, is to use SF to generate two excitons from a single exciton photon.”
Under typical conditions, one photon produces just one spin-singlet exciton after excitation. With SF, that single high-energy exciton can split into two lower-energy spin-triplet excitons, potentially doubling the usable energy. While materials like tetracene can support this process, efficiently capturing the resulting excitons has remained difficult.
Overcoming Energy Loss From FRET
“The energy can be easily ‘stolen’ by a mechanism called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) before multiplication occurs,” Sasaki explains. “We therefore needed an energy acceptor that selectively captures the multiplied triplet excitons after fission.”
To solve this problem, the researchers turned to metal complexes, which can be precisely engineered at the molecular level. They identified a molybdenum-based “spin-flip” emitter that can effectively collect the energy produced during SF. In these molecules, an electron changes its spin during interactions with near-infrared light, allowing the system to absorb triplet energy efficiently.
By carefully adjusting energy levels, the team reduced losses from FRET and enabled selective extraction of the multiplied excitons.
“We have two main strategies to break through this limit,” says Yoichi Sasaki, Associate Professor at Kyushu University’s Faculty of Engineering. “One is to convert lower-energy infrared photons into higher-energy visible photons. The other, what we explore here, is to use SF to generate two excitons from a single exciton photon.”
Under typical conditions, one photon produces just one spin-singlet exciton after excitation. With SF, that single high-energy exciton can split into two lower-energy spin-triplet excitons, potentially doubling the usable energy. While materials like tetracene can support this process, efficiently capturing the resulting excitons has remained difficult.
Overcoming Energy Loss From FRET
“The energy can be easily ‘stolen’ by a mechanism called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) before multiplication occurs,” Sasaki explains. “We therefore needed an energy acceptor that selectively captures the multiplied triplet excitons after fission.”
To solve this problem, the researchers turned to metal complexes, which can be precisely engineered at the molecular level. They identified a molybdenum-based “spin-flip” emitter that can effectively collect the energy produced during SF. In these molecules, an electron changes its spin during interactions with near-infrared light, allowing the system to absorb triplet energy efficiently.
By carefully adjusting energy levels, the team reduced losses from FRET and enabled selective extraction of the multiplied excitons.
Collaboration and Experimental Results
“We could not have reached this point without the Heinze group from JGU Mainz,” Sasaki says. Adrian Sauer, a graduate student from the group visiting Kyushu University on exchange and the paper’s second author, brought the team’s attention to a material that has long been studied there, leading to the collaboration.
When combined with tetracene-based materials in solution, the system successfully harvested energy with quantum yields of around 130%. In practical terms, this means about 1.3 molybdenum-based metal complexes were activated for every photon absorbed, surpassing the conventional limit and demonstrating that more energy carriers were generated than incoming photons.
Future Applications in Solar and Quantum Technologies
This research introduces a new strategy for amplifying excitons, although it is still at an early proof-of-concept stage. The team plans to integrate the materials into solid-state systems to improve energy transfer and move closer to real-world solar cell applications.
The findings may also inspire further work combining singlet fission with metal complexes, with potential uses not only in solar energy but also in LEDs and emerging quantum technologies.
This research introduces a new strategy for amplifying excitons, although it is still at an early proof-of-concept stage. The team plans to integrate the materials into solid-state systems to improve energy transfer and move closer to real-world solar cell applications.
The findings may also inspire further work combining singlet fission with metal complexes, with potential uses not only in solar energy but also in LEDs and emerging quantum technologies.
The birth of modern Man
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Your Poop Schedule Says a Lot About Your Overall Health, Study Reveals
25 March 2026, By M. IRVING
"How often do you poop?" might sound like a very personal question, but your answer could reveal quite a lot about your overall health.
A study published in 2024 investigated how often people had bowel movements and compared those stats to their demographic, genetic, and health data.
The healthiest people among the 1,425 participants reported pooping once or twice a day – a 'Goldilocks zone' of bowel movement frequency.
Pooping too often or too rarely was associated with different underlying health issues, the team led by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) found.
"This study shows how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems, and how aberrant bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases," said ISB microbiologist Sean Gibbons, the corresponding author of the report.
"These insights could inform strategies for managing bowel movement frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimize health and wellness."
Watch the video below for a summary:
The study investigated the bathroom habits of people who were "generally healthy" – that is, with no history of kidney or gut issues like kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or Crohn's disease.
Participants self-reported how often they had bowel movements, and the researchers organized them into four categories: constipation for those reporting one or two bowel movements per week; low-normal for three to six movements per week; high-normal for one to three movements per day; and diarrhea for four or more watery stools per day.
The researchers also analyzed patients' blood metabolites and chemistry, their genetics, and the gut microbes present in their stool samples.
The team looked for possible associations between bowel movement frequency and these health markers, as well as other factors like their age and sex.
In general, those who reported less frequent bowel movements tended to be women, younger, and with a lower body mass index (BMI). But even accounting for these factors, people with constipation or diarrhea showed clear links to underlying health issues.
Bacteria usually found in the upper gastrointestinal tract were more common in stool samples from participants with diarrhea. Their blood samples, meanwhile, showed biomarkers associated with liver damage.
The liver usually recycles bile acid to dissolve and absorb dietary fats.
.webp)
A more plant-dominant diet can have health benefits.
(Ake Ngiamsanguan/Canva)
"How often do you poop?" might sound like a very personal question, but your answer could reveal quite a lot about your overall health.
A study published in 2024 investigated how often people had bowel movements and compared those stats to their demographic, genetic, and health data.
The healthiest people among the 1,425 participants reported pooping once or twice a day – a 'Goldilocks zone' of bowel movement frequency.
Pooping too often or too rarely was associated with different underlying health issues, the team led by researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) found.
"This study shows how bowel movement frequency can influence all body systems, and how aberrant bowel movement frequency may be an important risk factor in the development of chronic diseases," said ISB microbiologist Sean Gibbons, the corresponding author of the report.
"These insights could inform strategies for managing bowel movement frequency, even in healthy populations, to optimize health and wellness."
Watch the video below for a summary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJLOrcliNA&t=2s
The study investigated the bathroom habits of people who were "generally healthy" – that is, with no history of kidney or gut issues like kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or Crohn's disease.
Participants self-reported how often they had bowel movements, and the researchers organized them into four categories: constipation for those reporting one or two bowel movements per week; low-normal for three to six movements per week; high-normal for one to three movements per day; and diarrhea for four or more watery stools per day.
The researchers also analyzed patients' blood metabolites and chemistry, their genetics, and the gut microbes present in their stool samples.
Participants provided samples of blood plasma and stool, in addition to filling out extensive diet, health, and lifestyle questionnaires.
(Johnson-Martínez et al., Cell Reports, 2024)
The team looked for possible associations between bowel movement frequency and these health markers, as well as other factors like their age and sex.
In general, those who reported less frequent bowel movements tended to be women, younger, and with a lower body mass index (BMI). But even accounting for these factors, people with constipation or diarrhea showed clear links to underlying health issues.
Bacteria usually found in the upper gastrointestinal tract were more common in stool samples from participants with diarrhea. Their blood samples, meanwhile, showed biomarkers associated with liver damage.
(Eraxion/Canva)
Stool samples from people with less frequent bowel movements had higher levels of bacteria associated with protein fermentation. This is a known hazard from constipation.
"If stool sticks around too long in the gut, microbes use up all of the available dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids," said Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a bioengineer at ISB.
"After that, the ecosystem switches to fermentation of proteins, which produces several toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream."
Sure enough, some of these byproducts were found in these patients' blood samples. Particularly enriched was a metabolite called indoxyl-sulfate, a known product of protein fermentation that can damage the kidneys.
The team suggests the finding is potential evidence of a causal link between bowel movement frequency and overall health.
There is some hope that people can change their habits and, as a result, their health. Recent research suggests your gut microbiome can shift a lot faster than you might think.
For instance, a 2025 study from Germany tracked inactive adults who began resistance training twice or three times a week. Those who gained the most strength showed changes in the makeup of their gut bacteria in just eight weeks.
These kinds of changes might help some people move out of the constipation or diarrhea categories and into a healthier bowel-movement range.
Those in the Goldilocks zone of pooping reported eating more fiber, drinking more water, and exercising more often. Their stool samples also showed high levels of bacteria associated with fermenting fiber.
Stool samples from people with less frequent bowel movements had higher levels of bacteria associated with protein fermentation. This is a known hazard from constipation.
