Futurity

Whether traffic flows or not depends on more than just the roads, according to a new study. Traffic jams are a consequence of how cities are planned, built, and how they are used, the new comparison of 30 cities worldwide shows. The results could change urban and transport planning in the medium term. “Our cities are becoming increasingly complex, while transport systems are under ever mounting pressure. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the relationship between mobility and cities

A new study shows how the brain abandons outdated strategies and adapts to new rules. Most people have experienced the feeling: switching from one task to another, only to find the brain momentarily stuck in the old mode of thinking. Sometimes, even after realizing a strategy no longer works, the mind keeps returning to it anyway. Neuroscientists call the ability to adapt and shift strategies “cognitive flexibility”—a core feature of higher cognition that allows the brain to abandon

A new study suggests a diet-derived compound could repair gut damage caused by HIV. For many people living with HIV, today’s treatments can suppress the virus and dramatically improve health. But even when HIV is controlled, damage to the gut caused by the disease can persist, fueling chronic inflammation linked to serious health problems. The new study in JCI Insight helps explains why. Researchers found that long-term antiretroviral treatments did not fully restore key immune functions t

A new study has found an association between sticking with eight habits for heart health and lower rates of diabetes for postmenopausal women. Type 2 diabetes is often associated with excessive sugar intake, but lifestyle factors including body weight, exercise, and smoking habits can also influence risk. “Our findings suggest that the same factors we often talk about for heart health may also be important for diabetes prevention and remain relevant across the aging process. It is never to

New research shows distinct patterns in waves of brain activity carry information when forming and recalling memories. These waves form different shapes—spirals or concentric waves, for instance—and move in different directions based on what a person is doing. They vary from person to person and according to task, show up as short but stable bursts of neural activity, and flexibly change their shape for encoding different types of behavior, such as memory encoding and retrieval. Researchers have

A new study has found that analyzing mammograms with artificial intelligence can lead to better detection of cardiovascular disease in women, the leading cause of death in the US. The retrospective study led by Hari Trivedi, an associate professor in the radiology and imaging sciences department and the biomedical informatics department at Emory University School of Medicine, says this technique could help identify the disproportionate number of women who have gone undiagnosed and untreated for

A new article digs into how sleep, the brain’s process for clearing waste, and dementia may be linked. Why are conditions such as chronic stress, depression, cardiovascular disease, fragmented sleep, and aging all associated with a higher risk of dementia? In a new review piece in Science, University of Rochester Medicine neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard proposes that many of these seemingly different conditions may converge on the same biological problem: disruption of a sleep-dependent b

New research finds that people often project their own levels of cynicism—the belief that people are only interested in themselves and aren’t sincere—onto their friends and consistently underestimate their friends’ cynicism. The findings could have implications for maintaining friendships. In the study, 173 pairs of friends reported on both their own cynicism and how cynical they thought their friend was. A statistical approach was then used to examine whether people saw their friend

Researchers have developed a new oral antiviral drug candidate for the treatment of diseases caused by orthoparamyxoviruses, such as measles and croup syndrome, according to a new study. The study in the journal Science Advances identified clinical candidate GHP-88310 for urgently needed, improved orthoparamyxovirus disease management in rodent and non-rodent animal models of infection. Orthoparamyxoviruses, such as human parainfluenzaviruses, measles virus, and emerging henipaviruses, pose a si

Every year, baseball fans across the country ask themselves the same question: What will it take for their team to make it to the playoffs, maybe even win it all? A team can spend hundreds of millions of dollars grabbing the biggest stars in an attempt to buy glory—and still fall short (sorry, New York Mets). Another team with a much smaller payroll, like the Cleveland Guardians, might try to develop the hottest prospects to top the standings. But how much does budget influence a team’s pe

Researchers have identified specific blood-based biomarkers that distinguish inflammatory breast cancer from other subtypes. The work provides a new and less invasive method for early diagnosis, disease progression monitoring, and treatment development for patients with this aggressive disease. The study in Science Advances, used a novel RNA sequencing method called Thermostable Group II Intron Reverse Transcriptase (TGIRT) sequencing that was developed by professor Alan Lambowitz’s team a

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, a group of scientists has gotten the best-ever look at a distant planet’s surface. Astronomers have found thousands of worlds in faraway star systems, but one of the questions that’s been hardest to answer is the one that immediately jumps to any human mind: What does the planet look like? By analyzing subtle changes in light, researchers found the planet Kua’kua—which orbits a small star in the constellation Indus—has a dark, sol

Escalating Middle East tensions are rattling global oil markets, and the effects are already showing up in American wallets, affecting everything from travel to food prices. Here, Georgia Tech economists and public policy experts break down what Americans need to know right now. 1. You’re paying more at the pump, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Gas prices are the most visible sign of the crisis, and the increases are already significant. National average retail gasoline prices

Using food in the classroom can help preschoolers learn more about science and increase their vocabulary skills, according to new research. It also might get preschoolers to taste, or at least touch, the green vegetables on their dinner plates. Food-based learning is defined as the use of food as a tool to improve children’s dietary behaviors and academic learning related to knowledge (e.g., science, mathematics, and literacy) and skills (e.g., gross motor, fine, and physical). Researchers

Exercise is a better bet than protein powder for building muscle strength in older adults, according to new research. Packing in the protein is all the rage. From cereal to pasta to nacho chips and more, food manufacturers are trying to get as much of the stuff into their products as possible, and one of the benefits they tout is that protein increases muscle mass and strength. That might catch the attention of older adults. Strength inevitably declines with age, and that can come with severe co

In a new podcast episode, an expert digs into how lifestyle choices affect brain health. Ben Katz joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to share insights about how cardiovascular exercise, spending time in nature, and maintaining a healthy diet can enhance cognitive function. Katz is associate professor of adult development and aging within the human development and family science department at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on interventions to improve executive f

New research is shedding light on the factors surrounding financial stress, showing that even small changes in income or expenses can significantly affect how stressed people feel, both at home and at work. “Financial stress has hills and valleys as you move through the month or maybe even the week,” says Ian Hughes, assistant professor in the psychological and brain sciences department at Texas A&M University. “It seems like financial stress is something that moves, at lea

Continuous doses of positivity can do more than change your mood—they can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study in Cardiology Clinics, coauthored by University of South Florida Assistant Professor Soonhyung Kwon, examines the best way to apply positive psychology interventions, such as gratitude, mindfulness, and optimism training, to address the leading cause of death worldwide: cardiovascular disease. “While much of cardiovascular research has traditionally focused on str

A new study finds ad revenue that supports digital publishers and content creators tumbles when internet cookies are removed. It’s a choice you may face multiple times a day—and, at this point, your reaction is probably reflexive. Are you going to accept those internet cookies, reject them, or spend a little time customizing your settings? Increasingly, internet users are pushing back against cookies—the digital crumbs used by websites and advertisers to spot returning customers—by choosin

Biodiversity loss is directly threatening human health and welfare, according to new research. The study in Nature reveals for the first time how the decline of insect pollinators undermines essential ecosystem services that support human nutrition and livelihoods. It’s been long known that insect pollinators are vital for producing many of the fruits, vegetables, and legumes that supply essential vitamins and minerals in our diets, yet clear evidence of how their decline affects people ha