BBC_Science_Focus_Magazine_-_September_2026_ebooksyard
2026-08-23 Boosty PDF 中文极简摘要
BBC_Science_Focus_Magazine_-_September_2026_ebooksyard.pdf
- 科学焦点 / 高温与大脑 / 热浪与认知：高温如何影响大脑功能：高温会损伤认知功能，导致思维迟钝；当核心体温超过40℃时，可能引发致命中暑，损伤脑细胞并破坏血脑屏障，引发神经系统症状。
- 探索 / 隐秘生命 / 长鼻鲨：深海神秘物种的新发现：研究人员在太平洋和汤加海沟发现长鼻鲨活体，其栖息深度超出已知范围约700米；该物种以可伸缩颌部著称，但人类对其了解极为有限。
- 国际 / 机器人战争 / 乌克兰无人地面载具：AI驱动的战场新宠：乌克兰军方启动竞赛寻求无人地面载具新设计，目标是提升前线自动化程度并降低人员风险；Starlink技术增强了设备通信可靠性，使其从后勤转向战斗。
- 探索 / 隐秘生命 / 南极冰下生命：乔治六世冰架断裂后的发现：2025年1月乔治六世冰架断裂后，科学家发现冰下生态系统蓬勃发展，包括海绵、海葵和章鱼；冰山体积相当于芝加哥市，揭示南极未知生命的潜力。
- 旅行 / 度假推荐 / 地中海邮轮优惠：CRUISE COLLECTIVE会员折扣活动：CRUISE COLLECTIVE提供邮轮会员折扣，最高可省£400/间客舱；Celebrity Xcel和Celebrity Ascent分别于2027年7月31日和7月26日出发，需引用推广码SOLARCC27。
- 文化 / 科学奇观 / 远古鱼类萨卡班巴斯皮斯：网络爆红的化石模型：1995年，马克·库里克制作的萨卡班巴斯皮斯鱼类模型因其困惑表情走红；该模型后成为网络爆款，衍生周边产品，并成为古生物学科普的经典案例。
BBC_Science_Focus_Magazine_-_September_2026_ebooksyard.pdf
BBC《科学焦点》——打破纪录的新减重药物
Science Focus
脑力熔断的高温
肆虐的热浪正在让我们变得愚钝。 当气温飙升时，如何保持头脑清醒
本期内容
《说谎者》
法庭语言学家的 欺骗检测指南
《机器人战争》
乌克兰杀手机器人军团的崛起
《隐秘生命》
南极冰层下潜藏的奇异物种
2027年日食海上奇观
探索地中海的魔力，这里阳光灿烂的海岸线、历史悠久的城市和充满活力的海滨小镇为您打造难忘之旅。品尝令人惊叹的美食，欣赏壮丽的海景，然后见证海上日食这一非凡奇观。
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编者的话
当我写下这些文字时，天气热得离谱。我是说字面意义上的热：热到思考都变得困难。我的想法仿佛被棉絮包裹，然后被点燃。事实证明，这种感受与大脑内部发生的情况并非相去甚远。
我的脑袋里并没有着火，但高温确实干扰了数百万个微小的电化学反应——这些反应正是我和你的神经元赖以运作的基础。脑细胞在特定温度下才能顺畅运行，但一旦超过这个温度，这些反应就会变得不那么可靠。神经元的放电能力依赖于特定形状与匹配插槽的契合——有点像锁和钥匙。天气炎热时，钥匙会开始变形。于是，你的神经元就会误放电，让你感到沮丧，仿佛房门钥匙突然坏掉，被锁在门外。到了极端情况，这就是为什么中暑会导致意识模糊、眩晕和其他认知障碍。
但这还不是全部。随着温度上升，循环系统会将血液输送到皮肤，试图让身体降温。但为此心脏必须更努力工作，呼吸也会变得更重——高温给身体资源带来压力，身体越是努力降温，大脑就越要与其他器官争夺氧气。
现在，出汗和恼怒还远不是高温最严重的后果。但今年，如此高温似乎永无止境。一波又一波的热浪袭击欧洲和美国，几乎没有缓解。我们必须适应。我们可以改变建筑和行为，让高温更容易忍受，但我们的大脑能否承受？详见第66页，了解高温如何影响我们清晰思考和调节情绪的能力，并找到科学验证的快速降温方法。
丹尼尔·本内特 《科学焦点》主编
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本月 BBC 推荐
《虎岛》 在尼泊尔西部的森林中，一支由摄影师和大型猫科动物科学家组成的团队正联手记录老虎不为人知的生活，以从未有过的细节展现它们如何捕猎、争斗和抚育后代。
现在可在 BBC iPlayer 观看
科技亿万富翁接管潮 加密货币亿万富翁如今已成为美国最大的政治捐赠者，超越了化石燃料行业。马特·谢伊探讨这对民主和全球金融体系可能意味着什么。
现在可在 BBC iPlayer 观看
推动绿色运动的十次斗争 贾斯汀·罗拉特回顾了“就停止石油”组织发起的抗议活动，探讨该组织的行动产生了多大影响，以及它们是否让其他活动人士的处境变得更加艰难。
现在可在 BBC Sounds 收听
内特·沙宾 更频繁且更强烈的热浪不仅伤害地球，还影响我们的大脑。科学作家内特调查→第66页
桑迪·翁 全球糖尿病前期诊断人数不断增加。健康记者桑迪揭示，被诊断出这种疾病并不一定是坏消息。→第44页
罗伯·雷迪克 南极洲潜藏着科学未知的生命形式。生物技术作家罗伯采访了开始窥见这些生命的科学家→第52页
基尔斯蒂·金博士 你能识破说谎者吗？或许不能从他们的肢体语言，但他们的口头语言中藏着有价值的线索。法庭语言学家基尔斯蒂揭示如何察觉→第60页
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封面：魔法手电筒 本页：BBC Studios，杰米·塔欣 / BBC Studios，盖蒂图片社
CONTENTS
REGULARS
06 视觉开拓者
本月全球最引人注目的科学摄影作品。
13 读者反馈
您对《BBC科学焦点》杂志近期文章的看法和意见。
15 重大发现
本月最重大的新闻，包括：最富有的10%人群为其造成的环境破坏需承担多少债务；美国地下可能隐藏着巨大的锂资源；世界上最稀有（且最奇特）的鲨鱼首次被拍摄到活体状态；以及更多...
26 深度分析
认知老化是否真的不可避免？；为何现在你该担心“哥斯拉奥兹匹克”减肥药；远程办公是否正在损害我们的心理健康？
42 立即订阅！
订阅《BBC科学焦点》杂志可享受商店价格7折优惠。
36 创新前沿
这些令人恐惧的机器人会是未来战争的主宰吗？；像专业人士一样训练；编辑精选。
80 问答
专家为您解答疑问。本月话题：哪种动物最擅长解谜？人类能完全无所事事多久？为何我会看到“视觉雪花”？咖啡如何改变你的肠道菌群？为何我们在实验室中保存天花病毒？我该喝纯净水还是苏打水？我是否该担心青少年情绪？以及更多...
89 纵横字谜
锻炼你的大脑！
69 下期预告
即将发布的下一期杂志内容预览。
90 科学改善生活
焦虑缠身？最新研究表明你可能正缺少一种必需营养素。了解哪些食物中含有它。
15 重大发现
科学家已构建出能执行生命基本功能的合成细胞。
30 深度分析
为何一种被昵称为“哥斯拉奥兹匹克”的新型减肥药可能给许多人带来灾难。
80 问答 我该喝纯净水还是苏打水？
4
SF
专题报道
44 糖尿病前期：一个伪装成诅咒的祝福
在通往2型糖尿病的路上，有方法可以逆转这一趋势，但这意味着必须对早期预警信号采取行动。
52 冰封生命
我们首次窥见隐藏在南极洲之下的奇特生命形式——它们与我们的预期截然不同。
60 5种识破谎言的方法
有些方法能帮你识别他人试图欺骗你的时刻。但你必须仔细聆听他们说话的内容。
66 脑力熔断的高温
你并非在想象：天气炎热时，你确实会变得更迟钝且更易怒。以下是热浪如何危害大脑的原因。
72 隐秘DNA
科学家正开始解码那些曾被认为无所作为的基因组部分。他们发现的内容可能改变一切。
更多精彩
别忘了《BBC科学焦点》在所有主流数字平台均有提供。我们为Android用户提供版本，以及适用于iPad和iPhone的iOS应用。
等不及下一期了？我们的网站充满了新闻、专题报道和问答，为您的大脑提供充足营养。sciencefocus.com
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10 视觉开拓者
40 编辑精选
5
SF
视觉开拓者
视觉开拓者
一条河流穿流其间
南非自由邦
别相信你的眼睛。这幅五彩斑斓的形状拼图并非一幅现代艺术的抽象作品。它是从太空拍摄的南非农田。在这幅万花筒般的景象中，每一种颜色都显示出这片土地在2025年11月至2026年3月间种植了什么作物。
这张图像是最新来自NASA-ISRO合成孔径雷达（NISAR）卫星的成果之一，该卫星于2025年7月发射升空。其任务是监测地球陆地、水域、植被和冰层的变化。
它通过长短波雷达观测来实现这一目标。NISAR向地球发射微波能量脉冲，然后测量有多少能量被反射回来。每种材料被脉冲击中的吸收能量不同，因此反射回的信号携带了其路径中物体的信息。在这个案例中，反射信号揭示了自由邦省这片区域内不同类型的植被。
像小麦和玉米这样的植物，在生长季节中结构变化迅速，会显示为蓝色。而更稳定的植被——比如沿着图像右上角流淌的河流两岸的草地、灌木和树木——则显示为绿色。
保罗·西奎拉 / NISAR科学团队 / NASA
更多惊人图像，请访问：
Sergt
未知于科学
巴西福塔莱萨
这不是烟花。这是一只管水母，而且它可能是我们从未见过的物种。
管水母是水母的近亲，但它们并非单一生物，而是由基因相同的个体组成的群体。科学家使用最先进的成像系统探索南大西洋中层水域——地球最大且最少被探索的可栖息生态系统时发现了它。科学家在水下552米（1,811英尺）处与它相遇。
通常，识别这样的生物需要收集样本并带回岸上进行研究和与现有物种对比。然而，此次考察使用的成像系统能够在其自然栖息地扫描这些生物，并生成高度详细的3D模型。如此一来，科学家们能够收集所需信息，同时让生物留在原处。
基于这些扫描，日本海洋地球科学技术机构的林立格博士认为，这只管水母属于一个此前未被描述的属，甚至可能是一个新的生物科。此行中遇到的新物种也不太可能只有这一种。科学家认为他们可能发现了多达31个此前未被发现的生物。
ROV SUBASTIAN / SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE
9
继续前进
美国科罗拉多沙漠
来认识一下ERNEST——NASA正在加利福尼亚州科罗拉多沙漠测试的一款原型漫游车。它目前看起来并不起眼，但其能力预计将超越目前在火星上探索的“好奇”号和“毅力”号漫游车。
0.
首先，ERNEST（全称为“极陡坡地形探索漫游车”）的速度更快。它能达到1公里 / 小时（0.6英里 / 小时）的时速。这虽然算不上快，但已是“好奇”号和“毅力”号的10倍。
其次，它更灵活。ERNEST的四个轮子均可转向，能朝任何方向移动，包括侧向和斜向。它还配备了一套创新的主动悬架系统，能应对崎岖地形和陡坡。相比之下，“好奇”号和“毅力”号通常会避开超过30°的岩石和斜坡，而ERNEST却能轻松应对。几乎字面意义上——其主动悬架能让它翻越前辈们可能翻车的障碍。
不仅如此，ERNEST还能在黑暗中工作（如图所示）。目前的两台火星漫游车在日落后必须停止运行，要么是为节省电力，要么是因导航变得过于困难。而ERNEST却能继续前进。
NASA / JPL-CALTECH
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本月读者来信
分离焦虑
我喜欢罗伯特·巴尼诺（Robert Banino）关于名为“熟悉者”的新型陪伴机器人的文章——《“认识这款关心你福祉的机器人”》（8月号，第36页）。实际上，我也想要一个！但养一只“熟悉者”也让我有些担心。
比如，如果我外出一周，“熟悉者”留在家中会怎样？如果我养的是猫，还能送到猫舍，就算猫不太开心，至少有人照顾。
但AI宠物呢？它会想念与我的联结并“遗忘”已学会的一切吗？倘若真有地方能照看它，它会忘记我而与他人建立联结吗？
哈丽特·布朗（Harriet Browne），伯纳姆昂西
罗伯特·巴尼诺回复……它会“想念你”吗？大概不会——它只是一台机器。但制造商表示：“当‘熟悉者’独自在家时，它会四处探索以避免无聊，同时远离麻烦。”因此它可能会学到新东西，但不应忘记之前学会的内容。
他们还表示“‘熟悉者’喜欢见到其他‘熟悉者’”，因此或许能衍生出为它们开设‘猫舍’的副业。
投稿！
下一期“本月读者来信”的获奖者将获得两本科普书：《带我去见你的领袖》和《千歌一日》。
让一切显得渺小
我读到银河系中有超过1000亿颗恒星，而在我们的星系之外还有2万亿个星系。再加上《月球基地竞赛》（8月号，第66页）中提到的种种，人类是如此渺小。难道我们不该在如何对待彼此、对待其他生物及地球的问题上展现些谦卑吗？
约翰·哈里斯，来信
不要只是阅读这本杂志...也来听听它！
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镜头捕捉 科学家拍摄到地球上最丑陋鲨鱼的画面 第21页
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SpudCell能够生长、复制并分裂，为生物工程新时代打开了大门
研究人员表示，他们已创造出据称是世界首个能够生长、分裂并重复这一循环的合成细胞——这一突破被一些专家视为生物学领域的重大里程碑。
这种被昵称为SpudCell的合成细胞比针尖还小，仅在荧光显微镜下可见。它并非由活体物质制成，而是由美国明尼苏达大学的凯特·亚当拉拉博士和亚伦·恩格尔哈特博士及其团队用非活体化学物质组装而成。一旦组装完成，这些化学物质便能像活细胞的组分一样运作。
与以往只能执行单一任务的合成细胞不同，SpudCell将生命所需的多个关键过程整合为一个系统。它能生长、复制基因组、分裂成子细胞
15
《科学焦点》
发现
SpudCell由非活体化学成分制成。图中，细胞膜用脂质染料染色以提高可见度
奥里翁·维内罗 / 亚当拉拉实验室
并能在不同变体间展现竞争。这些过程共同构成了一个完整的细胞周期。
"我们在化学上复制了原本只能在生物学中实现的功能：细胞的全部行为特征，"亚当拉拉表示，"它证明了生命最基本的功能，如生长和复制，并不需要神秘的魔法火花。"
研究人员表示，这一突破可能从根本上改变合成细胞的设计方式。
"这使得真正的工程学方法应用于生物工程成为可能，此前无法实现，"加州J·克雷格·文特尔研究所合成生物学组负责人约翰·格拉斯教授评价道，他未参与此项研究。
斯普德细胞的构建方式
斯普德细胞采用自下而上的方法构建——这与传统合成细胞的制造方式相反。
“与其从现有活细胞入手，通过移除部分结构直至仅剩必要组分，科学家正尝试从定义明确的非活性组分中构建类细胞行为，”乔治亚理工学院与埃默里大学华莱士·H·考尔特生物医学工程系的塔拉·迪安斯博士（未参与斯普德细胞项目）表示。
研究人员并未改造活细胞，而是从零开始组装斯普德细胞。他们将36种实验室制备的蛋白质（这些蛋白质执行细胞的化学过程）与包含约90,000个DNA字母的合成基因组相结合，并将整个系统包裹在类似活细胞的脂质外膜中。
其马铃薯般的外观启发了名称中的“斯普德”（Spud）部分，而研究人员表示，完整名称也致敬了另一项里程碑式科学成就——Sputnik。
科学家表示，构建合成细胞主要有两大原因。第一是其实际应用潜力。
“从长远看，类细胞系统可能成为医学、制造业、环境传感及生物安全领域更安全、更可控的生物系统，”迪安斯称，“例如，人们可以想象出这样的类细胞系统：递送治疗分子、检测毒素或病原体，或在无需依赖完整活体生物的情况下制造有用化合物。”迪安斯表示，第二个动机更为基础：“我们想要理解生命如何运作。”
活细胞极其复杂，包含成千上万种以无数方式相互作用的分子。这使得人们难以分辨哪些部分对生命至关重要，哪些仅是有益的附加组分。
通过从零构建一个更简单的类细胞系统，研究人员能逐一测试这些问题。“细胞膜的作用是什么？需要哪些遗传信息？能量如何被利用？生长与分裂如何协调？”迪安斯说。
斯普德细胞还可能帮助回答科学界最大的问题之一——生命最初如何在地球上诞生。
“据我们所知，在45亿年的地球历史中，生命仅出现过一次，”未参与斯普德细胞创建的帝国理工学院生物化学技术副教授尤瓦尔·埃拉尼博士表示。
“科学或许有一天能够工程化第二次生命起源事件——不再被动等待自然，而是主动构建。这将是现代科学最深刻的前景之一。
“我们尚未达到这一步。但这类工作正是朝着这一目标迈出的有意义一步。”
它是活的吗？
尽管令人兴奋，但专家们强调，SpudCell 仍远未成为真正的活生物体，也无法在实验室外使用。
目前，这种人工细胞无法独立存活。据专家称，原因之一是 SpudCell 尚无法自行制造核糖体——即在细胞内构建蛋白质的微小分子机器。相反，它必须从特别设计的支撑结构中借用核糖体。即便如此，该系统在大约五轮分裂后就会崩溃——这意味着 SpudCell 仅能繁殖数次便停止运作。
“它证明了生命最基本的功能，如生长和复制，并不需要某种神秘的魔法火花。”
16
发现
SF
上图 正在分裂的 SpudCell 的荧光显微镜图像
下一步的重大挑战是让该系统更加自给自足，使其能够在多代繁殖中无需反复干预即可生长、分裂并再生其最重要的构建模块。
“实现这一目标将让我们更接近能够说‘我们制造出了某种可能‘活的’东西’，”埃拉尼（Elani）表示。
由于功能有限，专家认为 SpudCell 目前风险较低。它更像是一碗精心调配的化学汤，在受控的实验室条件下能做出有趣的事情。
然而，从长远来看，构建自主细胞样系统的能力将需要认真考虑其在封装、环境释放、滥用及治理方面的影响。
“该领域已充分意识到[所有这些因素]，且围绕生物安全与治理的讨论正在进行中，”埃拉尼表示。
下一个障碍
并非所有人都对研究成果的发布方式表示欢迎。亚当拉（Adamala）因在研究未经独立专家同行评审的情况下便公开发表而受到批评。
不过，研究人员表示，如果研究成果在同行评审中站得住脚，这可能标志着合成生物学新时代的重要一步。
如果研究成果在同行评审中站得住脚，研究人员表示这可能标志着合成生物学新时代的重要一步。
“我们正处于新生物学时代的曙光中，”格拉斯（Glass）说，“我迫不及待想看看它将带来什么。”
帕特里克·博杜安 / 胡佛研究所，凯特·亚当拉 / 亚当拉实验室
17
发现
衰老
人们寿命更长，但健康生活的时间更少
科学家对 204 个国家的预期寿命和健康寿命进行了排名
18
SF
“我们在延长寿命方面成绩斐然，却远未能让这些年月更有质量”
活得更长并不意味着活得更健康。尽管新加坡拥有全球最高的预期寿命，但根据《柳叶刀·公共卫生》期刊发布的一项新研究，新加坡人晚年却有相当长一段时间处于健康不佳的状态。该研究利用2023年的数据，对204个国家的预期寿命进行了估算，发现新加坡位居榜首，其公民平均预期寿命可超过85岁。
“新加坡的长寿现象反映的是长期政策的结果而非单一原因，”研究作者、新加坡国立大学杨潞龄医学院副教授玛丽·吴（Dr Marie Ng）在接受《BBC 科学焦点》采访时表示，“其医疗体系、完善的社会保障以及基于证据的治理，使得公民能够茁壮成长。”
科学家还调查了“健康寿命”——即人们预期能以良好健康状态度过的年数。
他们发现，新加坡人可能活到80多岁，但生命中最后的11.2年很可能被疾病所困扰。
研究人员将预期寿命与健康预期寿命之间的差距称为“疾病负担差距”。换句话说，人们在健康不佳的状态下度过的时间比上世纪90年代更长。
研究发现，全球预期寿命从1990年的64.6岁上升至2023年的73.8岁。但健康预期寿命未能同步增长，成年人如今约有七分之一的时间处于健康不佳状态。
女性通常比男性寿命更长，但她们在额外的岁月里也有更多时间处于健康不佳状态。全球范围内，女性的健康寿命差距平均为12.1年，而男性为9.3年。
在新加坡，这种对比更为明显：尽管女性仅比男性多活4.4年，但她们在健康不佳状态下度过的时间仍显著更长——12.1年对比10.4年。
未参与此项研究的伦敦国王学院研究员朱利安·穆茨（Dr Julian Mutz）在接受《BBC 科学焦点》采访时表示：“女性寿命更长但健康状况更差的‘性别健康悖论’早已为人所知，但仍缺乏充分解释。这项研究再次提醒我们，这一问题亟需更多关注。”
美国人预计在健康不佳状态下度过的时间比其他任何国家都要长——平均为14年，其次是澳大利亚和加拿大。健康不佳状态下度过时间最长的前20个国家已列于下表。
但该研究的发现极为一致：在204个国家中，有203个国家的寿命与健康寿命差距正在扩大，唯一例外的是巴勒斯坦。
“如今，大多数人有十年或更长时间处于健康不佳状态，”吴解释道，“对于个人和家庭而言，这意味着更多人需要花费时间管理慢性疾病，如背痛、听力损失、神经系统疾病和糖尿病。”
的确，2023年全球疾病负担差距的57.4%可归因于五种疾病：肌肉骨骼疾病（尤其是下背痛）、精神障碍（包括抑郁和焦虑）、感官器官疾病（如听力损失）、伤害（尤其是跌倒）以及非传染性疾病（如糖尿病、高血压和心脏病）。
伯明翰大学肌肉骨骼老化研究中心教授西蒙·琼斯（Prof Simon Jones）表示：“肌肉骨骼疾病是导致健康寿命差距的最大单一因素。这充分证明了肌肉、骨骼和关节对健康老龄化的重要性。”
吴表示，这项研究量化了许多人在亲人身上早已察觉的现象：“我们在延长寿命方面成绩斐然，却远未能让这些年月更有质量。”
她表示，这项研究是一项行动号召。“核心信息是，仅仅长寿已不再是成功的正确衡量标准。迫切的问题是，我们不仅要问活得多久，更要问活得好不好——那些额外的岁月，是充满活力还是走向衰退。”
204个国家中“发病率差距”最大的20个国家（单位：年，数据基于2023年估算）
| 排名 | 国家 | 发病率差距 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 美国 | 14年 |
| 2 | 澳大利亚 | 13.9年 |
| 3 | 加拿大 | 13.7年 |
| 4 | 新西兰 | 13.1年 |
| 5 | 荷兰 | 12.9年 |
| 6 | 圣马力诺 | 12.9年 |
| 7 | 瑞士 | 12.8年 |
| 8 | 黎巴嫩 | 12.8年 |
| 9 | 英国 | 12.7年 |
| 10 | 波多黎各 | 12.7年 |
| 11 | 墨西哥 | 12.6年 |
| 12 | 叙利亚 | 12.6年 |
| 13 | 法国 | 12.5年 |
| 14 | 哥斯达黎加 | 12.5年 |
| 15 | 伊朗 | 12.5年 |
| 16 | 巴西 | 12.5年 |
| 17 | 挪威 | 12.4年 |
| 18 | 瑞典 | 12.4年 |
| 19 | 科威特 | 12.4年 |
| 20 | 斯洛文尼亚 | 12.3年 |
发现
环境
世界最富有的10%人群为其造成的环境损害需向地球支付多少？
一项新研究为他们的污染行为开出了天价账单
世界上最富有的10%人群对环境造成的损害正令地球付出数万亿美元的代价。
这是一项发表在《可持续性传播》期刊上的最新研究得出的结论。该研究试图计算全球最富有群体因其商业活动和生活方式习惯所造成的环境损害的经济成本。不出所料，研究估算出的损害金额极为巨大。
研究作者发现，最富有的10%人群每年需承担约1.7至5.7万亿美元（合1.3至4.3万亿英镑）的环境损害赔偿，相当于人均2,300至7,500美元（合1,700至5,700英镑，以2017年美元计）。这一金额已超过了国际气候和生物多样性资金缺口。
为更直观地展示这一潜在债务规模，研究作者利用《环境价格手册》计算了2017年（该领域最新可用数据）全球最富有的10%人群在气候变化、生物圈完整性、生物地球化学循环及淡水使用方面的“生态足迹”所对应的经济成本。
研究发现，导致这一巨额账单的两大主要因素是生物多样性丧失和气候变化。在所调研的六个国家中，美国消费者承担了最大的环境损害账单。
“少数人正在造成大部分环境损害——而他们同时也在控制着本应用于气候变化和生物多样性损失补偿的资金。”未参与该研究的牛津大学环境科学家丽莎·希皮尔（Lisa Schipper）博士解释道。
研究作者建议征收环境税，以确保最富有的10%人群为其消费行为埋单。然而，希皮尔表示情况并非如此简单：“这10%‘坏分子’所支持的部分活动可能在为剩余90%的人口提供就业、粮食或其他服务——或许以牺牲可持续和韧性未来为代价。”
根据希皮尔的观点，向造成环境损害的最大贡献者收费，将解决公共部门不得不为此买单的问题，因为私营部门——尤其是最富有的10%人群——应为大部分损害负责。
“不过，现实中这一方案极难实施，恰恰是因为最富有的10%人群也掌握着大部分权力。我们需要他们承担起可持续发展的责任。”
能源
美国地下可能隐藏着巨量锂资源
足以制造5000亿部移动电话
锂是当下最炙手可热的矿物。作为众多可充电电池的关键成分，科技公司对这种矿物的需求激增，推动其需求量达到历史新高。
目前，美国超过一半的锂依赖进口——但这一局面或将因美国地质调查局（USGS）发布的最新研究而彻底改变。
美国地质调查局的地质学家团队发现，美国东部的阿巴拉契亚地区蕴藏着约230万吨未被发现的、具有经济开采价值的锂氧化物。这足以替代去年美国锂进口量328年的需求。
其中，143万吨锂氧化物预计储藏于南阿巴拉契亚地区，主要集中在卡罗来纳州。
另有90万吨
插图：罗宾·博伊登
20
发现
《科学焦点》
自然
全球最稀有（且最奇特）的鲨鱼之一首次被拍到活体
诡异的画面显示，一条长鼻鲨——以其巨大的可伸缩颌部著称——潜伏于太平洋深处
“能在其自然栖息地看到这种最具标志性的深海鲨鱼活体且健康的样子，是一种独特的荣幸。”该论文第一作者、夏威夷大学马诺阿分校海洋学系博士生亚伦·朱迪亚（Aaron Judah）表示。
长鼻鲨的画面由搭载于水下无人机“赫拉克勒斯”号上的摄像头捕捉，但朱迪亚直到后来通过回放考察录像才确认了这种鱼类。
2024年，由西澳大学明德鲁-西澳深海研究中心团队在汤加海沟附近利用诱饵相机（附着于“底层着陆器”上的加权平台）再次拍到该物种。“我对这种物种被发现的深度感到非常惊讶。”朱迪亚补充道，“汤加海沟斜坡的观测记录比已知该物种栖息深度还要深出近700米（2,296英尺）。”
长鼻鲨通常可长至3.6米（12英尺），其中约十分之一的长度来自其长而扁平的吻部。但这种生物的声名鹊起，几乎与其古怪外表一样，源于其难以捉摸的特性。因此，人类对它们的了解极为有限。
近几十年来，长鼻鲨零星的目击记录（包括在日本近海，尽管远离其深海自然栖息地）已使这种神秘感有所减弱。
阿巴拉契亚地区的锂主要赋存于伟晶岩中，这种岩石与花岗岩类似。
锂正快速成为全球最重要的矿物之一，被广泛用于为电脑、车辆、军事装备及能源网络储能系统供电的锂离子电池。美国地质调查局预测，由于需求激增，全球锂的生产能力到2029年将翻倍。
美国目前仅有一家锂生产商——内华达州的一座活跃商业矿山。去年，该国超过一半的锂使用量依赖进口。
实际上，美国地质调查局已将锂列入其2025年《关键矿物清单》。
开采后，矿石需经过破碎、焙烧，再以酸处理提取锂。
澳大利亚目前是全球最大的锂生产国，中国位居第二。
相关研究成果发表于《自然资源研究》期刊，研究显示阿巴拉契亚地区发现的锂氧化物足以生产160万个电网级电池、1.3亿辆电动汽车、1800亿台笔记本电脑或5000亿部移动电话。按当前需求计算，这相当于1000年的笔记本电脑产量，或地球上每人60部手机。
21
《科学焦点》
发现
心理学
如何判断你的老板是否是自恋者？研究揭示的关键迹象
他们喜欢当面被人崇拜，因此更倾向于让团队在办公室，以便当面接受赞美
如果你不幸为自恋者工作，他们会期待得到赞美——而且根据最新研究，他们更青睐当面获得赞美，反对居家办公。
美国宾夕法尼亚大学的心理学家开展研究，试图探索为何有些老板支持远程办公，而许多人却坚决反对。
研究团队首先收集了259位来自《财富》500强企业CEO的高管记录，并从其公开言论和公司文件中寻找自恋迹象。随后，他们将这些记录与这些CEO在新冠疫情期间对远程办公的立场进行了对比。
在研究的第二阶段，宾夕法尼亚大学团队对另外100位领导者（总计359位）进行了问卷调查，以更好地评估他们的态度。
结果令人震惊。唯一能持续预测其反对远程办公的特质，就是自恋——即以自我为中心和自视甚高的倾向。领导者对自身的评价越高，越渴望权力和地位——也越倾向于强制办公室工作。
研究作者认为，远程办公会削弱老板炫耀自我的能力：它减少了下属的可见性，阻碍领导者确认自身影响力、地位和控制力。
研究人员还指出，“员工在Slack上阿谀奉承的保证根本无法达到同样的效果”。
他们援引证据称，远程和混合办公模式能帮助许多机构吸引并留住核心员工。
“我们的研究发现表明，自恋领导者对权力和地位的渴望是阻碍他们拥抱这种新工作现实的关键障碍。‘追求权威与荣耀可能成为灵活性的敌人，’”研究者总结道。
“这是一篇优秀的论文，”南安普顿大学人格心理学副教授克莱尔·哈特博士评价道。
“它有助于解释为何自恋评分较高的领导者更抗拒远程办公……这归根结底是自恋者的核心特征：满足地位、权力和自我提升需求的动机。”
不过，哈特也指出，有些领导者可能出于合理目的（如团队建设、培训和指导）更倾向于办公室办公。
科学家为蟑螂打造潜水服
一种实验性新型氧气罐——专为赛博格蟑螂设计——已被发明，且确实可行
科学家已成功用3D打印技术制造出一款柔性潜水服，蟑螂可像背包一样佩戴。
这项发明由新加坡南洋理工大学研制，将使赛博格蟑螂能参与水下搜救作业和管道检查。
马达加斯加嘶鸣蟑螂已在陆地上用于类似用途，能在复杂环境和狭小空间中爬行，并装配摄像头等电子设备以回传信息。
插图：罗宾·博伊登
22
发现
《科学焦点》
科学家研究遥控昆虫已超过十年。与机器人相比，赛博格昆虫所需的计算能力更低，因其可借助昆虫自身肌肉移动。
但这款新型潜水服将使蟑螂也能在水下环境中活动。
潜水服柔性外壳内的化学发生器通过呼吸管向蟑螂输送氧气，使其在水下游动时也能呼吸。
在测试中，这只赛博格蟑螂能在水下活动并持续呼吸长达3小时。
研究人员在发表于《自然》期刊的论文中写道：“通过为陆生物种蟑螂配备这款潜水服，我们使其能在缺氧环境中生存并运作，将其转化为可在陆地与水中作业的两栖赛博格机器人。”
为制造氧气罐，科学家使用了一种涂覆二氧化锰催化剂的海绵——该化合物在遇到过氧化氢时会分解，进而产生氧气。
氧气随后在罐内释放，并通过四根硅胶管流入蟑螂气门（其身体上的微小气孔）。
“这项发明将使赛博格蟑螂能参与搜救作业”
遗传学
老鼠与家鼠正在进化出对毒药的抗性，专家警告
研究人员发现，DNA突变可能是导致越来越顽固且难以控制的啮齿动物种群的原因
约35%的挪威鼠（常被称为褐鼠或下水道鼠）在这一基因中携带突变。
困惑不已的害虫控制专业人士报告称，某些地区的啮齿动物种群越来越难以控制，这促使美国新泽西州立罗格斯大学的研究人员展开调查。
“害虫管理专业人士经常告诉我们，尽管他们使用了有效的杀鼠剂，但在某些地区，啮齿动物控制变得越来越困难，”该研究的第一作者Jin-Jia Yu表示。
研究人员检测了来自包括纽约和华盛顿特区在内的美国东北部多个州的147只家鼠和143只挪威鼠的DNA。他们发现，惊人比例的啮齿动物携带一种名为VKORC1的基因突变，该基因与对美国最广泛使用的毒药——抗凝血杀鼠剂的抗性有关。
“我们发现，家鼠的抗性似乎比许多人意识到的更为普遍，”Yu说，“挪威鼠也携带基因突变，但科学家尚不清楚这些突变是否会影响挪威鼠对杀鼠剂的易感性。”
根据该研究的合著者Changlu Wang的说法，啮齿动物不仅仅是一种讨厌的东西——它们是公共卫生隐患。“随着抗性变得更加普遍，采用以科学为基础的管理策略来保护公众健康和环境变得更加重要，”他说。
“此类研究帮助我们了解啮齿动物种群如何变化，以及我们的管理策略如何与之同步演变。”
常用的啮齿动物毒药可能正在失效，科学家警告称，研究表明老鼠和家鼠正在进化出对它们的抗性。
一项新研究的数据显示，大量家鼠携带与杀鼠剂抗性相关的基因突变，这使它们更有可能在依赖毒药进行害虫控制的情况下存活下来。
在从美国东北部城市地区采集的家鼠样本中，近70%携带已知能帮助它们存活常用
23
--。
专家在非洲未勘探地区发现野生动植物宝库
在安哥拉偏远的利西马高原，科学家发现了数十个新物种，从手掌大小的甲虫到发出霓虹蓝光的蜘蛛
- 这种此前未被描述的冠毛蟹蛛在紫外线下会发出亮蓝色光芒。
- 专家记录了47种蚂蚱、螽斯和蟋蟀分类单元，其中3种（包括这一种）此前为科学界未知。
- 这种叶状蝉与其他多种已知和未知的昆虫及爬行动物共同栖息在利西马高原。
- 这种被认为是新物种的瓢虫网蛛通过伪装来保护自己免受捕食（瓢虫对捕食者有毒性）。
- 手掌大小的巨型非洲果甲虫（Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens）已为科学所知。
- 此次调查共记录了23种爬行动物，其中包括高度有毒的变色丛蝰（Atheris squamigera）。
科学家在对非洲最后一片未勘探生物多样性区域的调查中发现了数十个新物种。此次名为"卡赛生命图集"的调查在安哥拉偏远的利西马高原记录了8种新蜻蜓物种、3种新蚂蚱物种以及约60种新蛾类和蝴蝶物种。由"荒野项目"专家带领的考察队发现了此前未为科学所知的动植物，包括手掌大小的果甲虫和带有荧光蓝色标记的微小蜘蛛。
"调查结果的多样性超出了我们的预期，"探险队领队、保护生态学家罗布·泰勒表示。"生物数量通常较低，部分原因在于这些生态系统贫瘠，但特殊且不寻常物种的多样性却极为显著。"
利西马高原长期以来被视为非洲最后一片巨大的生物多样性空白区域。该地区的生态意义远超其边界——生活在数千公里外下游的生态系统和社区都依赖于高原的水资源。"对这里生物多样性的清晰认知，对于整个系统的有效保护至关重要，"泰勒说。
25
SF
分析
显微镜下的新闻
认知老化衰退真的不可避免吗？
一项里程碑式研究表明，随着年龄增长，大脑不仅不会变迟钝，反而可能变得更敏锐。但事实真有这么简单吗？
撰文：ABBI HENDERSON
26
分析
把东西放错地方、记错名字、忘词，这些被普遍视为衰老大脑的标志。但如果这些现象并非不可避免呢？
一项最新里程碑式研究表明，大脑的适应能力远超许多人想象，研究人员发现其性能在任何年龄段都能显著提升。
得克萨斯大学达拉斯分校脑健康中心的科学家们在三年间追踪了近4,000名19至94岁的参与者，以调查定期大脑训练是否能提升认知表现。
该研究于5月发表在《科学报告》（Scientific Reports）期刊上，发现简单的日常练习能帮助大脑保持高效运转，无论参与者最近一次生日蛋糕上的蜡烛数量是多少。
参与者完成了短小的日常任务以提升专注力、问题解决能力以及推理技巧。他们还能使用关于睡眠、压力与韧性的训练模块，以及大量其他大脑健康资源。
研究结果令人惊叹地积极。参与者在整个年龄段内的认知、情绪和社交福祉均出现可衡量的提升，其中70至80岁的参与者改善幅度与研究中的年轻成年人相当。
“研究结果令人惊叹地积极。参与者在整个年龄段内的认知、情绪和社交福祉均出现提升”
值得注意的是，大脑优化似乎没有上限。即使是最初表现优异的参与者，在研究期间也能进一步提升大脑功能。
研究作者希望这些发现能帮助重塑与年龄相关的认知衰退叙事。
“长期以来，医学界和公众都奉行‘衰退导向’的老龄化模型——这种过时的误解认为我们的认知巅峰出现在20或30岁，之后便不可避免地走下坡路，”脑健康中心临床研究主任洛丽·库克博士表示。
“我们能够证明，大脑的定义不是日历，而是可能性。”
这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。但如果大脑真的能在老年时保持敏捷，我们是否一直对认知老化的理解有误？倘若如此，我们的心智衰退中有多少是真正无法避免的，又有多少能被生活方式所影响？
大脑的灵活性
好消息是，德克萨斯州的研究并非孤例。越来越多的证据
上文 经常做拼图等形式的认知训练被视为积极的举措，尽管尚不清楚这些益处是否能转化为日常思维和解决问题的能力
GETTY IMAGES X2
27
《科学焦点》
分析
表明认知衰退远不像许多人想象的那样固定。
“正常衰老会伴随一定程度的认知衰退，例如记忆力下降和思维减缓，但这并非不可避免，”伦敦大学学院认知神经科学研究所的神经科学家陈丹尼斯教授说。