"If stool sticks around too long in the gut, microbes use up all of the available dietary fiber, which they ferment into beneficial short-chain fatty acids," said Johannes Johnson-Martinez, a bioengineer at ISB.
"After that, the ecosystem switches to fermentation of proteins, which produces several toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream."
Sure enough, some of these byproducts were found in these patients' blood samples. Particularly enriched was a metabolite called indoxyl-sulfate, a known product of protein fermentation that can damage the kidneys.
The team suggests the finding is potential evidence of a causal link between bowel movement frequency and overall health.
There is some hope that people can change their habits and, as a result, their health. Recent research suggests your gut microbiome can shift a lot faster than you might think.
For instance, a 2025 study from Germany tracked inactive adults who began resistance training twice or three times a week. Those who gained the most strength showed changes in the makeup of their gut bacteria in just eight weeks.
These kinds of changes might help some people move out of the constipation or diarrhea categories and into a healthier bowel-movement range.
Those in the Goldilocks zone of pooping reported eating more fiber, drinking more water, and exercising more often. Their stool samples also showed high levels of bacteria associated with fermenting fiber.
.webp)
(Prostock-studio/Canva)
A clinical trial published in 2025 by US researchers found that people with a lot of methane-producing microbes in their guts are especially efficient at turning dietary fiber into short-chain fatty acids.
This suggests that both the amount of fiber and the specific mix of microbes in an individual's gut are important, which explains why two people eating the same diet can experience different health outcomes.
Of course, everybody has found themselves at one extreme or the other at some point in their lives, after catching a stomach bug or eating too much cheese.
But this study was looking at people's everyday routine, and it reveals how our own version of 'normal' could hint at health issues we weren't aware of.
A clinical trial published in 2025 by US researchers found that people with a lot of methane-producing microbes in their guts are especially efficient at turning dietary fiber into short-chain fatty acids.
This suggests that both the amount of fiber and the specific mix of microbes in an individual's gut are important, which explains why two people eating the same diet can experience different health outcomes.
Of course, everybody has found themselves at one extreme or the other at some point in their lives, after catching a stomach bug or eating too much cheese.
But this study was looking at people's everyday routine, and it reveals how our own version of 'normal' could hint at health issues we weren't aware of.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Why Your Most Vivid Dreams Might Be the Key to Deep, Restful Sleep
By IMT School for Adv. Studies Lucca, March 24, 2026
The secret to feeling deeply asleep might not be silence—it could be your most vivid dreams.
Feeling like you had “a good night’s sleep” depends on more than just the number of hours you spent in bed. It also comes down to how deeply and uninterrupted that sleep felt. Scientists still do not fully understand what is happening in the brain that creates this sense of deep, refreshing rest.
A new study from researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, published today (March 24) in Plos Biology, offers a surprising clue. It suggests that dreams, especially vivid and immersive ones, may actually make sleep feel deeper and more restorative rather than disrupting it.
An image depicting the experimental setup (the image shows on the left, a sleeping participant wearing the EEG cap and, on the right, the recorded EEG, EOG, EMG, and ECG signals during NREM2 sleep).
Why Dreams May Sustain Deep Sleep
Another unexpected pattern emerged. As the night progressed, biological indicators of sleep pressure gradually declined. Yet participants reported that their sleep felt deeper over time.
This shift closely matched an increase in how immersive their dreams became. The results suggest that vivid dreams may help preserve the sensation of deep sleep even as the body’s need for sleep decreases. These experiences may also help maintain a sense of detachment from the outside world, which is a key feature of restorative sleep, even when parts of the brain remain active.
Vivid dreams may actually enhance the feeling of deep, restorative sleep rather than disrupt it. The more immersive the dream, the deeper people reported their sleep felt.
Credit: Shutterstock
The secret to feeling deeply asleep might not be silence—it could be your most vivid dreams.
Feeling like you had “a good night’s sleep” depends on more than just the number of hours you spent in bed. It also comes down to how deeply and uninterrupted that sleep felt. Scientists still do not fully understand what is happening in the brain that creates this sense of deep, refreshing rest.
A new study from researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, published today (March 24) in Plos Biology, offers a surprising clue. It suggests that dreams, especially vivid and immersive ones, may actually make sleep feel deeper and more restorative rather than disrupting it.
Rethinking Deep Sleep and Brain Activity
For a long time, deep sleep was thought to mean the brain was essentially “switched off,” with slow brain waves, minimal activity, and little awareness. Under this view, deeper sleep meant less brain activity. In contrast, dreaming has typically been linked to Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and seen as a sign of partial “awakenings” in the brain.
However, this creates a puzzling contradiction. REM sleep involves intense dreaming and brain activity that resembles wakefulness, yet people often describe it as a period of deep sleep.
To explore this paradox, researchers examined 196 overnight recordings from 44 healthy adults. Participants slept in a lab while their brain activity was monitored using high-density electroencephalography (EEG). The data came from a larger project funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant focused on how sensory stimulation influences the experience of sleep.
For a long time, deep sleep was thought to mean the brain was essentially “switched off,” with slow brain waves, minimal activity, and little awareness. Under this view, deeper sleep meant less brain activity. In contrast, dreaming has typically been linked to Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and seen as a sign of partial “awakenings” in the brain.
However, this creates a puzzling contradiction. REM sleep involves intense dreaming and brain activity that resembles wakefulness, yet people often describe it as a period of deep sleep.
To explore this paradox, researchers examined 196 overnight recordings from 44 healthy adults. Participants slept in a lab while their brain activity was monitored using high-density electroencephalography (EEG). The data came from a larger project funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant focused on how sensory stimulation influences the experience of sleep.
Credit: Valentina Elce (CC-BY 4.0)
Dreaming and Perceived Sleep Depth
Over four nights in the lab, participants were awakened more than 1,000 times and asked to describe what they had been experiencing just before waking. They also rated how deeply they felt they had been sleeping and how sleepy they were.
The findings showed that people reported the deepest sleep not only when they had no mental activity, but also after vivid, highly immersive dreams. In contrast, shallow sleep was linked to weak or unclear experiences, such as a vague awareness without a structured dream.
“In other words, not all mental activity during sleep feels the same: the quality of the experience, especially how immersive it is, appears to be crucial,” explains Giulio Bernardi, professor in neuroscience at the IMT School and senior author of the study. “This suggests that dreaming may reshape how brain activity is interpreted by the sleeper: the more immersive the dream, the deeper the sleep feels.”
Dreaming and Perceived Sleep Depth
Over four nights in the lab, participants were awakened more than 1,000 times and asked to describe what they had been experiencing just before waking. They also rated how deeply they felt they had been sleeping and how sleepy they were.
The findings showed that people reported the deepest sleep not only when they had no mental activity, but also after vivid, highly immersive dreams. In contrast, shallow sleep was linked to weak or unclear experiences, such as a vague awareness without a structured dream.
“In other words, not all mental activity during sleep feels the same: the quality of the experience, especially how immersive it is, appears to be crucial,” explains Giulio Bernardi, professor in neuroscience at the IMT School and senior author of the study. “This suggests that dreaming may reshape how brain activity is interpreted by the sleeper: the more immersive the dream, the deeper the sleep feels.”
Why Dreams May Sustain Deep Sleep
Another unexpected pattern emerged. As the night progressed, biological indicators of sleep pressure gradually declined. Yet participants reported that their sleep felt deeper over time.
This shift closely matched an increase in how immersive their dreams became. The results suggest that vivid dreams may help preserve the sensation of deep sleep even as the body’s need for sleep decreases. These experiences may also help maintain a sense of detachment from the outside world, which is a key feature of restorative sleep, even when parts of the brain remain active.
Dreams as “Guardians of Sleep”
“Understanding how dreams contribute to the feeling of deep sleep opens new perspectives on sleep health and mental well-being,” says Bernardi. “If dreams help sustain the feeling of deep sleep, then alterations in dreaming could partly explain why some people feel they sleep poorly even when standard objective sleep indices appear normal. Rather than being merely a by-product of sleep, immersive dreams may help buffer fluctuations in brain activity and sustain the subjective experience of being deeply asleep.” This idea echoes a long-standing hypothesis in sleep research – and even in classical psychoanalysis – that dreams may act as “guardians of sleep.”
A New Direction for Sleep Research
This research is part of a broader collaboration between the IMT School, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, and Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio. Together, they have established a new sleep laboratory designed to integrate neuroscience and medical research.
The facility supports a multidisciplinary approach to studying sleep and the sleep–wake cycle, helping scientists better understand how brain activity interacts with bodily processes. These findings mark an early step in that effort and provide a foundation for future studies on how brain and body dynamics influence both healthy and disordered sleep.
