Creative experiences such as dance, music, drawing, and strategy video games might preserve brain health. The authors show that regular practice or short training in these activities is linked to brains that look younger and work more efficiently.
Category: health
AI could make it easier to create bioweapons that bypass current security protocols
Artificial intelligence is transforming biology and medicine by accelerating the discovery of new drugs and proteins and making it easier to design and manipulate DNA, the building blocks of life. But as with most new technologies, there is a potential downside. The same AI tools could be used to develop dangerous new pathogens and toxins that bypass current security checks. In a new study from Microsoft, scientists employed a hacker-style test to demonstrate that AI-generated sequences could evade security software used by DNA manufacturers.
“We believe that the ongoing advancement of AI-assisted protein design holds great promise for tackling critical challenges in health and the life sciences, with the potential to deliver overwhelmingly positive impacts on people and society,” commented the researchers in their paper published in the journal Science. “As with other emerging technologies, however, it is also crucial to proactively identify and mitigate risks arising from novel capabilities.”
AI model can manipulate time to make better predictions in a wide range of fields
In the world around us, many things exist in the context of time: a bird’s path through the sky is understood as different positions over a period of time, and conversations as a series of words occurring one after another.
Computer scientists and statisticians call these sequences time series. Although statisticians have found ways to understand these patterns and make predictions about the future, modern deep learning AI models struggle to perform just as well, if not worse, than statistical models.
Engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, developed a new method for time series forecasting, powered by deep learning, that can improve its predictions based on data from the near future. When they applied this approach to the critical task of seizure prediction using brain wave data, they found that their strategy offers up to 44.8% improved performance for predicting seizures compared to baseline methods. While they focused on this critical health care application, the researchers’ method is designed to be relevant for a wide range of fields. A new study in Nature Communications reports their results.
Most effective digital interventions to stop smoking identified
Smoking remains one of the most deleterious habits for human health, as it is known to increase the risk of several life-threatening diseases, including lung and throat cancers, heart disease and strokes. While most smokers are well aware of its associated health risks, ceasing this habit can be a very difficult process.
Moreover, conventional programs for smoking cessation, such as those based on psychotherapy or nicotine replacement therapy, are not financially or physically accessible for all individuals who wish to stop smoking. In recent years, behavioral scientists and psychologists have been working with engineers to create digital interventions that support people in their efforts to quit this unhealthy habit.
Researchers at Sichuan University in China have carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of past research studies investigating the effectiveness of various digital interventions for smoking cessation. The results of their analyses, presented in a paper published in Nature Human Behavior, suggest that personalized and group-customized technology-based programs could be particularly beneficial for smokers who wish to quit, with middle-aged individuals responding better than younger populations.
NASA seeks student solutions for lunar lander life support technologies
NASA has launched the 2026 Human Lander Challenge, inviting U.S.-based university students to propose fresh concepts for life support and environmental systems vital to long-duration spaceflight. The program, part of the Artemis campaign, focuses on advancing Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) technologies needed to sustain astronauts on the Moon and future missions to Mars.
The challenge seeks undergraduate and graduate teams to design systems-level solutions across four subtopics: noise control, sensor reduction in health monitoring hardware, potable water dispensing, and fluid transfer between lunar or Martian surface assets. Proposals must improve ECLSS reliability in areas such as air, water, and waste management.
“A robust ECLSS transforms a spacecraft like a lander from just hardware into a livable environment, providing breathable air, clean water, and safe conditions for astronauts as they explore the Moon,” said Kevin Gutierrez, acting office manager for the Human Landing Systems Missions Systems Management Office at NASA Marshall. “Without ECLSS we can’t sustain human presence on the Moon or take the next steps toward Mars. The subtopics in the 2026 Human Lander Challenge reflect opportunities for students to support the future of human spaceflight.”
New digital cognitive test for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease
“The unique aspect of our BioCog test is that unlike other digital tests, it has been evaluated in a primary care population, i.e. patients seeking treatment at a health centre because they are experiencing cognitive problems, such as memory problems. Combining the results of the digital test and the blood test increases the accuracy of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. The purpose of the test is to make things easier for primary care doctors,” says one of the authors.
The digital test is done by the patient individually on a tablet computer. The test measures:
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. As new disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are now becoming available, both early and accurate diagnosis in a resource-efficient assessment process are becoming increasingly important, as not everyone responds to the new drugs. Seeking medical care for cognitive impairment is not necessarily the result of Alzheimer’s disease – it can for example be caused by depression, fatigue or other dementias.
“Primary care does not have the resources, time or specialist knowledge to investigate possible Alzheimer’s disease in the same way as specialised memory clinics. And this is where a digital cognitive test can make the biggest difference,” says the senior author.
Unlike pen-and-paper tests, which are generally used to assess cognitive impairment, digital tests provide a more detailed picture. More aspects and new variables that could not previously be measured as easily are included.
Galaxies Reveal Hidden Maps of Dark Matter in the Early Universe
Researchers uncover a key protein and a promising strategy to prevent bone damage from steroids.
The rheumatology and orthopedic researchers discovered that a protein called Basigin, which gets activated in stem cells when people take steroids, is a key reason why bones weaken and blood vessels in bone tissue become abnormal. By blocking Basigin, they were able to protect and even restore bone health in mice, suggesting a promising new treatment path.
Their findings were published in Nature Communications.