这种乐观的一个原因是芬兰老年干预研究预防认知损伤和残障（即“芬格研究”）的成果，该研究发表于2015年。
研究表明，某些健康促进习惯对认知功能存在有益影响，针对痴呆风险较高的老年人群。
研究人员发现，综合性的生活方式干预措施——包括规律的体力活动、营养均衡的饮食和认知训练——在高依从性参与者中产生了持久影响，其效果在11年后仍可测量。
大脑似乎可以变得像一把用旧的厨房刀：经过广泛使用略显磨损——只需磨一磨即可。而认知训练或许就是它的“磨刀石”。
“研究表明，练习认知技能能提升相关能力，有点像健身能暂时增强肌肉力量，”伦敦玛丽女王大学心理医学教授库珀克劳迪娅说。
训练的局限性
几十年来，大脑训练已被广泛研究，但其有效性仍存在疑问。例如，科学家尚不清楚训练效果能持续多久。毕竟，大脑像肌肉一样，需要定期激活。
科学家也不确定认知训练在多大程度上能迁移到日常生活中。“如果训练只是大量做拼图，这意味着你擅长拼图，但未必能提升日常思维能力，”陈丹尼斯教授问道。
尽管有证据表明认知训练通常是一种积极的干预措施，但其效果仍存在不确定性。
在痴呆症病例中，认知轨迹更难以改变。库珀克劳迪娅表示，痴呆症影响约40%活到90岁的人。年龄是最大的已知风险因素，但这并不意味着痴呆是衰老的正常组成部分。
右侧 显示年轻人（左）与老年人（右）大脑质量差异的扫描图
“我希望人们不要等到开始忘记钥匙、词不达意甚至被临床诊断后才采取行动”
根据英国阿尔茨海默病研究会的数据，全球45%的痴呆病例与该慈善组织所谓的“可改变”风险因素相关。
也就是说，近半数痴呆风险源于可改变的行为和暴露因素。其余部分则由遗传风险和其他长期健康状况等因素驱动。
保持大脑敏锐
那么，你到底能做些什么来保持大脑敏锐呢？据库克（Cook）所言，第一步是停止仅在问题出现后才开始担忧大脑健康。
“我希望人们不要等到开始忘记钥匙、词不达意，甚至收到临床诊断后才采取行动，”她说。
诚然，大脑会随着年龄增长而自然流失质量。组织衰退通常始于30至40岁之间，且在40岁后，大脑重量每十年减少约5%。
然而，科学家们一致认为，简单的日常习惯有助于减缓大脑萎缩、降低痴呆风险并支持晚年认知功能——无论你的年龄多大。
这些习惯并非高深莫测，但说起来容易做起来难。库珀（Cooper）表示：“健康饮食、运动和社交对他认知衰退的影响虽小，但确实有效。”
你可以从在饮食中加入支持大脑健康功能的食物开始，例如绿叶蔬菜、橙色蔬菜、橄榄油、鱼类、坚果、种子、全谷物和豆类。
遵循地中海式饮食也有助于保护大脑结构，通过减少大脑萎缩和延缓认知衰退。
右上图
规律运动和社交对任何希望减缓或延缓认知衰退的人都至关重要
睡眠也是你能为长期健康做的最有效的事情之一。“在你休息时，大脑正在努力清除积累的废物并巩固记忆，以便新的学习得以固化，”库克说，“它还在为第二天重置情绪基线。”
她接下来的建议是？停止试图同时应付一切。相反，争取一次只完成一项任务。“真正的多任务处理是一种神话；你的大脑实际上是在快速切换任务，这是一种认知杂耍行为，会增加精神疲劳并消耗你的效率和表现，”她说。
最终，专家们认为，减缓认知衰退并非要彻底改变生活。而是在于日复一日地重复小而有益的行为。
“每个大脑都像指纹一样独一无二，且具有巨大的成长潜力，”库克说，“如果人们每天仅用5–15分钟采用有意识的、有益大脑健康的习惯，他们或许能改变自己的认知轨迹。”
作者：阿比·亨德森 阿比是一名自由科学记者，专注于健康与科技领域
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SF
分析
为什么你现在应该担心“哥斯拉奥兹康”
一种新的减肥药问世了。 而且它比以往任何药物都强大得多
作者：哈蒂·威尔莫斯
etatrutide，又名“哥斯拉奥兹康”“三重G”“GLP-3”或“reta”，来了。人们对它趋之若鹜。
互联网上充斥着网红分享他们对这种新宠多肽的体验——Reddit上的进展更新、Instagram上的建议以及YouTube上的解说。
它为何如此受欢迎？因为retatrutide似乎能极快地减少脂肪。在临床试验中，参与者平均在18个月内减重近30%，使其效果是当前减重药物Wegovy的两倍。
“在一个减重效果已然巨大的世界里，retatrutide看起来是效果上的一次实质性飞跃，”剑桥大学肥胖科学家贾尔斯·约教授（Prof Giles Yeo）表示。
因此，这种强效减重注射剂受到如此热烈的欢迎也就不足为奇了。只是有一个问题：retatrutide尚未获得任何国家监管机构的批准使用，目前无法合法购买。
当网络庆祝reta的问世时，以下是你不该急于加入这场狂欢的原因。
瑞他曲肽为何已在市面上流通？
随意浏览社交媒体，你可能会误以为医生已连续数月为任何想要瑞他曲肽的人开具处方。
Reddit论坛r / Retatrutide上充斥着将药物功效归功于该药物的为期1个月、3个月甚至12个月的减重经历。对于Yeo来说，这些帖子着实令人担忧。
他问道：“这是真的吗？他们到底是从哪儿弄到药的？是黑市吗？我们又如何确认这就是瑞他曲肽？”
药品制造商Eli Lilly在其网站上声明：“瑞他曲肽未获得任何监管机构批准，仅可通过Eli Lilly的临床试验合法获得。任何向消费者销售的此类药物均属非法，无法核实其安全性、纯度或剂量。”
但这并未阻止标注为瑞他曲肽的液体小瓶在美国销售。实际上，CBS新闻在2026年6月的一项调查发现，有超过120个网站在销售或推广瑞他曲肽，其中包括50多家由执业医疗专业人员运营的诊所。
同时，美国中毒控制中心的数据（引自CBS报道）显示，2026年前四个月归因于标注为瑞他曲肽的药物中毒案例激增，相比2025年最后四个月上升265%。
“如果有人向你兜售名为瑞他曲肽的药物，那么要么他们是偷来的，要么就是其他东西——这两种情况都很危险，”Yeo表示，“目前，除了在试验中心，任何人都不应获得这些药物。”
安格利亚鲁斯金大学高级生理学讲师西蒙·柯克博士补充道，这些注射剂可能根本就不是瑞他曲肽，并表示：“如果你在一个极度监管的市场之外购买药物，你不知道自己拿到的是什么，也不知道自己在往身体里注射什么。”
但他继续说，即使这些药物确实是瑞他曲肽，也不意味着它们安全。柯克表示：“我们只有在对人群进行测试后，才能了解其副作用。目前我们仍不清楚其风险。”
“目前，除了在试验中心，任何人都不应获得这些药物”
“你正在使用两种或三种不同的机制，它们相辅相成，就像锤子和凿子”
上图 瑞他鲁肽的综合效果协同作用（类似于锤子和凿子一起使用的方式）有助于人们减重
“双重和三重肠促胰素从多个方向攻击脂肪，”英国萨里大学营养学副教授亚当·柯林斯博士表示，“你不仅仅是在用更大的锤子敲击它。你正在使用两种或三种不同的机制，它们相辅相成，就像锤子和凿子。”
柯林斯表示，如此一来，GLP-1作用于肠道和大脑以抑制食欲。GIP与GLP-1协同作用，减缓胃排空的速度。而胰高血糖素则管理脂肪储存，促使身体燃烧更多脂肪。结果是显著的体重减轻；根据临床试验，平均减重28%。“30%的体重减轻是一个很大的数字，”Yeo说，“而且请记住，这些只是平均值。有些人体重减轻40–50%。”
这对需要快速大量减重的人来说是个好消息。但瑞他鲁肽前所未有的强效也使其对不需要它的人更加危险。“我对这类药物最大的担忧是它们没有起始体重限制，”Yeo说。
“无论你是300磅[136公斤]还是75磅[34公斤]，它们都会抑制你的食欲。”
这意味着，对于任何未在合法医疗监督下使用这种药物的人来说，瑞他鲁肽都构成严重风险。Yeo补充道：“对于患有进食障碍或身体畸形症的人，司美格鲁肽已经很危险了。瑞他鲁肽可能更加危险。”
好消息（部分人群）
这些警告并非全部事实。对于某些人来说，当雷他曲肽获批后，它可能成为一根救命稻草。
“如果你的体重严重超标，那么像司美格鲁肽或替尔泊肽这样的药物可能无法让你达到健康体重，”Yeo表示，“你不会一直减到消失为止。在某个阶段，你会达到平台期。那么，也许雷他曲肽适合你，因为它的减重效果接近代谢手术的水平——这是某些人所需要的。”
雷他曲肽也可能对那些对单一或双重肠促胰素无反应的人，或出现不良副作用的人有所帮助。此外，由于胰高血糖素的作用，雷他曲肽可能对器官周围脂肪积累的人特别有益，尤其是脂肪肝患者。在一项针对脂肪肝患者的小型试验中，86%的参与者在服用最高剂量雷他曲肽五个半月后，肝脏脂肪含量恢复正常。这并不意味着他们被治愈，但这是一个有希望的迹象。
“我想胰高血糖素的有趣之处在于它与脂肪有关，因为它能显著降低肝脏脂肪含量，”Collins表示，“这可能还会带来其他好处——例如，你的血液胆固醇可能会得到改善。”
当然，所有这些仍在研究中，因此我们无法确定雷他曲肽的确切功效。但我们确实知道，它将为现有成功的减重药物家族再添一员。
“许多人需要减掉更多体重，而单靠饮食和运动无法实现，但他们的体重又不足以达到代谢手术的标准，”Collins表示，“有些人需要一些相当激进的方法来逆转需要通过减重解决的潜在健康问题。这些药物正好满足这一需求。”
的确，在Cork看来，这些减重药物是“科学上的成功故事”，也是“过去20年来最重要的医学突破”。
因此，雷他曲肽有望为需要它的人带来极大帮助。但它尚未获批使用。目前市面上任何声称是这种药物的产品，对使用者而言都可能具有潜在危险。
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分析
SF
T
远程办公有诸多优势，过去几年我们中许多人在桌下穿着睡裤办公，或许会认为自己的工作生活平衡因此受益。我们节省了数千元的高档西装、汽油和公共交通费用，有幼儿的家长还能在放学后接孩子而无需匆忙赶回家。更棒的是，我们把午餐放冰箱里时，再也不会神秘消失了。
然而，现在老板们似乎越来越急切地想让我们回办公室——通常是因为他们认为远程办公（WFH）不利于生产力。虽然这未必属实，但最新证据表明，他们呼吁我们重返办公室或许实际上是为了我们的最佳利益。
这是因为最近发表的一项针对超过50万美国人的研究将远程办公与较差的心理健康联系起来。这项名为《独自在家》（Home Alone）的研究于6月在《科学》杂志上发表，作者称这主要是因为远程工作者独自度过的时间过多。
“人们重视远程办公，并认为它会改善心理健康，”《独自在家》研究的作者之一、美国弗吉尼亚大学经济学家Emma Harrington教授表示。但她与同事进行的研究表明，远程办公“显著增加孤独感并恶化心理健康”。
与此同时，其他专家则认为我们应从更宏观的角度看待问题，指出更广泛的证据涵盖混合办公模式，以及远程办公如何帮助残障人士。
那么，我们是否该为了心理健康而匆忙回到办公室呢？
独处时光
“独自在家”研究关注了2011年至2024年间从事“可远程”工作的人群——如软件工程师和营销等可居家完成的职业。研究者排除了2020年和2021年新冠疫情高峰期，以排除与封锁措施相关的影响。但结果仍显示，从事可远程工作的人群在心理健康问题和独处时间上，相比“不可远程”工作（如护理）有更大幅度的增长。
心理困扰、心理健康专业人士的预约次数及心理健康处方的开具量，在可远程行业中均比不可远程行业增长更快。尽管难以确定孤独感是否为主要原因，但绝大多数（84%）在2022年至2024年间从事可远程工作的人整个工作日都独自度过，相比之下，不可远程行业仅为23%。
心理健康影响在独居人群中尤为显著：他们独自度过整个工作日的可能性是他人的10倍，且完全没有人际接触的可能性是他人的13倍。
然而，英国南安普顿大学工作与就业副教授简·帕里博士（Dr Jane Parry）提醒，仅凭一项研究得出结论需谨慎。帕里认可“‘管理不善’的远程工作可能导致员工孤立或过度劳累”，并强调“远程工作体验因个人情况、管理质量及工作组织方式而异”。
尽管有更广泛的证据表明居家办公（WFH）可能引发心理困扰，并导致工作与家庭生活冲突，但也有扎实研究表明其对幸福感有益。例如，一项广受引用的试验（2021年至2022年）对中国在线旅游公司携程的1,612名员工进行跟踪，发现被安排每周两天居家办公的员工对工作-生活平衡、工作及生活满意度的评分均高于全职在办公室工作的员工。他们辞职的可能性也更低，且工作效率不降反升。
此外，英国上议院近期报告强调了居家办公对残障人士及长期健康状况患者的重要益处。
“远程工作能更容易安排医疗预约、治疗、疲劳、疼痛、行动障碍及感官问题的管理，”帕里表示，“对某些员工而言，远程工作消除了原本可能使就业困难或无法就业的障碍。”
不断增长的需求
大多数关于远程工作与心理健康的研究存在因果关系混淆的问题。这是因为存在健康挑战（包括躯体疾病、焦虑等心理健康问题或神经多样性）的人可能选择居家办公。因此，在研究中，选择自身工作方式的人（与携程试验中被随机分配的情况不同）
“远程工作体验因个人情况而异”
它可能看起来像远程工作导致心理健康状况更差，但在某些情况下，情况恰恰相反。
“独自在家”研究的不同之处在于，它通过“可远程工作”这一类别避免了这一问题。它并未表明选择在家工作的人心理健康更差，而是表明在平均水平上，可远程工作行业的心理健康状况恶化了，无论这些行业中的人选择在何处工作。这种方法的缺点在于，它无法区分居家办公与办公室办公，也无法区分全远程与混合办公。
哈灵顿认为，这种方法有用，因为它展示了远程工作对整个行业的更广泛影响，而不仅仅是那些选择在家工作的人。她说：“当一个人不在办公室时，会影响留在办公室的人。”“因此，即使是办公室中的可远程工作人员，也可能因同事选择在家工作而感到更孤独。”
然而，英国伯明翰大学远程和混合办公专家丹尼尔·惠特利博士质疑，是否真的是居家办公本身影响了心理健康，还是可远程工作行业中“强度”不断增加的问题。他怀疑更可能的是，可远程工作行业的人不得不比以往更努力地工作。
他说：“我们知道这些人必须更努力地工作。工作重心越来越放在产出相关的组成部分上，而非可能让他们有思考时间或切换活动的组成部分。”
那么，是否可能是连续不断的会议、监控软件的兴起以及更少的休息时间影响了人们的心理健康，而非缺少同事？
惠特利表示，目前还言之过早，尽管从总体来看，关于远程和混合办公的证据表明，居家办公的利大于弊。虽然“独自在家”研究确实覆盖了疫情后的一些时期，但他指出，只有时间才能揭示其真正影响。“我们需要观察这一现象如何发展。”他说。
即便如此，惠特利和帕里都认为，在心理健康方面，混合办公可能提供了两全其美的解决方案。但这并不意味着它无法改进。
帕里的研究强调，管理者需要接受特定培训，以学习如何管理和组织混合办公团队。这包括关注员工是否有孤独感，同时确保当人们来到办公室时，能够“与同事坐在一起”，并有空间进行休息讨论和非正式交流。这种联系是工作场所文化的一部分。
“独自在家”研究还凸显了居家办公时错失的办公室外交流机会——特别是考虑到省下的通勤时间。
哈灵顿说：“我们发现下班后社交时间并未显著增加。如果能将节省的通勤时间转化为培养工作外社区的时间，那将是件好事。”
34
分析
35
TNNOWATTONE
为明天做好准备 LINNUVAI LUINJ
这些可怕的机器人就是未来的战争？
无人地面和空中载具正在改变我们所知的战争模式
作者：格雷格·诺恩
创新
俄罗斯士兵从未听到杀死他们的机器人。这支五人渗透小队潜入乌克兰并在顿涅茨克州北部多布罗皮利亚附近的几栋小楼中占据阵地。他们身处敌后，自信乌克兰军队并未察觉他们的存在。倘若乌克兰人确实知道他们就在附近，必会发起反击，并由附近部队的轻武器开火为号。
但这次并未动用任何部队来消除威胁。相反，这些俄罗斯士兵死于无人机操作员之手——三架无人空中载具（UAV）和两架无人地面载具（UGV）各自装备了一挺大口径机枪。
卫星赋能的战争
自2022年2月俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来，空中无人机袭击已屡见不鲜，而无人地面载具在过去六个月内用于据守和夺回阵地的情况则急剧增加。
无人地面载具在防御和进攻行动中的潜力之大，以至于乌克兰军方最近启动了一项竞赛以寻求新设计。根据官方新闻稿（配有AI生成的类似《终结者》机器人向人形靶标开火的图像），该倡议的“核心目标是最大化前线自动化程度，并降低军事人员风险”。
罗伯特·托拉斯（英国皇家联合研究所陆战小组研究员）解释称，这向来是无人地面载具的目标。尽管历史上不乏武装遥控地面载具的案例——例如法国军队在第一次世界大战期间部署的“施耐德鳄鱼”——但在乌克兰，这类机器人作为向孤立前沿阵地补给和撤离伤员的手段声名鹊起。
俄乌双方均频繁使用这些无人地面载具，大多外形类似带履带的平板车。但通信技术的改进已令这些设备从拯救士兵转向参与战斗。
大量Starlink卫星互联网终端向乌克兰军队供应，使得操作员能够比传统无线电连接更长时间地与无人地面载具保持可靠链接——后者还容易被干扰。托拉斯表示，尽管Starlink系统“对此类问题并非完全免疫”，但其能够快速切换高频段的能力使得多布罗皮利亚外的行动成为可能。乌克兰在2026年2月后在这一领域领先于俄罗斯，当时Starlink封锁了后者对其终端的军事使用，托拉斯认为这种优势可能不会持续太久。
与此同时，乌克兰正在探索如何利用其不断壮大的无人地面载具大军，目前数量已达数千辆。
四足威胁
一个显而易见的应用是在进攻作战中。今年7月，乌克兰军队将一台配备机枪的ARK-1机器人登陆金伯恩沙嘴——一处位于尼古拉耶夫以南、被俄占领的狭长地带。尽管那次袭击的结果仍不明朗，托拉斯预测未来几个月乌克兰人会开展更多此类行动。
人形机器人会很快出现在前线吗？托拉斯认为不会，乌克兰军队也持相同看法，并表示此类无人机笨重、昂贵且容易翻倒。托拉斯认为，四足机器人更有可能。阿迪达斯F50虽紧随其后，但Mercurial凭借其超过25年的传奇历史，足以匹配其受欢迎程度。理论上，这些机器人能够相对轻松地穿越战场（这一可怕的前景在2017年《黑镜》“金属头”剧集中令人印象深刻地展现过）。
托拉斯还提到无人坦克的可能性。但乌克兰军队在无人地面车辆（UGV）的研发进展，只有在操作员与战场无人机之间保持可靠连接的情况下才可持续。若中国和俄罗斯找到更廉价的方法阻断星链（Starlink），一切都将化为泡影。
解决这一问题的方案或许是让这些机器实现完全自主，正如冲突双方部署的无人机日益普遍的情况那样。“我预计乌克兰人会在这方面加大投入，”托拉斯说，“他们可能会在大规模应用上攻克这一难题。”
这可能需要一段时间。尽管自主导航所需传感器的成本正在下降，但即使是配备最新机器视觉系统的无人机，也难以穿越乌克兰无人区被翻搅的崎岖地形。
因此，我们可能还需等待一段时间，才能看到机器人接管士兵的职责。前提是除了停止战斗之外，这是唯一的选择。
撰文：格雷格·诺恩
格雷格是一名英国自由撰稿记者，Tech Monitor前任编辑。
图片来源：Getty Images、Devordio
37
《科学焦点》
创新
像职业球员一样训练
想要效仿今夏世界杯球星，将你的街头足球提升到新高度？ 这套高科技装备能帮你像梅西、姆巴佩和凯恩一样训练
赢得世界杯的球靴
在今夏世界杯上，有一款球靴被更多球员穿着：耐克Mercurial Superfly。阿迪达斯F50虽紧随其后，但Mercurial凭借其超过25年的传奇历史，足以匹配其受欢迎程度。
最新的Superfly配备了多项技术，旨在帮助球员（如法国前锋基利安·姆巴佩——本届杯赛金靴奖得主）更快移动和反应。内嵌在鞋底板中的四分之三长度气垫单元提供缓冲并提升冲刺与急停时的能量回弹。鞋面采用耐克的AtomKnit材质，这种工程材料可增加鞋与球之间的摩擦，
据称能在干湿条件下提升脚感控球和击球一致性。鞋底则采用混合式V形和刀片形钉状结构，设计目的是在加速时最大化抓地力，同时从草皮上干净脱离，帮助球员在不丧失动量的情况下变向。
其结果是一款工程化的球靴，让球员得以在全速状态下保持控制。Mercurial仍是许多最具活力球员的首选球靴，这并非巧合。
使用者：基利安·姆巴佩（皇家马德里 & 法国）
耐克Mercurial Vapor 17 Elite By You
£284.99，nike.com
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↓ 回传训练伙伴
SenseBall 是一款足球训练器，足球通过绳索系在训练器上，每次触球后都会自动回弹。看似简单的设计让你在短时间内完成数百次可控触球，与传统训练相比，重复次数显著增加。
根据设计该足球的神经科学家和运动科学家介绍，这种高重复性可加速运动学习，帮助技术动作自动化。由于 SenseBall 在每次触球后从不同角度回弹，你需要不断调整身体姿势、平衡感和第一次触球，同时培养空间意识和节奏感。难怪该系统已被精英俱乐部和青训营采用。
使用者：AC米兰
SenseBall Pro Level
£37.99，senseball.com
↑ 动态强化训练
阻力训练能让足球运动员在控球时更强壮、冲刺更快、跳跃更高。Beyond Power Voltra I 采用数字化控制的电机阻力，取代传统重量，设备小巧到可放入背包，几乎可在任何地方设置。
该设备可产生高达90kg（198磅）的阻力，提供多种模式，在每次动作中自动适应阻力变化。你还可编程设置阻力在训练不同阶段增减，以匹配身体自然力量曲线。除为你提供移动健身房外，还能让教练、私人教练或经理精确监控训练负荷和渐进式训练计划。
使用者：英超联赛
Beyond Power Voltra I
2,049 英镑，beyond-power.com
可穿戴按摩师
Therabody 的压缩靴旨在加速比赛结束后的恢复。它们通过可控气动腔体充气和放气，包裹双腿，促进运动后的静脉回流和淋巴引流。可调节的压力等级有助于减轻肌肉酸痛、僵硬感和剧烈训练后腿部沉重感。
使用者：国家女子足球联赛
Therabody JetBoots Prime
£469，therabody.co.uk
调息工具
Moonbird 是一款手持式呼吸指导器，可在手中扩张和收缩，引导用户进行缓慢、可控的呼吸。
使用者：比利时红焰队
Moonbird 呼吸工具
£159，moonbird.life
智能护腿板
Target 的智能护腿板将 GPS 跟踪技术隐藏在每位球员都佩戴的护具中。
传感器可测量覆盖距离、冲刺速度、加速度、跳跃高度和冲击力，而 AI 驱动的分析将数据转化为训练洞察。
使用者：NXGEN 职业学院
Target 智能护腿板
£135，target-football.com
思维加速
足球运动员的大脑需要像脚趾一样灵光。为此，Quickplay RXTR 不仅是一件物理训练工具，更是认知训练工具，将传统反弹板转化为交互式反应训练系统。训练时嵌入的 LED 目标会随机点亮，迫使你快速扫视、处理信息并做出反应，再接球或传球。撞击传感器会记录准确度和反应速度，让你能随时间衡量进步。
该设备旨在模拟比赛情境，此时决策能力往往比纯技术能力更重要，同时还能提升第一次触球、传球准确性、视觉意识和反应速度。
使用者：足球体验营训练营
Quickplay RXTR
£119.99，quickplaysport.com
39
SF
创新专栏
全力向前
对于不熟悉PC游戏的读者，让我为你介绍一下。如果你在家用电脑上玩游戏，Steam是首屈一指的在线商店，你可以在那里购买游戏。绝大多数（至少在PC平台上）发布过的游戏都能在这里找到，而且越老的游戏折扣力度越大。
最近，Steam还成为独立开发者销售其古怪、原创作品的平台。我指的是《Peak》这类游戏，你和三位朋友一起攀登一座山峰；或是《The Isle》，你扮演恐龙在食物链中大快朵颐。我是说，如今PC玩家似乎玩得不亦乐乎。
不过，购买游戏PC可没那么有趣。无论你是购买现成机型还是自己动手组装，都面临巨大压力——不仅要把零件拼对，还要确保它能用得长久。于是，Steam Machine应运而生：一台伪装成主机的游戏PC。
其理念是简化PC游戏体验。无需键盘、鼠标或显示器，只需一台控制器和电视即可。它的设计也很简单：无需操心杀毒更新、新驱动设置或声卡问题。大多数情况下，你只需开机即可开始游戏。
听起来很棒……但问题来了。在开发期间，内存和显卡的价格飙升。这导致Valve（Steam Machine和《半条命》等游戏的开发商）将其定价为高昂的£879（不含控制器）。对于一台规格已略显落伍的设备来说，这个价格可谓天价。
理念和设计无可挑剔，但工艺和执行都有待改进。因此，如果你想加入PC游戏派对，或许有更好的选择。但如果你已深度投入Steam商店，并希望将游戏库带到客厅，这或许是个不错的途径。
Steam Machine £879，store.steampowered.com
创新
↓ 最佳开端
Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide是Nike与Hyperice的第二次合作产品。Hyperice最初以生产帮助运动员肌肉恢复的设备起家——比如一款更好的冰袋（因此得名）。这些高科技滑板鞋底部内置Nike Air Zoom鞋底，顶部可通过磁吸连接一个可充电模块。安装后，该模块能在15分钟周期内提供三档靶向加热（最高47℃ / 116°F）和按摩振动，以缓解双脚紧张。我在垃圾回收日穿着它倒垃圾时，可谓大显身手。
Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide 价格待定，nike.com
↓ 隐蔽监控
小米新款智能摄像头解决了大多数家用监控系统的痛点：那种被“时刻监视”的感觉。无论是整齐放置在台面上还是悬挂于天花板，它都能为所在房间提供360°水平和180°垂直视角，并通过800万像素超广角和500万像素超长焦镜头跟踪动作。但当你在家时不想被“大哥”监视，只需将摄像头滚动至隐蔽位置，即可“闭上它的眼睛”。
小米智能摄像头 C701 Pro 价格待定，mi.com
↓ ...煤矿金丝雀现代版
“煤矿中的金丝雀”这一想法曾是一种简单——尽管有些冷酷——的监测空气质量的方式。现在它已被更新为21世纪的版本。我非常喜欢Birdie 2.0的简洁设计。这款由总部位于丹麦的设计师为这款瑞士工程CO₂传感器外壳打造的产品，摒弃了任何形式的配套应用、屏幕或按钮。当它检测到室内二氧化碳含量过高（任何超过1,000 ppm且持续超过10分钟的情况）时，这只小鸟就会直接“趴”在栖木下方，以一种可爱的视觉提示告诉你或许该开扇窗了。从未有过哪只鸟“趴下”如此讨人喜欢。
Birdie 2.0
€170，
↑ ...完美瞬间
由于其自动快门速度和有限的数码变焦质量，徕卡Sofort 2.0不会赢得“专业”摄影师的赞誉。但作为一台简单的记忆捕捉机器——以及更实惠的入门徕卡设备——这款混合数码即时相机表现优异。它体积小巧，配备可滚动屏幕以在将照片打印到实体世界前预览图像，专为随时随地的乐趣而设计。它仅能存储45张照片，但若你想大量拍摄，机身还设有MicroSD卡插槽。此外，这款相机还配备了诸多实用功能，如小巧的自拍镜和一个按压即可打印照片的极其满足的杠杆。
Leica SOFORT 2.0
€360，leica-camera.com
41
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专题
糖尿病前期
PREDIA
诊断：隐藏的祝福
如能及早发现并采取正确的生活方式改变，你可以逆转向2型糖尿病的滑坡
撰文：桑迪·翁
GETTY IMAGES
44
糖尿病前期
《科学焦点》
专题
糖尿病前期
美国电视节目主持人兼制片人奥普拉·温弗瑞长期与体重作斗争的经历广为人知。多年来，她的体重在145磅（65公斤）的低点和237磅（107公斤）的高点之间反复波动。但2015年一次医学诊断促使她放弃了速效减肥法，转而采用持久的生活方式改变。
“我被诊断为糖尿病前期，而且我的胆固醇指数偏高，”温弗瑞在最近接受《人物》杂志采访时回忆道。
糖尿病前期是指一个人血糖水平高于正常值，但尚未达到糖尿病的诊断标准，也没有出现任何症状。
“这是一个警示阶段，”肾脏专家、《糖尿病密码》一书作者杰森·方医生说，“它强调某人有患糖尿病的风险。”
全球的卫生组织对糖尿病前期的定义略有不同。但许多机构认为，当你的糖化血红蛋白（HbA1℃）水平（即在两到三个月内测量的血液中与红细胞结合的糖分或葡萄糖含量）在42至47毫摩尔 / 升，或6.0%至6.4%之间时，即为糖尿病前期。
如今，糖尿病前期影响着美国超过三分之一的成年人，以及英国近八分之一（690万人）的人口。全球有5.41亿人患有这种疾病。虽然目前大多数受影响者居住在高收入国家，但预计到2045年，低收入国家的病例将出现最大幅度的增长。
这是一个令人担忧的趋势，因为糖尿病前期与多种健康问题相关。其中包括死亡风险增加13%、心脏病风险增加16%和中风风险增加14%，研究人员在2020年对涉及超过1000万人的129项研究进行荟萃分析后揭示了这一结果。
情况更糟的是。每年，5%至10%的糖尿病前期患者会进展为2型糖尿病，如果不加以控制，后者会带来自身的并发症。“这是肾衰竭的最大风险因素之一，”方医生说，“你不仅面临失明和截肢的风险，还可能遭遇心脏病发作、中风、癌症、感染等。”
但好消息是：糖尿病前期诊断并不意味着你的命运已成定局。“对某些人来说，预防或延缓2型糖尿病是可能的，”英国最大的糖尿病慈善机构糖尿病英国的临床副主任艾玛·派克说。
上一页
糖尿病前期是指血液中糖（葡萄糖）水平高于正常值，但尚未达到2型糖尿病的诊断标准
主图 规律运动有助于维持健康的血糖水平
下图 血液中葡萄糖和胰岛素分子的示意图
右下图
糖尿病患者需要定期检查血糖水平
“它影响着美国超过三分之一的成年人，以及英国近八分之一的人口”
图片来源：盖蒂图片社、科学图片库（两张）
46
糖尿病前期
专题
《科学焦点》
然而，关键在于尽早应对这种疾病。要做到这一点，需要一系列生活方式的改变，主要包括减重、合理饮食和增加运动。德国亥姆霍兹慕尼黑研究中心糖尿病研究与代谢疾病研究所所长安德烈亚斯·比肯费尔德教授表示，如果你能坚持这些改变，缓解病情——即血糖水平恢复正常——完全有可能实现。
以温弗瑞为例。据《人物》杂志2019年的报道，在被诊断为糖尿病前期后，她通过改变生活方式使血糖水平恢复正常。截至2026年1月，在健康饮食、规律运动和减重药物的帮助下，她的体重已恢复至155磅（70公斤），这是她1994年首次参加马拉松时的体重。
抓住机遇
“积极的信息是，只要你处于糖尿病前期阶段，就能实现缓解并更轻松地恢复代谢健康，”比肯费尔德说，“一旦发展为糖尿病，所需付出的努力将大得多，且难以持久。因此，在糖尿病前期阶段，你拥有真正的机遇之窗。”
糖尿病是一种复杂的疾病，可表现为多种形式。但其核心问题在于身体无法有效处理葡萄糖，导致血液中葡萄糖过多。
葡萄糖主要来自我们食物和饮料中的碳水化合物。当身体分解碳水化合物时，血糖会上升。这种上升会向胰腺发出信号，释放一种名为胰岛素的激素，帮助将葡萄糖从血液中转移到细胞内，以供能量使用。
糖尿病则是这一过程出现了问题。
尽管不同类型的糖尿病表现相似，但其根本原因各异。例如，某些孕妇体内胎盘分泌的激素会阻碍母体胰岛素的正常功能，导致妊娠糖尿病。而1型糖尿病则是一种自身免疫性疾病，通常在儿童和年轻成人中被诊断出来。在这种情况下，胰岛素缺失是因为身体错误地破坏了制造胰岛素的细胞。
相比之下，占所有病例约90%的2型糖尿病则发生在细胞对胰岛素的反应变得不正常（即胰岛素抵抗）之时，久而久之，胰腺无法再分泌足够的胰岛素来补偿。
“糖尿病前期和2型糖尿病都是极其复杂的疾病，存在多种不同的风险因素，”派克说。这些因素包括年龄（45岁及以上人群）、遗传倾向（南亚、黑人和拉丁裔人群）、家族史以及社会经济地位较低。
但迄今为止，最强的预测因素之一是肥胖。过多的脂肪会扰乱身体的正常代谢，导致细胞对胰岛素的抵抗性增强。作为回应，胰腺会超负荷工作以分泌更多胰岛素。然而，这种工作强度无法永远持续，最终胰腺将丧失维持产出的能力。
“于是就形成了双重打击，”诺丁汉大学营养与膳食学副教授阿曼达·艾弗里说。过多的脂肪导致血液中糖分过高，而过多的糖分又使身体未来处理糖分的能力愈发困难，这些过剩的糖分很可能转化为更多的脂肪。
自1975年以来，全球肥胖率已增长三倍，糖尿病前期和2型糖尿病的上升趋势也就不足为奇了。费用说，“这三种疾病——肥胖、糖尿病前期和2型糖尿病——具有相同的病理生理机制。”
如今，英国每三个成年人中就有两人超重或肥胖。艾弗里说，这是现代生活的一个症状。“我们生活在一个致肥环境中。人们的活动量大幅减少，而我们的食物选择与40年前相比也发生了巨大变化。”
此外，食物的分量也更大，廉价的超加工食品随处可见。“这些食品热量密度极高，但营养价值极低，”艾弗里说，“简直糟透了。”
重新思考你的饮食
由于糖尿病前期与肥胖密切相关，医生通常会建议患者先减重，而不是直接开药。"我们总是先建议通过饮食和运动进行生活方式干预，"比肯费尔德说。"如果效果不佳，我们会考虑使用[2型糖尿病药物]二甲双胍，现在也会为肥胖患者开GLP-1类药物，如奥兹麦克或司美格鲁肽。"
减重的最有效方法之一是减少精制碳水化合物的摄入，如白面包、意大利面和米饭，以及含糖饮料和零食。"这些食物在体内会更快转化为葡萄糖，因此需要更大量的胰岛素分泌，"艾弗里说。
相反，应选择高纤维的复合碳水化合物，它们消化时间更长，能缓慢释放葡萄糖进入血液。可考虑全谷物（燕麦、糙米、全麦面包）、豆类（豆类和扁豆）和非淀粉类蔬菜（西兰花、辣椒、绿叶菜）。
整体减少碳水化合物摄入也有帮助。取而代之，你可以尝试摄入更多蛋白质并增加
"关键在于找到适合你的饮食......能够长期坚持的饮食"
ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES ×2
48
糖尿病前期
专题
SF
上图及下图 以水果和蔬菜（如鳄梨和绿叶菜）、全谷物和豆类为主的低碳水饮食有助于控制血糖水平
水果和蔬菜，艾弗里说："这很有帮助，因为它们能增加饱腹感。"
无论采用何种方式，她都提醒要保持膳食营养均衡。哈佛大学的"健康饮食金字塔"或"半盘模型"提供了一个简单的视觉指南：将一半的盘子装满非淀粉类蔬菜，四分之一装瘦蛋白质，最后四分之一装全谷物。"这能提供相当充足的微量营养素，"艾弗里说。
派克也给出了其他有益的调整建议。"选择更健康的脂肪来源——植物油如菜籽油和橄榄油，而不是动物脂肪制品。注意零食选择——尽量选择坚果和种子而非饼干和蛋糕。选择不添加糖的乳制品，尤其是发酵乳制品如酸奶和奶酪，它们与2型糖尿病风险降低有关。"
健康饮食有多种形式，但归根结底，关键在于找到适合你且能长期坚持的饮食方式。"如果你剥夺了人们真正喜欢的食物，他们可能会坚持一段时间，但最终还是会回到旧习惯，"比肯费尔德说。
除了关注食物种类，摄入方式和时间似乎也很重要。在一项小型研究中，2型糖尿病患者在 overnight 禁食后，被安排在两个不同场合食用相同的餐食：碳水化合物（意式面包和橙汁）、蛋白质（去皮烤鸡胸）和蔬菜（西兰花、莴苣和番茄沙拉），但进食顺序不同。相比先吃碳水化合物，先吃蔬菜和蛋白质15分钟后再吃碳水化合物，能显著降低餐后血糖和胰岛素峰值。
其他研究还将不良饮食习惯——不规律的用餐时间和深夜进食——与更高的胰岛素抵抗和葡萄糖耐受不良联系起来。方（Fung）强烈推荐间歇性禁食，即在一天的特定时间段内进食，其余时间禁食。"如果你禁食，基本上就是让身体燃烧掉多余的葡萄糖，"他说。
建立健康习惯
除了饮食得当，专家还建议患有糖尿病前期的人尝试进行一些锻炼——每周至少进行150分钟中等强度的体力活动。“这可以是散步、慢跑、游泳、骑自行车或任何人们可能喜欢的运动，”派克说，“此外，还应包括一些力量训练。”
运动有助于肌肉正常运作，因为肌肉需要葡萄糖来提供能量，从而帮助清除血液中的糖分。研究还表明，运动能提高胰岛素敏感性。特别是，研究显示，饭后仅散步10到15分钟，就能比久坐更好地维持血糖和胰岛素水平的稳定。
另一个有效建议是保证充足睡眠，每晚睡眠时间在7到8小时之间。“研究表明，睡眠不足会对胰岛素抵抗和葡萄糖耐受性产生不利影响，”美国哥伦比亚大学营养医学副教授玛丽-皮埃尔·圣昂热说。她的研究专注于睡眠、肥胖与代谢疾病之间的关联。
在她的实验室进行的一项研究中，38名健康女性被要求将睡眠时间推迟90分钟，在六周内缩短总睡眠时长。研究人员发现，这使这些女性的空腹胰岛素水平和胰岛素抵抗分别上升了12%和15%。在绝经后女性中，这种影响更为明显。