“Understanding how dreams contribute to the feeling of deep sleep opens new perspectives on sleep health and mental well-being,” says Bernardi. “If dreams help sustain the feeling of deep sleep, then alterations in dreaming could partly explain why some people feel they sleep poorly even when standard objective sleep indices appear normal. Rather than being merely a by-product of sleep, immersive dreams may help buffer fluctuations in brain activity and sustain the subjective experience of being deeply asleep.” This idea echoes a long-standing hypothesis in sleep research – and even in classical psychoanalysis – that dreams may act as “guardians of sleep.”
A New Direction for Sleep Research
This research is part of a broader collaboration between the IMT School, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, and Fondazione Gabriele Monasterio. Together, they have established a new sleep laboratory designed to integrate neuroscience and medical research.
The facility supports a multidisciplinary approach to studying sleep and the sleep–wake cycle, helping scientists better understand how brain activity interacts with bodily processes. These findings mark an early step in that effort and provide a foundation for future studies on how brain and body dynamics influence both healthy and disordered sleep.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
One of Earth’s Greatest Migrations Is Collapsing Beneath Our Rivers
By Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), March 24, 2026
One of Earth’s greatest migrations is vanishing underwater—and almost no one is paying attention.
The world’s freshwater fish migrations—some of the longest on Earth—are collapsing fast, with populations down over 80%. Scientists say only global cooperation to reconnect rivers can prevent their disappearance.
A Hidden Crisis in Freshwater Fish Migration
Some of the longest and most vital animal migrations on Earth are happening out of sight, deep within the world’s rivers. A major new assessment from the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a United Nations environmental treaty, warns that many of these migrations are now rapidly breaking down.
The Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes, unveiled at the CMS 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Brazil, shows that migratory freshwater fish are among the most threatened wildlife on the planet. These species play a critical role in keeping rivers healthy, supporting major inland fisheries, and providing food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people.
Hundreds of Species at Risk Across Borders
The report identifies hundreds of migratory fish that require coordinated international protection. It presents strong evidence that species depending on connected rivers across national boundaries are declining at an accelerating pace. Key drivers include dam construction, habitat fragmentation, pollution, overfishing, and climate-related changes to ecosystems.
In total, 325 migratory freshwater fish species are flagged as candidates for international conservation action, pointing to a largely overlooked biodiversity crisis unfolding in shared river systems around the world.
A regional breakdown of the 325 migratory freshwater fish species deemed candidates for international protection (beyond the 24 already listed) under the Convention’s Appendices I (species requiring strict protection) and II (species needing international cooperation):
Experts Warn of Urgent Need for Action
Lead Author Dr. Zeb Hogan:
“Many of the world’s great wildlife migrations take place underwater. This assessment shows that migratory freshwater fish are in serious trouble, and that protecting them will require countries to work together to keep rivers connected, productive, and full of life.”
CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel:
“This new assessment highlights a major priority for the conservation of migratory species and their habitats, that has not had adequate focus to date. By aligning science, policy and international cooperation, governments can safeguard the world’s remaining great freshwater fish migrations and the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.”
World Wildlife Fund-US, Vice President and Deputy Lead of Freshwater, Michele Thieme
“Rivers don’t recognize borders — and neither do the fish that depend on them. The crisis unfolding beneath our waterways is far more severe than most people realize, and we are running out of time. Rivers need to be managed as connected systems, with coordination across borders, and investments in basin-wide solutions now before these migrations are lost forever.”
Populations of Hucho taimen have declined across Russia, Mongolia, and China and large adults are now rare in many historical reaches due to overfishing, habitat degradation, water-quality pressures, and dam effects. The species is one of 325 candidates for international protection under consideration at the Convention on Migratory Species’ COP15, Campo Grande, Brazil, March 23-29.
Credit: Zeb Hogan
One of Earth’s greatest migrations is vanishing underwater—and almost no one is paying attention.
The world’s freshwater fish migrations—some of the longest on Earth—are collapsing fast, with populations down over 80%. Scientists say only global cooperation to reconnect rivers can prevent their disappearance.
A Hidden Crisis in Freshwater Fish Migration
Some of the longest and most vital animal migrations on Earth are happening out of sight, deep within the world’s rivers. A major new assessment from the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a United Nations environmental treaty, warns that many of these migrations are now rapidly breaking down.
The Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes, unveiled at the CMS 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Brazil, shows that migratory freshwater fish are among the most threatened wildlife on the planet. These species play a critical role in keeping rivers healthy, supporting major inland fisheries, and providing food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people.
Hundreds of Species at Risk Across Borders
The report identifies hundreds of migratory fish that require coordinated international protection. It presents strong evidence that species depending on connected rivers across national boundaries are declining at an accelerating pace. Key drivers include dam construction, habitat fragmentation, pollution, overfishing, and climate-related changes to ecosystems.
In total, 325 migratory freshwater fish species are flagged as candidates for international conservation action, pointing to a largely overlooked biodiversity crisis unfolding in shared river systems around the world.
A regional breakdown of the 325 migratory freshwater fish species deemed candidates for international protection (beyond the 24 already listed) under the Convention’s Appendices I (species requiring strict protection) and II (species needing international cooperation):
Asia: 205
South America: 55
Africa: 42
Europe: 50
North America: 32
(The total adds to more than 325 because some species occur on multiple continents.)
Priority river basins include South America’s Amazon and La Plata–Paraná, Europe’s Danube, Asia’s Mekong, Africa’s Nile, and the Indian sub-continent’s Ganges–Brahmaputra.
Prepared by CMS scientific experts using extensive global datasets and IUCN assessments of nearly 15,000 freshwater fish species, the report provides the most comprehensive overview yet of migratory freshwater fish conservation needs.
It also outlines practical tools governments can deploy immediately, including:
South America: 55
Africa: 42
Europe: 50
North America: 32
(The total adds to more than 325 because some species occur on multiple continents.)
Priority river basins include South America’s Amazon and La Plata–Paraná, Europe’s Danube, Asia’s Mekong, Africa’s Nile, and the Indian sub-continent’s Ganges–Brahmaputra.
Prepared by CMS scientific experts using extensive global datasets and IUCN assessments of nearly 15,000 freshwater fish species, the report provides the most comprehensive overview yet of migratory freshwater fish conservation needs.
It also outlines practical tools governments can deploy immediately, including:
protection of migration corridors and environmental flows,
basin-scale action plans and transboundary monitoring, and
coordinated seasonal fisheries
basin-scale action plans and transboundary monitoring, and
coordinated seasonal fisheries
Rapid Decline in Freshwater Ecosystems
Freshwater species are declining faster than those on land or in the oceans, yet the collapse of migratory freshwater fish has received limited global attention.
Many of these fish depend on long, uninterrupted river routes that connect spawning grounds, feeding areas, and floodplain nurseries, often spanning multiple countries. When dams, altered river flows, or degraded habitats disrupt these pathways, populations can drop quickly.
According to the report, global populations of migratory freshwater fish have fallen by about 81% since 1970. Nearly all (97%) of the 58 CMS-listed migratory fish species (including fresh and salt-water species) are now at risk of extinction.
The new findings reinforce that hundreds of migratory freshwater fish species have an unfavourable conservation status. They also emphasize that effective protection depends on managing rivers as connected systems, rather than treating them as separate national resources.
Freshwater species are declining faster than those on land or in the oceans, yet the collapse of migratory freshwater fish has received limited global attention.
Many of these fish depend on long, uninterrupted river routes that connect spawning grounds, feeding areas, and floodplain nurseries, often spanning multiple countries. When dams, altered river flows, or degraded habitats disrupt these pathways, populations can drop quickly.
According to the report, global populations of migratory freshwater fish have fallen by about 81% since 1970. Nearly all (97%) of the 58 CMS-listed migratory fish species (including fresh and salt-water species) are now at risk of extinction.
The new findings reinforce that hundreds of migratory freshwater fish species have an unfavourable conservation status. They also emphasize that effective protection depends on managing rivers as connected systems, rather than treating them as separate national resources.
Amazon Basin and South American Rivers Under Pressure
Host of COP15, Brazil is proposing several conservation measures related to South America’s two largest river systems, the Amazon and La Plata–Paraná.
The Amazon Basin remains one of the last great strongholds for migratory freshwater fish, but intensifying development pressures threaten that status.
