Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland have discovered that certain nutrients in food can cause a mild stress reaction in nematodes. Surprisingly, rather than harming the organisms, this slight stress appears to boost their overall health and help them maintain vitality as they grow o
So many men in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua, have died from kidney failure, the town is known as the Island of the Widows. The condition that afflicts them — called chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, or CKDu — is, as its name implies, a mystery. It is a tubulointerstitial kidney disease that affects people everywhere. But researchers don’t know why rates are much higher in low-lying, hot agricultural areas like Chichigalpa, which is surrounded by sugarcane fields.
Shuchi Anand, MD, a Stanford Medicine associate professor of nephrology, has been interested in the disease since it was first described in the 1990s.
“Two-thirds of the people with this disease are men, many in their 30s and 40s,” said Anand, who is the director of the Center for Tubulointerstitial Kidney Disease. “This is the prime age of work and income generation. They are the breadwinners. This disease can devastate families.”
Our core cognitive abilities, such as attention, working memory and IQ, are shaped partly by genetics and partly by environmental influences–which include cognitively demanding activities as well as deliberate, cognitive training. The plasticity of these cognitive functions is evident, for example, in the impact of education: as my research group and others have shown, each…
Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, identified a receptor that plays a crucial role in stress-induced motor incoordination associated with ataxias. These hereditary motor disorders have long been linked to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.
The team, led by Dr. Pauline Bohne and Professor Melanie Mark from the Behavioral Neurobiology Working Group in Bochum, has now shown that the α1D norepinephrine receptor in the cerebellum is responsible for the symptoms. The team published these findings in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences on October 6, 2025.
People with ataxia experience recurring episodes of motor incoordination, also known as dystonia. These phases are triggered by various factors, such as physical or emotional stress, fever, alcohol, or caffeine. The episodes are triggered by the release of norepinephrine in the cerebellum, which is the most important brain region for coordinating movement. Currently, there is no cure for ataxia. Therefore, researchers want to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms to find new treatment approaches.
Excellent visualizations and explanations here!
(30 mins. approx.)
The Cosmic Distance Ladder: How we learned distances in the heavens.
Patreon supporters see early views of new videos: https://www.patreon.com/3blue1brown.
Artwork by Kurt Bruns.
Thanks to Paul Dancstep for several animations, such as the powers of 10 zoom out and the simulations of shadows on the moon.
Terry has kindly cataloged many of the added nuances, including a few corrections, in this post:
“These awards are not only great honors — they are tangible evidence of the work happening across the University of California every day to expand knowledge, test the boundaries of science, and conduct research that improves our lives. I’m proud to see their work recognized,” said UC President James B. Milliken.
These world record–setting contributions span decades and disciplines. But they all have one important thing in common. They’ve all relied on competitive funding from the federal government.
Mitsubishi says that the robot has been developed to carry out non-destructive inspections of nuclear reactor vessels in underwater environments.
It states that the robot has been working at pressurized water reactor power plants across Japan since 1995, and has been used at least 50 times.
The robot can be controlled remotely using a computer and joystick by operators. The robot navigates around the hazardous environment, swimming in the water inside the nuclear reactor vessel, sticking to the walls with vacuum-pad feet, and using a probe to carry out ultrasonic testing.
Scientists have pinpointed Y1 receptor neurons in the brain that can override chronic pain signals when survival instincts like hunger or fear take precedence. Acting like a neural switchboard, these cells balance pain with other biological needs. The research could pave the way for personalized treatments that target pain at its brain source—offering hope for millions living with long-term pain.