圣昂热还建议保持规律的作息时间。“我们已经证明，睡眠规律性与糖尿病风险密切相关。如果你的睡眠模式稳定，那么保持规律的饮食模式也会更容易。”
为了进一步降低糖尿病风险，专家建议养成戒烟和限制饮酒的习惯。增加白天的光照、晚上调暗灯光也可能有助于改善血糖控制，因为一项针对糖尿病前期患者的小型研究发现了这一效果。（光照与褪黑素调节有关，褪黑素不仅控制睡意，还参与代谢过程。）
多项大规模临床试验的充分证据表明，生活方式干预确实能逆转糖尿病前期。例如，美国主导的糖尿病预防计划（DPP）对3,200多名糖尿病前期患者进行研究，发现通过强化生活方式改变（目标减重7%，采用低脂饮食并每周运动150分钟）可将糖尿病风险降低58%。芬兰和中国的试验也各涉及500多名参与者，并报告了类似结果。
时间至关重要
将血糖水平恢复正常的益处怎么说都不为过。除了避免2型糖尿病及其所有并发症外，还能证明对长期心脏健康有益。例如，研究人员在20多年的时间里跟踪参与糖尿病预防计划（DPP）的参与者，发现那些实现缓解的人死于心血管问题或因心力衰竭住院的风险降低了51%，而其他仍处于糖尿病前期的参与者则未出现这一情况。
中国研究的参与者也观察到类似结果：缓解将心血管死亡和总体死亡风险在30年的随访中分别降低了33%和26%。
但与大多数其他疾病一样，早期干预至关重要。“一旦有人被告知患有糖尿病前期——而且越早坐下来思考如何改变生活方式以降低发展为2型糖尿病的风险，效果就越好，”艾弗里说。
比肯费尔德也表示赞同。他参与德国糖尿病预防生活方式干预研究的工作表明，在6个月内实现缓解的人，随着时间的推移，其空腹血糖和糖化血红蛋白（HbA1℃）水平比那些用时长2倍的人更健康。“他们日后发展为2型糖尿病或再次回到糖尿病前期的风险也非常低，”他补充道。
因此，艾弗里认为，糖尿病前期应被视为“一个真正积极的诊断”，而非令人沮丧的原因。“因为这意味着人们可以做出小的改变，从而产生巨大的影响。”《科学焦点》
桑迪·翁
桑迪·翁是新加坡的自由撰稿科学与健康记者
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《科学焦点》
专题报道
南极冰下世界
冰封之下的生命
在完全黑暗、极高压力与隔绝的环境下，经过100万年的演化，生命会变成什么样？ 答案可能隐藏在南极冰层之下
撰文：罗伯·雷迪克
ROV SUBASTIAN / 施密特海洋研究所
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南极冰下世界
专题报道
《科学焦点》
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右侧 施密特海洋研究所的科考船“Falkor (too)”当时正在南极洲周边的贝林斯豪森海，乔治六世冰架发生断裂后，他们立即改变航线进行调查
上一页
在南极洲西海岸附近的贝林斯豪森海，一只头盔水母（Periphylla periphylla）被发现漂浮在乔治六世冰架断裂处附近
ALEX INGLE / SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE #4
地球上几乎没有真正未被探索的区域，而大部分仍未触及的地方位于南极。几乎整个南极洲——连同其周围大片海域——都被厚达数百甚至数千米的冰层覆盖。太空或许是最后的未知领域，但南极洲堪称其劲敌。
然而，这片地球上最后的未知区域正逐渐揭开其秘密。借助新技术，研究人员正透过这片大陆厚厚的冰层，寻找地球上最非凡的发现之一：隐藏于冰下的生命。
2025年1月，一大块乔治六世冰架从南极洲断裂，科学家们抓住这一罕见机遇，探索了曾被150米（492英尺）厚冰层覆盖的海床。
上图 从乔治六世冰架断裂的冰山体积约相当于美国芝加哥市。其残骸可从Falkor (too)号观测到
右上图 乔治六世冰架断裂处附近海域的冰山
通过向海底派遣遥控潜水器，他们发现了海绵、海葵和章鱼——一个异常丰富的生态系统，尽管已与阳光隔绝数百年，却仍然蓬勃发展。
这类发现仅仅是个开始。在南极大陆各处，研究人员继续发现新的深海黑暗环境：夹在冰盖与大陆岩石之间的淡水湖泊——通常来说，有水的地方就有生命。
“下面简直是一片未被探索的生物圈，”美国蒙大拿州立大学生态学教授约翰·普里斯库博士说。
他曾领导两项成功任务，深入这些湖泊并采集到富含微生物的样本。“我们找到了生命。我们知道它们还活着，并能够通过基因识别它们，”他说道。
南极洲的许多冰下湖泊已与大气和海洋隔绝数千年——有些甚至可能达数百万年之久。
对捕获湖水的分析显示，这些生命形式在与世隔绝的环境中进化，这些微生物找到了在冰盖深处严酷条件下生存的奇特方式。
然而，科学家们仅对南极洲冰下湖泊的一小部分进行了取样。据信，超过700个湖泊隐藏在冰盖下，每一个都可能是一个独立的世界。
那里可能还隐藏着什么其他形式的生命？经过数百万年与地球其他地区隔绝后，这些生物可能会有多大不同？“你只能猜测那里可能存在什么，”普里斯库说。
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南极洲冰下
专题报道
《科学焦点》
“这是一个非凡之地，可能孕育着奇特的适应性生物，甚至潜在更复杂的生命形式”
下图 施密特海洋研究所团队使用名为“苏巴斯蒂安”的遥控潜水器（ROV）研究断裂冰架下的海床
隐藏的深处
南极洲看起来像是一大块冰，但实际上它是一个面积为澳大利亚两倍大的巨型陆块，其上覆盖着厚厚的冰层。冰层之下隐藏着一片高度多样化的地貌，由山脉、峡谷、丘陵和平原组成——一个起伏的表面，液态水可在此处积聚。
“冰下湖泊的水是淡水，因为它来自冰的融化，”英国利兹大学气候与大气科学研究所攻读博士学位的萨莉表示，“冰因地热能——来自地球中心的热量——以及冰在基岩上滑动时的摩擦融化而融化。”
科学家直到1970年代才知道这些隐藏的湖泊存在，当时他们开始使用机载雷达测量南极冰盖的厚度并绘制其下方的地貌。
大多数雷达扫描揭示了埋藏在冰下的山脉和峡谷的崎岖轮廓。但时不时地，研究人员会发现一些异常平坦光滑的斑块。唯一合理的解释是，冰并非坐落在岩石上——而是漂浮在液态水上。
到了1990年代，科学家有了新的“天眼”：卫星。这些卫星开始对冰盖顶部表面高度进行高精度测量，发现了非常平坦的区域，这也暗示了下方存在水体。通过将这些卫星数据与雷达和地震读数相结合，科学家得以加速发现新的冰下湖泊，其中包括1996年发现的南极最大湖泊——东方湖。
东方湖面积达16,000平方公里（约6,200平方英里），部分深度超过1,000米（3,281英尺），是世界上最大的淡水湖之一——尽管它隐藏在3,700米（12,139英尺）厚的冰层之下。在发现它后，研究人员开始计划调查东方湖及其他冰下环境。
“这一发现真正促使我们思考冰下湖泊不仅仅是一种奇观，更是具有科学价值的存在，”英国埃克塞特大学冰川学家马丁·西格特教授表示，他曾共同撰写了一篇奠基性论文，帮助描述东方湖的特征。
“这是一个非凡的地方，可能成为奇特适应性生物、微生物生命甚至更复杂生命的栖息地，”西格特说。
俄罗斯研究人员最先对东方湖进行调查。幸运的是，他们早已领先一步：早在1950年代，他们就在湖泊正上方建立了一个极地研究站，科学家们在那里钻探了超过3.5公里（2.2英里）深的冰芯。利用这一现有钻孔，研究人员在1990年代末首次收集了冰川冰样本——即湖水在冰盖底部冻结形成的冰，并于2013年最终对湖泊本身进行了取样。
他们发现的东西既充满活力又颇具争议。对冰川冰的分析显示，存在超过3,500种物种的遗传物质——包括细菌、水生海洋生物和真菌——其中许多在遗传上与地球其他地区发现的物种相似。湖水中似乎也含有细菌。但许多研究人员认为，几乎所有这些生命都是在钻探过程中被带入冰层的。
“俄罗斯人从东方湖获取的样本可能受到了污染，”西格特说。他解释道，机械钻探使用了基于煤油的防冻剂以防止钻孔重新冻结。这种液体在钻孔中与钻探设备一同存在多年，很可能将地表微生物引入他们带回的任何样本中。
普里斯库也表示赞同：“俄罗斯人的计划非常奇怪。他们未能成功收集有用的样本。”
2012年，西格特领导了一次英国考察，试图避免这些污染问题。他们没有使用机械钻
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南极洲冰下世界
特写
亚历克斯·英格尔，ROV Subastian / Schmidt海洋研究所，北极与南极研究所 / Wikicommons
俄罗斯科学家使用了一种热水系统，该系统经过紫外线和过氧化氢消毒，融化出一个钻孔，深达3公里（1.8英里），直达另一个冰下湖泊——埃尔斯沃思湖。
该任务在后勤问题上举步维艰，其钻探系统最终在2012年圣诞前夜燃料耗尽，未能穿透湖泊。
但研究界无需等待太久便迎来了另一次尝试。2013年1月，一个名为WISSARD（惠兰斯冰流冰下接入研究钻探）的美国项目成功使用热水钻探技术，穿过800米（2,625英尺）厚的冰层，进入西南极洲的惠兰斯湖。
一只章鱼被发现栖息在南极洲西部海域的海底。
在南极半岛别林斯高晋海，人们在乔治六世冰架断裂后发现了一种疑似新的等足类动物。
失去的联系
普里斯库的团队在惠兰斯湖发现了一系列细菌物种，“一个充满生机的完整生态系统，”他说道。
基因分析证明，发现的微生物并非污染所致。相反，它们揭示了这些湖泊蕴含着南极洲遥远过去的线索，并继续影响着这片大陆的环境至今。
“我们发现了古老海洋环境的证据，以及这些湖泊如何像生化反应器一般为南极洲海岸带来养分，因为湖水最终流入大海，”普里斯库说。
“这些湖泊中存在古老海洋环境的证据，同时也证明这些湖泊如同生化反应器一般，能为南极洲海岸线提供营养”
换句话说，这些湖泊似乎保存着南极洲部分地区曾被海洋覆盖时期的痕迹。随着水从冰层下缓慢流入南大洋，也将营养物质带往南极洲海岸，从而维持当地生命的生存。
这些发现或许能解释为何那里的海底隐藏着如此丰富的海洋生物。通常，海洋食物网始于阳光能照射到的海域中生长的微小藻类。但在数百米厚的冰层下，这种食物来源几乎被完全切断。
一种可能性是，冰下湖泊提供了替代性营养来源，释放出微生物和营养物质，这些物质被冰层下的水流携带，帮助滋养生态系统。
WISSARD项目的成功立即引发了更多研究的需求。“我们积累了大量动力，”普里斯库说。这催生了另一个项目——南极冰下湖泊科学考察（SALSA），该项目于2019年钻探至冰盖下1,000米（3,281英尺）深处的另一个冰下湖——梅瑟湖。对这些样本的分析仍在进行中，样本同样富含微生物。
下方 沃斯托克湖位于俄罗斯沃斯托克站下方——这座淡水湖的湖面距离冰层表面约4,000米（13,100英尺）
SF
专题
南极洲冰下世界
早期结果显示，其中一些微生物可能代表着地球其他地区未曾见过的谱系。研究团队通过将发现的基因与已知生命之树进行比较，最近证明了这些发现的独特性——细菌及以细菌为食的病毒已与地球其他部分隔绝并独立演化。“我们提出一种观点，或许它们在冰盖形成前就已开始演化，”普里斯库说，“这些生物确实与世隔绝。”
或许这些微生物最非凡之处在于，与地球几乎所有其他生态系统不同，它们最终并不依赖阳光。它们的部分能量来自湖泊最后一次与海洋相连时进入的古老有机物。但仅凭这些供应还不足以维持生命。
相反，许多微生物通过从岩石挤压释放的氢气以及甲烷、铁和硫等化学物质中提取能量——这一过程被称为化能自养。
“这些湖泊是地球上仅有的几处（甚至可能是唯一）能找到完全独立于光合作用能量的生态系统的地方，”美国密歇根理工大学生物科学助理教授、SALSA项目的微生物生态学家特丽斯塔·维克-马约斯博士说。
“它们进行的新陈代谢过程在其他地方或许能找到，但它们是在这样一个封闭、寒冷、黑暗且承受巨大压力的环境中完成的，”维克-马约斯说，“与海洋深处相比，它们接收到的新能量输入甚至更少。”
由于能量匮乏，这些微生物的复制速度远比其他地方的微生物缓慢。但它们已在这片与世隔绝的环境中顽强生存了漫长的岁月。通过对梅瑟湖湖水和沉积物中物质的放射性碳定年，研究人员估计它们已在这一环境中孤立生存了数千年。
“我们得出的年代为约6,300年前，误差范围为正负1,000年。因此，我们认为是6,000至7,000年前，”SALSA项目的同位素地球化学家、美国科罗拉多矿业学院助理教授瑞安·文特雷利博士说，“至少，这是该环境最后一次与海洋相连的时间。”
但南极洲的隐藏湖泊不仅帮助科学家了解地球，还可能为其他星球上的生命提供线索。南极洲的冰下环境是地球上最接近木星和土星卫星冰冻表面下冰冻世界的环境。
“这是我们拥有的最明确的海洋世界模型，”普里西说。他发表的研究表明，根据在南极深处冰层下发现的情况，木星富水卫星欧罗巴的海洋中可能存在生命。
像这样在极端恶劣条件下生存的生物
“我们从海底获得的样本比从南极冰下获得的还要多。那里有太多东西值得我们去探索”
沙漠或深海热液喷口周围——这些被称为极端微生物的生物，对地球同样意义重大。具有奇特新陈代谢方式的细菌已催生了多项科学突破，从癌症治疗到新型抗生素，乃至如今无处不在的聚合酶链式反应（PCR）——这一遗传检测技术使科学家得以诊断包括新冠肺炎在内的传染性疾病。
“压力将是促使生物演化出新能力的关键因素之一。这些环境中很可能存在一些细胞，正在进行着你在其他地方无法找到的有益活动，”维克-马乔斯说，“那里很可能蕴藏着大量有用的信息。”
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南极冰下环境
特色
SF
上图 科学家在“福尔卡”号（tao）科考船上检查珊瑚子样本
左上图 南极冰盖下的冰下湖泊地图。该地图数据由欧洲空间局卫星“地球探测者” CryoSat 任务记录
更古老、更深邃、更奇异
迄今为止的发现仅仅是个开始。并非所有的冰下湖泊都一模一样。有些湖泊，如东方湖，是静态的——它们几乎不会变化。但许多其他湖泊，包括惠兰斯湖和梅瑟湖，则是“活跃”的，它们会随时间充盈和排空，水在彼此之间流动。通过卫星监测这些变化，能为寻找更多湖泊提供线索。
“当湖泊充盈时，我们会看到其上方的冰层轻微隆起，”威尔逊说，他的博士研究重点是利用卫星观测发现新湖泊。“我常把它比作冰层下方有一个水泡。”
多亏了这些冰层运动，像威尔逊这样的科学家至今仍在发现新的湖泊。
但由于西南极洲的惠兰斯湖和梅瑟湖是活跃湖泊，会充盈和排空，且最近才与海洋相连，它们的隔离程度与南极洲其他水体相比相形见绌。东方湖可能在东南极洲冰盖下孤立存在了数百万年。对西格特而言，这意味着我们尚未真正回答一个问题：冰下生命形式可能有多独特。
“西南极洲的底部相当现代——约80,000年左右，而非100万年，”西格特说，“因此，从科学角度看，它不如深水湖泊那样引人注目。”
研究人员还发现惠兰斯湖和梅瑟湖之间存在显著差异，暗示还有更多发现等待我们。
“它们的地球化学特性截然不同。我们在水中看到的食物和能量来源也完全不同，”维克-马约斯说，“而我们仅研究了两个湖泊。南极洲约有700个此类湖泊。”
与西格特一样，维克-马约斯认为更深、更隔绝的湖泊可能是下一个最佳目标。那里的生物“可能已经存在了更长时间，有更长的时间与其他群落分化，”她说，“我们想去一个大型、深邃、古老的湖泊，因为我认为那里才能找到真正独特的进化历史。”
但重返南极洲并钻探新的冰下湖泊绝非易事。美英两国的项目耗费了数年规划，克服了将设备运往地球最恶劣之地的后勤挑战，并在表面温度可降至-50℃（-58°F）以下的严酷条件下开展研究。
新冠疫情及研究经费削减已使美英研究团队近期重返南极洲的前景搁浅，但中国和韩国已有湖泊采样项目计划。
若新的考察获得批准，东方湖可能是一个引人注目的起点。多年细致分析显示，俄罗斯最初样本中识别出的几乎所有生物均为钻探过程中引入的污染物。但仍有某些细菌物种无法被轻易解释。
其中一种是已知的嗜热菌嗜热氢单胞菌。尽管这一物种本身并非新发现，但研究人员认为它在东方湖冰川冰中的存在可能暗示湖床数百米以下存在热液喷口——这意味着南极冰层下可能隐藏着一个全然未知的生态系统。
“我们拥有的月球样本比南极冰下样本更多，拥有的深海样本也比南极冰下样本更多，”文特雷利说，“那里还有太多未知等待我们去探索。”
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如何识破说谎者
测谎仪并不可靠。肢体语言也不可信。但确实存在一些方法能判断一个人是否在说谎——你只需仔细聆听他们说话的内容。
文：基尔斯蒂·金博士 插画：戴尔·埃德温·默里
识破说谎者是一项至关重要的技能。我们都希望提升这项能力，因为谎言可能以多种方式影响我们，其中一些甚至具有危害性。问题是，研究表明，可靠地识别说谎者极为困难。原因很简单：说谎者在说谎时并不总是表现出相同的外貌或行为。因此，试图通过外表寻找说谎者毫无用处。
要想识破说谎者，我们需要动用另一种感官：听觉。我们需要用耳朵而非眼睛，因为最新研究显示，人们的言语内容及其表达方式能为我们提供是否有人试图欺骗的线索。
这些语言线索因人而异，因为说谎者不会以相同的方式或在相同的情境下说谎，且他们的动机也各不相同。谎言可能是即兴编造、毫无预谋的，也可能是事先编好的。有时甚至是对事实的扭曲。除了编造谎言，说谎者还需应对不同的情境或问题，并调整自己的回答。
简而言之，做一个说谎者并不容易，但如果我们学会更仔细地聆听他们说话的内容，就能让他们说谎变得更加困难。以下是五种通过言语揭穿说谎者的方法……
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如何识破说谎者
专题
SF
1 重复
重复出现在一个人的叙述中时，值得引起注意。
2003年发表在《心理通报》（Psychological Bulletin）上的一项研究发现，当一个人反复重复自己的话时，应当引起我们高度警惕——他们可能在说谎。
语言重复有多种形式——可能是反复使用代词。以澳大利亚全科医生布赖恩·克里基特（Brian Crickitt）为例，他通过注射致命剂量的胰岛素谋杀了自己的伴侣。在接受警方访谈时，他就伴侣的死因撒谎，并说道：“我，我，我，我，呃……我，呃……你知道……我……我昨晚在哪里的说法是错误的。”
克里基特似乎被代词卡住了，仿佛不知道该如何继续。这可能是因为被问到了一个他未准备好的问题。
重复也可能发生在形容词或动词上。这通常发生在说谎者难以为编造的故事增添更多细节时。这种重复在美籍演员贾西·斯莫莱特（Jussie Smollett）对自己被袭击的描述中可以听到。他的叙述看似真实，直到关键部分。就在这时，他说出了一个应立即引起警惕的内容：
“我们最终在楼梯旁扭打起来。呃……[我们在]搏斗。搏斗。搏斗。”
在这一关键部分，大量重复但缺乏细节，这令人怀疑，表明他可能并未说实话。
事实也确实证明，斯莫莱特编造了这次袭击。
说谎者还会通过重复来显得合作和乐于助人。这是一种印象管理的手段——试图让审讯者相信他们的坦诚实际上是诚实的表现。
然而，说谎者很难提供不暴露谎言的详细信息，否则只会编造更多细节，这反过来又让他们更难记住自己说过的话。
2004年发表在《传播障碍杂志》（Journal of Communication Disorders）上的一项研究发现，这种所需的心理努力可能导致一个人的言语变得混乱且不流畅。
你可以从斯图尔特·哈泽尔（Stuart Hazell）的案例中看到这一点。他谋杀了继孙女蒂娅·夏普（Tia Sharp），并将她的尸体藏在他居住的房子里。蒂娅失踪的传闻传出后，哈泽尔接受了一名记者的电视采访。记者问哈泽尔是否知道蒂娅失踪的原因。他回答道：“没有。她完全没有问题。她……她很开朗。我是说，金色……天使，你知道我的意思吗？她……她……她很完美。她……没有争吵，什么都没有，没有……我们想不到任何原因，绝对没有。”
哈泽尔反复使用代词“她”和短语“没有……没有”，再加上无法找到合适的词语回答记者的问题，这些都应立即引起怀疑。
2 前景化
一个人说的第一句话在揭穿谎言时可能极具启示性。当我们向他人讲述一段经历时，通常会采用按时间顺序的结构，包含开头、中间和结尾。
但在某些情况下，我们会自然而然地将关键信息优先置于叙述开头。这种有选择的信息排序能向听话者传递紧迫感，并暴露出说谎的可能性。以这通报警电话为例：
“我大约四五个小时前把车停在酒吧附近，然后……呃，我爸刚给我打电话问我是否安好。我回他‘嗯，我没事。怎么了？’他就说……呃，乔尔赛直道（Cholsey Straight）被封了，或是什么的，然后他又转过来问‘能把你的车牌号给我吗？’我把车牌号给他后，他说我的车不见了。”
打电话的人是来自英国迪德科特的玛丽亚·萨顿（Maria Sutton），她报案称车被盗，但她并未在通话一开始就告诉接线员这一情况。相反，她将关于父亲、电话和车牌号的叙述置于前景。
萨顿是在说谎。后来证实，她在醉驾时撞死了54岁的格雷厄姆·鲁克罗夫特医生。
我们可以通过她的前景化手法察觉她的谎言——她的借口先于事件本身。在道出通话目的（报案车被盗）之前，她提供了大量无关信息。这种过度细节的现象可能表明事先编造的谎言，被称为“皮诺曹效应”。2012年发表在《话语过程》（Discourse Processes）上的一项研究表明，说谎者倾向于比说实话的人使用更多词汇。顾名思义，前景化确实需要比直接切入重点更多的文字。
我们可以从2013年另一通报警电话的节选中看到这一点：
“我有一家店，楼上有个房客，他喝醉了。我上去让他把音乐关小点，他开始辱骂我并掏出枪，于是我夺过枪，结果枪走火了，他中枪了。”
直到最后，接线员才得知紧急情况是有人中枪——这成为隐瞒真相的线索。你可能已经猜到，在这起事件中，打电话的人开枪射中了房客，并试图拼命掩盖自己的参与。
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如何抓住说谎者
专题报道
《科学焦点》
3 负面情绪状态
语言揭示了我们的感受和真实意图，即使我们试图隐藏它们。例如，某人在隐瞒自己参与某事或试图表现得无辜时，通常会在言语中露出马脚，从而向我们发出他们试图欺骗的信号。
研究表明，这些失误往往出现在人们用来指代某人或某事的语言中。关注某人使用的不同表达方式，可以让我们洞察其真实感受，并帮助我们识别是否正在被欺骗。
当某人使用“疏离语言”时，其负面情绪状态就会显露出来。这些是表明说话者与其所谈论的人或事物之间存在分离的词语或短语。
我们对不喜欢或想要远离的人或事物都会产生负面情绪状态。他人可能做出令我们不快的事，而我们在提及他们时使用的语言会暴露这种情绪。
例如，你可能不喜欢邻居，于是不直呼其名，而是称他们为“那些邻居”或更负面的“隔壁那伙人”。当你对某人感到恼火时，可能会称其为“那个男人 / 女人”。
我们都会使用这种语言。它是自发产生的，并暴露我们的感受。我们需要警惕的是，当某人在不该表现出负面情绪状态的人或事物上使用疏离语言时。
根据2003年的一篇论文，当说话者本不应对其所指的人或事物表现出负面情绪状态，但却表现出来时，这很可能是一个谎言的信号。
案例：托马斯·朗（Thomas Lang），一名退休医生，于2015年在澳大利亚布里斯班刺死了伴侣莫琳·博伊斯（Maureen Boyce）。
当警察到达现场时，他声称她是自杀，并描述发现她尸体时说：“我今天早上醒来就发现了‘这个’。”
朗通过使用“这个”这个词暴露了他的负面情绪状态。博伊斯没有被直呼其名，甚至没有用“她”这样的代词，这清楚地表明他试图尽可能地与自己的行为保持距离。
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4 缺失感官信息
人们经常谎称被抢劫以骗取保险金，比如声称手机丢失或损坏。这种情况比你想象的更常见。根据2020年的数据，英国每年因保险欺诈损失约20亿英镑（超过26亿美元）。
有些人还谎称被抢劫以博取同情或维护公众形象，当他们做了可能损害自身名誉的事情时尤其如此。美国游泳运动员瑞安·洛赫特在2016年巴西奥运会期间就曾这样做。他谎称被抢劫，以掩盖他和队友实际上破坏了一家服务站的事实。
在向当局的陈述中，洛赫特称：
“我们在出租车里被拦下，那些人拿出了一枚警徽——一枚警徽——没有警灯，什么都没有。就只是一枚警徽，他们拦下了我们。他们拔出枪，命令其他游泳运动员趴在地上——他们趴下了。我拒绝了；我当时想，‘我们没做错任何事，所以我不会趴下。’然后那个人拔出枪，上膛，顶着我的额头，然后说‘趴下。’我举起了手……他拿走了我们的钱，拿走了我的钱包。”
除了所有这些重复——这本身就可能是撒谎的迹象（见第一节）——他的陈述中几乎没有任何感官知觉细节。几乎没有任何词语能描述他听到、感受、看到、闻到或尝到的东西。这类词语不仅描述我们通过感官察觉到的事物，还描述我们的内在身体状态（如平衡感或身体姿势）。当我们经历震惊、意外或创伤性事件时，我们会用描述这些感受的词语来叙述经历。
早在1967年就有研究探讨我们在讨论个人经历时使用的词语，这一观点得到了支持。同样，2003年发表的一项关于欺骗线索的研究发现，撒谎者在描述时会使用更少的感官描述。
如果洛赫特当时说的是实话，他的叙述可能会是这样：
“我们在出租车里回酒店，突然被一辆无标识的车拦下，四个男人拿着警徽下了车。他们迅速拔出枪指着我们。他们命令其他游泳运动员趴在地上。我的心跳加速。其他人看起来非常担心。虽然有点傻，但我拒绝了。我当时想，‘我们没做错任何事。’然后我能听到上膛的声音，接着其中一个人把枪硬顶在我的额头上。”
无论是声称被抢劫还是描述其他震惊经历，撒谎者的叙述往往缺乏描述性细节。这是因为他们使用的是与感知经验无关的虚构记忆，而语言中缺乏感官词汇正好暴露了这一点。
5 隐藏在他人之中
代词可能是一个人是否在说谎的另一个线索。代词是我们用来指代自己或他人的词语：我、他、她、他们、我、他、她等等。
当我们指代自己时，通常会使用单数形式的“我”或“me”。然而，说谎者却更倾向于避免这样做。这可能是因为使用“我”或“me”会将他们完全置于聚光灯下。而使用复数形式的代词则可以让他们稍微隐藏起来。从本质上讲，使用复数形式能让说谎者寻求“数量”带来的安全感。
以马克·罗宾逊为例。这位北卡罗来纳州前副州长被指控在2024年于色情网站上发表种族主义言论。他对此予以否认，称：“这不是我们。这些不是我们的话”。
2011年，斯蒂芬·麦克丹尼尔在接受电视记者采访时谈及劳伦·吉丁斯失踪一事，他用复数形式回答了许多针对他的问题，有一次他说道：“我……我们……我们不知道她在哪里。我们唯一能想到的是，也许她出去跑步了，然后被人绑架了。我……我们去过……她的一个朋友有钥匙……当大家到达时，门是锁着的。我们就是不知道她在哪里。”
每当麦克丹尼尔开始使用“我”时，他总是转而使用“我们”。他试图隐藏自己的参与。他于2014年承认谋杀了吉丁斯，并被判处30年至无期徒刑。
by 金·柯丝蒂博士
柯丝蒂是一名法庭语言学家。她在伦敦大学学院教授语言与传播学。
她的新书《谎言的语言》（The Language of Lies）已于2026年由Cornerstone出版社出版。
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脑部熔化的高温
炎热的天气不仅让我们更加困倦和烦躁，它还会直接影响我们的大脑化学和大脑功能。科学家们发现，过度的高温会给我们的灰质带来巨大损害。而且，除非我们采取行动，否则情况只会变得更糟。
随着2026年伦敦气候行动周在6月下旬拉开帷幕，组织者们面临一个讽刺的挑战：许多预订场地的室温过高，无法让人们现场参会。一股热浪席卷欧洲，使气温飙升至35℃（约90°F）以上，而伦敦许多原计划用于聚会的场所甚至没有空调。
将活动转移到虚拟空间有助于让气候会议的参与者免受高温之苦，但对聚集的科学家和政策制定者而言，其益处可能远不止于保持凉爽。新兴科学正揭示高温对我们大脑和思考能力构成的危险，其影响可能从注意力难以集中到大脑物质体积不可逆转的减少。
正如我们的身体一样，大脑在一个狭窄的温度范围内运作最佳。不过，2022年的一项研究发现，这一范围可能会有所不同。健康受试者的大脑温度在36–41℃（97–106°F）之间，其中四分之一的人在一天中会出现可预测的脑温变化。然而，当气温超过正常范围时，我们的大脑并不擅长应对，而随着气温持续上升，这种情况正变得越来越常见。最近发表在《自然·气候变化》期刊的一项研究显示，与1970年相比，如今每年面临至少一天极端热应激的人数增加了10亿。该研究还指出，高温不仅白天更强，夜间也在加剧，使许多人无法得到任何喘息的机会。
随着世界变得越来越热，我们需要找到保护最宝贵资产的方法：让我们思考、工作和交流的大脑。研究表明，有一些方法可以帮助我们的灰质适应高温，但效果有限。专家表示，我们可能需要对建筑方式、工作方式和生活结构进行更大规模的改变，因为未来几年酷热天数几乎肯定会增多。
目前，科学告诉我们高温如何影响大脑——以及我们能做些什么。
感受高温
在体温开始让人感到难以忍受之前，过热现象就可能发生，尤其是在湿度较高或你正在用力运动的情况下。当核心体温上升时，皮肤和某些内部器官中的特化细胞会开始向大脑的特定部位发出信号，主要是下丘脑——一个负责维持身体稳态的区域。下丘脑随即下令采取降温措施，例如出汗和将更多血液输送至皮肤以散发热量。
插图：魔法火炬
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《科学焦点》
专题报道
高温与大脑
除了这些体温调节反应，随着温度升高，大脑还会启动压力反应，神经科学家、全球行动组织神经气候工作组创始人布尔辛·伊基兹博士表示。神经化学物质会在体内引发炎症反应，而随着大脑进入更接近“战斗或逃跑”状态，神经元之间的通信也开始发生变化。
“此时大脑开始专注于维持基本功能，”她说，“更复杂的决策、情绪调节等高负荷功能则被搁置。”
当核心体温进一步升高时，影响会变得更加严重。当体内温度超过40℃（104°F）时，你会开始出现中暑，这通常是致命的。高温会损伤脑细胞，并破坏血脑屏障，导致神经毒素渗入大脑。身体的保护性反应引发的炎症和血液凝固可能阻塞大脑血管，使细胞缺氧。未死亡者往往会留下持久后果。一项研究调查了巴黎因中暑住进重症监护室的患者，发现存活者中有一半继续出现神经系统症状。
然而，高温对大脑的改变早在濒临死亡之前就已开始。我们的身体仅能承受几度的温度波动，即便如此也只能维持短暂时间。有证据表明，我们的大脑甚至更为脆弱。
2024年发表在《运动与健康科学杂志》（Journal of Sport and Health Science）的一项研究让11名参与者将核心体温提升至39.5℃（103°F），随后进行核磁共振扫描。研究人员发现，即使核心体温急剧上升，大脑温度几乎没有变化，这证明身体正在竭力保持大脑凉爽。即便如此，研究人员仍发现参与者大脑中负责运动控制和执行功能的区域活动受到抑制，脑血流量也受损。该研究结果与其他研究一致，表明当我们感到炎热时，大脑在多项核心任务上的表现会变差。
该研究作者之一、新加坡国立大学“耐热与表现中心”主任杰森·李博士表示，科学家仍在探索体温上升为何会导致大脑表现下降的完整机制，但有些情况已较为明确。其中一点是，当我们感到炎热时，大脑会因身体将更多血液输送至皮肤散热而获得更少氧气。
“此时，有限的血流会在维持重要器官（包括大脑）与肌肉（如果你正在工作）以及皮肤（用于散热）之间产生竞争，”他说，“由于可用氧气减少，神经元无法正常运作，导致大脑活动恶化。”
神经递质可能也起着一定作用。当我们的大脑开始变热时，它们会以两种方式做出反应，伊基兹解释道：通过释放一系列神经递质，并改变这些化学物质的回收方式。这些与高温相关的神经递质中，主要的"元凶"包括血清素、多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素，当然其他神经递质也可能参与其中。伊基兹表示，这些化学物质的热相关扰动可能会影响我们的记忆、认知和情绪状态，并可能解释为什么高温与易怒情绪相关。例如，一些研究将血清素与多巴胺的比例升高与核心体温上升联系起来，这种比例升高可能在我们在高温下运动时增加大脑的中枢性疲劳，让我们感到更加疲惫，进而限制活动。
不过，伊基兹表示，大脑对高温的反应涉及神经递质和脑活动的复杂级联过程，目前尚不明确。大部分证据来自动物研究，而人类大脑中高温与神经递质之间的关联证据则参差不齐，有时甚至相互矛盾。一个人的体温升高幅度、高温持续时间以及对高温的适应程度等因素，都可能改变其大脑中高温神经化学机制的具体表现。
"我们仍在努力准确理解具体发生了什么，以及为什么会导致考试成绩下降、决策问题增加或攻击性增强，"伊基兹说。
热浪困扰
牛津大学气候变化与心理健康专家艾玛·劳伦斯博士表示，除了大脑的生理变化外，热浪还会带来一系列影响我们大脑功能的效应。
“我们睡眠质量下降，无法正常进行保持身心健康的活动。”她说。
热浪持续时间越长，这些影响就会越积越多。劳伦斯表示：“当高温持续数日（研究表明这种情况可能越来越常见），尤其是夜间无法降温时，这些滞后或累积效应可能会恶化。”
对于认知或心理健康问题的人群，影响可能更为严重。在2023年发表于《柳叶刀行星健康》的一项既有研究综述中，劳伦斯及其合著者发现，气温每上升1℃（1.8°F），自杀未遂事件增加1.5%至1.7%，且热浪期间精神疾病住院率上升近10%。此外，研究指出，焦虑、抑郁等多项福祉指标，乃至心理健康服务使用率，在热浪期间也都会恶化。
“气温每上升1℃，自杀未遂事件增加1.5%至1.7%”
《科学照片图书馆》、《盖蒂图片社》、Alamy
《科学焦点》特稿
热与大脑
《美国医学会精神病学杂志》的一项独立研究发现，极端高温天气导致精神疾病急诊就诊率增加8%。
李指出，许多精神疾病患者面临多重风险因素，使其在高温下处境更加危险，包括对热感知能力下降、反应受损，以及缺乏有效应对高温的热调节能力。此外，许多用于治疗精神疾病的药物也可能降低身体应对高温的能力，进一步加剧风险。
劳伦斯表示，体温升高与心理健康之间的生理联系仍在研究中，但她认同其研究结果源于与高温相关的多重因素的汇合。
“身体会产生应激反应，神经递质活动改变，脑部血流也会发生变化，这些都可能导致紧张和情绪紊乱。”她说。
累积效应
越来越多的人不得不面对的现实是，热浪不仅变得更加频繁，而且持续时间更长。我们已经知道，仅仅几天的高温就可能引发问题，但热浪几乎是我们长期未来不可避免的一部分。那么，当我们长年累月暴露在过高的热量下时，我们的大脑会发生什么？
“我们理解的是，如果……你跨越了[大脑的温度]阈值，那么砰：就会产生后果，”李说，“但关于[热量的]慢性[影响]，我们所知甚少。”
这是一个目前尚无明确答案的问题，但初步迹象令人担忧。在迄今为止规模最大的相关研究之一中，中国北京清华大学的科学家利用英国生物样本库中超过41,000人的数据，将慢性高温与大脑结构联系起来。他们能够将大脑结构的变化（基于MRI扫描）与一个人在过去20年中暴露于高温环境（此处指超过27℃ / 81°F）的情况相关联。
他们发现，暴露于高温与多个脑区（包括小脑、伏隔核、海马体和丘脑）的脑容量减少之间存在明确关联。作者发现，一个人经历超过27℃（81°F）的天数越多，脑容量下降就越严重，这表明后续的暴露可能会加剧伤害。
与其他研究一样，作者指出热量的影响并不均匀。他们的研究发现，高温暴露与心理健康问题（尤其是抑郁症）之间存在关联，且老年人似乎特别容易受到热浪影响。他们说，脑容量损失会随年龄增长而增加，相当于加速衰老，可能使受热影响的大脑看起来比实际年龄老数年。
其他研究还指出了生命早期可能受到的潜在影响。在《自然·气候变化》杂志发表的一项研究中，中国研究人员发现，产前和产后暴露于高温会增加儿童神经发育迟缓的风险。研究显示，怀孕期间的暴露风险增加35%，而从出生到3岁的暴露风险增加53%，且在极高温度下风险上升更为陡峭。
劳伦斯表示，慢性高温暴露“在整个生命周期中都是一个极其重要的研究领域”。“这进一步推动了适应和减缓措施的必要性。”
将长期高温暴露与其他因素（如空气污染）相结合，可能会进一步恶化结果。有证据表明，颗粒物污染与热浪共同作用会放大对大脑的负面影响，这在印度等两者水平都很高的地区尤其危险。劳伦斯表示，研究人员目前正在调查热浪与污染的交叉影响，但关于其具体效应的可靠证据尚未出现。
“我们真正需要开始思考的，不仅仅是将热浪视为单一因素，”伊基兹说，“我们必须真正理解这些因素如何共同影响我们的大脑健康。”
冰冻也能解暑
虽然热浪可能致命，但李表示，死亡并非他最担心的问题。