A case study released along with the new global assessment identifies 20 migratory fish species in the Amazon meeting criteria for potential CMS Appendix II listing. These large long-distance migrants are flagships for the river’s migratory fish, which account for roughly 93% of fisheries landings, underpinning regional fisheries valued at an estimated US$436 million annually.
They are also famed for undertaking some of the longest freshwater migrations ever recorded. Among them is the dorado (gilded) catfish (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), a bottom-dweller known for its metallic gold/silver skin and impressive size (up to 2 meters / 6.5 ft), highly prized in commercial fisheries. Renowned for the longest life cycle freshwater migration of any fish, its journey spans 11,000 kilometers, from Andean headwaters to coastal nurseries.
To strengthen conservation, Brazil and other governments are proposing a Multi-species Action Plan for Amazonian Migratory Catfish (2026–2036), developed through regional cooperation involving multiple countries.
Brazil has also proposed adding the spotted sorubim catfish (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) to CMS Appendix II, highlighting the need for coordinated action in the La Plata Basin, where they are threatened by dams, altered flows, and fishing pressures.
Together, the initiatives rank among the most ambitious international efforts yet to safeguard migratory freshwater fish species and reinforce the central purpose of CMS: conservation solutions for migratory species must operate across the full range of the species, and require international cooperation to succeed.
Host of COP15, Brazil is proposing several conservation measures related to South America’s two largest river systems, the Amazon and La Plata–Paraná.
The Amazon Basin remains one of the last great strongholds for migratory freshwater fish, but intensifying development pressures threaten that status.
A case study released along with the new global assessment identifies 20 migratory fish species in the Amazon meeting criteria for potential CMS Appendix II listing. These large long-distance migrants are flagships for the river’s migratory fish, which account for roughly 93% of fisheries landings, underpinning regional fisheries valued at an estimated US$436 million annually.
They are also famed for undertaking some of the longest freshwater migrations ever recorded. Among them is the dorado (gilded) catfish (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), a bottom-dweller known for its metallic gold/silver skin and impressive size (up to 2 meters / 6.5 ft), highly prized in commercial fisheries. Renowned for the longest life cycle freshwater migration of any fish, its journey spans 11,000 kilometers, from Andean headwaters to coastal nurseries.
To strengthen conservation, Brazil and other governments are proposing a Multi-species Action Plan for Amazonian Migratory Catfish (2026–2036), developed through regional cooperation involving multiple countries.
Brazil has also proposed adding the spotted sorubim catfish (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) to CMS Appendix II, highlighting the need for coordinated action in the La Plata Basin, where they are threatened by dams, altered flows, and fishing pressures.
Together, the initiatives rank among the most ambitious international efforts yet to safeguard migratory freshwater fish species and reinforce the central purpose of CMS: conservation solutions for migratory species must operate across the full range of the species, and require international cooperation to succeed.
Experts Warn of Urgent Need for Action
Lead Author Dr. Zeb Hogan:
“Many of the world’s great wildlife migrations take place underwater. This assessment shows that migratory freshwater fish are in serious trouble, and that protecting them will require countries to work together to keep rivers connected, productive, and full of life.”
CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel:
“This new assessment highlights a major priority for the conservation of migratory species and their habitats, that has not had adequate focus to date. By aligning science, policy and international cooperation, governments can safeguard the world’s remaining great freshwater fish migrations and the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.”
World Wildlife Fund-US, Vice President and Deputy Lead of Freshwater, Michele Thieme
“Rivers don’t recognize borders — and neither do the fish that depend on them. The crisis unfolding beneath our waterways is far more severe than most people realize, and we are running out of time. Rivers need to be managed as connected systems, with coordination across borders, and investments in basin-wide solutions now before these migrations are lost forever.”
The Hidden Collapse of the World’s Great Freshwater Migrations
By the numbers
By the numbers
325: Migratory freshwater fish species identified as candidates for coordinated international conservation action under the CMS (beyond the 24 species already listed in Appendices I and II).
205: Species identified in Asia alone, making it the global hotspot for migratory freshwater fish at risk.
81%: Estimated decline in migratory freshwater fish populations worldwide since 1970, one of the steepest drops recorded for any major vertebrate group.
97%: Share of CMS-listed migratory fish already threatened with extinction.
15,000: Freshwater fish species assessed through the IUCN Red List and global datasets used to produce this assessment, the most comprehensive evidence base ever assembled for migratory freshwater fish.
250+: Transboundary rivers and lakes worldwide, meaning conservation success depends on cooperation between countries rather than national action alone.
47%: Approximate share of Earth’s land surface lying within shared river basins.
93%: Proportion of Amazon fisheries landings made up of migratory freshwater species, highlighting their critical role in regional food systems and livelihoods.
US$436 million: Estimated annual value of Amazon fisheries based on migratory species
US$436 million: Estimated annual value of Amazon fisheries based on migratory species
20: Amazon Basin species identified as meeting criteria for potential CMS Appendix II listing in the new case study.
10,000+ kilometres: Migration distance of the dorado (gilded) catfish — among the longest freshwater migrations ever recorded.
1 fundamental solution: Managing rivers as connected ecological systems rather than isolated national waterways.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Gigantic 'Heat Dome' Baking The Whole US May Be Historic, Scientists Say
24 March 2026, By S. BORENSTEIN, ASS. PRESS
(AP) – After smashing March heat records in 14 states and the U.S. as a whole, the gigantic heat dome that's baked the Southwest is creeping eastward and may end up being one of the most expansive heat waves in American history, meteorologists and weather historians said.
And it's not going away for awhile, maybe not till the middle of the next week as April starts, said meteorologist Gregg Gallina of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.
"Basically the entire U.S. is going to be hot," Gallina said Monday. "The area of record temperatures is extremely large. That's the thing that's really bizarre."
This heat dome – in which high pressure is acting like a pot lid trapping hot air over a region – will leave Flagstaff, Arizona, with 11 or 12 straight days of temperatures higher than the city's previous March record, said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections.
Gallina said the dome's eastward movement will mean temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius) by Wednesday over the southern and central plains. From one-quarter to one-third of the 48 continental states will be flirting with records for March, Gallina said.
The physical area of this heat wave likely dwarfs two other historic heat waves – one in 2012 in the Upper Midwest and Northeast and another in 2021 in the Pacific Northwest – according to weather historian Chris Burt, author of the book "Extreme Weather."
A jogger runs past as a man sunbathes at Crissy Field in San Francisco, Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
(chuchart duangdaw/Moment/Getty Images)
(AP) – After smashing March heat records in 14 states and the U.S. as a whole, the gigantic heat dome that's baked the Southwest is creeping eastward and may end up being one of the most expansive heat waves in American history, meteorologists and weather historians said.
And it's not going away for awhile, maybe not till the middle of the next week as April starts, said meteorologist Gregg Gallina of the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.
"Basically the entire U.S. is going to be hot," Gallina said Monday. "The area of record temperatures is extremely large. That's the thing that's really bizarre."
This heat dome – in which high pressure is acting like a pot lid trapping hot air over a region – will leave Flagstaff, Arizona, with 11 or 12 straight days of temperatures higher than the city's previous March record, said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections.
Gallina said the dome's eastward movement will mean temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius) by Wednesday over the southern and central plains. From one-quarter to one-third of the 48 continental states will be flirting with records for March, Gallina said.
The physical area of this heat wave likely dwarfs two other historic heat waves – one in 2012 in the Upper Midwest and Northeast and another in 2021 in the Pacific Northwest – according to weather historian Chris Burt, author of the book "Extreme Weather."
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
It may not be as large as the Dust Bowl heat waves of 1936, but that was a series of heat waves over two months during summer, not a single big event like now, Burt said.
Both the Dust Bowl and the 2021 heat wave were more intense, with higher temperatures that hurt people more because they fell in June and July, Gallina said.
Another saving grace for people in this heat wave is that it's not as humid as it would be if the temperatures rose in the summer, Gallina said.
On Friday, four places in Arizona and California hit 112 degrees (44.4 degrees Celsius), according to the Weather Service.
Not only did that smash the record for the hottest March day in the continental United States by 4 degrees (2 degrees Celsius), but it was only 1 degree shy of the hottest day recorded in the Lower 48 in April.
Climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks global weather records, compiled a list of 14 states that have notched their hottest March day on record since this heat dome started: California, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and Idaho.
"In Mexico, even May records were trashed with March records broken by as much as 14 (degrees Fahrenheit), far more than July 1936, March 1907 or June 2021," Herrera wrote in an email.