“很难仅仅因为高温而死亡，”李说。但“我们不能假设当没有人死亡时，就意味着一切都好”。即使高温的影响远未达到致人死亡的程度，也会严重损害人们的生活和福祉。
虽然更高的温度带来了新的挑战，但也存在可能帮助人们和社会适应的解决方案。就认知和心理健康而言，让大脑保持凉爽的最佳方法就是让身体保持凉爽。
如果你感到过热，最快的应急方法可能来自冰淇淋车。科学证明，冰沙比冷水或冷却背心更快地为身体降温。原因在于一个名为“熔化潜热”的物理概念。简单来说，冰在从固体变为液体时会吸收额外的能量，因此比单纯的冰水从你的身体中吸走更多的热量。（类似的原理解释了出汗为何能有效冷却皮肤，因为水在变成气体时会吸收额外的能量）。在李于2024年进行的一项研究中，他将参与者的体温提升至39.5℃（103°F），并
拉伦斯表示，社区层面的行动可能有助于人们未来应对高温，包括绿地、屋顶花园以及通风和被动冷却性能更好的建筑。制定包含早期预警系统和与急救人员及医疗系统协调的热浪应对计划，是社区为应对高温做准备的另一种方式。不幸的是，联合全球心理健康组织的一份最新报告发现，在接受调查的国家中仅有40个制定了热浪应对计划。
为更好地适应高温所做的广泛努力正在进行中，希望能及时惠及全球数十亿可能因高温而面临脑部风险的人群。在此之前，冰沙是个不错的选择。SF
SCHARPING
注：Scharping是一位常驻美国华盛顿州的作家，主要报道科学、健康和环境领域的内容。
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SF
专题
暗DNA
插图：Sam Falconer
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暗DNA
专题
SF
暗DNA
我们基因组中隐藏的神秘序列正被发现具有意想不到的作用。它们可能颠覆我们对生物学的认知
撰文：海伦·皮尔彻博士
科学充满了听起来不祥的名称。首先是暗物质，这种构成宇宙大部分的无形物质。接着是暗能量，推动宇宙加速膨胀的神秘力量。
这两者之所以被冠以“暗”字，并非因其邪恶，而是因为它们的神秘性。科学家知道它们存在——正试图弄清其作用，但其真实本质仍未明朗。
如今，这一概念已进入生物学领域，科学家正在发现细胞内隐藏的复杂层次。欢迎来到暗DNA的幽暗世界，在这里，事物并非表面所见，分子也不遵循常规规则。
“我们对DNA的运作方式仍有太多不甚了解之处，”加拿大舍布鲁克大学生物化学家玛丽·布吕内博士说。
暗DNA是指先前被忽视的基因代码片段，现已证明其重要性。该领域的研究正迫使科学家重新审视现代生物学的基础假设。
长期以来关于细胞运作方式的观念正受到挑战，并揭示出有机体发育和进化展开的新见解。
这些发现为癌症、阿尔茨海默病等疾病提供了新视角，基于这些发现的治疗方法已在测试中。
仍有许多未知等待探索，但暗DNA似乎很可能成为本世纪最重大的发现之一。“我不是一个夸大其词的人，”荷兰乌得勒支玛克西玛儿童肿瘤中心的塞巴斯蒂安·范赫斯博士说，“但我确实认为这是一个改变游戏规则的发现，它将重写教科书。”
基因赌局
故事始于大约25年前，当时科学家正在解码人类基因组。人类基因组是生命的蓝图。它是存在于你细胞内的所有DNA，包含构建一个人并维持其生命所需的指令。
为了让事情变得有趣，研究人员组织了一场赌局。只需花费一两加元，他们就能对基因组中将被发现包含多少基因下注。
基因是遗传的基本单位；是编码特定蛋白质的短DNA片段。这些蛋白质则进一步完成一切功能。如果说基因是建造房屋的图纸，那么蛋白质就是构成房屋的砖块、灰浆、钉子和建筑工人。
"这些发现为癌症、阿尔茨海默病等疾病提供了全新视角……暗DNA可能是本世纪最重大的发现之一"
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《科学焦点》特稿
暗DNA
最终，共有228笔赌注被下出。赢家是来自美国华盛顿州西雅图系统生物学研究所的遗传学家李·罗文（Lee Rowen）博士，他最接近正确答案，赢得了$1,200（约合£900）的奖金。
事实证明，人类基因组包含约20,000个编码蛋白质的基因。这一数字远低于大多数人的预期，但或许最大的惊喜在于，人类基因组的绝大部分——其30亿个字母中惊人的99%——根本不编码蛋白质。它们似乎什么都不做。
有人将其称为“垃圾DNA”，但你是否知道有些珍贵的东西有时会被意外丢弃？一封充满情感的信件被扔进回收箱，或是一只耳环掉进垃圾桶。而隐藏在这些“垃圾”中的是一些并非基因、却同样珍贵的DNA片段。其中包括一些原本不被期望编码蛋白质、却意外做到这一点的DNA序列。这些序列比大多数常规基因更短，并提供了制造同样微小蛋白质的指令。
例如，2001年，日本东京庆应义塾大学的Ikuo Nishimoto教授及其团队发现了一个微小基因，它能制造一个名为“人类素”（humanin）的微小蛋白质。大多数蛋白质包含数百甚至数千个氨基酸，而人类素仅含24个。六年后，科学家在果蝇中发现了“跗节缺失”（tarsal-less）基因；这是另一种微型蛋白质，长度不足33个氨基酸。
这些微小的暗基因非但不是垃圾，无所事事，反而正在促进微小暗蛋白质的生成。
这些基因还存在于奇特的位置。有些被识别于基因组广阔的“基因荒漠”中——即那99%的被认为不编码蛋白质的遗传序列。另一些则隐藏在常规基因内部。
以“融合肉瘤”（FUS）基因为例。这是一个被研究数十年的大型基因。当该基因包含某些被称为突变的拼写错误时，可能导致神经退行性疾病肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）。布鲁内（Brunet）已证明，这个基因内部嵌套着第二个、更小的基因，如同俄罗斯套娃一般。它编码第二种此前未知的暗蛋白质。
换句话说，一段DNA可以产生两种完全不同的蛋白质。这有点像在食谱书中发现一页包含两种不同食谱，取决于你从哪里开始阅读。
这一发现与几十年来学校教授的陈旧教条相悖，后者断言一个基因编码一种蛋白质。当科学家解码人类基因组并发现约20,000个编码蛋白质的基因时，他们原本预期会有约20,000种蛋白质。
But Brunet's work, and that of others, suggests the genome may be more information dense than was previously thought. And if that's the case, there could be far more than 20,000 proteins. Dark DNA, hiding in plain sight, could be producing an entire anthology of dark proteins with equally dark functions
ILLUSTRATIONS SAM FALCONER
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DARK DNA
FEATURE
SF
隐藏的世界
在2009年之前，暗蛋白（如人线蛋白和跗节缺失蛋白）被视为一种奇特的存在。研究人员不清楚它们是否只是偶然现象，抑或是冰山一角。随后，加州大学旧金山分校的乔纳森·韦斯曼教授和尼古拉斯·英戈利亚教授开发出一种名为核糖体图谱的新技术。核糖体是细胞内制造蛋白质的机器。核糖体图谱能够展示这种机器在何处活跃。
结果令人震惊。该技术揭示，核糖体正在读取成千上万个此前未被预期的基因组区域的遗传指令，这表明存在一个巨大的隐藏世界——此前未知的蛋白质。人线蛋白和跗节缗失蛋白并非偶然现象；它们只是冰山一角。
研究人员不确定该如何称呼这些“新”分子。有人称它们为暗蛋白，也有人称之为幽灵蛋白。它们还被冠以微蛋白、替代蛋白和小开放阅读框（ORF，指基因组中可能编码蛋白质的区域）等名称。
在布吕内实验室，这些勇敢的小分子被比作故事中的英雄。“我们称它们为我们的小霍比特人，”她说，因为霍比特人身材矮小。正如《魔戒》若缺少弗罗多和夏尔的伙伴便无法成书，人类生物学若缺少它们也同样无法被理解。
最终，研究人员将这些分子统称为“肽因”（peptidein）。该术语是“肽”和“蛋白质”的混成词，反映了大多数此类分子介于两者之间的事实。
肽是由氨基酸组成的短链；蛋白质则是由这些短链构成的更大结构，并折叠成复杂的形状。“我们本打算称它们为肽，”布吕内说，“但后来发现这也是一种泰国能量饮料的名称。”
而“肽因”则是一个“有意模糊的统称”，据美国密歇根大学的约翰·普伦斯纳博士称。传统上，只有被证明具有功能的分子才能被称为蛋白质。例如，某些蛋白质帮助运输氧气，另一些则帮助肌肉收缩。
大多数暗蛋白同样具有“暗”功能。研究人员不清楚它们是否具有功能，或扮演何种角色。因此，“肽因”被用作临时称谓。若某分子被证实具有功能，它将获得升级——肽因将成为微蛋白。
在最近的一项研究中，一个由60多名研究人员组成的联合团队（包括布吕内、范·黑施和普伦斯纳）研究了7,000多个此前被忽视的基因组区域，发现其中约四分之一似乎能产生肽因。这表明可能存在约1,700种此类微小分子，并暗示人类细胞可能产生比以往认为更多样的蛋白质。如今，肽因已成为生物学领域的热门话题，研究人员正迅速从“何物存在”转向“其功能为何”。
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暗DNA
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暗DNA
“现在，
我们在 癌细胞中 看到的 许多现象， 在非癌 细胞中 却看不到”
其他一些可能只是用来阻塞核糖体。蛋白质生产受到严格控制。细胞有多种方法实现这一点，但其中一种可能是生成诱饵蛋白，其唯一功能就是阻止核糖体制造其他任何东西。某些肽因可能就是诱饵蛋白。
对癌症的意义
肽因存在于健康的人体细胞中，也存在于病变细胞中。例如，癌细胞似乎含有大量肽因。
普伦斯纳尔（Prensner）对此尤为感兴趣。作为一名研究“暗蛋白”并为患有脑癌的儿童提供治疗的医生兼科学家，他对癌细胞与正常细胞的差异深感兴趣。“现在，我们在癌细胞中看到的许多现象，在非癌细胞中却看不到。”他说道。
普伦斯纳尔及其同事不仅证明癌细胞含有肽因，还发现某些癌症依赖这些肽因。当编码肽因的“暗DNA”被关闭——即肽因无法生成时，癌细胞停止生长。这一现象已在培养的乳腺癌、前列腺癌、结直肠癌和脑癌细胞中得到验证。这一发现暗示，某些癌细胞可能隐藏着一层推动其扩散的“暗生物学”。虽然这听起来令人不安，但它可能为开发新型治疗方法铺平道路。
细胞中还有一种名为人类白细胞抗原（HLA）复合体的机制，其作用是将蛋白质（无论大小）的片段展示在细胞外部。这使免疫系统得以窥见细胞内部状况，从而判断哪些细胞应保留、哪些应攻击。这包括许多肽因，它们被切割成片段，并由HLA分子展示在癌细胞表面。
现在，研究人员正在设计疫苗，教导免疫系统识别这些片段，并有望摧毁它们所在的癌细胞。
范·赫斯克（van Heesch）已为尤因肉瘤（Ewing sarcoma）设计出此类疫苗。尤因肉瘤是一种罕见且侵袭性的骨癌，每年在欧洲约有600名年轻人被诊断出该疾病。治疗通常包括强化化疗、手术和放疗，
插图：萨姆·法尔科纳
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《科学焦点》特稿
暗DNA
但这种治疗极其残酷。尽管癌细胞受到重创，健康细胞也难逃劫难，患者的生活质量因此受到严重影响。
多亏了HLA复合体，尤因肉瘤细胞表面展示了大量不同的肽因片段。范·赫斯克设计的疫苗旨在尽可能多地向免疫系统展示这些片段。“这正是它的美妙之处，”他说道，“这些分子极其微小，我们能将许多片段整合到单一疫苗中。”
目前，该疫苗正在早期临床试验中接受测试。由“Fight Kids Cancer”资助，并与法国巴黎的居里研究所及德国海德堡大学医院儿童与青少年医学中心合作，最多45名尤因肉瘤患者将接受该治疗。若进展顺利，后续将开展更大规模的试验。
“前景非常乐观，”范·赫斯克表示，“我们真正兴奋的是，‘暗蛋白’研究开始产生临床影响。”
除癌症外，肽因的发现还可能为其他领域（如心脏病和神经退行性疾病）带来新的治疗和诊断方法。如今，它们有了一个官方标签——“肽因”，并可被纳入官方数据库。研究人员希望全球学者能将其纳入研究工作。
缓慢而坚定地，曾被隐藏在阴影中的一层生物学终于显露真容。曾被视为“生物暗物质”的现象，正逐渐成为生命运作的重要组成部分。
未来的蛋白质？
大多数人类蛋白质在其他亲缘关系密切的物种中都有类似的对应物，这表明它们执行着重要的生物学功能，进化在数百万年间保留了这些蛋白质。而肽蛋白则打破了这一趋势。它们似乎在其他物种中没有类似的版本。范·黑斯克研究了人类、大鼠和小鼠的心脏组织，发现了“这些物质的完全不同景观”。他表示：“这表明进化可能比我们预想的更加动态。”
试想一下动物是如何进化的。扫描化石记录，你会发现
“曾经隐藏在阴影中的一层生物学正在最终显现”
它包含了短暂实验与持久成功的混合。奇特的动物，如五眼欧帕林尼亚，曾短暂繁盛，随后其谱系走向终结，而鳄鱼及其亲缘物种则已存续超过2 亿年。
相同的模式可能在分子层面上同样存在。有些肽蛋白可能只是转瞬即逝的进化实验，今天存在明天消失，因为它们并未帮助细胞完成任何有用的功能。但某些潜在有用的肽蛋白可能成为未来的蛋白质，正处于进化过程之中。
我们知道进化在极其漫长的时间尺度上运作，因此这些“未来”可能需要很长时间才能到来。但如果我们能将时间快进100万年，未来可能存在新的蛋白质，它们的起源或许要追溯到我们今天所见的肽蛋白。
然而，在更遥远的未来之前，“暗DNA”和“暗蛋白质”这类术语将不复存在。随着科学家揭开它们的秘密，黑暗将消退，留下对生命本身更深刻的理解。SF
作者：海伦·皮彻博士 海伦是一位细胞生物学家、科学作家，著有《这本书可能导致副作用》（大西洋书局，2026年）
插图：萨姆·福尔克纳
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什么动物最擅长解谜？
解决棘手的谜题可能是生活中的一大乐趣——问问浣熊就知道。研究人员最近发现，这些哺乳动物解谜纯粹是为了好玩。浣熊面前摆放着一个透明塑料盒，里面有一块棉花糖。这个盒子可以通过多种方式打开，从简单的（如滑动插销）到复杂的（如旋钮）。即使它们已经拿到甜食，浣熊们仍然会继续尝试不同的开锁方式——研究人员称之为“信息觅食”。换句话说，它们似乎是出于好奇心驱动，这一特性或许能解释它们为何能适应城市环境（以及制造一些麻烦，比如去年弗吉尼亚一家酒类商店被浣熊洗劫一空）。
黑猩猩也是解谜高手。2013年，惠普斯奈动物园的六只黑猩猩被要求用棍子将物体（有时是骰子，有时是巴西坚果）从管道迷宫中推出。与浣熊类似，即使没有食物奖励，黑猩猩仍然热衷于解谜，研究人员由此推测这些动物能从复杂的脑力游戏中获得满足感。
灵活思考和解决问题的能力是动物智慧的关键指标。泰国萨拉卡普拉野生动物保护区的亚洲象则展现出它们能用鼻子打开谜题盒获取食物（比如拉动链条或移动门来找到木瓜）。
在水下，章鱼则是谜题冠军。2016年的一项研究向章鱼展示了小L形容器，它们学会了打开容器获取里面的虾块。随后，容器被放置在一个带孔的塑料分隔板后方。章鱼凭借灵巧的腕足，能够操控形状不规则的容器并将其拖过小孔。
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DR HELEN PILCHER 古生物学
PETE LAWRENCE 天文学
LUIS VILLAZON 食品与饮料
DR CLAIRE ASHER 病毒学
HAYLEY BENNETT 健康与保健
IAN TAYLOR 人体
CHRISTIAN JARRETT 心理学
JAMES LLOYD 动物
ALASTAIR GUNN 科技
“当谈到终极解谜能力时，新喀鸦或许当仁不让”
这些鸟类在野外和圈养环境中都能使用工具——它们会将金属丝或树枝弯成钩子来获取食物，甚至能用多个部件组装工具。2018年，研究人员给新喀鸦设置了一个谜题盒，里面的食物只能通过将棍子从狭缝中插入才能取出。八只新喀鸦得到的棍子都太短，无法直接够到食物，但它们可以将棍子组合成“复合工具”。其中半数鸟类自发地想出了这个办法，其中一只甚至用四根棍子拼接出了一根长杆。
更令人惊叹的是：新喀鸦能解决多阶段的谜题。在2014年BBC系列节目《动物心灵》中，一只新喀鸦被拍摄到解决一个它从未完整见过的八步谜题。它先用小棍子取到三块石头，将它们投入加重装置以获取更长的棍子，再用长棍子取出食物奖励。也许“笨鸟先飞”实际上是一种赞美。JL
贾里德·里德，切斯特
你能什么都不做多久？
目前没有正式记录显示人们会花多少时间什么都不做，但显而易见的是，大多数人发现纯粹的静止状态极其困难。
在韩国每年举办的"空间外竞赛"最初是作为行为艺术作品构思的，它通过设定参赛者在90分钟内什么都不做（包括不能睡着或大笑）来认可这一现实。
2014年，弗吉尼亚大学的一组心理学家也证明了什么都不做的难度。他们邀请参与者独自一人静坐15分钟，唯一的干扰源是一个按钮，按下后会给自己带来轻微但不愉快的电击。近一半的参与者无法抗拒按下按钮！
问与答
大自然最奇异的生物
萨卡班巴鱼
互联网上充斥着各种意想不到的病毒式热门话题，但很少有像2023年引起日本推特用户关注的那种小众话题。该帖子展示了芬兰赫尔辛基自然历史博物馆的一件展品。这件由爱沙尼亚古生物学家埃尔加·马克-库里克精心制作的展品，是一尊已灭绝鱼类——萨卡班巴鱼的模型。
萨卡班巴鱼在奥陶纪时期于超大陆冈瓦纳周围的浅水区游弋。它的名字取自玻利维亚萨卡班巴村，首批化石便是在该地发现的，但后来的标本在阿曼、澳大利亚和阿根廷等地也有发现。
通过这些标本，专家们确定萨卡班巴鱼确实非常奇特。
想象一条一英尺长的鱼，头部看起来仿佛被平底锅拍过一般。鱼体的上半部分扁平，腹部则呈球茎状。
萨卡班巴鱼属于无颌鱼类，这是一类无颌且拥有圆形口部、能像吸尘器一样吸食食物的鱼。萨卡班巴鱼的口中约有60排小型骨质板。这些骨板可能会移动，帮助口腔收缩和扩张，从而让鱼能够吞食浮游生物、藻类和其他美味的小食物。
它的另一个奇特之处在于鳍——或者说是缺乏鳍。大多数鱼类的身体上都长有鳍，用于制动、转向和在水中切割。萨卡班巴鱼的身体却没有鳍，仅在逐渐变细的尾部末端有一个小小的鳍。由此我们可以推测，萨卡班巴鱼的游动方式更像蝌蚪，而非鱼类。
“想象一条一英尺长的鱼，头部看起来仿佛被平底锅拍过一般”
为什么我会看到“视觉雪”？
不过，真正引人注目的其实是眼睛。根据研究的化石，这些器官很小，位于面部前方，并被一圈骨质环包围。由于软组织（如视网膜和晶状体）并未保存下来，马克·库里克在制作模型时，便允许自己稍作艺术发挥。
她用泡沫手工雕刻复制品，再浇铸成硅胶，并以银色釉料上光。鱼嘴被塑造成调皮的微笑，但当眼睛难以处理时，她转而去当地的工艺品商店寻找灵感。
接下来发生的事已成为博物馆传奇。她本可以购买细描笔勾勒眼睛，或用雕塑粘土塑形。但她最终选择了购买一些滑稽的黑白玩偶眼睛，直接“啪”地贴在了这条鱼的脸上。
1995年，当这件展品（上图）首次展出时，它露出的表情与蓝色《芝麻街》木偶“饼干怪兽”一样困惑不解。
这个模型大获成功，但在接下来的二十多年里，它却默默无闻。直到一张照片彻底改变了一切。
当马克·库里克的创作图像在网上走红后，这条远古鱼类一跃成为网络爆红对象。粉丝艺术和表情包层出不穷。时至今日，你仍能买到“萨卡班巴斯皮斯”T恤、毛绒玩具和钥匙扣。对一条已灭绝超过4.5 亿年的鱼来说，这可算得上不小的成就！
想象一下：当你凝视晴朗的蓝天或爱人的面孔时，却发现整个视野充斥着成千上万个微小的闪烁光点，宛如老式模拟电视的静电。据估计，有2%至3%的人——那些患有“视觉雪综合征”的人——无需想象，因为对他们而言，这种视觉噪声永远不会消失。
多年来，许多患者被告知这一问题纯属心理作用，或根本“没什么问题”，因为他们的眼部检查结果并无异常。但研究人员如今已知，视觉雪并非眼部疾病，而是一种源自大脑的知觉障碍。
为揭开部分人为何永远在视野中叠加静电的谜团，神经科学家正在为我们揭示大脑一项最基本工作的新线索：决定何为真实。
主流理论认为，问题出在大脑的视觉皮层——大脑后部负责处理视觉信息的区域。研究表明，这一区域可能异常“过度兴奋”，即其神经元过于容易激活。视觉皮层并非静静等待有意义的视觉信息，而是可能自行产生活动，有效地在空白处“填充”出人们感知到的光点。换句话说，大脑不仅仅是在接收视觉信息，还在自行“创造”一部分信息。
不过，过度活跃或许并非全部原因。脑成像研究还揭示了涉及血清素（一种以调节情绪闻名的神经递质）的网络差异，以及不同脑区间交流方式的异常。
越来越多的科学家怀疑，视觉雪与其说是某个特定脑区出了问题，不如说是大脑在过滤感官信息时出现了更广泛的障碍。这一观点催生了另一种解释，即“视觉不确定性”假说。通常，大脑能出色地完成编辑工作——将有意义的信息从持续不断的背景噪声中分离出来，而这种噪声既来自我们的感官，也来自神经系统本身。根据这一理论，患有视觉雪的人难以将真实的视觉信号与这种内部感官“噪声”区分开来。
视觉雪
如果这是真的，视觉雪可能属于一类更广泛的疾病，在这些疾病中，大脑会产生幻觉。许多视觉雪患者也会经历耳鸣，在没有外部声音的情况下听到持续的嗡鸣。这些疾病可能共享一个共同机制：大脑的过滤系统在抑制大脑自身背景噪声方面效果变差。
另一个引人注目的发现出现在2025年，研究人员报告称，视觉雪患者更可能在日常物体中察觉到面孔——这一现象被称为pareidolia。我们偶尔会在云朵或插座中看到面孔，但视觉雪患者对这些虚幻图案似乎特别敏感。这一发现暗示，这种疾病可能不仅影响低层次视觉，还影响大脑将模糊感官信息赋予意义的倾向。
关于视觉雪的许多方面仍然是个谜。目前尚无确定的治疗方法，科学家仍不清楚为什么有些大脑会陷入这种感官静态状态。然而，这种疾病远不只是一种神经学上的奇闻。通过揭示大脑内部过滤系统失效时会发生什么，视觉雪正在帮助研究人员理解支撑日常感知的非凡平衡行为。我们对现实的体验似乎取决于大脑选择忽略什么，而非允许我们看到什么。
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天文初学者指南
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可见日期： - 9月18日，英国夏令时间19:00起 - 11月16日，格林尼治标准时间20:15起
光影的把戏
月相源于太阳、月球与地球之间不断变化的角度。当月球与太阳排成一线且无法被观测到时，便是新月。随后，月球逐渐远离太阳的位置，在傍晚天空中以渐盈（增长）的蛾眉月形态出现。新月后约一周，月球被照亮一半，此时为“上弦月”阶段，因月球已完成其绕地轨道的四分之一。
之后，我们会看到渐盈凸月阶段。上弦月后约一周，月球在天空中与太阳相对（冲日），此时为满月。接下来的月相则是前半月的镜像，但此时月球正在亏缺（缩小）。满月过后，便是亏缺凸月阶段，接着是下弦月（月球再次呈半圆形），之后是亏缺蛾眉月，在清晨天空中可见。最终，月球再次与太阳排成一线，新的月相周期（或称朔望月）开始。
月球的不同形状源于我们所见的月球昼夜比例变化。满月时，我们看到的是纯粹的月球白昼面。当看到不完整的光亮圆形时，明亮部分为月球白昼，黑暗部分为月球黑夜。二者的分界线被称为月球明暗界线。
9月18日晚间，英国夏令时间19:00左右，若你有双筒望远镜或小型望远镜，请观察月球的晨始明暗界线，看看是否能在阴影中发现散布的字母X和V。这些是光影把戏，由月球晨光照亮高耸地形而形成，其余部分仍处于阴影中。这种被称为“明暗对照效应”的现象，月球X和V只是在月相周期中多次出现的“光影把戏”之二。
撰文：PETE LAWRENCE（@Avertedvision）
Pete是《仰望夜空》（The Sky at Night）节目的天文专家及主持人。
观看《仰望夜空》：BBC Four与BBC iPlayer
咖啡如何改变你的肠道？
如果你的早晨常规围绕着第一次触碰到卡布奇诺奶泡的那一刻展开，呃……好吧……你可能过于浪漫化了对咖啡的感情。但可以保证的是，这种日常仪式也必然会影响到你的肠道。
过去，我们可能只把咖啡视为一种肠道刺激物——早晨的一剂快速通便药。但现在，科学家们对其对肠道微生物群和整体健康的影响有了更深入的理解。
越来越多的研究表明，不同的细菌对咖啡有不同的偏好。有些细菌对卡布奇诺不屑一顾，而另一些则能从咖啡相关化合物（如多酚）中茁壮成长，大口吞食这些化合物以获取营养，并随之产生一系列其他化学物质，其中一些已知具有健康益处。
从本质上说，喝咖啡——甚至无咖啡因咖啡——都会通过栖息在肠道内的细菌改变肠道的化学成分。例如，据信某些喜欢咖啡的细菌产生的短链脂肪酸可能有助于抑制炎症。
但咖啡对你肚子里正在生长的东西真的有那么大的影响吗？
2021年，来自14个不同欧洲和美国机构的研究人员招募了超过1,000名参与者，开展了“PREDICT”研究。PREDICT是由健康科学公司Zoe（没错，就是那家推出奇怪蓝色曲奇饼干来追踪肠道通过时间的公司）牵头并资助的“饮食成分个性化反应”试验。
研究人员结合参与者的饮食详情，分析了他们的肠道测序结果。在超过150种食物或饮料项目中，咖啡与人们的肠道微生物群呈现出最强关联。这意味着，在你每天放进嘴里的大多数东西中，咖啡对肠道细菌的影响最大。随后在2024年，同一批研究人员深入分析了PREDICT中的咖啡饮用数据。他们发现，咖啡饮用者肠道内的菌群如此独特，仅通过观察不同的肠道细菌水平，就能判断出某人是否喜欢拿铁。
研究发现，最常见的栖息菌之一是Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus，其在咖啡饮用者肠道中的含量至少比不喝咖啡者高出六倍。Zoe的科学家们声称，这些细菌在摄入咖啡多酚后，会大量产生一种名为马尿酸（hippurate）的化合物。马尿酸此前被提出作为肠道健康的标志物。
这一切最引人入胜之处在于，我们知道肠道并非孤立运作。它通过所谓的“脑-肠连接”与大脑相连。一些科学家已开始猜测，我们从早晨那杯咖啡中获得的精神提振可能源自肠道微生物群。有趣的是，最近一项研究的作者们发现，咖啡对压力和情绪的影响超越了咖啡因——咖啡因直接作用于我们的大脑——这表明这些影响可能主要通过肠道传导。HB
威尔·萨默斯，索尔兹伯里
为什么我们要在实验室中保存天花病毒？
!
天花曾是人类历史上最致命的传染病之一。仅在20世纪，估计全球就有3亿人死于这种疾病。一项全球疫苗接种运动成功消灭了这种病毒，使天花成为唯一被全球根除的人类疾病。
因此，你可能会惊讶地发现，我们仍在实验室中保存着这种病毒的样本。这些样本被冷冻保存在美国和俄罗斯的高安全级别政府实验室中。尽管保存在零下温度，这些样本仍被视为“活体”，因为一旦正确解冻，它们仍具有传染性。
实际上，美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）和英国卫生安全局（UKHSA）等机构也保存着许多不同病原体的活体样本，以协助疫苗、治疗方法和诊断工具的研发。尽管这些样本意外泄漏的风险始终存在，但许多科学家认为，其利大于弊。
但为什么我们要保存一种已灭绝疾病的样本呢？这些冰冻的小瓶天花病毒引发了科学家和公共卫生官员之间的激烈争论。尽管这种疾病已被根除，但一些专家认为这些样本仍具有科学价值。例如，有人希望通过研究这种病毒来了解其进化过程及其与免疫系统的相互作用。
反对者则认为，我们已经收集了足够多的天花病毒数据——包括其完整基因组序列——足以在无需活体样本的情况下继续开展研究。
支持保留天花样本的另一个理由是，世界上可能还存在我们未知的其他样本。这听起来或许不可思议，但在2014年，美国马里兰州的一家实验室中发现了六支冷冻干燥的天花小瓶，其历史可追溯至20世纪50年代。如果世界各地仍存在未知的此类样本，它们可能引发意外疫情，甚至被用作生物武器。
由于人们不再接种天花疫苗，新的疫情可能极具破坏性。但支持销毁天花样本的人士认为，无需这些样本也能制造疫苗。世界卫生组织（WHO）在2010年委托进行的一项审查得出结论：天花样本不再具有任何基本的公共卫生用途。
这场关于天花样本的争论已持续了四十多年，世卫组织也一再推迟原定的销毁日期。天花或许已被根除，但出于某种原因，我们就是无法放手。 CA
图片：盖蒂图片社 插图：彼得·劳伦斯、亚当·盖尔
85
克里·罗伊，谢菲尔德
我该喝纯净水还是汽泡水？
从补水角度看，两者并无差异。汽泡水中溶解的二氧化碳不会影响身体对水的吸收。泡泡可能短暂占据胃部空间，让人难以大口猛灌汽泡水，但若摄入等量的水，无论有无气泡，补水效果相同。
汽泡水略呈酸性，理论上可能侵蚀牙齿，但其危害远小于含糖汽水或果汁。因此，若选择汽泡水而非可乐或橙汁，对牙齿健康有益。
其他潜在影响则更为模糊。2002 年的一项小型研究发现，汽泡水在缓解消化不良和便秘方面优于纯净水，但该试验仅持续两周且仅涉及 21 名受试者。
同样存疑的是日本筑波大学健康与运动科学研究所于 2026 年进行的一项研究。该研究被报道为发现汽泡水能帮助运动员感到更警觉。研究仅观察了 14 名年轻成年人玩足球视频游戏的表现，发现注意力和认知表现仅有轻微改善。值得注意的是，该研究部分由软饮料公司资助。我们也无法排除安慰剂效应，因为参与者知道自己在喝纯净水还是汽泡水。
说到底，纯净水和汽泡水对健康都有益，两者间的差异远小于水与酒精或含糖汽水之间的差异。为这类细微差别而担忧，就如同纠结于罗马生菜与冰山生菜的健康益处，而忽视了沙拉与通心粉奶酪之间的天壤之别。LV
夏洛特·吉布斯，来信
我该担心青少年情绪问题吗？
青春期因大脑快速发育与荷尔蒙激增而臭名昭著地动荡不安。但至少有一项近期研究表明，若青少年与家人、朋友的冲突未得到控制，其影响可能会在一生中持续，导致人际关系困难并加速衰老。
在该研究中，心理学家对 121 名青少年从 13 岁追踪至 30 岁，并邀请其父母与同伴协助评估个体的攻击性、冲突与敌意水平。这些青少年最初于 13 岁时从美国东南部学校招募而来。研究结束时，研究人员通过血压、胆固醇水平和炎症指标等健康标志物组合，估算了他们的“生物年龄”。
康纳·斯宾塞-史密斯，兰开斯特
为什么我的耳垢会增多？
耳垢由改良的汗腺产生，大多数情况下，耳垢生成速度的差异都是由基因决定的，尽管牛皮癣和湿疹等皮肤病也会影响耳垢的分泌。耳垢会自然从耳道中排出，当耳垢积聚时，通常是因为这种清除机制未能正常运作，而不是因为你分泌了更多耳垢。耳朵实际上具有自洁功能：皮肤细胞会从鼓膜缓慢向外迁移，携带耳垢一同脱落，直到其自然脱落。多毛的耳朵、佩戴助听器或耳机，以及过度用棉签掏耳朵，都可能导致耳垢堵塞。LV
那些在13岁时自评为更具攻击性的青少年，与父亲（而非母亲）的冲突更多，并在成年后出现人际关系困难——他们在20多岁时对他朋友表现出更高水平的攻击或敌对行为。到30岁时，他们的衰老速度更快，且可能体质指数（BMI）也更高。
因此，看起来在青少年时期形成的攻击倾向不仅会发展为成年期处理冲突和人际关系的困难，还可能对身体健康产生重要影响。该研究的作者建议进行“早期干预”以阻止这种关系压力的恶性循环，尽管他们没有说明具体应采取哪些措施。
这是否意味着我们需要以不同的方式对待典型的青少年行为？作为家长，很难判断何时正常行为会变成问题行为，以及在学习处理冲突时是否需要额外帮助。但很可能的是，如果你是那种足够关心以寻求帮助的家长，你可能已经在尽力而为了——而且对青少年焦虑的长期后果过度担忧并无益处。如需青少年心理健康帮助，请访问 YoungMinds.org.uk。HB
我的手机充满电后会更重吗？
人们很容易想象，手机充电后重量会增加。这种说法大致如下：充电时为电池补充了用于供电的电子。由于电子具有质量（尽管极其微小），因此手机的重量必然增加。
我们可以计算这种额外质量的大小。大多数手机电池的最大电荷量约为12,000库仑。单个电子的电荷约为1.6×10⁻¹⁹库仑，这意味着电池中必须包含约7.5×10²²个电子。每个电子的质量为9.1×10⁻³¹千克，因此这些电子总共为手机增加了0.00006825克的质量，约等于一粒花粉的质量。
然而，这种说法存在根本性错误。手机中的锂离子电池通过在阴极存储负电荷电子、在阳极存储正电荷锂离子来工作。当手机开机时，电子从阴极通过手机电路流动，并与阳极的锂离子结合。充电时，电子被迫回到电池的阴极，为电路再次供电。
这一过程并未向手机电池中添加更多电子，只是重新分配了已存在的电子。因此，充电实际上不会增加手机的重量。AG
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能否缓解焦虑
营养方法能否帮助 数百万焦虑症患者？
作为一个有着丰富焦虑症病史的人—— 包括过一段段让人虚弱的 惊恐发作期——每当有头条新闻 暗示某种新方法能克服这一问题时， 我总会半信半疑。我什么都试过，医生； 真正有效的寥寥无几。
在我看来，营养方法尤其可疑。 倒不是说通过饮食改善心理健康有多么异想天开， 难的是如何证明。将特定饮食或营养素与焦虑减轻联系起来极其复杂， 因为你如何设计一项研究，在一个人饮食、生活方式或基因中充斥着如此多背景噪音的情况下， 精准锁定因果关系？
我是个怀疑论者，这是事实。但说到焦虑， 我也乐于尝试任何能降低症状音量的方法—— 这些症状常常阻碍日常生活。这让我想到 一项由美国加州大学戴维斯分校研究人员 去年年底发表的论文。
这项荟萃分析整合了25项研究的数据， 这些研究均使用了一种名为质子磁共振波谱的技术。 这种方法有时被描述为一种测量化学成分而非解剖结构的MRI扫描。
研究人员在这项研究中发现了重要线索： 首次在多个数据集中发现焦虑症的神经化学模式一致。
具体而言，他们发现焦虑症患者的胆碱水平平均比健康人群低8%。
胆碱是一种必需营养素，有助于构建和维持包裹脑细胞的膜结构。 它对健康的大脑功能至关重要。研究人员表示， 尽管8%的差异听起来不大，但在大脑精密的化学生态系统中，这已是显著差异。
虽然大部分胆碱被锁定在这些细胞膜中， 但有一小部分活跃的胆碱池在大脑通过学习进行重塑时不断被循环利用。
这或许就是与焦虑关联的关键所在，该研究的资深作者理查德·马多克教授表示： “焦虑症的康复主要是学习新的应对方式。 这是一个学习过程，神经可塑性在此过程中发挥作用。”
换句话说，马多克的理论是： 当大脑胆碱不足时，克服焦虑的学习过程会受阻。 这与我的经历不谋而合。焦虑的大脑会陷入负面思维模式， 有时感觉根本无法打破。
不过，马多克对这些发现的解读持谨慎态度。 “我们的研究并未证明存在因果关系，”他说。 “另一种可能是[胆碱水平较低]在某种程度上帮助人们应对焦虑——从而降低了胆碱水平，这是一种适应性反应。” 即便如此，还有其他证据值得考虑。 “我们从动物研究中得知，如果在饮食中剥夺它们的胆碱……它们学习能力会下降。 而如果给予更多胆碱，它们的学习能力会增强。”
如果马多克的理论正确，或许——当然还需要大量研究—— 能为焦虑症开发出新的治疗方法。在此之前， 饮食方法值得探索。我们体内大部分胆碱来自饮食， 研究表明许多人摄入不足。
“我完全可以对每个人说——包括那些遭受惊恐发作或社交焦虑的人： 确保从饪食中摄入足够的胆碱，”马多克说。
每日食用的肉类如鸡胸肉和碎猪肉是胆碱的良好来源，尽管牛肉和鸡肝中含有更高浓度的胆碱。鸡蛋也是另一种良好的来源，如果你是素食主义者或纯素食者，那么豆腐、大豆、麦芽和十字花科蔬菜也是不错的选择。
要打造真正的抗焦虑餐盘，可以将这些食材与富含欧米伽-3脂肪酸的食物搭配，例如多脂鱼类、坚果和种子。“有相当充分的证据表明[欧米伽-3]确实有助于缓解焦虑，”麦多克表示。
焦虑症是全球最普遍的精神疾病，根据最新估计，超过350万人深受其扰。麦多克在胆碱与大脑研究中发现的意义在于，胆碱缺乏在多种形式的焦虑症中均表现出一致性。对于任何经历过焦虑的人来说，这项研究的进一步发展将是一个颇具吸引力的前景。SF
作者：伊恩·泰勒 伊恩·泰勒是一名自由科学作家，曾任《BBC科学焦点》杂志副主编。
“确保饮食中摄入足够的胆碱”
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西尔维娅对你的承诺...