The National Center for Environmental Information registered at least 479 weather stations breaking records for March from Wednesday through Saturday, based on its network of stations. Herrera, who analyzed a broader set of data, said the true number is likely higher.
Another 1,472 daily records – which are easier to break – were shattered at the same time, the center said.
What's happening is the jet stream – which moves weather systems from west to east – is pretty much stuck as far westward as the storms dousing Hawaii, where people are seeing torrential rains and flooding, Masters and Gallina said.
On Friday, a group of international climate scientists called World Weather Attribution determined that the record heat was "virtually impossible" and 800 times more likely because of climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
The result of those activities added at least 4.7 degrees (2.6 degrees Celsius) to the heat, said report co-author Clair Barnes, an Imperial College of London scientist with the group.
The heat dome will move on by late next week, Masters said: "We just have to give it time."
It may not be as large as the Dust Bowl heat waves of 1936, but that was a series of heat waves over two months during summer, not a single big event like now, Burt said.
Both the Dust Bowl and the 2021 heat wave were more intense, with higher temperatures that hurt people more because they fell in June and July, Gallina said.
Another saving grace for people in this heat wave is that it's not as humid as it would be if the temperatures rose in the summer, Gallina said.
On Friday, four places in Arizona and California hit 112 degrees (44.4 degrees Celsius), according to the Weather Service.
Not only did that smash the record for the hottest March day in the continental United States by 4 degrees (2 degrees Celsius), but it was only 1 degree shy of the hottest day recorded in the Lower 48 in April.
Climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks global weather records, compiled a list of 14 states that have notched their hottest March day on record since this heat dome started: California, Arizona, Nevada, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota and Idaho.
"In Mexico, even May records were trashed with March records broken by as much as 14 (degrees Fahrenheit), far more than July 1936, March 1907 or June 2021," Herrera wrote in an email.
The National Center for Environmental Information registered at least 479 weather stations breaking records for March from Wednesday through Saturday, based on its network of stations. Herrera, who analyzed a broader set of data, said the true number is likely higher.
Another 1,472 daily records – which are easier to break – were shattered at the same time, the center said.
What's happening is the jet stream – which moves weather systems from west to east – is pretty much stuck as far westward as the storms dousing Hawaii, where people are seeing torrential rains and flooding, Masters and Gallina said.
On Friday, a group of international climate scientists called World Weather Attribution determined that the record heat was "virtually impossible" and 800 times more likely because of climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
The result of those activities added at least 4.7 degrees (2.6 degrees Celsius) to the heat, said report co-author Clair Barnes, an Imperial College of London scientist with the group.
The heat dome will move on by late next week, Masters said: "We just have to give it time."
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Microbe in Human Gut May Boost Muscle Strength, Study Finds
23 March 2026, By R. McLendon
A specific microbe found in the human gut appears to be able to boost muscle strength, new research suggests.
Your intestines teem with tiny creatures that wield outsized influence on your health. Collectively called the gut microbiome, they play key roles in a variety of bodily processes, from digestion and metabolism to immune modulation, sleep, neurodevelopment, and brain function.
In a new study, researchers highlight another surprising service that seems to be offered by at least one species of intestinal microbe: improving your muscle strength.
In addition to demonstrating this intriguing relationship between gut flora and muscle function, the researchers also identified a specific bacterium from the genus Roseburia as the microbe responsible.
Until now, despite mounting evidence of gut microbes' broad reach, there were few indications of their influence on muscle strength, the authors note, and no bacterial species had been identified as direct modulators of muscle function.
By identifying this link, the researchers bolster the case for the existence of a "gut-muscle axis," akin to the more famous gut-brain axis, explains co-author and exercise physiologist Jonatan Ruiz from the University of Grenada in Spain.
"Taken together, our findings provide solid evidence confirming the existence of a gut-muscle axis in which this identified bacterium positively modulates muscle metabolism and muscle strength," Ruiz says.
One species in particular was associated with multiple strength metrics in humans.
(Pascal/Flickr/public domain/CC0 1.0)
A specific microbe found in the human gut appears to be able to boost muscle strength, new research suggests.
Your intestines teem with tiny creatures that wield outsized influence on your health. Collectively called the gut microbiome, they play key roles in a variety of bodily processes, from digestion and metabolism to immune modulation, sleep, neurodevelopment, and brain function.
In a new study, researchers highlight another surprising service that seems to be offered by at least one species of intestinal microbe: improving your muscle strength.
In addition to demonstrating this intriguing relationship between gut flora and muscle function, the researchers also identified a specific bacterium from the genus Roseburia as the microbe responsible.
Until now, despite mounting evidence of gut microbes' broad reach, there were few indications of their influence on muscle strength, the authors note, and no bacterial species had been identified as direct modulators of muscle function.
By identifying this link, the researchers bolster the case for the existence of a "gut-muscle axis," akin to the more famous gut-brain axis, explains co-author and exercise physiologist Jonatan Ruiz from the University of Grenada in Spain.
"Taken together, our findings provide solid evidence confirming the existence of a gut-muscle axis in which this identified bacterium positively modulates muscle metabolism and muscle strength," Ruiz says.
(Nutthaseth Vanchaichana/ Canva)
To search for associations between specific gut flora and muscle strength, the researchers examined stool samples from two groups of human subjects: 90 young adults (18 to 25 years old) and 33 older adults (65 or above).
All participants reported fairly sedentary lifestyles, with less than 20 minutes of exercise on fewer than three days per week. They also maintained a stable body weight over the prior three months, and didn't smoke.
Study subjects underwent extensive measurements of muscle power, including tests designed to assess hand grip, leg, and upper body strength. Researchers also tested participants' maximum oxygen consumption as a measure of cardiorespiratory capacity.
Stool samples contained rich microbial biodiversity, but bacteria from the genus Roseburia – which has previously been linked to muscle strength – stood out due to positive correlations with "muscle-related outcomes."
While some Roseburia species seem unconnected to the metrics covered in this study, others showed varying associations with at least some of the muscle tests. Roseburia intestinalis, for example, is evidently linked to leg and upper body strength in young adults.
But one species in particular drew the researchers' attention. The relative abundance of Roseburia inulinivorans was positively associated with multiple strength metrics in humans, including hand grip, leg press, and bench press.
Older adults who have this microbe in their stool also have a nearly 30 percent stronger hand grip than comparable subjects with no sign of it, the study found.
It appears to benefit young adults, too, in whom a higher prevalence of R. inulinivorans was associated with stronger grip as well as higher cardiorespiratory capacity.
The study also featured additional experiments with mice, designed to assess causality and explore mechanisms of the associations observed in humans.
The researchers used antibiotics to deplete existing gut flora in mice, then restocked the mice with bacteria from human intestines in weekly installments over an eight-week period.
R. inulinivorans induced a "remarkable increase" in the rodents' forelimb grip strength, boosting this muscle-function proxy by roughly 30 percent above the control group, they report.
Beneath the effects on muscle performance, the study found that mice given this bacterium also grew more fast-twitch muscle and larger muscle fibers in the soleus, an important muscle located at the back of the lower leg.
The findings suggest R. inulinivorans achieves this by altering amino acid metabolism, activating the purine and pentose phosphate pathway in muscle, and promoting muscle-fiber hypertrophy, with a shift toward fast-twitch fibers.
More research will be needed, but this research could pave the way for future development of probiotics, the researchers note, to help people maintain strength and physical fitness as the buffer of youth fades.
"This opens up the possibility that the bacterium under investigation could be used as a probiotic to help preserve muscle strength during aging," says co-author and endocrinologist Borja Martínez Téllez from the University of Almería in Spain.
To search for associations between specific gut flora and muscle strength, the researchers examined stool samples from two groups of human subjects: 90 young adults (18 to 25 years old) and 33 older adults (65 or above).
All participants reported fairly sedentary lifestyles, with less than 20 minutes of exercise on fewer than three days per week. They also maintained a stable body weight over the prior three months, and didn't smoke.
Study subjects underwent extensive measurements of muscle power, including tests designed to assess hand grip, leg, and upper body strength. Researchers also tested participants' maximum oxygen consumption as a measure of cardiorespiratory capacity.
Stool samples contained rich microbial biodiversity, but bacteria from the genus Roseburia – which has previously been linked to muscle strength – stood out due to positive correlations with "muscle-related outcomes."
While some Roseburia species seem unconnected to the metrics covered in this study, others showed varying associations with at least some of the muscle tests. Roseburia intestinalis, for example, is evidently linked to leg and upper body strength in young adults.