一代人之前，有一位名叫西尔维娅的女性许下了一个承诺。作为一名医生的秘书，她目睹了中风夺去了如此多人的生命。她决心确保我们能生活在一个更少有人因中风而失去生命的世界里。
她兑现了承诺，并在遗嘱中为中风协会捐赠了一笔遗产。西尔维娅的馈赠帮助资助了相关工作，使得现在比她在世时更多的人能在中风后存活下来。
西尔维娅改变了我们所有人的命运。现在轮到我们为后代改变命运了。
中风仍在摧毁生命，撕裂家庭。而从中风中存活仅仅是漫长而艰难康复之旅的开始。如果你或你所爱的人曾受中风影响——你会深知其中的意义。
你可以像西尔维娅那样改变命运，通过在遗嘱中留下馈赠。一切只需一个承诺。
你可以承诺给后代一个世界，让研究人员发现新的治疗方法和手术方案，让中风幸存者及其家人获得支持，找到重返生活所需的力量与决心。
你今天的承诺为明天注入力量。请在遗嘱中为中风协会留下馈赠。
了解如何捐赠，请致电 020 7566 1505 或发送邮件至 legacy@stroke.org.uk 或访问 stroke.org.uk / legacy
中风协会在英格兰和威尔士注册为慈善机构（注册号 21015），在苏格兰注册（注册号 SC037789）。同时在马恩岛注册（注册号 945）和泽西注册（NPO 369），并在北爱尔兰开展慈善活动。
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Science Focus
BRAIN-MELTING HEAT
Runaway heatwaves keep dumbing us down. Here's how to stay sharp as temperatures soar
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Spotting Liars
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Robot Wars
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FROM THE EDITOR
As I write this, it's stupid hot. I mean that literally: it's so hot that it's difficult to think. My thoughts feel like they've been wrapped in cotton wool and then set on fire. It turns out this is one of the rare instances in which the way I feel isn't that far away from what's going on inside my brain.
Between my ears, nothing's on fire, but the heat does interfere with the millions of tiny electrochemical interactions my – and your – neurons need to function. Brain cells have an optimal temperature
at which they function smoothly, but go above that and these interactions become less... dependable. A neuron's ability to fire depends on specific shapes fitting into matching sockets – a bit like a lock and a key. When it's hot the keys start to lose their shape. And so, your neurons misfire and you feel about as frustrated as someone whose house key has broken and is now locked out. Taken to extremes, this is why heatstroke leads to confusion, dizziness and other cognitive impairments.
It doesn't stop there, though. As the temperature ramps up, your circulatory system channels blood towards your skin in a bid to cool you down. But to do this your heart has to work harder and your breathing gets heavier – the heat puts pressure on your body's resources and the harder your body has to work to keep you cool, the more your brain has to compete for its share of the oxygen.
Now, sweat and aggravation are far from the worst consequences of the heat. But this year, the soaring temperatures have felt relentless. Wave after wave of heat has pummelled Europe and the US, with little respite. We're going to have to adapt. We can change our buildings and behaviour to make the heat easier to bear, but can our brains take it? Head to p66 to find out how our ability to think clearly and regulate our mood are affected by the heat, and find some scientifically proven advice on the fastest way to cool down.
Daniel Bennett
Daniel Bennett, Editor
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ON THE BBC THIS MONTH
Tiger Island
In the forests of western Nepal, a team of cinematographers and big cat scientists are joining forces to document the unseen lives of tigers and show how the animals go about hunting, fighting and parenting in more detail ever before.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
The Tech Billionaire Takeover Cryptocurrency billionaires are now America's largest political donors, having overtaken the fossil fuel industry. Matt Shea explores what that could mean for democracy and the global financial system.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
Ten Fights That Made the Green Movement Justin Rowlatt looks back at the protests staged by Just Stop Oil to see how much impact the group's actions had and if they've made activism tougher for other campaigners.
Listen now on BBC Sounds
NATE SCHARPING
More frequent and intense heatwaves aren't just hurting the planet, they're affecting our brains too. Science writer Nate investigates →p66
SANDY ONG
Diagnoses of prediabetes are increasing around the globe. Sandy, a health journalist, reveals why being told you have the condition isn't necessarily bad news. →p44
ROB REDDICK
Lifeforms unknown to science are lurking beneath the Antarctic. Biotech writer Rob talks to the scientists who are starting to get a glimpse at them →p52
DR KIRSTY KING
Can you spot a liar? Maybe not from their body language, but their verbal language is packed with valuable clues. Kirsty, a forensic linguist, reveals how to pick up on them →p60
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COVER: MAGIC TORCH THIS PAGE: BBC STUDIOS, JAMIE TAHSIN/BBC STUDIOS, GETTY IMAGES
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CONTENTS
REGULARS
06 EYE OPENERS
The most striking science photography from around the world this month.
13 FEEDBACK
Your thoughts and opinions on the recent articles in BBC Science Focus Magazine.
15 DISCOVERIES
This month's biggest news, including: Here's how much the richest 10 per cent owe the planet for the environmental damage they've caused; A vast lithium reserve may be hiding beneath the US; One of the world's rarest (and strangest) sharks has been filmed alive for the first time; And more...
26 ANALYSIS
Is your cognitive ageing decline truly inevitable?; Why you should be worried about 'Godzilla Ozempic' right now; Is working from home damaging our mental health?
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36 INNOVATIONS
Are these terrifying robots the future of war?; Train like the pros; Editor's picks.
80 Q&A
Our experts answer your questions. This month: What animals are best at puzzles? How long can you do nothing for? Why do I have visual snow? How does coffee change your gut? Why do we keep smallpox in a lab? Should I drink still or sparkling water? Should I be worried about my teenager's moods? And more...
89 CROSSWORD
Engage your grey matter!
69 NEXT MONTH
A sneak peek at the upcoming issue.
90 BETTER LIVING THROUGH SCIENCE
Suffering from anxiety? New research suggests you may be missing out on an essential nutrient. Discover what foods you can find it in.
15 DISCOVERIES
Scientists have built a synthetic cell capable of performing the fundamental functions of life.
30 ANALYSIS
Why a new weight-loss drug, nicknamed 'Godzilla Ozempic', could spell disaster for many.
80 Q&A Should I drink still or sparkling water?
4
SF
FEATURES
44 PREDIABETES: THE DIAGNOSIS THAT'S A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
There are ways to reverse the slide towards type 2 diabetes, but doing so means acting on the early warning signs.
52 LIFE BELOW THE FREEZE
We're getting our first glimpses at the strange lifeforms that are lurking beneath the Antarctic – and they're nothing like what we expected.
60 5 WAYS TO CATCH A LIAR
There are ways to spot when someone is trying to deceive you. But you have to listen carefully to what they're saying.
66 BRAIN-MELTING HEAT
You're not imagining it: you are slower and more irritable when it's hot. Here's why heatwaves are a danger to your brain.
72 DARK DNA
Scientists are starting to decode the parts of the human genome that weren't thought to do much of anything. What they're finding out about them could change everything.
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10 EYE OPENERS
40 EDITOR'S PICKS
5
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EYE OPENER
EYE OPENER
A river runs through it
FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA
Don't believe your eyes. This colourful patchwork of shapes isn't an abstract work of modern art. It's South African farmland seen from space. And every colour in this kaleidoscopic view provides an indication of what was growing on it between November 2025 and March 2026.
This image is one of the latest to come from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, which launched in July 2025. Its mission is to monitor changes across Earth's land, water, vegetation and ice.
It does this using long- and short-wavelength radar observations. NISAR fires pulses of microwave energy towards Earth and then measures how much is reflected back. Each material a pulse hits absorbs a different amount of its energy, so what bounces back carries information about what was in its path. In this case, it's the different types of vegetation in this part of the Free State province.
Plants like wheat and maize, which change structure rapidly over the course of the growing season, show up as shades of blue. More stable vegetation – such as the grasses, shrubs and trees that line the Vet River running through the top right corner of this image, show up in green.
PAUL SIQUEIRA/NISAR SCIENCE TEAM/NASA
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EYE OPENER
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EYE OPENER
Unknown to science
FORTALEZA, BRAZIL
This isn't a firework. It's a siphonophore, and it may be one we've never encountered before.
Siphonophores are relatives of the jellyfish, but instead of being one organism, they're actually a colony of genetically identical individuals. This one was spotted by scientists using state-of-the-art imaging systems to explore the South Atlantic's midwater zone – Earth's largest and least explored habitable ecosystem. The scientists ran into it 552m (1,811ft) below the surface.
Normally, identifying a creature like this would require samples to be collected and then brought ashore to be studied and compared to existing species. The imaging systems used on this expedition, however, can scan the creatures in their natural habitat and create highly detailed 3D renderings of them. This way, the scientists can collect the information they need and leave the creature where they found it.
Based on those scans, Dr Dhugal Lindsay of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology thinks that this siphonophore belongs to a previously undescribed genus, perhaps even a new biological family. It's also unlikely to be the only new species encountered on this trip. The scientists think they may have spotted as many as 31 never-before-seen creatures.
ROV SUBASTIAN / SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE
SCIENCEFOCUS
BBCSCIENCEFOCUS
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SF
EYE OPENER
EYE OPENER
Keep on truckin'
COLORADO DESERT, USA
Say hello to ERNEST, a prototype rover NASA has been testing in California's Colorado Desert. It may not look like much at the moment, but it's intended to be more capable than both the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers currently exploring Mars.
For one thing, ERNEST – short for Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain – is faster. It can achieve speeds of 1km/h (0.6mph). Not exactly rapid, but it's 10 times faster than either Perseverance or Curiosity can manage.
For another, it's more agile. All four of ERNEST's wheels are steerable, so it can move in any direction, including sideways and diagonally. It also has an innovative active suspension system that allows it to handle rocky terrain and steep slopes. Perseverance and Curiosity tend to avoid rocks and inclines of more than 30°, but ERNEST can take them in its stride. Almost literally – its active suspension allows it to clamber over obstacles that would put its predecessors in danger of tipping over.
The advancements don't end there. ERNEST also has the ability to operate in the dark (as seen here). The two current Martian rovers have to stop after sunset, either to conserve power or because navigating becomes too difficult. ERNEST, however, can keep on truckin'.
NASA/JPL-CALTECH
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LETTER OF THE MONTH
Separation anxiety
I enjoyed Robert Banino's article on the new companion robots called Familiars – 'Meet the bot built to care about your wellbeing' (August, p36). In fact, I want one! But there are some things about having a Familiar that worry me.
If I go away for a week, for example, what would happen to a Familiar left at home? If I had a cat, it could go to a cattery, where it would be looked after even if it wasn't all that happy to be there.
But what would happen to an AI pet? Would it miss being bonded with me and 'unlearn' things? If there was such a place where someone could look after it, would it forget about me and bond to someone else?
Harriet Browne, Burnham-on-Sea
Robert Banino replies... Would it 'miss you'? Probably not – it's a machine. But its makers say: 'When a Familiar is home alone, it'll be around exercising its curiosity and avoiding boredom while staying out of trouble.' So it might learn some new things, but shouldn't forget what it's learnt before.
They also say Familiars 'love to meet other Familiars', so there could be potential for a spin-off business running a cattery for them.
WRITE IN!
The writer of next issue's Letter of the Month will receive two popular science books: Take me to Your Leader and One Day a Thousand Songs.
Puts it all in perspective
I read that there are over 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, and 2 trillion other galaxies beyond ours. That and the things mentioned in 'The Moon base race' (August, p66) show how staggeringly puny we are. Isn't it about time we started showing some humility in how we treat one another, our fellow creatures and our planet?
John Harris, via email
Fighting falls
Sadly, I can personally relate to your Q&A article 'Why are more older people dying after falls?' (July, p86). My husband died from an accidental fall that caused an aneurysm because of the blood thinners he was taking.
I also have to be really careful when stepping off curbs because the bifocals I wear can make it difficult to see my feet. Although, I find wearing shoes with thin and really flat soles can help.
Donna Otello, via email
Not-so-easy reading
I've just enjoyed reading the July 2026 copy of BBC Science Focus and, as usual, found it interesting. However, I struggled to read pages 47 and 48 of the cover feature on dementia because the text was printed in white on pale yellow and pink backgrounds.
Although the white text on coloured backgrounds looks nice, it can be very difficult to read. Please bear this in mind in future.
Michael Panter, via email
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA Scientists capture footage of the planet's ugliest shark p21
SCUBA GEAR FOR ROACHES Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water p22
DISCOVERIES
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PEST CONTROL? PAH? Rats and mice are evolving resistance to poison p23
NEWS FROM
THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE
STOLOGY
This synthetic cell
is a 'meaningful' step towards building life from scratch
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
Researchers have created what they say is the world's first synthetic cell capable of growing, dividing and repeating the cycle – a breakthrough some experts say marks a major milestone in biology.
The artificial cell, nicknamed SpudCell, is smaller than the tip of a needle and is visible only under a fluorescence microscope. Rather than being made from living material, it was assembled from non-living chemicals by Drs Kate Adamala and Aaron Engelhart and their teams at the University of Minnesota, in the US. Once put together, these chemicals were able to work like the components of a living cell.
Unlike previous synthetic cells, which could carry out only individual tasks, SpudCell combines several of the key processes needed for life into a single system. It can grow, replicate its genome, divide into daughter cells
DISCOVERIES
SpudCell is made from non-living chemical components. Here, the membrane is stained with a lipid dye for better visibility
ORION VENERO/ADAMALA LAB
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and even show competition between variants. Together, these processes make up a complete cell cycle.
“We’ve replicated in chemistry what only used to be possible in biology: the complete set of behaviours of a cell,” Adamala said. “It proves that the most fundamental functions of life, like growth and replication, do not need a mysterious magical spark.”
Researchers say the breakthrough could fundamentally change how synthetic cells are designed.
“It makes a genuine engineering approach to bioengineering possible in ways not previously doable,” said Prof John Glass, leader of the synthetic biology group at the J Craig Venter Institute in California, who wasn’t involved in the research.
HOW IT WAS BUILT
SpudCell was made using a bottom-up approach – the reverse of how synthetic cells have traditionally been made.
“Instead of starting with an existing living cell and removing parts until only the essentials remain, the scientists are trying to build cell-like behaviour from defined non-living components,” said Dr Tara Deans from the Wallace H Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, who was not involved in the SpudCell project.
Rather than modifying a living cell, the researchers assembled SpudCell from scratch. They combined 36 lab-made proteins, which carry out the cell’s chemical processes, with a synthetic genome containing around 90,000 DNA letters. The whole system was then enclosed inside a fatty outer membrane similar to those found in living cells.
Its potato-like appearance inspired the ‘Spud’ part of its name, while
ABOVE Dr Kate Adamala and her team have built a synthetic cell capable of performing the fundamental functions of life
the researchers say the full name also echoes Sputnik, another landmark scientific achievement.
Scientists say there are two main reasons for trying to build synthetic cells. The first is their potential practical applications.
“In the long term, cell-like systems could become safer, more controllable biological systems for medicine, manufacturing, environmental sensing and biosecurity,” said Deans. “For example, one can imagine cell-like systems that deliver a therapeutic molecule, detect a toxin or pathogen, or manufacture a useful compound without relying on a fully living
organism.” The second motivation is more fundamental, Deans said. “We want to understand how life works.”
Living cells are incredibly complex, containing thousands of different molecules that interact in countless ways. That makes it difficult to work out which parts are truly essential for life and which are simply helpful extras.
By building a much simpler, cell-like system from scratch, researchers can test those questions one by one. “What does a membrane do? What genetic information is required? How is energy used? How does growth and division become coordinated?” said Deans.
SpudCell may also help answer one of science’s biggest questions – how life began in the first place.
“As far as we know, life emerged only once in 4.5 billion years of Earth’s history,” said Dr Yuval Elani, associate professor in biochemical technologies at Imperial College London, who was not involved in creating SpudCell.
“The possibility that science might one day engineer a second instance of that transition, not by waiting for nature, but by building it deliberately, is one of the most profound prospects in all of modern science.
“We’re not there yet. But work like this is a meaningful step in that direction.”
IS IT ALIVE?
Despite the excitement, experts stress that SpudCell is still a long way from becoming a true living organism, or being used outside the laboratory.
Currently, the artificial cell can’t survive on its own. According to Deans, one reason for this is that SpudCell can’t yet make its own ribosomes – the tiny molecular machines that build proteins inside cells. Instead, it has to borrow them from specially
“It proves that the most fundamental functions of life, like growth and replication, do not need a mysterious magical spark”
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ABOVE Fluorescent microscopy of SpudCell undergoing division
designed support structures. Even with that support, the system breaks down after roughly five rounds of division – meaning SpudCell can only reproduce a handful of times before it stops working.
The next major step is to make the system more self-sufficient, so that it can grow, divide and regenerate its most important building blocks over many generations without repeated intervention.
“Achieving that would bring us much closer to being able to say that we have made something plausibly ‘alive,’” Elani said.
Because of its limited capabilities, experts consider SpudCell low-risk for now. “It’s more like a carefully designed soup of chemicals that does
interesting things under controlled laboratory conditions,” Elani said.
In the long term, however, the ability to build autonomous cell-like systems would require serious consideration of the implications with regard to containment, environmental release, misuse and governance.
“The field is well aware [of all these factors], and discussions around biosafety and governance are well underway,” said Elani.
THE NEXT HURDLE
Not everyone has welcomed how the findings were shared. Adamala has faced criticism for publishing the research before it had been checked by independent experts through the peer review process.
However, Deans claimed that Adamala’s approach didn’t necessarily undermine the findings.
“Preprints are now a normal part of scientific communication, and they can be valuable because they let the community see and discuss new results quickly,” Deans said.
“But for a claim this significant, careful peer review matters. It’ll help clarify exactly how strong the evidence is and how the advance should be understood in the broader field.”
If the findings hold up under peer review, researchers say it could mark an important step towards a new generation of synthetic biology.
“We’re at the dawn of an era of new biology,” said Glass. “I can’t wait to see what it brings.”
PATRICK BEAUDOURN/HOOVER INSTITUTION, KATE ADAMALA/ADAMALA LAB
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AGEING
People are living longer, but spending more of their lives in poor health
Scientists ranked 204 countries for their estimated lifespans and healthspans
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“We have become remarkably good at adding years to life, but far less successful at adding life to those years”
Living longer doesn’t necessarily mean living healthier. Despite having the world’s highest life expectancy, people in Singapore spend many of their later years in poor health, according to new research published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The study used 2023 data to estimate lifespans in 204 countries and found that Singapore topped the leaderboard, with the average citizen expected to live beyond their 85th birthday.
“Singapore’s longevity reflects deliberate long-term policy rather than any single cause,” study author Dr Marie Ng – associate professor at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS) – told BBC Science Focus. “Its healthcare system, robust social protection and evidence-based governance all allow its citizens to thrive.”
The scientists also investigated healthspan: the number of years a person can expect to live in good health.
They found that Singaporeans may live well into their 80s, but the last 11.2 years of their lives are likely to be burdened by ill-health.
Researchers call this difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy the ‘morbidity gap’. In other words, people are spending more of their lives in poor health than they did in the 1990s.
Global life expectancy rose from 64.6 years in 1990 to 73.8 in 2023, the study found. But healthy life expectancy failed to keep pace, with adults now spending around one in seven years in poor health.
Women typically outlived men, but they also spent more of those extra years in poor health. Globally, the healthspan gap averaged 12.1 years for women, compared with 9.3 years for men.
In Singapore, the contrast was even sharper: although women lived just 4.4 years longer than men, they still spent notably more years in poor health – 12.1 years versus 10.4.
Dr Julian Mutz – research fellow at King’s College London, who was not involved with this study – told BBC Science Focus. “The gender health paradox (that women live longer, but with more years in poor health) is long recognised, but still poorly explained. This study is another reminder that this deserves much more attention.”
People in the US could expect to spend more years in poor health than those in any other country – 14 years on average – followed closely by Australia and Canada. The top 20 countries with the highest average number of years spent in poor health are listed in the table below.
But the study’s findings were remarkably consistent; the gap between lifespan and healthspan seemed to be widening in 203 out of 204 countries, with the single exception of Palestine.
“Most populations now spend a decade or more living in poor health,” explained Ng. “For individuals and families, that means more years are spent managing chronic conditions like back pain, hearing loss, neurological disorders and diabetes.”
Indeed, five types of conditions accounted for 57.4 per cent of the global morbidity gap in 2023: musculoskeletal disorders, especially low-back pain; mental disorders including depression and anxiety; sense organ diseases such as hearing loss; injuries, especially falls; and non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Prof Simon Jones – from the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing, who was not involved in this study – told BBC Science
Focus that this was the most notable finding. “Musculoskeletal disorders were found to be the single biggest contributor to the healthspan gap,” he said.
“This is a real demonstration of just how important muscles, bones and joints are to healthy ageing.”
Ng said that the study quantified something most of us had already noticed among our loved ones: “We have become remarkably good at adding years to life, but far less successful at adding life to those years.”
She said the study was a call to action. “The central message is that longevity alone is no longer the right measure of success. The urgent question is not simply how long we live, but how well we live in that final chapter – and whether those added years are ones of vitality or decline.”
Top 20 morbidity gaps, in years, out of 204 countries, estimated from 2023 data
| Rank | Country | Morbidity Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 14 |
| 2 | Australia | 13.9 |
| 3 | Canada | 13.7 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 13.1 |
| 5 | The Netherlands | 12.9 |
| 6 | San Marino | 12.9 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 12.8 |
| 8 | Lebanon | 12.8 |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 12.7 |
| 10 | Puerto Rico | 12.7 |
| 11 | Mexico | 12.6 |
| 12 | Syria | 12.6 |
| 13 | France | 12.5 |
| 14 | Costa Rica | 12.5 |
| 15 | Iran | 12.5 |
| 16 | Brazil | 12.5 |
| 17 | Norway | 12.4 |
| 18 | Sweden | 12.4 |
| 19 | Kuwait | 12.4 |
| 20 | Slovenia | 12.3 |
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ENVIRONMENT
Here’s how much the richest 10% owe the planet for the environmental damage they’ve caused
A new study has put a staggering price tag on their pollution
The wealthiest 10 per cent of people are disproportionately responsible for environmental damage that’s costing the Earth trillions.
That’s according to a new study, published in the Communications Sustainability journal, which set out to calculate the financial cost of environmental harm caused by the world’s richest people, due to their businesses and
lifestyle habits. Unsurprisingly, the estimated monetary value of damage caused is gargantuan.
The study’s authors found annual damages owed by the top 10 per cent amounted to around $1.7–5.7tr (£1.3–4.3tr), equivalent to $2,300–7,500 (£1,700–5,700) per person (in 2017 US dollars), surpassing international climate and biodiversity financing gaps.
To understand just how much money could potentially be owed, study authors calculated the financial cost of the climate change, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical cycles and freshwater use footprints of the richest 10 per cent in 2017 (the most recent data we have in this area), using the Environmental Prices Handbook.
They found that the two biggest contributors to the damage bill were biodiversity loss and climate change. Consumers in the US racked up the biggest bill of the six countries examined.
“A small number of people are contributing to most of the damage – and they are also controlling the funding that should be used to compensate for the climate change and biodiversity loss,” explains environmental scientist Dr Lisa Schipper from Oxford University, who was not involved in the study.
The study’s authors suggest environmental taxes as a solution to ensure the richest 10 per cent offset their consumption. However, Schipper says it’s a little more nuanced than that: “Some of the activities that are supported by the 10 per cent of ‘baddies’ probably employ, feed or otherwise serve a large number of the rest of the 90 per cent – perhaps in a way that undermines a sustainable and resilient future.”
Billing the biggest contributors to environmental damage would solve the issue of the public sector having to provide this funding when the private sector, and particularly the top 10 per cent, are responsible for most of the damage, according to Schipper.
“But, in reality, this is very difficult to implement precisely because the top 10 per cent also have most of the power. There needs to be an acknowledgement of responsibility to be sustainable.”
ENERGY
A vast lithium reserve may be hiding beneath the US
There’s enough to make 500 billion mobile phones
Lithium is the mineral du jour. As a vital component of many rechargeable batteries, tech companies are clamouring for more of the mineral, driving demand to an all-time high.
Currently, the US imports more than half the lithium it
needs – but that could all be about to change based on new research released by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
A team of USGS geologists has found that the Appalachian region of the eastern United States contains an estimated 2.3 million metric tonnes of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium
oxide. This is enough to replace 328 years’ worth of US lithium imports at last year’s level.
Of that lithium, 1.43 million metric tonnes are believed to be held in the Southern Appalachians, concentrated in the Carolinas.
A further 900,000 metric tonnes are in the Northern
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NATURE
One of the world’s rarest (and strangest) sharks has been filmed alive for the first time
The spooky footage shows a goblin shark – known for its massive retractable jaw – lurking deep in the Pacific Ocean
“Seeing the most iconic of all the deep-sea sharks alive and looking healthy in its natural habitat is a unique honour,” said Aaron Judah, the paper’s lead author and a doctoral candidate at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Department of Oceanography.
Footage of the goblin shark was captured using cameras mounted on Hercules, an underwater drone, though it wasn’t until later that Judah positively identified the fish from a recording of the expedition.
A second sighting was made in 2024 by a team from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, University of Western Australia, off the Tonga Trench using a baited camera attached to a ‘bottom lander’, a weighted platform used by oceanographers to conduct experiments on the seabed. “I was very surprised about how deep this species was found,” added Judah. “The observation from the slope of the Tonga Trench is nearly 700m [2,296ft] deeper than this species was known to live.”
Goblin sharks usually grow up to 3.6m (12ft) in length, about a tenth of which is attributable to their long, flat snouts. But these creatures are famed almost as much for their elusiveness as their eccentric appearance. As such, little is known about them.
This mysteriousness has diminished somewhat in recent decades by sporadic sightings of goblin sharks in other locations, including off the coast of Japan – albeit away from their natural habitat in the deep ocean.
Appalachians, predominantly in Maine and New Hampshire.
The lithium is found in pegmatites, large-grained rocks similar to granite.
Lithium is fast becoming one of the world’s most important minerals, used in the lithium-ion batteries that power computers, vehicles, military equipment and
energy-grid storage. The USGS has projected that due to rapidly increasing demand, the world’s production capacity for lithium will double by 2029.
The US currently has just one producer of lithium – an active commercial mine in Nevada. The country relied on imports for more than half its lithium usage last year.
In fact, the USGS included it on its 2025 List of Critical Minerals.
Once mined, the ore is crushed, roasted and then treated with acid to extract the lithium.
Australia is currently the world’s largest producer of lithium, with China coming in second.
The findings, published in the journal *Natural Resources
Research*, suggest that the lithium oxide found in the Appalachian region would provide enough lithium for 1.6 million grid-scale batteries, 130 million electric vehicles, 180 billion laptops or 500 billion mobile phones. That’s 1,000 years’ worth of laptops at current demand, or 60 phones for every person on Earth.
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PSYCHOLOGY
How to tell if your boss is a narcissist, according to this key sign
They like to be admired in the flesh, so prefer to have their team in the office to enjoy praise in person
If you're unlucky enough to work for a narcissist, they'll expect compliments – and they'd prefer them in person, according to new research that suggests egotistical managers are opposed to home working.
Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania, in the US, set out to investigate why some bosses support remote working while many are firmly against it.
First, they collected records on 259 high-profile bosses from the Fortune 500 list of CEOs and looked for signs of narcissism in their public statements and company files. They compared these with their stance on remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the second part of their research, the University of Pennsylvania team conducted surveys with a further 100 leaders, 359 in all, to better assess their attitudes.
The results were striking. The only trait that consistently predicted objections to remote work was narcissism – the tendency to be self-centred and entitled. The higher the opinion the leaders had of themselves, the more they coveted power and status – and the more they favoured mandatory office working.
The authors of the study argued that remote working hinders a boss's ability to massage their own ego; it reduces the visible presence of subordinates and impedes the leader's ability to reassure themselves of their influence, status and control.
And the researchers also noted that "sycophantic reassurances from employees just don't have the same effect if they're on Slack".
They cited evidence that remote and hybrid work can help many organisations attract and retain key members of staff.
"Our findings show that narcissistic leaders' cravings for power and status are key barriers to embracing this new workplace reality. The pursuit of authority and glory may be an enemy of flexibility," they concluded.
"It's a great paper," said Dr Claire Hart, an associate professor researching personality psychology at the University of Southampton.
"This helps explain why leaders who score higher in narcissism are more resistant to remote working... it comes back to a central feature of grandiose narcissism: the motivation to fulfil needs related to status, power and self-enhancement."
Hart noted, however, that some leaders may prefer office-based working for legitimate purposes, such as team building, training and mentoring.
TECHNOLOGY
Scientists build a diving suit for cockroaches
An experimental new oxygen tank for cyborg cockroaches has been invented – and it actually works
Scientists have successfully 3D-printed a flexible diving suit that cockroaches can wear like a backpack.
The invention, by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, will enable cyborg cockroaches to take part in search-and-rescue operations and pipeline inspections underwater.
Madagascan hissing cockroaches are already used on land in this way, crawling around challenging environments and confined spaces. They're fitted with electronic components such as cameras to report back their findings.
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And scientists have been experimenting with remote-controlled insects for more than a decade. Cyborg bugs require much less computing power to run than robots, as they move with the insect's own muscles.
But this new diving suit should enable cockroaches to navigate aquatic environments, too.
A chemical generator within the flexible shell of the suit pumps oxygen through breathing tubes as the cockroach swims underwater.
In testing, the cyborg cockroach was able to move around underwater and breathe for up to three hours.
"By fitting a cockroach, which is a terrestrial species, into this diving suit, we allowed it to survive and operate in oxygen-deprived environments," the researchers wrote in the study, published in Nature. "Transforming it into an amphibious cyborg robot capable of operation across land and water."
To create the oxygen tank, scientists used a sponge coated with a catalyst made of manganese dioxide – a compound that breaks down when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, which in turn creates oxygen.
The oxygen is then released in the tank, flowing through four silicone tubes attached to the cockroach's spiracles – tiny holes in its body that let in air.
"The invention will enable cyborg cockroaches to take part in search-and-rescue operations"
GENETICS
Mice and rats are now evolving resistance to poison, experts warn
Researchers have found that DNA mutations could be responsible for increasingly stubborn and hard-to-control rodent populations
rodenticides, while roughly 35 per cent of Norway rats – often called brown or sewer rats – carried mutations in the same gene.
Reports from flummoxed pest control professionals of increasingly stubborn rodent populations caused researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in the US, to launch an investigation.
"Pest management professionals often told us that rodent control was becoming more difficult in some areas, even though they applied the effective rodenticides," said Jin-Jia Yu, the first author of the study.
Researchers examined DNA from 147 house mice and 143 Norway rats collected in a number of Northeastern states, including New York and Washington DC. They found that a staggering percentage of rodents had mutations of a gene called VKORC1, which is linked with resistance to the most widely used poison in the US, anticoagulant rodenticides.
"We found that resistance appears to be much more widespread in house mice than many people realised," Yu said. "Norway rats also carried genetic mutations, but scientists do not yet know whether most of those mutations affect Norway rats' susceptibility to rodenticides."
Rodents are more than just a nuisance, according to study co-author Changlu Wang – they're a public health concern. "As resistance becomes more common, it becomes even more important to use science-based management strategies that protect both public health and the environment," he said.
"Studies like this help us understand how rodent populations are changing and how our management strategies need to evolve with them."
Common rodent poisons may be becoming less effective, scientists have warned, as research suggests that mice and rats are increasingly evolving resistance to them.
Data from a new study revealed that an alarming number of house mice carry a genetic mutation associated with rodenticide resistance, which makes them more likely to survive poisons commonly relied upon for pest control.
Among house mice sampled from urban areas in Northeastern US, nearly 70 per cent were found to carry genetic mutations already known to help them survive common
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RATURE
Experts find wildlife jackpot in uncharted corner of Africa
From beetles the size of your hand to neon-blue spiders, dozens of new species have been uncovered in Angola's remote Lisima Plateau
- This previously undescribed crowned crab spider glows bright blue under UV light.
- Specialists recorded 47 grasshopper, katydid and cricket taxa, three of which (including this one) were previously unknown to scientists.
- This leaf-like planthopper makes its home on the Lisima Plateau, along with a wide array of other known and unknown insects and reptiles.
- This ladybird orb-web spider, which is believed to be a new species, uses a disguise to protect itself from being eaten (ladybirds are toxic to their predators).
- The hand-sized giant African fruit beetle (Mecynorhina polyphemus confluens) is already known to science.
- There have only been a handful of sightings of the highly venomous variable bush viper (Atheris squamigera) in Angola. This was one of 23 reptiles recorded during the survey.
Scientists have found dozens of new species during a survey of one of Africa's last unexplored biodiversity regions. The survey, called the Cassai Life Atlas, recorded eight new dragonfly species, three new species of grasshopper and around 60 new moth and butterfly species in Angola's remote Lisima Plateau. Specialists from The Wilderness Project led the trip, uncovering creatures and plant life previously unknown to science, including fruit beetles the size of a human palm and tiny spiders with fluorescent blue markings.
"The result of the survey was higher diversity than we anticipated," said Rob Taylor, expedition leader and a conservation ecologist. "Abundances were often low, partly because these ecosystems are nutrient-poor, but the diversity of specialised and unusual species was remarkable."
The Lisima Plateau has long been considered one of Africa's last great biodiversity blank spots. The area also carries ecological significance beyond its borders – ecosystems and communities thousands of kilometres downstream depend on water from the plateau. "A clear understanding of the biodiversity here is essential for the effective protection of the entire system," Taylor said.
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ANALYSIS
News under the microscope
Is your cognitive ageing decline truly inevitable?
A landmark study says your brain can get sharper, rather than duller, with age. But is it as simple as it sounds?
by ABBI HENDERSON
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isplacing belongings, misremembering names and forgetting words are widely considered to be the hallmarks of an ageing mind. But what if they don't have to be?
A new landmark study suggests the brain remains far more adaptable than many people realise, with researchers finding its performance can be significantly improved at any age.
Scientists at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas tracked almost 4,000 people aged 19–94 over three years to investigate whether regular brain training could boost cognitive performance.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports in May, the study found that simple daily exercises helped keep the brain firing on all cylinders, regardless of the number of candles on participants' most recent birthday cakes.
Participants completed short daily tasks to improve their focus and problem-solving and reasoning skills. They also had access to training modules on sleep, stress and resilience, and a wealth of other brain-health resources.
The study's results were staggeringly positive. Participants experienced measurable gains in cognitive, emotional and social wellbeing across the entire age range, with those in their 70s and 80s seeing improvements equal to younger adults involved in the research.
Notably, there seemed to be no ceiling for brain optimisation. Even participants with initially high-performing brains were able to improve brain function over the course of the study.
The authors hope the findings will help to rewrite the narrative around age-related cognitive decline.
“The study’s results were staggeringly positive. Participants saw gains in cognitive, emotional and social wellbeing across the entire age range”
“For far too long, the medical community and the general public have operated under a ‘decline-based’ model of ageing – the outdated misconception that our cognitive peak happens in our 20s or 30s, followed by an inevitable downward trajectory,” says Dr Lori Cook, director of clinical research at the Center for BrainHealth.
“We were able to demonstrate that the brain isn’t defined by the calendar; it’s defined by possibility.”
It’s an encouraging finding. But if our brains really can stay agile into old age, have we been thinking about cognitive ageing all wrong? If so, how much of our mental decline is truly unavoidable and how much can lifestyle influence it?
AN AGILE BRAIN
The encouraging news is that the Texas study isn’t an outlier. A growing body of evidence
ABOVE Doing puzzles regularly as a form of cognitive training is considered a positive step, even if it’s unclear whether the benefits translate to everyday thinking and problem-solving
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suggests cognitive decline is far less fixed than many people assume.
“Normal ageing is associated with some degree of cognitive decline such as poorer memory and slowing of thought, but it’s not inevitable,” says Prof Dennis Chan, a neuroscientist at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.
One reason for that optimism is the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability, otherwise known as the FINGER trial, published in 2015.
This study demonstrated that certain health-promoting habits have beneficial effects on the cognitive function of older people with an increased risk of dementia.
Researchers found that combined lifestyle-based interventions – including regular physical activity, a nutritious diet and cognitive training – produced a lasting impact that remained measurable in high-adherence participants 11 years later.
The brain, it seems, can become like a well-loved kitchen knife: a little worn from extensive use – just in need of sharpening. And cognitive training may act as its proverbial whetstone.
“Studies show that practising cognitive skills improves ability on them, a bit like how working out improves strength in muscles for a time,” says Prof Claudia Cooper, professor of psychological medicine at Queen Mary University of London.
LIMITS OF TRAINING
Brain training has been extensively studied over decades, yet questions remain about its efficacy. For instance, scientists don’t yet know how long the benefits can be sustained after training. The brain, like a muscle, requires regular activation, after all.
Nor are scientists sure how transferable cognitive training is to everyday life. “If the training involves doing lots of puzzles, for instance, does this mean you get good at puzzles, but not necessarily better in everyday thinking?” asks Chan.
Despite evidence that cognitive training is generally a positive intervention, there is still uncertainty around it.
Cognitive trajectory can be harder to influence in cases of dementia, which, Cooper says, affects around 4 in 10 people who live to 90. Age is the biggest known risk factor, but that doesn’t mean that dementia is a normal part of ageing.
RIGHT Scans showing how brain mass differs between a younger person (left) and an older person (right)
“I want people to stop waiting until they start forgetting keys, struggling for words or even receive a clinical diagnosis before they take action”
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, 45 per cent of all dementia cases worldwide are associated with what the charity calls ‘modifiable’ risk factors.
So, nearly half of dementia risk comes from behaviours and exposures that can be changed. Then, the rest is driven by factors such as genetic risk and other long-term health conditions.
KEEPING YOUR BRAIN SHARP
So what can you actually do to keep your brain sharp? According to Cook, the first step is to
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stop thinking of brain health as something to worry about only once problems begin.
“I want people to stop waiting until they start forgetting keys, struggling for words or even receive a clinical diagnosis before they take action,” she says.
It’s true that the brain naturally loses mass with age. Tissue decline typically begins between the ages of 30 and 40, and brain weight decreases by around five per cent per decade after the age of 40.
However, scientists agree that simple daily habits can help to offset brain atrophy, reduce dementia risk and support cognitive function in later life – whatever your age.
Those habits aren’t rocket science, but they are easier said than done. Cooper says: “Eating healthily, getting exercise and connecting with others make a small difference to cognitive decline.”
You can start by including foods in your diet that support healthy brain function, such as leafy greens, orange vegetables, olive oil, fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.
Following a broadly Mediterranean diet may also help to preserve your brain’s structure
ABOVE RIGHT
Regular exercise and socialising are crucial for anyone hoping to slow or stave off cognitive decline
by reducing brain atrophy and slowing cognitive decline.
Sleep is also one of the most effective things you can do for your long-term health. “While you rest, your brain is hard at work clearing out built-up waste and consolidating memories so that new learning sticks,” says Cook. “It’s also resetting your emotional baseline for the next day.”
Her next piece of advice? Stop trying to juggle everything at once. Instead, aim to complete one task at a time. “True multitasking is a myth; your brain is actually switching between tasks rapidly, a cognitive juggling act that increases mental fatigue while draining your efficiency and performance,” she says.
Ultimately, slowing cognitive decline isn’t about overhauling your life, according to the experts. It’s about small, helpful behaviours repeated day in and day out.
“Every brain is as unique as a fingerprint and has immense potential for growth,” says Cook. “If people can dedicate just 5–15 minutes a day to adopting intentional, brain-healthy habits, they may be able to shift their cognitive trajectory.”
by ABBI HENDERSON
Abbi is a freelance science journalist who covers health and technology
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ANALYSIS
Why you should be worried about ‘Godzilla Ozempic’ right now
A new weight-loss drug has arrived. And it's far more powerful than anything that came before
by HATTY WILLMOTH
etatrutide, otherwise known as ‘Godzilla Ozempic’, ‘triple-G’, ‘GLP-3’ or ‘reta’, is here. And people can’t get enough of it.
The internet is full of influencers sharing their experiences with their new favourite peptide – progress updates on Reddit, advice on Instagram and explainers on YouTube.
Why is it so popular? Well, retatrutide seems to shift fat extremely quickly. In clinical trials, participants lost, on average, nearly 30 per cent of their body weight in 18 months, making it twice as strong as Wegovy, one of the current crop of weight-loss drugs.
“In a world of already huge weight loss, retatrutide looks to be a really substantive jump in efficacy,” says Prof Giles Yeo, an obesity scientist at the University of Cambridge.
It’s no surprise, then, that this powerful weight-loss jab has been met with such enthusiasm. There’s just one catch: retatrutide
hasn’t been approved for use by any country’s regulatory agency yet and, right now, can’t be bought legally.
As the web celebrates the arrival of reta, here’s why you shouldn’t rush to join the party.
HOW IS RETATRUTIDE ALREADY AVAILABLE?
Have a quick scroll through social media and you’d be forgiven for thinking that doctors have been prescribing retatrutide to anyone who wants it for months.
The Reddit thread r/Retatrutide is full of one-, three- and even 12-month weight-loss journeys credited to the drug. For Yeo, these posts are a cause for alarm.
“Is this real?” he asks. “How the hell are they getting their hands on it? Is it a black market? And how do we even know it’s retatrutide?”
The drug’s manufacturer Eli Lilly states on its website: “Retatrutide has not been approved by any regulatory agency and is legally available only through Lilly’s clinical trials. Anything sold to consumers outside of those
ABOVE Retatrutide is so powerful it’s been nicknamed ‘Godzilla Ozempic’ after the giant city-smashing movie monster
ABOVE RIGHT Eli Lilly, the drug company that makes retatrutide, is currently only making it available for use in clinical trials
TOP RIGHT A slice of fatty liver, seen under a microscope. Retatrutide could help people reduce fat in this organ
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ANALYSIS
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trials is illegal, with no way to verify its safety, purity or dosing.”
But that hasn’t stopped vials of liquid labelled as retatrutide from being sold in the US. In fact, an investigation by CBS News from June 2026 found more than 120 websites that were selling or promoting retatrutide, including more than 50 clinics staffed by licensed medical professionals.
Meanwhile, data from US poison control centres (quoted in the CBS report) suggests a surge of cases attributed to drugs sold as retatrutide in the first four months of 2026, up 265 per cent compared to the last four months of 2025.
“If someone is selling you something called retatrutide, then either they’ve stolen it or it’s something else – both of which are dangerous,” says Yeo. “No one should be able to get access to these drugs at the moment, except in a trial-centre situation.”
Dr Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, adds
that these injectables may not be retatrutide at all, saying: “If you’re buying a drug outside a very regulated market, you don’t know what you’re getting or what you’re putting in your body.”
But, he continues, even if the drugs in question are retatrutide, that doesn’t mean they’re safe to use. “[We] don’t know what the side effects are until [we’ve] tested it in a population,” says Cork. “We just don’t know what the risks are yet.”
“No one should be able to get these drugs at the moment, except in a trial”
WHAT MAKES RETATRUTIDE SO POWERFUL?
What we do know is that retatrutide isn’t just another weight-loss drug. It’s nicknamed ‘Godzilla Ozempic’ for a reason – because it’s stronger than anything that’s come before.
The first generation of this class of drug, called incretins, was already revolutionary. People who needed to lose weight for health reasons, but struggled to do it through diet and exercise, could now drop 15 per cent of their body weight in little more than a year.
But Cork says: “Wegovy, which was the blockbuster drug when it came out, is now one of the least effective.”
That’s because Wegovy and Ozempic are single incretin drugs. They use an ingredient called semaglutide to mimic one naturally occurring appetite hormone, in this case GLP-1. But we now have dual incretins, drugs that target two appetite hormones – GLP-1 and a similar hormone called GIP, at once. Namely, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain tirzepatide. Head-to-head trials show that tirzepatide is more effective than semaglutide, capable of producing 20 per cent weight loss in less than a year and a half.
Enter retatrutide, a triple incretin. It targets GLP-1, GIP and another hormone called glucagon – hence the ‘triple-G’ nickname.
ALAMY K2, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
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SF | ANALYSIS
“You’re using two or three different mechanisms, which all complement each other, like a hammer and chisel”
ABOVE Retatrutide’s combination of effects work in concert (similar to the way a hammer and chisel work together) to help people lose weight
“Dual and triple incretins attack fat from more than one direction,” says Dr Adam Collins, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Surrey. “You’re not just getting a bigger hammer to hit it with. You’re using two or three different mechanisms, which all complement each other, like a hammer and chisel.”
In this way, Collins says, GLP-1 acts on the gut and brain to suppress appetite. GIP works in synergy with GLP-1 to slow the rate at which your stomach empties. And glucagon manages your fat stores, encouraging your body to burn more fat. The result is dramatic weight loss; on average 28 per cent, according to clinical trials. “30 per cent is a lot of body weight,” says Yeo. “And remember, these are averages. Some people lose 40–50 per cent of their body weight.”
That’s great for people who need to lose a lot of weight quickly. But retatrutide’s unprecedented strength also makes it more dangerous for those who don’t need it. “My biggest fear about this entire class of drugs is that they have no starting weight limit to which they work,” says Yeo.
Hatty is the trends editor of BBC Science Focus.
“They’ll suppress your appetite when you’re 300lb [136kg], or if you’re 75lb [34kg].”
That means, for anyone using this drug without legal medical supervision, retatrutide represents a serious risk. Yeo adds: “For people with eating disorders or body dysmorphia, semaglutide was already dangerous. Retatrutide could be even more dangerous.”
GOOD NEWS FOR SOME
These warnings aren’t the whole story, though. For some, retatrutide could be a lifeline when it’s approved.
“If you’re dangerously overweight, then something like semaglutide or tirzepatide may not get you down to a healthy weight,” says Yeo. “You don’t continue losing weight until you disappear. At some point, you reach a plateau. Then, maybe retatrutide is for you because retatrutide is approaching bariatric surgery levels of weight loss – which some people need.”
Retatrutide may also prove helpful to people who didn’t respond to single or dual incretins or who experienced unpleasant side effects. And, thanks to glucagon, retatrutide might be particularly beneficial to people with fat accumulation around their organs, especially those with fatty liver disease. In a small trial on people with fatty liver disease, 86 per cent of participants reached normal liver fat levels after five and a half months on the highest dose of retatrutide. That doesn’t mean they were cured, but it’s a promising sign.
“I think the interesting thing about glucagon is to do with fat, because it can reduce liver fat in quite a pronounced way,” says Collins. “That might have other benefits, too – your blood cholesterol, for example, could be improved.”
Again, all of this is still being investigated so we can’t say with certainty exactly what retatrutide can do. But we do know it’ll add to an already successful group of weight-loss drugs.
“A lot of people need to lose more weight than can be achieved with diet and exercise, but aren’t large enough to warrant metabolic surgery,” Collins says. “Some people need something pretty drastic to target underlying health conditions that need to be reversed through weight loss. These drugs are catering to that.”
Indeed, in Cork’s opinion, these weight-loss drugs are “a scientific success story” and “the single most important medical breakthrough in the last 20 years.”
Retatrutide, then, is expected to be extremely useful for those who need it. But it isn’t approved for use yet. Anything on sale now that’s claiming to be this drug is potentially dangerous to anyone who uses it.
GETTY IMAGES X2
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ANALYSIS
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T
here are many perks to working from home and those of us who’ve spent the last few years wearing pyjamas below the desk might argue that our work-life balance has benefited
from them. We’ve saved thousands on posh suits, petrol and public transport, and anyone with young children has been able to collect them from school without having to rush home. Better still, our lunches never mysteriously go missing when we leave them in the fridge.
Now, however, bosses seem increasingly eager to get us back in the office – often because they think working from home (WFH) is bad for productivity. But while that’s not necessarily true, new evidence suggests that their appeals for us to return to the office might actually be in our best interests.
That’s because a recently published study of over half a million Americans has linked WFH to poorer mental health. The authors of this ‘Home Alone’ study, published in Science in June, say this is due to how much time remote workers are spending on their own.
“People value remote work and think that it’ll improve their mental health,” says Prof Emma Harrington, one of the ‘Home Alone’ study’s authors and an economist at the University of Virginia in the US. But the research she and her colleagues conducted suggests it “substantially increases isolation and worsens mental health”.
Other experts, meanwhile, argue we should look at the bigger picture, pointing to wider evidence that takes in hybrid schedules and how remote working helps people with disabilities.
So, should we all be rushing back to the office for the sake of our mental health?
ALONE TIME
The ‘Home Alone’ study focused on people in ‘remotable’ jobs – jobs that can be done from home, such as software engineering and marketing – between 2011 and 2024. The researchers excluded the peak years of the COVID pandemic, 2020 and 2021, to rule out effects related to the lockdowns. But the results still show a bigger increase in mental health problems and time spent alone in remotable jobs compared to ‘non-remotable’ jobs, such as nursing.
Mental distress, appointments with mental health professionals and mental health prescriptions all increased more steeply in remotable sectors versus non-remotable sectors. And while it’s hard to nail down isolation and loneliness as the causes, the vast
Is working from home damaging our mental health?
There are undeniable benefits to not having to commute to the office five days a week. There might also be unexpected costs, too
by HAYLEY BENNETT
Working from home really suits some people, but others struggle with the isolation that can come with it.
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ANALYSIS
majority (84 per cent) of people working in remotable jobs between 2022 and 2024 spent their entire working day alone, compared to just 23 per cent in non-remotable jobs.
Mental health effects were magnified in those living alone, who were 10 times more likely to spend their entire working day alone and 13 times more likely not to have any human contact at all.
However, we should exercise caution when drawing conclusions from just one study, says Dr Jane Parry, associate professor of work and employment and member of the Work Futures Research Centre at the University of Southampton. Parry acknowledges that “badly managed” remote work can lead to people becoming isolated or overworked, but says that “remote working experiences vary widely depending on people’s circumstances, the quality of management and how work is organised.”
Although there’s broader evidence that WFH can cause mental distress, as well as conflicts in work and family life, there’s also solid research showing it can have benefits for wellbeing. For example, one widely-cited trial, conducted between 2021 and 2022, followed 1,612 people at the Chinese travel company Trip.com. It found that those assigned to work from home two days per week rated their work-life balance, and satisfaction with their job and life, more highly than those assigned to spend all week in the office. They were also less likely to quit and no less productive.
Furthermore, a recent UK House of Lords report highlighted important benefits of WFH for those with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
“Remote working can make it easier to manage medical appointments, therapies, fatigue, pain, mobility issues and sensory issues,” says Parry. “For some workers, remote working removes barriers that would otherwise make employment difficult or impossible.”
INCREASING DEMANDS
A key problem with most studies on remote working and mental health is that cause and effect can get mixed up. That’s because people with any health challenges, including physical issues, mental health conditions such as anxiety, or forms of neurodivergence, may choose to stay home. So, in studies of people who have chosen their own working situation (unlike in the Trip.com
ABOVE Offices are increasingly empty now that technology has made it possible for more people to work remotely
“Remote working experiences vary widely depending on people’s circumstances”
trial), it could look like remote working leads to poorer mental health, when in some cases, it’s the opposite.
What’s different about the ‘Home Alone’ study is that it sidesteps this problem with its ‘remotable’ category. Rather than showing that people who choose to work from home have worse mental health, it shows mental health has worsened, on average, across remotable sectors, regardless of where the people working in those sectors have chosen to work. The downside of the approach is that it doesn’t differentiate between WFH and office working, or between fully remote and hybrid working.
Harrington argues the approach is useful because it shows the broader impact of remote working, beyond those who choose to work from home. “When one person is out of the office, it impacts people who remain in the
GETTY IMAGES X2
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LEFT Ensuring teams can gather and work together when they are in the office helps people forge the connections that create a positive culture in the workplace
by HAYLEY BENNETT
Hayley is a science writer based in Bristol, UK.
office,” she says. “So even an on-site worker in a remotable job may now be lonelier because their colleagues choose to work from home.”
However, Dr Daniel Wheatley, an expert in remote and hybrid working at the University of Birmingham, in the UK, questions whether it’s WFH per se that’s affecting mental health or the increasing “intensity” in remotable sectors. He suspects it’s more likely to be that people in remotable sectors are having to squeeze more into their working day than ever.
“We know that those people are having to work harder,” he says. “There’s an increased focus on the components of work that create outputs rather than the components that might allow them thinking time or to move between activities.”
So, could it be that back-to-back meetings, the rise of monitoring software and fewer coffee breaks are affecting people’s mental health, rather than the absence of their work colleagues?
According to Wheatley, it’s too soon to tell, even though, on balance, the evidence regarding remote and hybrid working suggests there are more benefits than risks associated with WFH. And while the ‘Home Alone’ study does cover some of the post-pandemic period, he notes that the effects won’t become clear until more time has passed. “We need to see how this plays out,” he says.
That said, both Wheatley and Parry believe hybrid working may offer the best of both worlds in terms of mental health. But that’s not to say it can’t be improved.
Parry’s own research highlights the importance of specific training for managers in how to handle and organise a team’s hybrid working. This includes checking in with staff for signs of isolation, but also ensuring that when people do come into the office they can “sit [with their colleagues] and that there’s space for them to have breakout discussions and to connect informally. That connection is part of workplace culture.”
The ‘Home Alone’ study also highlights missed opportunities for making connections outside of the office when people work from home – especially considering the time gained from not having to commute.
“We found there was no meaningful increase in socialising after work hours,” Harrington says. “It would be wonderful if we converted time saved commuting into time spent nurturing communities outside of work.”
35
TNNOWATTONE
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOMORROW LINNUVAI LUINJ
ARE THESE TERRIFYING ROBOTS
THE FUTURE OF WAR?
Unmanned ground and air vehicles are changing warfare as we know it
by GREG NOONE
INNOVATIONS
SF
The Russian soldiers never heard the robots that killed them. The five-man infiltration squad had snuck into Ukraine and taken up position in a few small buildings north of Dobropillya, in Donetsk Oblast. They were behind enemy lines and confident that Ukraine's forces were unaware of their presence. If the Ukrainians did know they were close by, there would be a counterattack, which would be announced by small arms fire from nearby troops.
But no troops were needed to neutralise the threat they posed. Instead, the Russians died at the hands of drone operators controlling three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and two unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), each armed with a large-calibre machine gun.
SATELLITE-ENABLED WARFARE
While aerial drone strikes have been commonplace since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the use of UGVs to hold and retake positions has accelerated in the past six months.
Such is the potential of UGVs in both defensive and offensive operations that the Ukrainian military recently launched a competition to source new designs. According to the official press release announcing the competition (vividly illustrated with an AI-generated image of Terminator-esque robots firing at human-shaped targets), "The key objective of the initiative is to maximise the automation of the front lines and reduce risks to military personnel."
That's always been the goal of UGVs, explains Robert Tollast, a researcher in the Royal United Services Institute's (RUSI) land warfare team. Though history offers plenty of cases of armed remote-controlled ground vehicles – see, for example, the 'Schneider Crocodile' deployed by the French army during the First World War – in Ukraine, such robots rose to prominence as a means of resupplying isolated forward positions and evacuating the wounded.
Both Russia and Ukraine make regular use of these UGVs, most of which resemble flatbed trolleys with caterpillar tracks. But improved communications technology has allowed the devices to move from saving soldiers to fighting.
A growing supply of Starlink satellite internet terminals to the Ukrainian army has allowed human operators to maintain reliable links with UGVs for far longer than conventional radio-based connections, which can also be
This machine is fighting on the front line in Ukraine – part of a growing army of unmanned vehicles
easily jammed. Though the Starlink system is "not impervious" to these problems, says Tollast, its ability to rapidly switch between high-band frequencies has made operations like the one outside Dobropillya possible.
Ukraine has had the edge over Russia in this area since February 2026, when Starlink blocked the latter's military use of its terminals, although that may not last forever, argues Tollast. Russia is working with China to find ways of blocking the service without relying on the former's expensive, truck-sized jamming systems, which Ukrainian UAV operators have repeatedly destroyed in recent months.
In the meantime, however, Ukraine has been exploring new ways to use its growing army of UGVs, which now number in the several thousands.
A FOUR-LEGGED THREAT
One obvious application lies in offensive operations. In July, the Ukrainian army landed an ARK-1 robot armed with a machine gun on the Kinburn Spit, a highly contested sliver of Russian-occupied territory south of Mykolaiv. Though the outcome of that raid remains unclear, Tollast predicts more operations of this kind from the Ukrainians in the coming months.
Might humanoid robots soon be spotted on the front line? Tollast thinks not and the Ukrainian army agrees, stating that such drones are heavy, expensive and often topple over. Quadruped robots are much more likely, argues Tollast. These would – in theory – be able
to traverse the battlefield with relative ease (a prospect frighteningly visualised in the 2017 Black Mirror episode 'Metalhead').
Uncrewed tanks are another possibility, Tollast says. But the Ukrainian army's progress in UGV development is only sustainable if a reliable connection is maintained between the human operators and the drones in the field. If China and Russia succeed in finding cheaper ways to block Starlink, all bets are off.
A solution to this problem might be to make the machines fully autonomous, as is increasingly the case among UAVs deployed by both sides in this conflict. "I expect that the Ukrainians will be working hard on this," says Tollast, "and they'll probably crack the problem at scale."
It may take some time. Though the cost of the sensors necessary for autonomous navigation is falling, even drones powered by the latest machine vision systems find it difficult to traverse the churned-up terrain of Ukrainian no man's land.
As such, we'll probably have to wait a while for robots to take over soldiering. Assuming that's the only option besides an end to the fighting.
by GREG NOONE
Greg is a UK-based freelance journalist and the former editor of Tech Monitor.
GETTY IMAGES, DEVORDIO
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INNOVATIONS
TRAIN LIKE THE PROS
Looking to emulate the stars of this summer’s World Cup and take your kickabouts to the next level? This high-tech kit will help you train like Messi, Mbappé and Kane
THE BOOT THAT WON THE WORLD CUP
One boot was worn by more players than any other at this summer’s World Cup: Nike’s Mercurial Superfly. The Adidas F50 wasn’t too far behind, but the Mercurial has the pedigree to accompany its popularity – it has been a prestige football boot for more than 25 years.
The latest Superfly comes with a host of technical touches aimed at helping players (such as French striker Kylian Mbappé, the winner of the tournament’s Golden Boot for most goals scored) move and react faster. A three-quarter length Air Zoom unit built into the sole plate offers cushioning and improved energy return during sprints and rapid changes of direction. The upper includes Nike’s AtomKnit, a material engineered to increase friction between boot and ball,
which supposedly improves close control and striking consistency in both wet and dry conditions. Underneath, a mix of chevron- and blade-shaped studs is designed to maximise grip under acceleration while releasing cleanly from the turf, helping players change direction without losing momentum.
The result is a boot engineered to allow players to maintain control at full speed. It’s no coincidence that the Mercurial remains the boot of choice for many of the game’s most dynamic players.
AS USED BY: KYLIAN MBAPPÉ (REAL MADRID & FRANCE)
Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 Elite By You
£284.99, nike.com
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INNOVATIONS
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↓ BACK TO ME
Here's a training partner that always passes back to you. The SenseBall is a football attached to a tether that returns after every touch. The deceptively simple design lets you complete hundreds of controlled touches in a short training session, dramatically increasing repetition compared with conventional practice.
According to the neuroscientists and sports scientists who designed the ball, that volume accelerates motor learning, helping technical skills become automatic. Because the SenseBall returns from different angles after every touch, you constantly adjust your body position, balance and first touch while developing spatial awareness and rhythm. No wonder the system has been adopted by elite clubs and academies.
AS USED BY: AC MILAN
SenseBall Pro Level
£37.99, senseball.com
↑ STRONG ON THE MOVE
Resistance training gives footballers better strength on the ball, faster sprints and higher jumps. The Beyond Power Voltra I replaces conventional weights with digitally controlled motorised resistance in a device small enough to fit inside a backpack and set up almost anywhere.
Producing up to 90kg (198lbs) of resistance, it offers a range of modes that automatically adapt throughout each movement. You can also program resistance to increase or decrease through different phases of an exercise, to match your body's natural strength curve. As well as giving you a mobile gym, it allows any coaches, personal trainers or managers you might have to precisely monitor workloads and progressive training programmes.
AS USED BY: PREMIER LEAGUE
Beyond Power Voltra I
£2,049, beyond-power.com
A WEARABLE MASSEUSE
Therabody's compression boots are designed to speed your recovery after the final whistle. They use controlled pneumatic chambers to inflate and deflate around the legs, encouraging venous return and lymphatic drainage after exercise. Customisable pressure levels help reduce muscle soreness, stiffness and the sensation of heavy legs following intense training.
AS USED BY: NATIONAL WOMEN'S
SOCCER LEAGUE
Therabody JetBoots Prime
£469, therabody.co.uk
AND BREATHE...
Moonbird is a handheld breathing coach that expands and contracts in your hand, guiding users through slow, controlled breathing.
Haptic feedback encourages longer exhalations, activating the parasympathetic nervous system to lower heart rate and reduce stress.
AS USED BY: BELGIAN RED FLAMES
Moonbird Breathing Tool
£159, moonbird.life
MAN MARKING
Target's Smart Shin Pads hide GPS-tracking technology inside a piece of equipment every player already wears.
Sensors measure distance covered, sprint speed, accelerations, jump height and impacts, while AI-powered analysis converts the data into training insights.
AS USED BY: NXGEN PRO ACADEMIES
Target Smart Shin Pads
£135, target-football.com
QUICKER THINKING
A footballer's brain needs to twinkle as much as their toes. To that end, the Quickplay RXTR is as much a cognitive training tool as a physical one, transforming a traditional rebound board into an interactive reaction-drills system. Embedded LED targets illuminate randomly during practice, forcing you to scan, process information and react before receiving or returning the ball. Impact sensors register accuracy and reaction speed, allowing measurable progress over time.
It's designed to mirror match situations, where decision-making is often more important than pure technical ability, and simultaneously develops your first touch, passing accuracy, visual awareness and reaction speed.
AS USED BY: FOOTBALL ESCAPES
TRAINING CAMPS
Quickplay RXTR
£119.99, quickplaysport.com
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INNOVATIONS
EDITOR'S PICKS...
This month's smartest tech
...FULL STEAM AHEAD
For those of you not versed in PC gaming, let me catch you up. If you're playing video games on a home computer, Steam is the premier online store where you buy your games. The vast majority of games ever released (on PC, at least) are there for you to buy, and the older they get, the more they're discounted.
More recently, Steam has been the place where indie developers sell their quirky, original creations. I'm thinking of games like Peak, where you and three friends scale a mountain together, or The Isle, where you play as dinosaurs chomping your way up the food chain. What I'm saying is: these days, it seems like PC gamers are having all the fun.
Buying a gaming PC, however, is less fun. Whether you buy 'off the rack' or build it yourself, there's a lot of pressure to get it right. Not just to put the right pieces together, but to buy something that's going to last. Enter the Steam Machine: a gaming PC masquerading as a console.
The idea is to take the hassle out of PC gaming. No keyboards, mice or monitors needed, just a controller and TV. It's also designed to be simple: you don't need to mess around with anti-virus updates, new driver settings or sound cards. For the most part, you just power up the Steam Machine and start playing.
So far, so great... But there's a hitch. While it was in development, the price of RAM
and graphics cards rose astronomically. This has led to Valve (the company behind the Steam Machine and titles like Half-Life) pricing it at a hefty £879 (without a controller). That's top dollar for a specification that already feels a little behind the curve.
The idea and design are perfect, but the build and execution both leave something to be desired. So, if you want to join the PC gaming party, there might be better ways to go. But if you're already invested in the Steam store and want to bring your library of games to your living room, this could be the way to do it.
Steam Machine
£879, store.steampowered.com
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INNOVATIONS
SF
↓ ...BEST FOOT FORWARD
The Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide is the second collaboration between Nike and Hyperice, a company that started out by making gadgets to help athletes' muscles recover after exercise – like an ice pack, but better (hence the name). These high-tech sliders have a Nike Air Zoom sole built into the bottom and a rechargeable pod that magnetically attaches to the top. Once in place, the pod delivers three levels of targeted heat (up to 47°C/116°F) and massaging vibrations in 15-minute cycles to reduce tension in your tootsies. Catch me wearing these bad boys while I put the bins out on collection day.
Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide
TBC, nike.com
↓ ...DISCREET SURVEILLANCE
Xiaomi's new Smart Camera solves the problem of most home surveillance systems: the feeling that you're constantly being watched. Whether it's sat neatly on a countertop or hung from a ceiling, it provides a 360° horizontal and 180° vertical view of the room it's in, following the action with both 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP ultra-telephoto lenses. But for those moments when you're at home and don't want "Big Brother" watching over you, you can simply "close its eyes" by rolling the cameras down so they're out of sight.
Xiaomi Smart Camera
C701 Pro
TBC, mi.com
↓ ...COAL MINE CHIC
The canary in the coal mine idea was a simple, if somewhat callous, way to monitor air quality in years gone by. This is it updated for the 21st century. I'm a big fan of the simplicity of the Birdie 2.0. The Denmark-based designers of the housing for this Swiss-engineered CO₂-sensor have done away with companion apps, screens and buttons of any kind. When it detects high levels of CO₂ in your home (anything higher than 1,000 parts per million for more than 10 minutes) the bird simply flops down to hang below its perch, providing an endearingly cute visual cue that you could benefit from opening a window. Never has a bird going belly up been so pleasing.
Birdie 2.0
€170,
birdie.design
↑ ...PICTURE PERFECT
With its automatic shutter speeds and limited digital zooming quality, Leica's Sofort 2 isn't going to win acclaim from "serious" photographers. But as a simple memory-making machine – and a more affordable way to get your hands on some Leica kit – this hybrid digital-instant camera is great. Pocket-sized and with a scrollable screen to preview images before
you commit them to the physical world, it's designed for on-the-go fun. It only has capacity to store 45 images, but there's a slot for a MicroSD card if you want to get snap-happy. The camera is also freckled with nifty features such as a small selfie mirror and an oh-so-satisfying lever to crank when you're ready to print your pics.
Leica SOFORT 2
€360, leica-camera.com
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THE NEW WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG BREAKING EVERY RECORD
Science Focus
BRAIN-WELTING HEAT
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SF
FEATURE
PREDIABETES
PREDIA
THE DIAGNOSIS THAT'S A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
You can reverse the slide towards type 2 diabetes if you catch it early enough and make the right lifestyle changes
by SANDY ONG
GETTY IMAGES
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PREDIABETES
FEATURE
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NBETES
SF
FEATURE
PREDIABETES
T
he American TV presenter and producer Oprah Winfrey's long-term battle with her weight is well documented. Her struggles went on for years and saw her yo-yo wildly between a low of 145lbs and a high of 237lbs (65–107kg). But a medical diagnosis that came in 2015 encouraged her to swap the crash dieting for lasting lifestyle changes.
"I was prediabetic, and my cholesterol numbers were high," Winfrey recalls in a recent interview with People magazine.
Prediabetes is a condition in which a person's blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but they don't meet the threshold for the disease or display any of its symptoms.
"It's a warning phase," says Dr Jason Fung, a kidney specialist
and author of The Diabetes Code. "It emphasises that someone is at risk of developing diabetes."
Health organisations worldwide define prediabetes slightly differently. But many, including the NHS, consider it to be when your HbA1c levels (the amount of sugar, or glucose, bound to your red blood cells as measured over a two- or three-month period) are between 42 and 47 millimoles per litre, or 6.0–6.4 per cent.
Today, prediabetes affects over a third of adults in the US and nearly one in eight (6.9 million) people in the UK. Globally, 541 million adults live with the condition. And while the majority of those affected currently reside in high-income countries, it's predicted that lower-income nations will see the biggest rise in cases by 2045.
It's a worrying trend, given that prediabetes is associated with numerous health issues. This includes a higher risk of death (13 per cent), heart disease (16 per cent) and stroke (14 per cent), as researchers revealed in a 2020 meta-analysis of 129 studies involving more than 10 million people.
It gets worse. Every year, five to 10 per cent of those with prediabetes will progress to type 2 diabetes, which brings its own complications if left unmanaged. "It's one of the biggest risk factors for kidney failure," says Fung. "Not only are you going to be at risk of blindness and amputations, but also heart attacks, strokes, cancer, infections and more."
But there's good news: a prediabetes diagnosis doesn't mean your fate is sealed. "It's possible for some people to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes," says Emma Pike, deputy head of clinical at Diabetes UK, the country's biggest diabetes charity.
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Prediabetes occurs when the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes
MAIN IMAGE Regular exercise can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels
BELOW An illustration of glucose and insulin molecules in the bloodstream
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Diabetes requires you to regularly check your blood sugar levels
"IT AFFECTS OVER A THIRD OF ADULTS IN THE US AND NEARLY ONE IN EIGHT PEOPLE IN THE UK"
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The key, however, is to tackle the condition as early as possible. Doing so requires a raft of lifestyle changes, the main ones being losing weight, eating well and exercising more. If you’re diligent about them, remission – going back to normal blood glucose levels – is entirely possible, says Prof Andreas Birkenfeld, director of the Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases at Helmholtz Munich in Germany.
Take Winfrey, for instance. According to a story in People from 2019, thanks to changes she made after her diagnosis of prediabetes, her blood sugar levels returned to normal. As of January 2026, with the help of a healthy diet, regular exercise and weight-loss drugs, she was back to 155lbs (70kg), the weight she was when she ran her first marathon in 1994.
SEIZE THE MOMENT
“The positive message is that as long as you’re prediabetic, you can achieve remission and go back to metabolic health more easily,” says Birkenfeld. “Once you have diabetes, it takes much more effort, and it
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doesn't last. So, with prediabetes, you have a real window of opportunity."
Diabetes is a complicated condition that can take on many forms. But at its core, it occurs when the body can't process glucose effectively, and too much of it remains in the bloodstream.
Glucose comes mainly from carbohydrates in our food and drinks. Blood sugar rises when the body breaks carbohydrates down. The rise sends a signal to the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin, which helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it can be used for energy.
With diabetes, something goes wrong with this process.
While different forms of the disease manifest in similar ways, their root causes vary. In some pregnant women, for instance, hormones from the placenta prevent the mother's insulin from working properly, resulting in gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is an autoimmune condition usually diagnosed
ABOVE More people are prone to prediabetes today as our eating habits have altered hugely over the last 40 years
in children and young adults. In this case, insulin is absent because the body mistakenly destroys insulin-making cells.
By contrast, type 2 diabetes – which accounts for around 90 per cent of all cases – occurs when cells stop responding properly to insulin, a condition called insulin resistance, and, over time, the pancreas can no longer produce enough insulin to compensate.
"Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are really complex conditions, and there are a multitude of different risk factors," says Pike. These include age (for people 45 and older), genetic predisposition (for South Asian, Black and Hispanic people), family history and socioeconomic deprivation.
But one of the biggest predictors, by far, is obesity. Excess fat disrupts the body's normal metabolism, causing cells to become more insulin resistant. In response, the pancreas works overtime to produce more insulin. It can't continue that work rate forever, though, and eventually it loses its ability to keep up.
"That creates a double whammy," says Amanda Avery, an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of Nottingham. Too much fat leads to too much sugar in the bloodstream. And too much sugar makes it progressively harder for your body to handle sugar in the future, and that excess sugar is likely to be converted into more fat.
Given that global obesity rates have tripled since 1975, it's little surprise that prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are on the rise too, says Fung. "All three conditions – obesity, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes – share the same pathophysiology."
Today, two in every three UK adults are overweight or obese. It's a symptom of modern life, says Avery. "We live in an obesogenic environment. People are much more sedentary, and our food choices are very different compared with 40 years ago."
Portion sizes are also bigger, plus cheap ultra-processed food is everywhere. "These are much more calorie-dense, but nutritionally poor," says Avery. "It's just awful."
RETHINKING YOUR MEALS
Because prediabetes is so closely linked to obesity, doctors usually encourage patients to lose weight first, rather than prescribing medication straight off the bat. "We always recommend a lifestyle intervention first with diet and exercise," says Birkenfeld. "And if that doesn't work, we'll consider [the type 2 diabetes drug] metformin and now also GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic or Wegovy, for patients with obesity."
One of the most effective ways to lose weight is to eat fewer refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and rice, as well as sugary drinks and snacks. "These become glucose a lot faster in the body, and so require a greater surge of insulin," says Avery.
Instead, opt for complex carbohydrates that are higher in fibre and take longer to digest, supplying a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream. Think whole grains (oats, brown rice, wholewheat bread), legumes (beans and lentils) and non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, peppers, leafy greens).
Switching to a low-carbohydrate diet overall could help, too. In its place, you might try eating more protein and upping your intake of
"IT'S ABOUT FINDING A DIET THAT WORKS FOR YOU... THAT YOU CAN SUSTAIN IN THE LONG RUN"
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TOP AND ABOVE A low-carbohydrate diet featuring fruit and veg, such as avocados and leafy greens, as well as whole grains and legumes can help the body control glucose levels
fruit and vegetables, which “is helpful because they can be filling”, says Avery.
Your meals should remain nutritionally balanced however you go about making them, she cautions. The ‘Healthy Eating Plate’ or ‘Half Plate’ model from Harvard University offers a simple visual guide: fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and the final quarter with whole grains. “That’ll provide a reasonably good amount of micronutrients,” says Avery.
Pike has other helpful tweaks. “Choose healthier fat options – vegetable oils such as rapeseed and olive, instead of animal fat products. Think about your snack choices – go for nuts and seeds rather than biscuits and cakes, as much as possible. And pick dairy that doesn’t have any sugar added, particularly fermented dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese, which are associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Healthy eating comes in many forms, but ultimately, it’s about finding a diet that works for you and that you can sustain in the long run. “If you take away what people really love, they can do it for some time, but they’ll fall back into old habits,” says Birkenfeld.
Apart from paying attention to what foods you eat, it appears that how and when you consume them matter too. In one small study, patients with type 2 diabetes who fasted overnight were given the same meal of carbohydrates (ciabatta and orange juice), protein (skinless grilled chicken breast) and vegetables (broccoli and lettuce and tomato salad) on two occasions, and instructed to eat the components in a different order each time. Consuming the vegetables and protein 15 minutes before the carbs resulted in lower post-meal glucose and insulin spikes, compared with eating the carbohydrates first.
Other studies also link poor eating habits – irregular mealtimes and eating late into the night – with higher insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Fung strongly recommends intermittent fasting, where you eat during a specific window in the day and fast for the remainder. “If you fast, you’re basically allowing your body to burn off the extra glucose,” he says.
BUILDING HEALTHY HABITS
Eating well aside, experts also recommend that people with prediabetes try to get some exercise – at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every week. “That could be walking, jogging, swimming, cycling or whatever people might enjoy,” says Pike. “Plus, some strength-based exercises as well.”
Movement helps because muscles need glucose to function, helping to clear sugar from the
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bloodstream. Exercise has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. In particular, studies show that walking after a meal, for as little as 10 to 15 minutes, can keep glucose and insulin levels more stable compared to remaining sedentary.
Another useful tip is to get enough sleep, between seven and eight hours a night. “Bad sleep has been shown to have an adverse impact on insulin resistance and glucose tolerance,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in the US, who studies the link between sleep, obesity and metabolic diseases.
In a study her lab conducted, 38 healthy women were asked to delay their bedtime by 90 minutes, shortening their total sleep time, for a period of six weeks. The researchers discovered that this raised the women’s fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance by 12 and 15 per cent respectively. The effect was more pronounced in postmenopausal women.
St-Onge also recommends keeping regular bedtimes. “We’ve shown that sleep regularity is relevant when we talk about diabetes risk. If you have stable sleep patterns, it’s also easier to have stable meal patterns.”
To lower your diabetes risk even further, experts suggest adopting healthy habits such as stopping smoking and limiting alcohol consumption. Boosting your light exposure during the daytime, while dimming the lights in the evenings, could also help to improve blood sugar control, as a small study in people with prediabetes found. (Light exposure is linked to the regulation of melatonin, a hormone that is important for controlling sleepiness, but also metabolism.)
There’s ample evidence from several large-scale clinical trials to show that lifestyle interventions can and do work to reverse prediabetes. The US-run Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), for instance, studied over 3,200 people with prediabetes and found that intensive lifestyle change (aiming for seven per cent weight loss through a low-fat diet and 150 minutes of weekly exercise) slashed diabetes risk by 58 per cent. Trials in Finland and China, each involving over 500 participants, also reported similar results.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
The benefits of returning blood glucose levels to normal can’t be overstated. Apart from avoiding type 2 diabetes and all its inherent complications, there are proven long-term heart benefits too. For example, when researchers followed DPP participants over 20 years, they
ABOVE Good bedtime habits are key to good health, particularly when it comes to diabetes
discovered that those who achieved remission were 51 per cent less likely to die from cardiovascular issues or be hospitalised for heart failure, compared with participants who remained prediabetic.