But one species in particular drew the researchers' attention. The relative abundance of Roseburia inulinivorans was positively associated with multiple strength metrics in humans, including hand grip, leg press, and bench press.
Older adults who have this microbe in their stool also have a nearly 30 percent stronger hand grip than comparable subjects with no sign of it, the study found.
It appears to benefit young adults, too, in whom a higher prevalence of R. inulinivorans was associated with stronger grip as well as higher cardiorespiratory capacity.
The study also featured additional experiments with mice, designed to assess causality and explore mechanisms of the associations observed in humans.
The researchers used antibiotics to deplete existing gut flora in mice, then restocked the mice with bacteria from human intestines in weekly installments over an eight-week period.
R. inulinivorans induced a "remarkable increase" in the rodents' forelimb grip strength, boosting this muscle-function proxy by roughly 30 percent above the control group, they report.
Beneath the effects on muscle performance, the study found that mice given this bacterium also grew more fast-twitch muscle and larger muscle fibers in the soleus, an important muscle located at the back of the lower leg.
The findings suggest R. inulinivorans achieves this by altering amino acid metabolism, activating the purine and pentose phosphate pathway in muscle, and promoting muscle-fiber hypertrophy, with a shift toward fast-twitch fibers.
More research will be needed, but this research could pave the way for future development of probiotics, the researchers note, to help people maintain strength and physical fitness as the buffer of youth fades.
"This opens up the possibility that the bacterium under investigation could be used as a probiotic to help preserve muscle strength during aging," says co-author and endocrinologist Borja Martínez Téllez from the University of Almería in Spain.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Honey Bees Dance Better When Someone Is Watching
By U. of Cal. - San Diego, March 23, 2026
Honey bees literally dance better when they have an audience.
Honey bees don’t deliver perfect directions unless someone’s watching closely. When their audience shrinks, their famous waggle dance gets less accurate as they try to draw attention.
“Dance like nobody’s watching” may be good advice for humans, but honey bees operate very differently.
Over the past several years, researchers have made major progress in understanding the honey bee “waggle dance,” a sophisticated form of communication used within the hive. Scientists from the University of California, San Diego and their collaborators have shown how this behavior allows bees to share precise information about the location of food with other members of the colony.
A new study published today (March 23) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that the effectiveness of this dance depends not only on the bee performing it, but also on the audience. The findings show that foraging bees are not simply delivering a fixed message. Instead, the accuracy of the directions they provide changes based on how many other bees are paying attention.
When honey bee foragers locate a food source, such as this lemonade berry sumac shrub (Rhus integrifolia), they return to the hive and communicate the source through the intricate details of the waggle dance.
Experiments Reveal Role of Social Feedback
Working with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Queen Mary University of London, Nieh and his colleagues studied bees in controlled hive environments designed to mimic natural conditions.
In one set of experiments, they varied the number of bees present in the main dancing area to see how audience size influenced performance. In another, they kept the number of bees the same but altered the audience by introducing younger worker bees, which typically do not follow dances. In both cases, the dancers became less accurate when their audience was smaller or less engaged.
“The waggle dance is often presented as a one-way information transfer,” said Ken Tan, the senior author of the study and a researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Our data show that feedback from the audience shapes the signal itself. In that sense, the dancer is not only sending information, but also responding to social conditions on the dance floor.”
How Bees Sense Their Audience
The researchers also uncovered clues about how bees detect who is watching. Audience members frequently touch the dancer with their antennae and bodies. These physical interactions likely help the performing bee gauge both the number and type of followers nearby.
Lars Chittka, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London, said the study shows that “humans aren’t the only ones who perform differently depending on their audience. Our study shows that honey bees quite literally dance better when they know someone is watching. When followers are scarce, dancers wander around searching for listeners — and in doing so, their signals become fuzzier. It’s a lovely reminder that even in the miniature world of insects, communication is a deeply social affair.”
What This Means for Animal Communication
Beyond honey bees, the findings provide insight into how groups of animals share and manage information. Many collective systems rely on signals that must be repeated, received, and acted upon by others.
“The new findings show that the accuracy of a signal can depend on the availability of receivers, not only on the motivation of the sender,” said Nieh. “That kind of feedback may be important in animal societies, engineered swarms and other distributed systems where the quality of information can rise or fall with audience dynamics.”
A dancing honey bee (center) is surrounded by an audience of “followers” that carefully interpret the movements of the ultra-fast ‘waggle’ dance.
Credit: Heather Broccard Bell
Honey bees literally dance better when they have an audience.
Honey bees don’t deliver perfect directions unless someone’s watching closely. When their audience shrinks, their famous waggle dance gets less accurate as they try to draw attention.
“Dance like nobody’s watching” may be good advice for humans, but honey bees operate very differently.
Over the past several years, researchers have made major progress in understanding the honey bee “waggle dance,” a sophisticated form of communication used within the hive. Scientists from the University of California, San Diego and their collaborators have shown how this behavior allows bees to share precise information about the location of food with other members of the colony.
A new study published today (March 23) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that the effectiveness of this dance depends not only on the bee performing it, but also on the audience. The findings show that foraging bees are not simply delivering a fixed message. Instead, the accuracy of the directions they provide changes based on how many other bees are paying attention.
How the Waggle Dance Shares Food Location
After finding a valuable food source, a foraging bee returns to the hive and communicates its discovery through a rapid and intricate dance. As other bees watch, the dancer moves forward while shaking its abdomen, then circles back and repeats the sequence within seconds. The angle of the movement indicates the direction of the food relative to the sun, while the length of the dance signals how far away it is.
This behavior allows the colony to efficiently locate and exploit food sources, making it one of the most remarkable communication systems in the animal world.
After finding a valuable food source, a foraging bee returns to the hive and communicates its discovery through a rapid and intricate dance. As other bees watch, the dancer moves forward while shaking its abdomen, then circles back and repeats the sequence within seconds. The angle of the movement indicates the direction of the food relative to the sun, while the length of the dance signals how far away it is.
This behavior allows the colony to efficiently locate and exploit food sources, making it one of the most remarkable communication systems in the animal world.
Credit: Heather Broccard Bell
Audience Size Affects Dance Precision
Professor James Nieh of the UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences compares the behavior to a street performer. When a performer has a large audience, they can concentrate on delivering a consistent act. But when fewer people are watching, they may shift their position, scan for attention, and adjust their performance to draw in a crowd.
A similar tradeoff occurs in bees. When fewer hive mates follow the dance, the forager moves around more to attract attention. This added movement makes it harder to maintain the exact pattern needed for precise communication.
“Everyone has seen a street musician or a performer adjust to a changing crowd,” said Nieh, a faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. “In the hive, we see a comparable tradeoff. When fewer bees follow, dancers move more as they search for their audience, and the dance becomes less precise.”
Professor James Nieh of the UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences compares the behavior to a street performer. When a performer has a large audience, they can concentrate on delivering a consistent act. But when fewer people are watching, they may shift their position, scan for attention, and adjust their performance to draw in a crowd.
A similar tradeoff occurs in bees. When fewer hive mates follow the dance, the forager moves around more to attract attention. This added movement makes it harder to maintain the exact pattern needed for precise communication.
“Everyone has seen a street musician or a performer adjust to a changing crowd,” said Nieh, a faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. “In the hive, we see a comparable tradeoff. When fewer bees follow, dancers move more as they search for their audience, and the dance becomes less precise.”
Experiments Reveal Role of Social Feedback
Working with researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Queen Mary University of London, Nieh and his colleagues studied bees in controlled hive environments designed to mimic natural conditions.
In one set of experiments, they varied the number of bees present in the main dancing area to see how audience size influenced performance. In another, they kept the number of bees the same but altered the audience by introducing younger worker bees, which typically do not follow dances. In both cases, the dancers became less accurate when their audience was smaller or less engaged.
“The waggle dance is often presented as a one-way information transfer,” said Ken Tan, the senior author of the study and a researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Our data show that feedback from the audience shapes the signal itself. In that sense, the dancer is not only sending information, but also responding to social conditions on the dance floor.”
How Bees Sense Their Audience
The researchers also uncovered clues about how bees detect who is watching. Audience members frequently touch the dancer with their antennae and bodies. These physical interactions likely help the performing bee gauge both the number and type of followers nearby.
Lars Chittka, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London, said the study shows that “humans aren’t the only ones who perform differently depending on their audience. Our study shows that honey bees quite literally dance better when they know someone is watching. When followers are scarce, dancers wander around searching for listeners — and in doing so, their signals become fuzzier. It’s a lovely reminder that even in the miniature world of insects, communication is a deeply social affair.”
What This Means for Animal Communication
Beyond honey bees, the findings provide insight into how groups of animals share and manage information. Many collective systems rely on signals that must be repeated, received, and acted upon by others.
“The new findings show that the accuracy of a signal can depend on the availability of receivers, not only on the motivation of the sender,” said Nieh. “That kind of feedback may be important in animal societies, engineered swarms and other distributed systems where the quality of information can rise or fall with audience dynamics.”
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Monday, 23 March 2026
Cannabis Compounds May Reverse Fatty Liver Disease, Study Suggests
19 March 2026, By C. Cassella
The cannabis plant contains two powerful compounds that may reverse fatty liver disease in mice without causing any intoxication, according to new research.
The study, led by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, found that both CBD (cannabidiol) and CBG (cannabigerol) can improve blood sugar control, reduce liver fat, and lower blood lipid levels in obese mice.
Strangely enough, both plant compounds achieved these results mostly independent of classical cannabinoid receptors, which are key regulators of communication between the gut and liver.
Instead, daily injections of either CBD or CBG into the abdomen of mice enhanced the production of phosphocreatine, a form of creatine released by the liver to help replenish energy supplies and maintain cellular health.
After mice were fed a high-fat diet, CBD and CBG restored some of their liver function after four weeks.
CBG proved particularly effective, reducing body fat, lowering 'bad' cholesterol, and increasing insulin sensitivity in obese mice significantly more than CBD.
"Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic [liver] energy and lysosomal function," says pharmacist and senior author Joseph Tam.
"This dual metabolic remodeling contributes to improved liver lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)."
MASLD occurs when fat builds up in the liver. It is distinct from alcohol-related liver disease, and it has become the most common chronic liver disorder in the world, impacting roughly a third of the global adult population.
But MASLD is not only a liver condition; it is also a systemic metabolic disorder, and in recent years, animal studies have suggested that natural, bioactive compounds from the cannabis plant may hold promise as treatments.
CBD is one of the best-known and most studied compounds from the cannabis plant, and while research is still limited and conflicted, some studies suggest this compound can have beneficial metabolic effects.
CBG, meanwhile, has only recently emerged as an alternative cannabis compound with the potential to improve health outcomes even more than CBD. It is sometimes dubbed the "mother of all cannabinoids" because it rapidly metabolizes into CBD and the psychoactive compound in cannabis, THC.
Neither CBD nor CBG seems to be active in the central nervous system (at least not in their purest form), which means on their own they don't trigger a 'high' in human patients like THC does. This is another benefit to their potential use as medicine.
"This study is the first to demonstrate that phytocannabinoids can reprogram hepatic energy buffering," argue the authors of the study.
In previous research on rodents, creatine supplementation showed some ability to resolve MASLD, but it had the opposite outcome for fatty liver disease triggered by alcohol use.
The current study in MASLD-like mice supports these results, finding that some cannabis compounds can protect the liver by shifting energy toward the synthesis of phosphocreatine and restoring cellular mechanisms that clear fats from the organ.
Whether those results hold up in humans remains to be seen. Today, CBD products on the market are not very closely regulated, and some may not be sold in their purest form.
What's more, these products are often oral droplets, and it's unclear whether the medicine would have the same impact if swallowed as opposed to injected straight into the abdomen.
Perhaps if further research can reveal how CBD and CBG have these impacts on liver function, a novel drug can be created to mimic their effects in a way that is easily delivered and safe for use.
"Despite the increasing clinical burden of MASLD, no pharmacological treatments have been approved to date," the study authors write.
"This therapeutic gap underscores the urgent need for novel pharmacological agents that can target the underlying mechanisms of disease progression."
(magicmine/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
The cannabis plant contains two powerful compounds that may reverse fatty liver disease in mice without causing any intoxication, according to new research.
The study, led by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, found that both CBD (cannabidiol) and CBG (cannabigerol) can improve blood sugar control, reduce liver fat, and lower blood lipid levels in obese mice.
Strangely enough, both plant compounds achieved these results mostly independent of classical cannabinoid receptors, which are key regulators of communication between the gut and liver.
Instead, daily injections of either CBD or CBG into the abdomen of mice enhanced the production of phosphocreatine, a form of creatine released by the liver to help replenish energy supplies and maintain cellular health.
After mice were fed a high-fat diet, CBD and CBG restored some of their liver function after four weeks.
CBG proved particularly effective, reducing body fat, lowering 'bad' cholesterol, and increasing insulin sensitivity in obese mice significantly more than CBD.
"Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic [liver] energy and lysosomal function," says pharmacist and senior author Joseph Tam.
"This dual metabolic remodeling contributes to improved liver lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)."
MASLD occurs when fat builds up in the liver. It is distinct from alcohol-related liver disease, and it has become the most common chronic liver disorder in the world, impacting roughly a third of the global adult population.
But MASLD is not only a liver condition; it is also a systemic metabolic disorder, and in recent years, animal studies have suggested that natural, bioactive compounds from the cannabis plant may hold promise as treatments.
Stages of liver damage following fat accumulation.
(Blueastro/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
CBD is one of the best-known and most studied compounds from the cannabis plant, and while research is still limited and conflicted, some studies suggest this compound can have beneficial metabolic effects.
CBG, meanwhile, has only recently emerged as an alternative cannabis compound with the potential to improve health outcomes even more than CBD. It is sometimes dubbed the "mother of all cannabinoids" because it rapidly metabolizes into CBD and the psychoactive compound in cannabis, THC.
Neither CBD nor CBG seems to be active in the central nervous system (at least not in their purest form), which means on their own they don't trigger a 'high' in human patients like THC does. This is another benefit to their potential use as medicine.
"This study is the first to demonstrate that phytocannabinoids can reprogram hepatic energy buffering," argue the authors of the study.
In previous research on rodents, creatine supplementation showed some ability to resolve MASLD, but it had the opposite outcome for fatty liver disease triggered by alcohol use.
The current study in MASLD-like mice supports these results, finding that some cannabis compounds can protect the liver by shifting energy toward the synthesis of phosphocreatine and restoring cellular mechanisms that clear fats from the organ.
Whether those results hold up in humans remains to be seen. Today, CBD products on the market are not very closely regulated, and some may not be sold in their purest form.
What's more, these products are often oral droplets, and it's unclear whether the medicine would have the same impact if swallowed as opposed to injected straight into the abdomen.
Perhaps if further research can reveal how CBD and CBG have these impacts on liver function, a novel drug can be created to mimic their effects in a way that is easily delivered and safe for use.
"Despite the increasing clinical burden of MASLD, no pharmacological treatments have been approved to date," the study authors write.
"This therapeutic gap underscores the urgent need for novel pharmacological agents that can target the underlying mechanisms of disease progression."
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Psychologists Find Past Actions Influence Decisions More Than Previously Thought
By Dresden U. of Tech., March 22, 2026
Past choices may quietly steer future decisions more than logic does.
A study from Dresden University of Technology (TUD) finds that previous actions shape current decisions more strongly than scientists once believed, offering new insight into how people make choices. The findings, published in Communications Psychology, could improve our understanding of everyday habits and decision-making.
Why do people stick with familiar choices, even when better options seem available?
To investigate, a research team led by Stefan Kiebel, Professor of Cognitive Computational Neuroscience at TUD, conducted a large study. They analyzed nine newly designed decision-making tasks along with six existing datasets, covering more than 700 participants. The goal was to examine how people learn values in clearly defined situations and how those learned preferences carry over when situations are combined in new ways.
The Power of Repetition
“Our study shows that many ‘irrational’ preferences do not necessarily arise primarily from people storing values relative to other values, but rather from the fact that people tend to repeat actions they once preferred in a particular context. This pure repetition can later lead to a particular option still being preferred in new contexts or environments, even if there are equivalent or even better alternatives,” explains lead author Dr Ben Wagner.
To test that possibility, the researchers used a hierarchical Bayesian reinforcement learning model that combined two basic ingredients: learning from rewards and repeating past actions. Across the full set of datasets, that model outperformed alternatives based on value normalization and other more complex explanations. The results suggest that some decision biases may emerge not from sophisticated mental calculations, but from a habit-like carryover of earlier actions.
“The surprising thing was how strongly repetition alone can change preferences,” explains Wagner. “Options that were chosen more frequently were not only preferred, but also rated as better.”
Implications for Everyday Behavior
These results help explain seemingly illogical behaviors in daily life, such as shopping habits, routines, and repeated patterns of choice. They also offer new ways to better model decision-making in fields like psychology and behavioral science, and may inform how environments are designed to influence decisions.