Similar findings were observed for participants of the Chinese study: remission lowered the risk of cardiovascular death and overall death by 33 and 26 per cent, respectively, over three decades of follow-up.
But as with most other medical conditions, early intervention is key. “As soon as somebody is told that they’ve got prediabetes – and the quicker they can sit down and think about what changes they can make to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes – the better,” says Avery.
Birkenfeld agrees. His work with the German Prediabetes Lifestyle Intervention Study showed that people who achieved prediabetes remission within six months maintained healthier fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels over time compared with those who took twice as long. “They also had a very low chance of developing diabetes or going back to prediabetes later on,” he adds.
With that in mind, prediabetes should be viewed as “a real positive diagnosis” rather than a cause for dismay, says Avery. “Because it means people can make small changes that will make a big difference.” SF
SANDY ONG
Sandy is a freelance science and health journalist based in Singapore
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SUBGLACIAL ANTARCTICA
LIFE BELOW THE FREEZE
What can life evolve into after a million years of total darkness, crushing pressure and isolation? The answer may be lurking under Antarctica
by ROB REDDICK
ROV SUBASTIAN/SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE
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RIGHT The Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessel Falkor (too) was already in the Bellingshausen Sea around Antarctica when the George VI Ice Shelf ruptured. They immediately changed course to investigate
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A helmet jellyfish (Periphylla periphylla) was found drifting in the Bellingshausen Sea around the west coast of Antarctica, close to the broken George VI Ice Shelf
ALEX INGLE/SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE #4
V
ery little of our planet remains truly unexplored, and most of what's still untouched is at the South Pole. Almost all of Antarctica – along with large swaths of the ocean around it – is covered by ice hundreds, if not thousands, of metres
thick. Space may be the final frontier, but Antarctica is its close rival.
Yet, slowly but surely, this last unknown area of Earth is giving up its secrets. Armed with new technologies, researchers are peering beneath the continent's vast ice sheet in search of one of the most extraordinary discoveries on Earth: life hidden beneath the ice.
When a huge chunk of the George VI Ice Shelf broke away from Antarctica in January 2025, scientists seized the rare opportunity to explore a stretch of seabed that had been hidden beneath 150m (492ft) of ice.
Sending remotely operated vehicles to the seafloor, they discovered sponges, sea spiders,
ABOVE The iceberg that split from the George VI Ice Shelf was roughly the size of the US city of Chicago. Its remnants could be seen from the Falkor (too)
TOP RIGHT Icebergs seen around the site of the George VI Ice Shelf rupture
anemones and octopuses – a surprisingly rich ecosystem thriving despite being cut off from sunlight for centuries.
Such findings are just the beginning. Across the Antarctic mainland, researchers are continuing to discover new deep, dark aquatic environments: freshwater lakes that are sandwiched between the ice sheet and the continental rock beneath – as a general rule, where there's water, there's life.
"It's just an unexplored biosphere down there," says Dr John Priscu, professor of ecology at Montana State University, in the US.
He has been a lead investigator on two successful missions that tapped into these lakes and recovered samples rich with microbes. "We found life. We know it's alive and we were able to genetically identify it," he says.
Many of Antarctica's subglacial lakes have been separated from the atmosphere and oceans for thousands of years – some potentially for millions.
Analysis of captured lake water has shown that its life forms evolved in isolation from the rest of the world, and that these microbes have found strange ways to survive the harsh conditions deep under the ice sheet.
Yet scientists have sampled only a tiny fraction of Antarctica's hidden lakes. More than 700 are thought to lie beneath the ice sheet, each a potential world of its own.
What other forms of life might they harbour? And after millions of years cut off from the rest of the planet, how different might those organisms be? "You can only speculate what might be down there," Priscu says.
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“IT’S A REMARKABLE PLACE THAT COULD BE A SETTING FOR UNUSUAL ADAPTATIONS OR POTENTIALLY MORE COMPLEX LIFE”
BELOW The Schmidt Ocean Institute team used a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) known as SuBastian to study the seafloor beneath the broken ice shelf
HIDDEN DEPTHS
Antarctica may look like a huge block of ice, but it’s actually a giant landmass twice the size of Australia, with a thick sheet of frozen water sitting on top. Hidden underneath is a highly varied landscape made up of mountain ranges, valleys, hills and plains – an undulating surface where liquid water can pool.
“The water of subglacial lakes is freshwater, because it comes from ice melting,” says Sally Wilson, a PhD student studying subglacial lakes at the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds. “It melts due to geothermal energy – heat from the centre of Earth – and frictional melting, as the ice slides over the bedrock.”
Scientists didn’t know these hidden lakes existed until the 1970s, when they began using airborne radar to measure the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheet and map the landscape beneath it.
Most radar scans revealed the rugged contours of mountains and valleys buried below the ice. But every so often, researchers spotted patches that were unnaturally flat and smooth. The only plausible explanation was that the ice wasn’t resting on rock at all – it was floating on liquid water.
By the 1990s, scientists had additional eyes in the sky they could call on: satellites. These started taking highly accurate measurements of the height of the top surface of the ice sheet, finding very flat areas that also hinted at bodies of water below. By combining this satellite data with radar and seismic readings, scientists were able to accelerate the discovery of new subglacial lakes, including, in 1996, Antarctica’s largest – Lake Vostok.
With a surface area of 16,000km² (approximately 6,200 sq miles) and a depth of over 1,000m (3,281ft) in places, Vostok ranks as one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world – albeit one that’s hidden beneath 3,700m (12,139ft) of ice. Following its discovery, researchers began hatching plans to survey both it and other subglacial environments.
“That really caused us to think about subglacial lakes not just as a curiosity, but as something that actually could be scientifically valuable,” says British glaciologist Prof Martin Siegert, of the University of Exeter, who co-authored a landmark paper that helped outline Lake Vostok’s characteristics.
“It’s this remarkable place that could be a setting for unusual adaptations, microbial life or potentially more complex life,” Siegert says.
Russian researchers were first to investigate Lake Vostok. Conveniently, they already had a head start: a polar research station built directly above the lake in the 1950s, where scientists had drilled more than 3.5km (2.2 miles) beneath the surface to recover an ice core. Using this existing borehole, researchers first collected samples of accretion ice – lake water that had frozen onto the underside of the ice sheet – in the late 1990s, before finally sampling the lake itself in 2013.
What they discovered was in equal parts vibrant and controversial. Analysis of the accretion ice revealed the presence of genetic material from more than 3,500 species – including bacteria, aquatic sea creatures and fungi – with many being genetically similar to species found in other places on Earth. The lake water also appeared to contain bacteria. But many researchers believe almost all of this life was brought down into the ice during drilling.
“The Russian samples that they got from Lake Vostok were probably contaminated,” says Siegert. The mechanical drilling used a kerosene-based antifreeze to stop the borehole refreezing, he explains. This fluid, sitting in the hole for years alongside the drilling equipment, likely introduced surface microbes into anything they brought back up.
Priscu agrees: “The Russians had a very strange plan. They didn’t succeed in collecting useful samples.”
In 2012, Siegert led a British expedition that attempted to avoid these contamination issues. Instead of using a mechanical drill as the
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ABOVE A suspected new species of isopod was found in the Bellingshausen Sea after the George VI ice shelf rupture BELOW This octopus was spotted resting on the seafloor in the waters off the west of Antarctica
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Russian scientists had, his team used a hot water system, sterilised with UV light and hydrogen peroxide, to melt a borehole 3km (1.8 miles) down to a different subglacial lake – Lake Ellsworth.
The mission struggled with logistical problems and its drilling system ultimately ran out of fuel on Christmas Eve 2012 without having penetrated the lake.
But the research community didn’t have to wait long for another attempt. In January 2013, a US project called WISSARD (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling) successfully used hot-water drilling to burrow through 800m (2,625ft) of ice to enter Lake Whillans in West Antarctica.
Priscu was the project’s chief scientist and oversaw the collection of samples. “I expected life,” Priscu says. “But not this diverse.”
LOST CONNECTIONS
What Priscu’s team found in Lake Whillans was an array of bacterial species, “a whole teeming ecosystem,” he says.
Genetic analysis proved the microbes found weren’t the result of contamination. Instead, they revealed that the lakes hold clues to Antarctica’s distant past and continue to influence the continent’s environment today.
“There was evidence of an old marine environment and evidence that these lakes act like biochemical reactors that fertilise the coastline of Antarctica, because the water flows down into the ocean,” Priscu says. In
“THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF AN OLD MARINE ENVIRONMENT, AND EVIDENCE THAT THESE LAKES ACT LIKE BIOCHEMICAL REACTORS THAT FERTILISE THE COASTLINE OF ANTARCTICA”
other words, the lakes appear to preserve traces of a time when this part of Antarctica was covered by the sea. As water slowly drains from beneath the ice into the Southern Ocean, it also carries nutrients that help sustain life along the Antarctic coast.
Such findings offer a possible explanation as to why there’s so much ocean life hiding under places like the George VI ice shelf. Normally, marine food webs begin with microscopic algae that grow where sunlight reaches the ocean. Beneath hundreds of metres of ice, that source of food is largely cut off.
One possibility is that subglacial lakes provide an alternative, releasing microbes and nutrients that are carried beneath the ice and help feed the ecosystem.
WISSARD’s success meant there was an immediate appetite for more research. “We had a lot of momentum,” Priscu says. This was translated into another project, Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access, or SALSA, which delved 1,000m (3,281ft) below the ice sheet into another subglacial lake, Lake Mercer, in 2019. The analysis of these
BELOW Lake Vostok is located beneath Russia’s Vostok Station – the surface of the freshwater lake is approximately 4,000m (13,100ft) under the surface of the ice
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samples, which are similarly rich in microbes, is still ongoing.
Early results suggest some of those microbes may represent lineages unlike anything seen elsewhere on Earth. By comparing the genes of what they discovered there with the known tree of life, the team recently proved that what they found is truly unique – bacteria and bacteria-eating viruses that have been cut off from the rest of Earth and evolved separately. “We made an argument that maybe they evolved there when there was no ice sheet,” Priscu says. “These organisms are really isolated.”
Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about these microbes is that, unlike almost every other ecosystem on Earth, they don’t ultimately rely on sunlight. Some of their energy comes from ancient organic matter that entered the lake when it was last connected to the ocean. But that supply alone isn’t enough.
Instead, many of the microbes generate energy by extracting it from chemicals such as hydrogen released from crushed rocks, as well as methane, iron and sulphur – a process known as chemolithoautotrophy.
“These lakes are one of the only places, if not the only place, that you can find ecosystems that really operate separately from photosynthetic energy,” says Dr Trista Vick-Majors, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Michigan Technological University, in the US, and one of SALSA’s microbial ecologists.
“They’re conducting these metabolisms that maybe you can find other places, but they’re doing it in this kind of crazy closed-off environment that’s very cold. It’s very dark. It’s under pressure,” Vick-Majors says. “It’s receiving less in terms of new inputs of energy than even a lot of deeper parts of the ocean.”
Because of this lack of energy, these microbes replicate much more slowly than those found elsewhere. But they’ve been going about the business of survival for a long, long time. Thanks to radiocarbon dating of matter in Mercer’s lake water and sediments, researchers now estimate that they’ve been living in isolation for millennia.
“We got to a date of 6,300 years ago, plus or minus 1,000. So, we say 6,000–7,000 years ago,” says Dr Ryan Venturelli, an isotope geochemist for SALSA and assistant professor at the Colorado School of Mines, in the US. “At least, that’s the last time this environment was connected to the ocean.”
But Antarctica’s hidden lakes aren’t just helping scientists understand this planet. They may also offer clues to life elsewhere. Antarctica’s subglacial environment is the closest thing on Earth to the icy worlds thought to lie beneath the frozen surfaces of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s moons.
“It’s the most definitive model we have for ocean worlds,” says Priscu. He has published research suggesting that, based on what’s been found under deep ice at the South Pole, there could be life present in the oceans of Europa, a water-rich moon of Jupiter.
Organisms that live in incredibly harsh conditions like this – dry
“WE HAVE MORE SAMPLES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN THAN WE HAVE FROM SUBGLACIAL ANTARCTICA. THERE’S JUST SO MUCH TO LEARN THERE”
deserts or around thermal vents on the deep ocean floor – are known as extremophiles and are of great relevance here on Earth, too. Bacteria with strange metabolisms have led to a whole host of scientific breakthroughs, from cancer treatments to new antibiotics and even the polymerase chain reaction, a now ubiquitous form of genetic testing that allows scientists to diagnose infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
“Stress is going to be one of the things that is going to cause organisms to evolve new capabilities. There’s a good chance that there are cells in these environments that are
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ABOVE A scientist examining coral sub-samples aboard the Folkar (tao) research vessel
ABOVE LEFT A map of subglacial lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Data for the map was recorded via the Earth Explorer CryoSat mission, a European Space Agency satellite
doing useful things that you're not going to find in other places," says Vick-Majors. "There's probably a ton of useful information there."
OLDER, DEEPER, STRANGER
What has been discovered so far is just the beginning. Not all subglacial lakes are alike. Some, like Vostok, are static – they don't really change. But many others, including Whillans and Mercer, are 'active', filling up and draining over time, with water flowing in between them. Using satellites to watch for these changes gives another clue as to where more lakes are.
"When lakes fill up, we see that the ice surface above them rises slightly," says Wilson, whose PhD focuses on using satellite observations to find new lakes. "I kind of describe it as like a blister of water underneath the ice."
Thanks to these ice movements, scientists like Wilson are still finding new lakes today.
But because Whillans and Mercer in West Antarctica are active lakes, filling and draining, and were last connected to the ocean relatively recently, their isolation pales in comparison to that of other bodies of water on the continent. Lake Vostok has potentially sat isolated under East Antarctica's ice sheet for millions of years. For Siegert, this means we still haven't properly answered the question of just how unique subglacial life forms could be.
"The bottom of West Antarctica is quite modern – 80,000 years or so, as opposed to a million years," Siegert says. "So, it's not as interesting a target scientifically as a deep-water lake."
Researchers also found considerable variation between Whillans and Mercer, hinting that there's much more to be discovered.
"Their geochemistries are really distinct. What we see in the water as
food and energy sources are really different," says Vick-Majors. "And we've only studied two lakes. There are around 700 of them."
Like Siegert, Vick-Majors thinks a deeper, more isolated lake might be the best site to target next. Organisms there "presumably could have been there for much longer and had a longer time to differentiate from other communities," she says. "We want to go to a big, deep, old lake, because I think that's where we're going to find this really unique evolutionary history."
But going back to Antarctica and drilling down to a new subglacial lake won't be easy. The American and British projects took years of planning, overcoming the logistical challenges of getting equipment to one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, before conducting research in punishing conditions where surface temperatures can drop down to below –50°C (–58°F).
The pandemic, together with cuts to research funding, has stalled any prospects of American or British research teams returning any time soon, though China and South Korea have lake-sampling projects planned.
If new expeditions do get the green light, Lake Vostok could be a compelling place to start. Years of painstaking analysis have shown that almost all of the organisms identified in the original Russian samples were contaminants introduced during drilling. But some bacterial species couldn't be explained away.
One was a known heat-loving species, Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus. While not a novel discovery in itself, researchers believe its presence in Vostok's accretion ice could point to hydrothermal vents hundreds of metres below the lake floor – hinting at an entirely unexplored ecosystem hidden beneath Antarctica's ice.
"We have more samples from the Moon than we have from subglacial Antarctica. And we have more samples from the bottom of the ocean than we have from subglacial Antarctica," says Venturelli. "There's just so much to learn there." SF
by ROB REDDICK
Rob is a former science editor at Wired. He edited stories on biotech, the environment and climate, space, energy and robotics.
ALEX INGLE/SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE, ESA
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HOW TO CATCH A LIAR
WAYS TO CATCH A LIAR
Lie detectors don't work. Body language is unreliable. But there are ways to tell if someone is lying. You just have to listen carefully to what they're saying
Words by: DR KIRSTY KING Illustrations by: DALE EDWIN MURRAY
Spotting a liar is a vital skill. We all want to be better at it because lies can affect us in any number of ways, some of them harmful. The trouble is, as studies have shown, reliably spotting when someone is lying is difficult. And there's a simple reason why: liars don't all look or behave the same way when they're lying. So, it's no good trying to seek them out.
If we're going to catch a liar, we need to use another sense: our hearing. We need to use our ears rather than our eyes because, as recent research is revealing, the things people say and the way they say them can provide clues to whether they're trying to deceive us.
These linguistic indications can vary as liars don't all lie the same way or in the same context, and there are different motivations to lie. Lies can be spontaneous, told in the moment without any planning, or they can be made up in advance. Sometimes they're even based on a warped version of the truth. As well as creating the lie, a liar might also have to navigate and adapt their responses to the situation or the different questions they're asked.
In short, it's not easy being a liar, but we can make it a lot harder for them if we learn to listen more closely to the things they say. Here are five ways a liar's words can help unmask them...
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1 REPETITION
Repetition in a person's story is something to listen out for.
A study published in Psychological Bulletin in 2003 found that when someone repeats themselves, it should put us on high alert that they could be lying.
There are various forms of linguistic repetition – it could be the repeated use of a pronoun. Take, for example, Dr Brian Crickitt, the Australian GP who murdered his partner by injecting her with a fatal dose of insulin. He lied about the circumstances of her death and in his interview with the police said: "I, I, I, I, well... I, well... You know... I... What I said was wrong about where I was last night."
Crickitt appears stuck on the pronoun as if he's unsure how to proceed. This may be due to being asked a question that he was unprepared for.
Repetition can also occur with an adjective or verb. This is usually when a liar is finding it hard to add more detail to a fabricated story. Such repetition can be heard in the US actor Jussie Smollett's account of being attacked. It appears to be factual until he gets to the crucial part of his story. At this point, he says something that should be an immediate red flag:
"We ended up tussling by the stairs. Err... [we were] fighting. Fighting. Fighting."
Having lots of repetition but little detail in this crucial part of his account is suspicious and an indication that he may not be telling the whole truth.
Indeed, it was later revealed that Smollett fabricated the attack.
Liars also use repetition to appear cooperative and helpful. It's a form of impression management – a ploy to convince the interrogator that their openness is actually a sign of honesty.
However, it's hard for the liar to supply detailed information that doesn't reveal they're lying without creating more fabricated details, which in turn makes remembering what they've said that much harder.
A study published in the Journal of Communication Disorders in 2004 found that the amount of mental effort this requires can result in a person's speech becoming muddled and less fluent.
You can see this in the case of Stuart Hazell. He murdered his step-granddaughter Tia Sharp and hid her body in the house he lived in. Hazell did a TV interview with a journalist while Tia was still said to be missing. The journalist asked Hazell if he knew of any reason why Tia would go missing. He replied: "No. She's got no problems at all. She's... She's a happy-go-lucky. I mean, golden... Angel, y'know what I mean? She's... She's... She's perfect. She's... No arguments, no nothing, no... Nothing that we can think of, absolutely nothing."
Hazell's repetition of the pronoun 'she' and the phrase 'no nothing', along with his inability to find the right words to answer the journalist's question, should immediately raise a finger of suspicion.
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2 FOREGROUNDING
The first thing someone says can be highly revealing in detecting deception. When we tell someone about an experience, we normally use a chronological structure, with a beginning, middle and end.
In certain contexts, however, we'll naturally prioritise the critical information and put it at the beginning of our account. This selective ordering of information informs the listener of urgency and can reveal the likelihood of deception. Take this call to emergency services, for example:
"I parked my car at the pub probably about four to five hours ago and... Um, my Dad's just rang me asking if I'm alright. And I was like, 'Yeah, I'm fine. Why?' And he said he rang because the... Um, the Cholsey Straight is closed off, or something, and... Um, then he turned round and said 'Can I check your registration number?' And I gave him my registration number and he said my car's gone."
The caller, Maria Sutton from Didcot in the UK, is reporting her car as stolen, but she doesn't start her call by telling the operator that. Instead, she foregrounds the information: a narrative about her father, phone calls and registration numbers.
Sutton was lying. It later emerged she had killed a cyclist, 54-year-old Dr Graham Ruecroft, while driving under the influence.
We can see she's likely to be lying by her foregrounding – her excuse precedes the issue. Before getting to the point of her call (reporting her stolen car), there's a lot of unnecessary information. This amount of extra detail can indicate lies that have been prepared, and is referred to as the 'Pinocchio effect'. Evidence for it was seen in a study published in Discourse Processes in 2012, which showed that liars tend to use more words than people telling the truth. As implied by the name, foregrounding requires more words than starting with the key information.
This can be seen in an excerpt from another call to emergency services that was made in 2013:
"I've got a shop with a lodger above, and he's drunk. I had gone to ask him to turn the music down, he started abusing me and pulled a gun on me, so I pulled the gun away, and the gun has gone off, and he has got shot."
The operator doesn't find out that the emergency is for a man who's been shot until the end – a clue that the truth is being hidden. As you may well have guessed, in this incident it turned out the caller had shot the lodger and was making a desperate attempt to hide his involvement.
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3 NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE STATE
Language reveals our feelings and our true intentions, even when we try to hide them. Someone who's lying about their involvement in something or trying to appear innocent in some way, for instance, will usually slip up in what they say and, in doing so, give us a sign that they're trying to deceive us.
Research has shown that these slip-ups tend to happen in the language people use to refer to someone or something. Watching out for the different ways someone does this can give us an insight into their true feelings and can help us identify whether we're being deceived.
Someone's negative affective state is revealed when they use 'distancing language'. These are words or phrases that indicate a separation between the speaker and the person or thing they're talking about.
We all have a negative affective state towards people or things we don't like or want to get away from. Other people may do things that upset us, and the language we use when we refer to them reveals this.
For instance, you may not like your neighbours, and instead of referring to them by their names, you refer to them as "the neighbours" or the more negative "them next door". When you're annoyed at someone, you may refer to them as "that man/woman".
We all use this type of language. It occurs spontaneously and reveals our feelings. What we need to watch out for is when someone uses distancing language when we don't expect it.
According to a paper from 2003, when the person speaking shouldn't be displaying a negative affective state towards the person or thing they're referring to, but they do, then it's a good sign that they may be lying.
Case in point: Thomas Lang, a retired doctor, stabbed his partner, Maureen Boyce,
to death in Brisbane, Australia in 2015.
When police officers arrived on the scene, he claimed she'd died by suicide and described finding her body by saying: "I just woke up this morning and found this."
Lang revealed his negative affective state by using the word 'this'. Boyce isn't referred to by her name or even the pronoun 'her', a clear indication that he's trying to put as much distance as he can between himself and his deeds.
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4 MISSING SENSORY INFORMATION
People often lie about being robbed to claim insurance on something they've lost or broken – a mobile phone, for example. And it happens more than you might think. According to figures from 2020, insurance fraud costs the UK around £2 billion (over $2.6bn) annually.
Some people also lie about being robbed to get sympathy or maintain their public image when they've done something that could damage their reputation. This is what American swimmer Ryan Lochte did during the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He lied about being robbed to hide that he and his teammates had in fact vandalised a service station.
In his statement to authorities, Lochte said:
"We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge – a police badge – no lights, no nothing. Just a police badge and they pulled us over. They pulled out their guns; they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground – they got down on the ground. I refused; I was like, 'We didn't
do anything wrong, so I'm not getting down on the ground.' And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead, and he said, 'Get down.' And I put my hands up... He took our money, he took my wallet."
Apart from all the repetition – itself a potential indicator of lying (see section 1) – there's a noticeable absence of any sensory-perceptual details. There's almost nothing to convey what he heard, felt, saw, smelt or tasted. These sorts of words describe not only what we detect with our senses, but also our inner physical state (our balance or body posture). When we experience shocking, surprising or traumatic events, we'll relate our experience by using words that describe these things.
Studies on the words we use when we discuss our personal experiences from as far back as 1967 support this idea. Similarly, a study on the cues to deception published in 2003 found that people use fewer sensory descriptions when they're lying.
If Lochte had been telling the truth, his account might have sounded something like this:
"We were in a taxi going back to our hotel when suddenly we got pulled over by an unmarked car, and these four guys came out with police badges. They quickly pulled out their guns and pointed them at us. They told the other swimmers to get down on the ground. My heart was racing. The others looked really worried. It was a bit stupid, but I refused. I was like, 'We didn't do anything wrong.' And then I could hear the sound of a gun being cocked, and then one of them pushed a gun hard against my forehead."
Descriptive detail is often absent in a liar's account, whether they're claiming they've been robbed or describing another kind of shocking experience. This is because they're using constructed memories that aren't connected to their perceptual experience, and the absence of descriptive, sensory words in their language gives this away.
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5 HIDING AMONG OTHERS
Pronouns can be another clue that someone is lying. Personal pronouns are the words we use to refer to ourselves or other people: I, he, she, they, me, him, her and so on.
When we refer to ourselves, we normally use the singular form 'I' or 'me'. Liars, however, prefer not to. This may be because using I or me places them solely in the spotlight. Using a plural form of the pronoun, however, allows them to remain a little hidden. Essentially, using the plural form allows a liar to seek safety in numbers.
An example of this is Mark Robinson. The former lieutenant governor of North Carolina was claimed to have been the author of racist comments on a pornography website in 2024. Claims he refuted, saying: "This is not us. These are not our words".
But they were his words (he later confessed to posting the comments).
Our inner thoughts and feelings can hijack our use of language, and as much as liars try to avoid placing the focus on themselves, their language often betrays them.
This same avoidance of self-focus slips out in more serious cases as well. When Stephen McDaniel gave an interview to TV reporters regarding the disappearance of Lauren Giddings in 2011, he answered many of the questions directed at him in the plural, in one instance saying: "I... We... We don't know where she is. The only thing we can think is that maybe she went out running and someone snatched her. I'm... We went over... One of her friends had a key [...] The door was locked when everyone got here. We just don't know where she is."
Every time McDaniel starts to use 'I', he switches to 'we' instead. He's trying to hide his involvement. He confessed to murdering Giddings in 2014 and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
by DR KIRSTY KING
Kirsty is a forensic linguist. She lectures in language and communication at University College London.
Her book The Language of Lies is out now (Cornerstone Press, 2026).
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
HEAT AND THE BRAIN
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by NATE SCHARPING
BRAIN MELTING HEAT
Hot weather doesn't just make us more drowsy and irritable, it directly affects our brain chemistry and brain function. Excessive heat, as scientists are discovering, takes a big toll on our grey matter. And, unless we do something about it, it's only going to get worse
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s the 2026 London Climate Action Week kicked off in late June, its organisers faced an ironic challenge: it was too hot to assemble in person in many of the venues booked for the event. A heat dome parked over Europe sent temperatures into the mid-30°C range (above 90°F) and many of the spaces meant to host the gatherings in London lacked air conditioning.
Moving events to virtual spaces helped keep attendees at the climate conference from wilting in the heat, but the benefit to the gathered scientists and policymakers is likely to extend beyond simply keeping cool. Emerging science is revealing the dangers heat poses to our brains and ability to think, with potential impacts ranging from difficulty concentrating to irreversible declines in brain matter volume.
Just like our bodies, our brains work best within a narrow temperature range. Although, as a 2022 study found, that range can vary somewhat. Healthy study participants' brains were anywhere from 36–41°C (97–106°F), and a quarter of them saw their brain temperatures vary predictably throughout the day. Nevertheless, our brains don't take temperature increases above their normal range very well, something
that's becoming more common today as air temperatures continue to rise. A recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change shows that, compared to 1970, one billion more people now face at least one day of extreme heat stress each year. The same study also notes that heat is increasing both during the day and at night, leaving many people unable to get any respite from it.
As the world gets hotter, we'll need ways to protect our most valuable asset: the brains that let us think, work and communicate. Research shows there are things we can do to help our grey matter adapt to the heat, but they only work to a degree. Experts say larger-scale changes to the ways we build, work and structure our lives may become increasingly necessary, as it's almost certain we'll be facing more broiling days in the years to come.
Here's what the science says right now about how hot weather affects your brain – and what you can do about it.
FEELING THE HEAT
Overheating can happen well before temperatures begin to feel unbearable, especially if it's humid or you're exerting yourself. When your core temperature climbs, specialised cells in your skin and certain internal organs start to signal parts of the brain, chiefly the hypothalamus, an area responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the body. The hypothalamus then calls for actions to cool the body, like sweating and sending more blood to your skin to shed heat.
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As well as these thermoregulatory responses, as it heats up, your brain also initiates a stress response, says Dr Burcin Ikiz, a neuroscientist and founder of global action tank Neuro Climate Working Group. Neurochemicals help instigate an inflammatory response in the body, and the communication between neurons begins to change as the brain moves into a state closer to fight-or-flight.
“The brain starts focusing on the essential functions,” she says. “More taxing functions such as complex decision-making, emotional regulation and so on go on the back burner.”
When core temperatures rise even higher, the effects are more dramatic. At internal temperatures above 40°C (104°F), you begin to experience heatstroke, which is often deadly. The high temperature damages brain cells and causes a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, which allows neurotoxic chemicals to leak into the brain. Inflammation and blood coagulation stemming from the body’s protective response can block blood vessels in the brain, starving cells of oxygen. Those who don’t die are often left with lingering consequences. One study that looked at patients admitted to intensive care units for heatstroke in Paris found that half of those who survived continued to experience neurological symptoms.
The brain-altering effects of heat begin a long way before death’s door, however. Our bodies can only handle temperature swings of a few degrees and even then, only for short periods of time. Some evidence suggests our brains are even more delicate.
A study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science in 2024 had 11 participants elevate their core temperature to 39.5°C (103°F) and then sit for an MRI scan. The researchers found that brain temperatures barely changed even as core temperatures shot up, evidence of how hard their bodies were working to keep the brain cool. Even so, the researchers found signs of suppressed activity in regions of the participants’ brains responsible for motor control and executive functioning, as well as impaired blood flow in the brain. The study’s results tally with other research that suggests our brains become worse at a number of core tasks when we
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ABOVE While exercise makes us hotter, being fit means the heart is stronger and able to pump more blood around our body to cool us down LEFT Neurotransmitters such as dopamine are disrupted when we're hot
get hot, says one of the study's authors, Dr Jason Lee, director of the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre at the National University of Singapore. Research shows that elevated internal temperatures are associated with memory deficits, executive control impairments, sensory processing issues, disruptions of functional connectivity and more.
Lee says scientists are still figuring out the full story behind why our brains perform more poorly as temperatures rise, but a few things seem clear. One is that the brain gets less oxygen when we're hot, because our bodies divert more blood to our skin to dissipate heat.
"There's competition now between the limited blood flow to the vital organs, including your brain, to the muscles if you're working, and the skin for heat dissipation," he says. With less oxygen available, neurons can't function as well, leading to a deterioration of brain activity.
Neurotransmitters likely also play a role. When our brains begin to get hot, they respond in two ways, explains Ikiz: by releasing a range of neurotransmitters and changing the way those chemicals are taken back up. The chief culprits among these heat-associated neurotransmitters are serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, though others are likely to be involved as well. Heat-related perturbations to these chemicals likely
affect our memory, cognition and emotional state, Ikiz says, and might explain why the heat is associated with irritability. For example, a higher ratio of serotonin to dopamine, linked by some studies to increasing core temperatures, likely increases central fatigue in our brains when we exercise in the heat, making us feel more tired and acting to restrict our activity.
Still, the complex cascades of neurotransmitters and brain activity in response to heat are largely unclear, according to Ikiz. Most evidence comes from animal studies, and the evidence in humans for how heat and neurotransmitters are linked is varied and, at times, even contradictory. Factors such as how hot a person gets, how long the heat lasts and how acclimated they are may all change the neurochemistry of heat in the brain for any one person.
"We're still trying to understand exactly what's [happening] and why it leads to lower test scores or problems with decision-making or more aggression," says Ikiz.
HOT AND BOTHERED
In addition to the physical changes in our brains, heatwaves bring a range of effects that can impact our brain function, says Dr Emma Lawrance, an expert on climate change and mental health at the University of Oxford.
"We don't sleep as well [and] we can't do the things that we normally do to keep ourselves physically and mentally healthy," she says.
And the longer a heatwave lasts, the more these effects begin to stack up. "When the heat goes on for days [as research indicates may become increasingly likely] and especially when you don't get a chance to cool down overnight, these lagged or cumulative effects can worsen," Lawrance says.
The effects can be even more severe for people with cognitive or mental health issues. In a 2023 review of existing research on temperature and mental health, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, Lawrance and her coauthors found a 1°C (1.8°F) increase in temperature caused an increase in suicide attempts of between 1.5 and 1.7 per cent, and that heatwaves were associated with nearly 10 per cent more hospital admissions for mental illness. On top of that, numerous indicators of wellbeing, ranging from anxiety and depression to mental health service use, also took a turn for the worse during heatwaves, the study says.
"INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE CAUSED AN INCREASE IN SUICIDE ATTEMPTS OF BETWEEN 1.5 AND 1.7 PER CENT"
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A separate study in JAMA Psychiatry found that days with extreme heat resulted in an 8-per-cent increase in emergency department visits for mental health conditions.
Lee notes that many people with mental health conditions face multiple risk factors that can put them at exceptional risk from heat, including a decreased ability to sense heat, impaired responses and a potential lack of thermal capacity to deal effectively with being hot. In addition, many medications used to treat mental health issues may also decrease the body’s ability to cope with high temperatures, compounding the risks.
Lawrance says the physiological factors that link increased body temperatures and mental health are still being studied, but agrees that findings like hers stem from a confluence of many factors related to heat.
“You’ve got this stress response in your body, you’ve got altered neurotransmitter activity [and] altered blood flow through your brain, and that can all contribute to strain and mood disturbances,” she says.
CUMULATIVE EFFECT
The reality that more and more of us are being forced to confront is that not only are heatwaves becoming more frequent, but they’re also lasting longer. We already know that just a few days of high temperatures can cause problems, but heatwaves are an almost unavoidable part of our long-term future. So, what happens to our brains when we’re exposed to year after year of excessive heat?
“We understand that if... you cross the [brain’s temperature] threshold, then bang: there are consequences,” Lee says. “But little is known about the chronic [effects of heat].”
It’s a question that has no clear answers as of yet, but the initial indications are worrisome. In one of the largest studies of the question to date, scientists from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China used data on over 41,000 people in the UK Biobank to link chronic heat and brain structure. They were able to correlate changes to brain structure based on MRI scans with a person’s exposure to elevated temperatures (in this case above 27°C/81°F) over the past 20 years.
They found a clear link between exposure to high temperatures and decreases in brain volume across multiple areas of the brain including the cerebellum, accumbens, hippocampus and thalamus. The more days a person experienced above 27°C (81°F) the greater the declines in brain volume, the authors found, indicating subsequent exposures may compound harm.
As in other studies, the authors note the effects of heat aren’t uniform. Their study found a link between mental health issues and greater exposure to high temperatures, most notably depression, and that older people seem particularly vulnerable to heat. Brain volume losses increase with age, they say, amounting
“THEY FOUND A CLEAR LINK BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES AND DECREASES IN BRAIN VOLUME”
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to an acceleration of ageing that could leave heat-affected brains looking years older.
Other research has pointed to potential impacts at the other end of life. In a study published in Nature Climate Change, researchers in China found evidence that prenatal and postnatal exposure to high heat increases the risk of neurodevelopmental delays in children. Exposure during pregnancy increases risk by 35 per cent and exposure from birth to three years old increases risk by 53 per cent, the authors say, with risks rising more steeply at very high temperatures.
Chronic heat exposure “is a hugely important area of work to understand across the life course,” Lawrance says. “It just pushes the need for adaptation and mitigation so much.”
Pairing long-term heat exposure with other factors like air pollution could further worsen outcomes. There’s some evidence to suggest that particulate pollution and heat together magnify the negative impacts on our brains, which could be particularly dangerous in places like India, which has high levels of both. Lawrance says researchers are investigating the intersection of heat and pollution at the moment, though good evidence about their effects is yet to come.
“What we really need to start thinking about isn’t just heat as a singular factor,” Ikiz says. “We have to really understand how these factors play together in impacting our brain health.”
ICY DOES IT
Though heatwaves can be deadly, Lee says deaths are not his chief concern.
“It’s very hard to die of heat,” Lee says. But “we can’t assume that when nobody dies, it means everything is going well.” The heat can significantly compromise lives and wellbeing even when the effects fall far short of death.
While higher temperatures bring new challenges, there are solutions that may help people and societies adapt. And when it comes to cognitive and mental health, the best way to keep your brain cool is to keep your body cool.
If you find yourself overheating, the best quick fix may actually come from an ice-cream truck. Ice slushies are scientifically proven to cool the body faster than cold water or cooling vests. The reason comes down to a physics concept known as the latent heat of fusion. Put simply, ice absorbs extra energy as it turns from a solid to a liquid, so it sucks even more heat from your body than ice-cold water alone. (A similar concept explains why sweating is so effective at cooling our skin, as the water absorbs extra energy as it turns into a gas). In his 2024 study that elevated participants’ body temperatures to 39.5°C (103°F), Lee
ABOVE Studies show that extreme heat can seriously impact our health and wellbeing in the long term. As we begin to face more frequent and more prolonged heatwaves, we need to find ways to adapt to this new climate
tested the ice slushy method and discovered it prevented the cognitive impairments found in participants who hadn’t been given an icy drink.
There are also steps we can take to prepare our bodies for the heat. One is acclimatisation – gradually exposing ourselves to higher temperatures so our bodies can adapt. Some preliminary studies show heat acclimatisation improves cognition in the heat, though the effects often don’t hold for all cognitive tasks studied and may depend on age.
Lee says that while acclimatisation is useful, the best way to prepare for a hot summer is to work out. A robust cardiovascular system is the best defence against the loss of blood and oxygen to internal organs that occurs as our bodies pump blood to our skin to cool off.
“I use the analogy that a small pot boils the quickest,” Lee says. Those with a smaller capacity for exertion, which might include the young and the elderly, will overheat more readily as their bodies struggle to shed heat by redirecting blood flow to the skin. For those who need to be outside when it’s hot, Lee recommends taking adequate breaks and moving work hours to cooler times.
Lawrance says community-level actions may help people cope with heat in the future, including green spaces, rooftop gardens, and buildings with better ventilation and passive cooling features. Establishing heat action plans featuring early warning systems and coordination with first responders and medical systems are another way for communities to prepare. Unfortunately, a recent report for United for Global Mental Health found just 40 countries surveyed had heat action plans.
Broader efforts to adapt to the heat are underway and will hopefully come soon enough to benefit the billions of people whose brains may be at risk from high temperatures around the world. Until then, ice slushies it is. SF
SCHARPING
Note is a writer based in Washington State, in the US, who covers science, health and the environment for numerous publications.