A new study suggests that past decisions may exert a stronger influence on current choices than previously understood. Rather than carefully evaluating options each time, people may rely on patterns formed through repetition, subtly shaping preferences across different situations.
Credit: Shutterstock
Past choices may quietly steer future decisions more than logic does.
A study from Dresden University of Technology (TUD) finds that previous actions shape current decisions more strongly than scientists once believed, offering new insight into how people make choices. The findings, published in Communications Psychology, could improve our understanding of everyday habits and decision-making.
Why do people stick with familiar choices, even when better options seem available?
To investigate, a research team led by Stefan Kiebel, Professor of Cognitive Computational Neuroscience at TUD, conducted a large study. They analyzed nine newly designed decision-making tasks along with six existing datasets, covering more than 700 participants. The goal was to examine how people learn values in clearly defined situations and how those learned preferences carry over when situations are combined in new ways.
The Power of Repetition
“Our study shows that many ‘irrational’ preferences do not necessarily arise primarily from people storing values relative to other values, but rather from the fact that people tend to repeat actions they once preferred in a particular context. This pure repetition can later lead to a particular option still being preferred in new contexts or environments, even if there are equivalent or even better alternatives,” explains lead author Dr Ben Wagner.
To test that possibility, the researchers used a hierarchical Bayesian reinforcement learning model that combined two basic ingredients: learning from rewards and repeating past actions. Across the full set of datasets, that model outperformed alternatives based on value normalization and other more complex explanations. The results suggest that some decision biases may emerge not from sophisticated mental calculations, but from a habit-like carryover of earlier actions.
“The surprising thing was how strongly repetition alone can change preferences,” explains Wagner. “Options that were chosen more frequently were not only preferred, but also rated as better.”
Implications for Everyday Behavior
These results help explain seemingly illogical behaviors in daily life, such as shopping habits, routines, and repeated patterns of choice. They also offer new ways to better model decision-making in fields like psychology and behavioral science, and may inform how environments are designed to influence decisions.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Neanderthals May Have Used Birch Tar As Ancient Antibiotic, Study Finds
By U. of Cologne, March 22, 2026
A new study explores whether birch tar, long associated with Neanderthal toolmaking, may have served another purpose as well.
In a new study from the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, the University of Liège, and Cape Breton University in Canada, researchers recreated birch tar using techniques associated with Neanderthals and tested whether it could slow bacterial growth.
Their results suggest the material may have done double duty in prehistoric life, helping attach stone tools while also offering a way to treat wounds. The study was published in PLOS One.
That possibility makes birch tar more than a technical material. It raises the question of whether Neanderthals recognized useful healing properties in natural substances and applied them deliberately.
More Than an Adhesive
Birch tar is a thick substance made from birch bark and is commonly found at Neanderthal archaeological sites in Europe. Because traces of it are often attached directly to stone artifacts, archaeologists have long thought its main use was as an adhesive for hafting. Hafting is the process of joining separate parts together, such as when making tools.
“However, new studies suggest that birch tar may also have been used for other purposes,” says Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne and Oxford University, who is leading the current study.
Ethnographic evidence from many parts of the world shows that birch tar has also been used for medicinal purposes, among other uses.
“Alongside these findings, there is also growing evidence of medicinal practices and the use of plants among Neanderthals, which is why we were interested in the use of birch tar in this context,” says Siemssen.
Recreating Neanderthal Production Methods
The researchers experimentally produced tar from birch species that already existed during the Neanderthal era. They used extraction methods reconstructed from Neanderthal contexts.
In one method, birch bark was burned underground in a sealed pit. Without oxygen, dry distillation occurs, releasing birch tar from the bark. In another method, birch bark was burned next to a hard surface, such as a stone, so the tar condensed on the stone.
Testing Its Antibacterial Effects
The researchers then tested the birch tar samples to examine their antimicrobial properties. Every sample was able to hinder the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. S. aureus is a major cause of wound infections and is now classified as a multidrug-resistant hospital-acquired pathogen.
The antibacterial effect appeared in tar produced by all of the extraction methods. “The findings suggest that antimicrobial properties played a role as far back as the time of the early Neanderthals and could have been used in a targeted manner,” explains Siemssen.
Relevance for the Present
Along with offering new insight into Neanderthal culture, the findings may also matter today because of the global rise in bacterial resistance to common antibiotics.
“Our findings show that it might be worthwhile to examine targeted antibiotics from ethnographic contexts – or, as in this case, from prehistoric contexts – in greater depth,” concludes Siemssen.
New research suggests that Neanderthals may have used birch tar for more than toolmaking. Experiments reveal it can inhibit harmful bacteria, raising the possibility that it played a role in early medicinal practices.
Credit: Shutterstock
A new study explores whether birch tar, long associated with Neanderthal toolmaking, may have served another purpose as well.
In a new study from the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, the University of Liège, and Cape Breton University in Canada, researchers recreated birch tar using techniques associated with Neanderthals and tested whether it could slow bacterial growth.
Their results suggest the material may have done double duty in prehistoric life, helping attach stone tools while also offering a way to treat wounds. The study was published in PLOS One.
That possibility makes birch tar more than a technical material. It raises the question of whether Neanderthals recognized useful healing properties in natural substances and applied them deliberately.
More Than an Adhesive
Birch tar is a thick substance made from birch bark and is commonly found at Neanderthal archaeological sites in Europe. Because traces of it are often attached directly to stone artifacts, archaeologists have long thought its main use was as an adhesive for hafting. Hafting is the process of joining separate parts together, such as when making tools.
Researchers used methods that Neanderthals also used to produce birch tar and to analyse its antibacterial properties.
Credit: Tjaark Siemssen
“However, new studies suggest that birch tar may also have been used for other purposes,” says Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne and Oxford University, who is leading the current study.
Ethnographic evidence from many parts of the world shows that birch tar has also been used for medicinal purposes, among other uses.
“Alongside these findings, there is also growing evidence of medicinal practices and the use of plants among Neanderthals, which is why we were interested in the use of birch tar in this context,” says Siemssen.
Recreating Neanderthal Production Methods
The researchers experimentally produced tar from birch species that already existed during the Neanderthal era. They used extraction methods reconstructed from Neanderthal contexts.
In one method, birch bark was burned underground in a sealed pit. Without oxygen, dry distillation occurs, releasing birch tar from the bark. In another method, birch bark was burned next to a hard surface, such as a stone, so the tar condensed on the stone.
Testing Its Antibacterial Effects
The researchers then tested the birch tar samples to examine their antimicrobial properties. Every sample was able to hinder the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. S. aureus is a major cause of wound infections and is now classified as a multidrug-resistant hospital-acquired pathogen.
The antibacterial effect appeared in tar produced by all of the extraction methods. “The findings suggest that antimicrobial properties played a role as far back as the time of the early Neanderthals and could have been used in a targeted manner,” explains Siemssen.
Relevance for the Present
Along with offering new insight into Neanderthal culture, the findings may also matter today because of the global rise in bacterial resistance to common antibiotics.
“Our findings show that it might be worthwhile to examine targeted antibiotics from ethnographic contexts – or, as in this case, from prehistoric contexts – in greater depth,” concludes Siemssen.
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 22 March 2026
AI Finally Decoded Whale Language — The First Sentence Shocked Every Scientist in the Room
Vault of Discovery, Mar 20, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79LXkosqqXE
AI Finally Decoded Whale Language —
The First Sentence Shocked Every Scientist in the Room In this video, we break down groundbreaking research claiming that advanced artificial intelligence systems have made major progress in decoding patterns within whale vocalizations, raising new questions about animal communication and intelligence.
Researchers using machine learning models have been analyzing thousands of hours of whale sounds to identify structure, repetition, and possible linguistic patterns. We examine what is actually confirmed so far: how the AI models were trained, what types of whale species were studied, and whether scientists believe these vocal patterns qualify as a true “language” or a highly complex communication system.
Experts caution that while structured patterns have been identified, translating them into human-style sentences remains a developing and debated area of research.
As studies continue, we separate verified scientific findings from sensational interpretations and explore what this breakthrough could mean for marine biology, artificial intelligence, and our understanding of non-human communication.
As studies continue, we separate verified scientific findings from sensational interpretations and explore what this breakthrough could mean for marine biology, artificial intelligence, and our understanding of non-human communication.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79LXkosqqXE
The Life of Earth
https://chuckincardinal.blogspot.com/
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