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DARK DNA
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DARK DNA
Mysterious sequences buried in our genetic code are being found to have unexpected effects. And they could change our understanding of biology
by DR HELEN PILCHER
Science is full of sinister-sounding names. First there was dark matter, the invisible substance that makes up most of the Universe. Then there was dark energy, the mysterious force making the Universe expand faster.
Both sound edgy, but they weren't called 'dark' because they're evil. Instead, they acquired the label because they're mysterious. Scientists know they exist – they're trying to figure out what they do, but their true nature remains unclear.
Now, that same idea has entered biology, where scientists are discovering hidden layers of complexity, concealed inside our cells. Welcome to the shadowy world of dark DNA, where things aren't quite as they seem and molecules don't play by the rulebook.
"There's just so much about how our DNA works that we don't fully understand," says Dr Marie Brunet, a biochemist at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada.
Dark DNA is the name given to previously overlooked stretches of the genetic code, which are now being shown to be important. Research in this area is forcing scientists to rethink some of the assumptions that underpin modern biology.
Long-held ideas about how cells work are being challenged, revealing insights into how organisms develop and evolution unfolds.
The findings are offering fresh perspectives on diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer's, and treatments based on these findings are already being tested.
There's still much to learn, but it's looking a lot like dark DNA could be one of the biggest discoveries of the century. "I'm not someone to oversell things," says Dr Sebastiaan van Heesch from the Princess Máxima Center for Paediatric Oncology in Utrecht, the Netherlands, "but I do think it's a game-changer and it'll rewrite the textbooks."
GENE SWEEPSTAKE
The story begins around 25 years ago, when scientists were decoding the human genome. The human genome is the blueprint of life. It's all of the DNA that lives inside your cells, and it contains the instructions needed to build a person and keep them alive.
To keep things interesting, researchers organised a wager. For the price of a dollar or two, they could place a bet on how many genes the genome would be found to contain.
Genes are the fundamental units of heredity; short stretches of DNA that code for specific proteins. These proteins, in turn, do everything. If genes are the
plans for building a house, then proteins are the bricks, mortar, nails and construction workers that make the house happen.
"THE FINDINGS ARE OFFERING FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON DISEASES SUCH AS CANCER AND ALZHEIMER'S... DARK DNA COULD BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST DISCOVERIES OF THE CENTURY"
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All in all, 228 bets were placed. The winner was geneticist Dr Lee Rowen from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington, in the US, who guessed closest to the correct number and bagged the $1,200 (around £900) prize.
It turns out that the human genome contains around 20,000 protein-coding genes. This was much lower than most had predicted, but perhaps the biggest surprise was that the vast majority of the human genome – a staggering 99 per cent of its three billion letters of genetic code – didn't code for proteins at all. They didn't seem to do much of anything.
Some called it 'junk DNA', but you know how sometimes valuable items get thrown out by accident? A sentimental letter ends up in the recycling bin or an earring falls into the trash? Well, hiding in this 'junk' were bits of DNA that weren't genes, but that were precious all the same. Among them were stretches of DNA that weren't expected to code for proteins, but that somehow, did. The sequences were smaller
than most regular genes and provided the instructions for making proteins that were tiny too.
In 2001, for example, Prof Ikuo Nishimoto and his team from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, discovered a teeny gene that makes a teeny protein called humanin. Most proteins contain hundreds, or even thousands of amino acids. Humanin contains just 24. Six years later, tarsal-less was discovered in fruit flies; another miniature protein, this time less than 33 amino acids long.
Far from being junk, sitting around doing nothing, tiny dark genes were spurring the production of tiny dark proteins.
The genes were found in odd places, too. Some were identified in the vast 'genetic wasteland' of the genome, the 99 per cent of the genetic sequence thought not to code for proteins. Others were found hiding inside regular genes.
Take the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene. It's a big gene that has been known about for decades. When the gene contains certain spelling mistakes, known as mutations,
it can lead to the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Brunet has shown that this one gene contains a second, much smaller gene, nestled inside it like a Russian doll. This codes for a second, previously unknown dark protein.
In other words, a single stretch of DNA can produce two completely different proteins. It's a bit like discovering a page in a recipe book that contains two different recipes, depending on where you start reading.
The finding is at odds with the decades-old dogma, still taught at school, which asserts that one gene codes for one protein. When scientists decoded the human genome and found around 20,000 protein-coding genes, they expected that there would be around 20,000 proteins.
But Brunet's work, and that of others, suggests the genome may be more information dense than was previously thought. And if that's the case, there could be far more than 20,000 proteins. Dark DNA, hiding in plain sight, could be producing an entire anthology of dark proteins with equally dark functions
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we don't fully understand. The question is, how many of these dark proteins are there and what, if anything, do they do?
A HIDDEN WORLD
Before 2009, dark proteins, such as humanin and tarsal-less, were viewed as a bit of an oddity. Researchers didn't know if they were quirky one-offs, or the tip of a much larger iceberg. Then Prof Jonathan Weissman and Prof Nicholas Ingolia from the University of California, San Francisco, developed a new technique called ribosome profiling. Ribosomes are the cell's protein-making machines. Ribosome profiling provides a snapshot of where this machinery is active.
The results were a revelation. The technique revealed that ribosomes were reading genetic instructions from thousands of unexpected regions of the genome, suggesting the existence of a huge hidden world of previously unknown proteins. Humanin and tarsal-less weren't one-offs; they were the tip of an enormous iceberg.
Researchers weren't sure what to call these 'new' molecules. Some dubbed them dark proteins. Others named them ghost proteins. They were called microproteins, alternative proteins and small ORFs (ORF stands for open reading frame, parts of the genome with the potential to code for proteins).
In Brunet's lab, the plucky, little molecules were likened to the heroes of a story. "We call them our little hobbits," she says, because hobbits are small. And just as The Lord of the Rings makes no sense without Frodo and his friends from the Shire, so too human biology makes no sense without them.
In the end, researchers settled on the name 'peptidein.' The term is a portmanteau of peptide and protein, and reflects the fact that most of these molecules sit somewhere between the two.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids; proteins are the bigger structures made from them, folded into complex shapes. "We were going to call them peptides," says Brunet, "but then we realised it's the name of a Thai energy drink."
Peptidein, meanwhile, "is a deliberately vague umbrella term," according to Dr John Prensner from the University of Michigan, in the US. Traditionally, a protein can only be called a protein if it's shown to have a function. Some proteins, for example, help to transport oxygen; others help muscles contract.
Most dark proteins have equally dark roles. Researchers don't know what, if anything, most of them do. So, the term peptidein is used as a temporary measure. Then at some point, if the molecule is proven to have a function, it gets an upgrade. A peptidein becomes a microprotein.
In a recent paper, a consortium of more than 60 researchers, including Brunet, van Heesch and Prensner, studied over 7,000 previously ignored genetic regions and found that around a quarter appear to produce peptideins. This suggests there could be around 1,700 of these tiny molecules and hints that human cells may produce a much greater variety of proteins than was previously thought. Now, peptideins have become a hot
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topic in the world of biology, and researchers are rapidly moving from 'what exists' to 'what it does'.
Some peptideins have already been upgraded. Humanin, for example, appears to protect human cells from stress and death, especially in the context of Alzheimer's disease. And tarsal-less plays a pivotal role in embryonic fruit fly development. If it's not there, the insects can't develop properly. They have defects in their respiratory systems and outer body structures. According to the consortium, known as TransCODE, at least 50 of the 1,700 potential peptideins they highlighted could be playing key roles in the everyday workings of cells. As for the rest, the jury is out.
Some could be unintentional byproducts of the cell's protein-making machinery, products that don't have a specific function but get made anyway, then are quickly degraded.
**"RIGHT NOW,
WE'RE SEEING A BUNCH OF THINGS IN CANCER CELLS WE DON'T SEE IN NON-CANCER CELLS"**
Others may exist just to gum up the ribosome. Protein production is tightly controlled. The cell has various methods to do this, but one way could be the production of decoy proteins whose only function is to prevent the ribosome from making anything else. Some peptideins could be decoy proteins.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER
Peptideins can be found in healthy human cells, but they can also be found in diseased cells. Cancer cells, for example, seem to have lots of them.
Prensner is especially interested in this. As a physician-scientist who studies dark proteins and treats children who have brain cancer, he's interested in what makes cancer cells different. "Right now, we're seeing
a bunch of things in cancer cells that we don't see in non-cancer cells," he says.
Prensner and colleagues have shown, not just that cancer cells contain peptideins, but that certain cancers depend on them. When the dark DNA that codes for them is disabled – so the peptideins can't be made – the cells stop growing. This has been seen in cultured breast, prostate, colorectal and brain cancer cells. The finding hints that some cancer cells may have a hidden, dark layer of biology driving their expansion. But while this sounds ominous, it could lead to the development of new treatments.
There's another piece of cellular machinery, called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, whose job is to display fragments of proteins – big and
small – on the outside of the cell. This gives the immune system a glimpse of what's happening on the inside, helping it work out which cells to leave alone and which to attack.
This includes many peptideins, which are chopped into pieces and displayed on the surface of cancer cells by HLA molecules. Now, researchers are designing vaccines that teach the immune system to recognise these fragments and hopefully destroy the cancer cells they're part of.
Van Heesch has designed a vaccine like this for Ewing sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that mostly affects the bones. Around 600 young people are diagnosed with it every year in Europe. Treatment typically includes intensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy,
ILLUSTRATIONS: SAM FALCONER
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but it's brutal. Although the cancer cells take a battering, so do healthy cells, leaving patients with side effects that can seriously affect their quality of life.
Thanks to the HLA complex, Ewing sarcoma cells have lots of different peptidein fragments on their surface. The vaccine has been designed to highlight as many of these as possible to the immune system. "That's the beauty of it," says van Heesch. "The molecules are so small, we could put many of them into a single vaccine."
Now the vaccine is being tested in an early-stage clinical trial. Funded by Fight Kids Cancer, in collaboration with the Institut Curie in Paris, France, and the Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine at Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany, up to 45 patients with Ewing sarcoma will receive the treatment. Then, if things go well, larger trials will follow.
"It's looking very promising," says van Heesch. "We're really excited to see that our work on dark proteins is starting to have a clinical impact."
Beyond cancer, the discovery of peptideins could lead to new treatments and diagnostics
in other areas too, such as heart disease and neurodegeneration. And now they have an official label – peptidein – that can be included in official databases, the hope is that researchers worldwide will start to include them in their work.
Slowly but surely, a layer of biology that was once hidden in the shadows is finally coming into view. What was once dismissed as biological dark matter is emerging as an important part of how life works.
But there's one more thing.
PROTEINS OF THE FUTURE?
Most human proteins have similar counterparts in other, closely related species, suggesting they perform important biological roles that evolution has preserved across millions of years. Peptideins buck this trend. They don't seem to have similar versions in other species. Van Heesch has studied heart tissue from humans, rats and mice and found "a completely different landscape of these things. This suggests that evolution could be more dynamic than we expected," he says.
Think for a moment about how animals evolve. Scan the fossil record and you'll see
"A LAYER OF BIOLOGY THAT WAS ONCE HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS IS FINALLY COMING INTO VIEW"
that it contains a mix of fleeting experiments and enduring successes. Strange animals, such as the five-eyed Opalinia, flourished briefly before their lineage came to an end, while crocodiles and their relatives have persisted for over 200 million years.
The same pattern may hold at the molecular level. Some peptideins may prove to be fleeting evolutionary experiments, here today but gone tomorrow, because they didn't help the cell do anything useful. But some potentially useful peptideins could be the proteins of tomorrow, caught in the process of evolving.
We know that evolution works on achingly long timescales, so these 'tomorrows' may take a while to come. But if we could fast forward a million years, there may be new proteins in existence in the far future that owe their origins to the peptideins we see today.
Long before then, however, the terms 'dark DNA' and 'dark proteins' will become extinct. As scientists discover their secrets, the darkness will disappear, leaving behind a deeper understanding of life itself. SF
by DR HELEN PILCHER Helen is a cell biologist, science writer and the author of This Book May Cause Side Effects (Atlantic Books, 2026)
ILLUSTRATIONS: SAM FALCONER
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LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST, TOO
EVERY EPISODE, WE MEET THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE NATURAL WORLD
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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
RAHUL PATIL, VIA EMAIL
WHAT ANIMALS ARE BEST AT PUZZLES?
Solving a tricky puzzle can be one of life's little pleasures – just ask raccoons. Researchers recently discovered that these mammals solve puzzles for the fun of it. The raccoons were presented with a clear plastic box with a marshmallow inside. The box could be opened in multiple ways, ranging from easy (e.g. a slide latch) to difficult (e.g. a turn knob). Even once they'd recovered their sweet treat, the raccoons often continued opening different mechanisms – what the researchers call 'information foraging'. In other words, they seemed to be driven by curiosity – a trait that could help explain their ability to adapt to urban environments (and cause mischief, like the raccoon that ransacked a Virginia liquor store last year).
Chimpanzees are also keen puzzlers. In 2013, six chimps at Whipsnade Zoo were tasked with prodding objects through a maze of plumbing pipes using sticks. Sometimes the retrievable objects were dice, sometimes they were edible treats (Brazil nuts) – and, like the raccoons, the
chimps were still keen to solve the puzzle without the food reward, leading the researchers to suggest that these animals get a sense of satisfaction from completing complex brain games.
Being able to think flexibly and solve problems is a key indicator of animal
intelligence. Asian elephants at Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand have shown that they can open puzzle boxes with their trunks to access food (in this case, pulling chains or moving doors to find jackfruit).
Underwater, meanwhile, octopuses are the ruling puzzle champions. A 2016 study
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DR HELEN PILCHER Palaeontology
PETE LAWRENCE Astronomy
LUIS VILLAZON Food and drink
DR CLAIRE ASHER Virology
HAYLEY BENNETT Health & wellness
IAN TAYLOR The human body
DR CHRISTIAN JARRETT Psychology
DR JAMES LLOYD Animals
DR ALASTAIR GUNN Technology
“When it comes
to the ultimate puzzle-solving prowess, New Caledonian crows may rule the roost”
presented octopuses with small L-shaped containers, which they learnt to open to find a piece of shrimp. The container was then placed behind a plastic separator with a hole in it. Using their dexterous arms, the octopuses were able to manipulate the awkwardly shaped container and pull it through the hole.
When it comes to the ultimate puzzle- solving prowess, though, New Caledonian crows may rule the roost. These birds have been observed using tools in captivity and the wild, bending wire or twigs into hooks to retrieve food. They can even make tools out of multiple parts. In 2018, researchers gave crows a puzzle box containing food that could only be retrieved by poking a stick through a narrow gap. The eight crows were provided with sticks that were too short to reach the food, but that could be combined to create ‘compound tools’. Half of the birds spontaneously worked this out, with one bird creating a pole out of four individual pieces.
But it gets even more impressive: crows can solve puzzles with multiple stages. In the 2014 BBC series Inside the Animal Mind, a crow was filmed solving an eight-step conundrum that it hadn’t encountered in full before. It used a small stick to obtain three stones, dropped them into a weighted device to access a longer stick, and then used that to retrieve a food reward. Maybe being ‘bird-brained’ is actually a compliment. JL
JARED READ, CHESTER
HOW LONG CAN YOU DO
NOTHING FOR?
There’s no formal record of how much time people spend doing nothing, but it’s clear that most of us find pure inactivity extremely difficult.
The Spaced-Out Competition, held annually in South Korea and originally conceived as a performance art piece, acknowledges this by setting contestants the goal of doing nothing for 90 minutes, including not falling asleep or laughing.
The difficulty of doing nothing was also demonstrated by a team of psychologists at the University of Virginia in 2014. They invited participants to spend 15 minutes alone with their own thoughts – the only source of distraction being a button they could press to give themselves a mild but unpleasant shock. Nearly half the participants couldn’t resist pressing it! CJ
SHUTTERSTOCK ILLUSTRATION ADAM GALE
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NATURE'S WEIRDEST CREATURES
SACABAMBASPIS
The internet is full of unlikely viral sensations, but few are as niche as the one that caught the attention of Japanese Twitter users in 2023. The post featured an exhibit from the Natural History Museum of Helsinki in Finland. Lovingly crafted by Estonian palaeontologist Elga Mark-Kurik, it was a model of an extinct fish called Sacabambaspis.
Sacabambaspis swam in the shallow waters around the supercontinent of Gondwana during the Ordovician period. It's named after the village of Sacabamba in Bolivia where the first fossils were discovered, but subsequent specimens have been found as far away as Oman, Australia and Argentina.
From these, experts have determined that Sacabambaspis was truly weird.
Imagine a foot-long fish that looks as if it's been whacked on the head with a frying pan. The top half of the body is flattened; the belly is bulbous.
Sacabambaspis belonged to a group of fish known as the agnathans. These are jawless fish with circular mouths that suck up food like a vacuum cleaner. The mouth of Sacabambaspis contained around 60 rows of small bony plates. These probably moved, helping the oral cavity to contract and expand, so the fish could slurp up plankton, algae and other tasty morsels.
Another oddity is its fins, or lack of them. Most fish have fins on their body, which they use to brake, steer and slice through the water. Sacabambaspis had a fin-free body which tapered down to a muscly tail tipped with one tiny fin. From this, we can surmise that Sacabambaspis swam less like a fish and wriggled more like a tadpole.
“IMAGINE A FOOT-LONG FISH THAT LOOKS AS IF IT'S BEEN WHACKED ON THE HEAD WITH A FRYING PAN”
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OWEN PORTER, GLOUCESTER
WHY DO I HAVE VISUAL SNOW?
It's the eyes, however, that are the real talking point. According to the fossils that have been studied, the organs were small and placed towards the front of the face, where they were surrounded by a bony ring. Any soft tissue, such as retinas and lenses, was not preserved, so when Mark-Kurik was making her model, she allowed herself a bit of artistic licence.
She hand-sculpted her replica from foam, before casting it in silicone and rendering it in a silvery glaze. The mouth was shaped into a cheeky smile, but when the eyes proved tricky, she turned to her local craft store for inspiration.
What happened next has become etched into museum legend. She could have bought fine liners and drawn them on. She could have bought modelling clay and moulded them. But instead, she bought some googly, black and white doll's eyes, and then slapped them on the fish's face.
When the exhibit (above) went on display in 1995, it wore the same bamboozled expression as the blue Sesame Street puppet, Cookie Monster.
The model was a triumph, but for more than two decades it languished in relative obscurity. Then a single photograph changed everything.
When the image of Mark-Kurik's creation went viral, the ancient fish became an internet sensation. Fan art was made and memes were generated. Today, you can still buy Sacabambaspis t-shirts, plushies and key chains. Not bad going for a fish that's been extinct for over 450 million years! HP
Imagine looking at a clear blue sky or the face of a loved one, only to find your entire field of vision filled with thousands of tiny flickering dots, like the static on an old analogue TV. An estimated two to three per cent of people, those who experience visual snow syndrome, don't have to imagine – for them, the visual noise never switches off.
For years, many patients were told this problem was psychological or that nothing was wrong because their eye examinations showed nothing abnormal. But researchers now know that visual snow isn't a disorder of the eyes at all. It's a disorder of perception, originating in the brain.
In trying to understand why some people see a world permanently overlaid with static, neuroscientists are uncovering new clues about one of the brain's most fundamental jobs: deciding what is real.
The leading theory centres on the brain's visual cortex, the region at the back of the brain responsible for processing sight. Studies suggest this area may be unusually 'hyperexcitable', meaning its neurons fire too readily. Instead of quietly waiting for meaningful visual information, the brain may generate activity of its own, effectively filling empty space with what people perceive as speckles of light. In other words, the brain isn't just receiving visual information; it's creating some of its own.
Hyperactivity probably isn't the whole story, though. Brain imaging studies have also revealed differences in networks involving serotonin, a neurotransmitter better known for its role in mood, alongside abnormalities in the way different brain regions communicate.
Increasingly, scientists suspect visual snow is less about one faulty brain area and more about a broader problem with how the brain filters sensory information. This idea has given rise to another explanation
known as the 'visual uncertainty' hypothesis. Normally, the brain performs an impressive feat of editing – separating meaningful information from the constant background noise generated by both our senses and the nervous system itself. According to this theory, people with visual snow struggle to distinguish genuine visual signals from this internal sensory chatter.
If that's true, visual snow may belong to a wider family of conditions in which the brain generates phantom sensations. Many people with visual snow also experience tinnitus, hearing a persistent ringing despite the absence of external sound. These conditions may share a common mechanism: the brain's filtering
systems becoming less effective at suppressing the brain's own background noise.
Another intriguing finding came in 2025, when researchers reported that people with visual snow were more likely to perceive faces in everyday objects – a phenomenon known as pareidolia. We all occasionally see faces in clouds or electrical sockets, but people with visual snow appear especially sensitive to
these illusory patterns. The finding hints that the condition may not simply affect low-level vision, but also the brain's tendency to impose meaning on ambiguous sensory information.
Much about visual snow remains mysterious. There's no definitive cure, and scientists still don't know why some brains become locked in this state of sensory static. Yet the condition is proving far more than a neurological curiosity. By revealing what happens when the brain's internal filtering systems falter, visual snow is helping researchers understand the remarkable balancing act that underpins everyday perception. Our experience of reality, it seems, depends as much on what the brain chooses to ignore as on what it allows us to see. IT
SIMO MARK/ LUXMUS/THE FINNISH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN HELSINKI X2, ALAMY
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ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS
Visible 18 September from 19:00 BST and 16 November from 20:15 GMT
TRICKS OF THE LIGHT
The Moon's phases result from the ever-changing angle between the Sun, Moon and Earth. When the Moon lines up with the Sun and can't be seen, it's said to be a new Moon. It then gradually eases from the Sun's position, appearing in the evening sky as a waxing (growing) crescent. It appears half illuminated approximately one week after the new Moon, a phase known as 'first quarter' because the Moon has completed one quarter of its orbit around Earth.
After this, we see the waxing gibbous phases. Approximately one week after the first quarter, the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky (opposition) and described as a full Moon. The subsequent phases are a mirror of the previous fortnight, except they are now waning (shrinking). After a full Moon, there are the waning gibbous phases, then last quarter, when the Moon is a semicircle again, then the waning crescents appear and are visible in the morning sky. Eventually, the Moon lines up with the Sun again, and a new phase cycle, or lunation, begins.
The different shapes of the Moon are a result of us seeing varying amounts of lunar day and night. With the full Moon, it's pure lunar dayside we're seeing. When you see an incomplete circle of light, the bright bit is lunar day, the dark bit lunar night. The dividing line between them is known as the lunar terminator.
On the evening of 18 September, around 7pm BST, if you have binoculars or a small telescope, take a look at the dawn terminator and see whether you can see the illuminated letters X and V scattered among the shadows. These are tricks of the light formed by the lunar dawn illuminating elevated features while others remain in shadow. Known as clair-obscur effects, the lunar X and V are just two of many 'tricks of the light' which can be seen at various times throughout a lunar cycle. PL
by PETE LAWRENCE (@Avertedvision)
Pete is an astronomy expert and presenter on The Sky at Night.
WATCH THE SKY AT NIGHT ON BBC FOUR AND BBC IPLAYER
LESS ORTEGA, VIA EMAIL
HOW DOES COFFEE CHANGE YOUR GUT?
If your morning routine rotates around the moment your lips first brush against the soft froth of a flat white, well... ahem... you're probably over-romanticising your relationship with coffee. But you can guarantee that your gut won't have been left untouched by this daily ritual either.
In the past, we might have regarded coffee as nothing more than a gut irritant – a swift ticket to the toilet in the morning. Now, though, scientists are gaining a more sophisticated understanding of its influence on both our gut microbiome and our broader health.
As studies are increasingly showing, bacteria have different predilections for coffee. While some can take or leave a cappuccino, others thrive on coffee-associated compounds like polyphenols, guzzling them down for sustenance and, in turn, producing a range of other chemical compounds, some of which have known health benefits.
Essentially, drinking coffee – even decaf – changes the chemistry of your gut, courtesy of the bacteria that reside in it. For example, it's thought that short-chain fatty acids produced by some coffee-loving bugs may help quell inflammation.
But how much difference does coffee really make to what's growing in your belly?
Well, in 2021, researchers from 14 different European and US institutions enrolled over 1,000 people in the 'PREDICT' study. PREDICT is the Personalised Responses to Dietary Composition
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Trial led and funded by Zoe – yep, the health science company that makes the weird blue cookies designed to track gut transit times.
The researchers analysed their gut sequencing results in combination with details of the participants' diets. And from over 150 food or drink items, coffee showed the strongest association with people's gut microbiomes. What that means is that, out of most things you put in your mouth every day, coffee has the biggest influence on your gut bacteria. Then, in 2024, some of the same researchers delved deeper into coffee-drinking data from PREDICT. They found that the communities inside coffee drinkers' guts are so distinct that it's possible to tell whether someone likes a latte simply by looking at their different levels of gut bacteria.
One of the most frequent inhabitants, it turns out, is Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus, which is found at levels at least six times higher in coffee drinkers' guts compared to non-coffee drinkers. Zoe scientists claim these bacteria churn out high volumes of a compound called hippurate, fuelled by the polyphenols they consume from coffee. Hippurate has been previously proposed as a marker of good gut health.
What's fascinating about all this is that we know the gut doesn't work in isolation. It's plugged into the brain via the so-called 'brain-gut connection'. Some scientists are already starting to wonder whether some of the mental boost we get from our morning brew originates in our gut microbiome. Interestingly, the authors of one recent study showed that the effects of coffee on stress and mood go beyond caffeine – which acts directly via our brains – suggesting that they could, potentially, be mainlined via our guts. HB
WILL SUMMERS, SALISBURY
WHY DO WE KEEP SMALLPOX IN A LAB?
Smallpox was one of the deadliest infectious diseases that humanity has ever encountered. In the 20th century alone, it's estimated to have killed 300 million people worldwide. A global vaccination campaign successfully eliminated the virus, making smallpox the only human disease to have been eradicated globally.
So, you might be surprised to learn that we still have samples of the virus in storage. These remain frozen in high-security government laboratories in the US and Russia. While they are kept at sub-zero temperatures, the samples are known as 'live' because they would be infectious if thawed correctly.
In fact, organisations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) store live samples of many different pathogens to aid the development of vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tools. Although there's always a small chance that these samples could accidentally be released, many scientists argue that the benefits outweigh the risks.
But why would we keep samples of a long-dead disease? These tiny vials of frozen smallpox have caused fierce debate among scientists and public health officials. Even though the disease has been eradicated, some experts argue that the samples are still of scientific value. For
example, some hope to study the virus to understand its evolution and how it interacts with the immune system.
The counterargument is that we have already collected enough data about the smallpox virus – including its full genome sequence – to continue this research without live samples.
Another argument for keeping smallpox stocks is that there could be other samples out there that we don't know about. That's not as outlandish as it might seem – in 2014, six forgotten vials of freeze-dried smallpox, dating back to the 1950s, were discovered in a laboratory in Maryland, US. If other unknown stocks exist around the world, they could cause an accidental outbreak or even be used as a bioweapon.
Since people are no longer vaccinated against smallpox, a new outbreak could be devastating. But advocates of destroying smallpox stocks argue that vaccines can be manufactured without them. A 2010 review commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that smallpox stocks serve no essential public health purposes.
The debate over the smallpox stocks has been raging for more than four decades, and the WHO has repeatedly postponed the scheduled destruction date. Smallpox may have been eradicated, but for some reason, we just can't seem to let it go. CA
GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATIONS PETELAWRENCE, ADAM GALE
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KERRY ROY, SHEFFIELD
SHOULD I DRINK STILL OR SPARKLING WATER?
From a hydration point of view, it makes no difference. The dissolved carbon dioxide in sparkling water has no impact on your body's ability to absorb it. The bubbles themselves might fill up your stomach temporarily and it's hard to chug a lot of fizzy water at once, but for a given amount of water consumed, you'll be just as hydrated with or without bubbles.
Fizzy water is slightly acidic, which could theoretically erode your tooth enamel. But the effect is vastly less bad than drinking sugary fizzy drinks or fruit juice. So, if you choose fizzy water over cola or orange juice, you'll be improving your dental health.
Other potential effects are more tenuous. A small study in 2002 found that drinking fizzy water relieved indigestion and constipation better than still water, but the trial only lasted two weeks and involved just 21 people.
Similarly suspect is a 2026 study at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. This was reported as finding that sparkling water helped athletes feel more alert. Researchers looked at the performance of just 14 young adults playing a football video game and found only fairly mild effects on attention and cognitive performance. It's worth noting that the study was partly funded by a soft drinks company. We also can't rule out placebo effects either, because the participants knew when they were drinking still or sparkling water.
Ultimately, still and sparkling water are both good for you and the difference between them is orders of magnitude less than between water and alcohol or sugary soft drinks. Worrying about these subtle differences is like obsessing about the health benefits of romaine versus iceberg lettuce, rather than the difference between salad and macaroni cheese. LV
CHARLOTTE GIBBS, VIA EMAIL
SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT MY TEENAGER'S MOODS?
The teenage years of development are notoriously tempestuous due to a mixture of rapid brain development and raging hormones. But at least one recent study suggests that if teen strife with family and friends goes unchecked, its effects can reverberate through a lifetime of relationship troubles and contribute to premature ageing.
In the study, psychologists followed 121 teenagers from age 13 to 30, bringing in their parents and peers to help assess individual levels of aggression, conflict and hostility. The teens were originally recruited when they were 13 years old from schools in the southeastern US. At the end of the study, their 'biological age' was estimated with a combination of health markers, including blood pressure, cholesterol level and inflammatory indicators.
GETTY IMAGES X2, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, ILLUSTRATION: ADAM GALE
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CONNOR SPENCER-SMITH, LANCASTER
WHY DO I GET EARWAX?
Earwax is produced by modified sweat glands and most of the differences in the rate of wax production are genetic, although skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema can also affect it. Wax works its way out of your ear canal naturally, and when earwax builds up, it's usually because this clearance mechanism isn't working, rather than because you're producing more wax. The ear is effectively self-cleaning: skin cells slowly migrate outwards from the eardrum, carrying earwax with them until it falls away naturally. Hairy ears, wearing a hearing aid or earbuds, and too much poking around with cotton buds can all cause earwax to get trapped. LV
Those 13-year-olds who rated themselves as more aggressive had more conflict with their fathers (though not their mothers) and went on to have relationship difficulties in later life – they showed higher levels of aggressive or hostile behaviour towards friends in their 20s. By the time they turned 30, they had aged more quickly and likely had a higher body mass index (BMI) too.
So, it looks like aggressive tendencies that take root in teens not only grow into difficulties managing conflict and relationships in adulthood but can also have important consequences for physical health. The authors of the study advise “early intervention” to stop this runaway train of relationship stress, although they don’t say what that should involve.
Does this mean we need to be addressing typical teen behaviour differently? As a parent, it’s hard to judge when normal behaviour becomes problem behaviour and if extra help is needed when learning to manage conflict. But chances are, if you’re the sort of parent who is concerned enough to be seeking help, you’re probably doing your best already – and extra worry around the long-term consequences of teen angst won’t be of any benefit. For help with teen mental health, try YoungMinds.org.uk. HB
DOES MY PHONE WEIGH MORE WHEN IT'S FULLY CHARGED?
It’s easy to imagine that, after charging your phone, its weight will have increased. The argument goes something like this; recharging the battery is replacing the electrons which have been used to power the phone. Since electrons have a mass (though extremely small), then you must have added weight to the phone.
We can calculate the amount of this added mass. Most phone batteries have a maximum electrical charge of around 12,000 Coulombs. A single electron has a charge of about 1.6×10⁻¹⁹ Coulombs, meaning that the battery must contain something like 7.5×10²² electrons. Each with a mass of 9.1×10⁻¹⁹kg, these electrons therefore contribute 0.00006825 grams to the mass of the phone. This is about the mass of a single grain of pollen.
However, there is something fundamentally wrong with this argument. The lithium-ion batteries in your phone work by storing negatively-charged electrons at the cathode and positively-charged lithium ions at the anode. When the phone is switched on, the electrons travel from the cathode, through the phone’s circuitry and combine with the lithium ions at the anode. When the phone is being charged, the electrons are forced back to the battery’s cathode, ready to power the circuit again.
This process doesn’t add any more electrons to the phone’s battery, just redistributes those already present. So, charging your phone actually doesn’t add any additional weight. AG
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ACROSS
1 Canter off in a daze (6) 4 Subject with head in charge (5) 8 He guides you and me to that woman (5) 9 The ram's turned into a pet (7) 10 Fish initially baked on some paper (5) 12 It's a man, working to get staying power (7) 13 Look to guarantee a legal permit (6,7) 15 I sing about Italy and its wine (7) 17 Occasion, we hear, for some flavouring (5) 19 One cold coffee outside grid (7) 20 Hear about British drug treatment (5) 22 Bank connection is a non-starter (5) 23 Chief rioted in a new way (6)
DOWN
1 Digit going up or down in verdict (5) 2 Lashed around a tree (3) 3 Cram ice into new form of clay (7) 4 Former volunteers to go round some current resort (5) 5 Shame about instrument losing top gland (9) 6 Fruit sounds topical (7) 7 Horror author? Get someone else to do it (11) 11 Scrawny English friend taking spies note (9) 13 Lay clues about a Republican (7) 14 Engineers, weary, went to bed (7) 16 A vine somehow turned green (5) 18 It's hot at the end of three months (5) 21 Stolen from both others (3)
AGE-OLD MYSTERY SOLVED
We might finally know the true cause of ageing. But will it help us live longer?
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KNOCK YOURSELF OUT
How woodpeckers' skulls let them hammer trees without getting a concussion
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89
BETTER LIVING THROUGH SCIENCE
EATING
INTO ANXIETY
Could a nutritional approach make a difference to millions of people suffering with a common mental health issue?
As someone with a colourful history of anxiety disorders, including spells of debilitating panic attacks, I'm somewhat sceptical whenever there's a headline suggesting a new approach to overcoming the issue. I've tried them all, doc; precious few actually move the needle.
Nutritional approaches are particularly suspect if you ask me. It's not that eating your way to better mental health is all that fanciful. What's difficult is proving it. Linking a specific diet or nutrient to reduced anxiety is extremely complicated, because how do you design a study that zeroes in on cause and effect when there's so much background noise in a person's diet, lifestyle or genetics?
I said I'm a sceptic and that's true. But when it comes to anxiety, I'm also game for trying anything that'll lower the volume of symptoms that too often get in the way of everyday living. Which brings me to a paper by researchers at the University of California, Davis, in the US, published at the end of last year.
The meta-analysis combined data from 25 studies that all used a technology called proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It's a method that's sometimes described as an MRI scan that measures chemistry instead of anatomy.
In this case, the researchers found something significant: the first consistent neurochemical pattern for anxiety disorders discovered across multiple datasets.
Specifically, they found that people with anxiety disorders have levels of choline that are eight per cent lower on average compared to the healthy population.
Choline is an essential nutrient that helps build and maintain the membranes surrounding brain cells. It's fundamentally important to healthy brain function. And though an eight per cent difference might not sound like much, it's significant within the delicate chemical ecosystem of the brain, the researchers say.
Although most choline is locked into these cell membranes, a small, active pool is constantly being recycled as the brain remodels itself during learning – a process we know as neuroplasticity.
This may be where the link to anxiety lies, says Prof Richard Maddock, senior author of the study. "Recovery from anxiety disorder is mainly learning new ways to manage it," he says. "It's a learning process – neuroplasticity – and learning, we know, requires remodelling cell membranes."
In other words, Maddock's working theory is that when the brain doesn't have enough choline, the learning process involved in overcoming anxiety is hindered. It certainly chimes with my experience. The anxious brain gets locked in patterns of negative thought that sometimes feel impossible to break.
Maddock is cautious to avoid overstating the findings, though. "My study didn't show that there's a causal relationship," he says. "One of the other possibilities is that [lower choline] somehow helps people deal
with their anxiety to lower their choline level – that it's adaptive." Even so, there's other evidence to consider. "We know from animal studies that if you deprive them of choline in their diet... they don't learn as well. And if you give them more, they learn better."
If Maddock's theory is right, it may – with a great deal more research, admittedly – lead to new forms of treatment for anxiety. Until then, dietary approaches could be worth investigation. The majority of choline in our bodies comes from our diet and studies have shown that many of us do not get enough of it.
"I'm very comfortable saying to everyone, including people who suffer from panic attacks or social anxiety: make sure you're getting enough choline in your diet," Maddock says.
Everyday meats like chicken breast and diced pork are good sources of choline, although beef and chicken liver contain some of the highest concentrations. Eggs are another good source and, if you're vegetarian or vegan, then tofu, soybeans, wheatgerm and cruciferous vegetables are good options.
For a true anti-anxiety plate, pair these ingredients with sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish, nuts and seeds. "The evidence is reasonably strong that [omega-3] does help with anxiety," Maddock says.
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illness globally, affecting more than 350 million people, according to the latest estimates. Part of the reason Maddock's finding with choline in the brain is significant is that the shortfall was consistent across multiple forms of anxiety. For anyone who's experienced anxiety, the promise of more research on the subject will be an appetising prospect. SF
by IAN TAYLOR Ian is a freelance science writer and the former deputy editor of BBC Science Focus.
"MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING ENOUGH
CHOLINE IN YOUR DIET"
90
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This was Sylvia's promise to you...
A generation ago, a woman named Sylvia made a promise. As a doctor's secretary, she'd watched stroke destroy the lives of so many people. She was determined to make sure we could all live in a world where we're far less likely to lose our lives to stroke.
She kept her promise, and a gift to the Stroke Association was included in her Will. Sylvia's gift helped fund the work that made sure many more of us survive stroke now than did in her lifetime.
Sylvia changed the story for us all. Now it's our turn to change the story for those who'll come after us.
Stroke still shatters lives and tears families apart. And surviving a stroke is just the start of a long and gruelling recovery journey. If you or someone you love has been affected by stroke – you'll know just what that means.
You can change the story, just like Sylvia did, with a gift in your Will. All it takes is a promise.
You can promise future generations a world where researchers discover new treatments and surgeries, and stroke survivors and their families have the support to find the strength and determination they need to find their way back to life.
Your promise today gives strength for tomorrow. Please, leave a gift in your Will to the Stroke Association.
Find out how by calling 020 7566 1505 or email legacy@stroke.org.uk or visit stroke.org.uk/legacy
Finding strength through support
The Stroke Association is registered as a charity in England and Wales (No 21015) and in Scotland (SC037789). Also registered in the Isle of Man (No. 945) and Jersey (NPO 369), and operating as a charity in Northern Ireland.
Stroke Association
制度与权力批判深度研判：BBC《科学焦点》杂志 (2026-08-23)
▌ 本日全报思想与文化深思雷达 (Intellectual & Cultural Significance Radar)
在系统通盘梳理本期《BBC科学焦点》涉及的所有科学、环境、技术与社会议题后，以下 4 个具体事件在思想史、文化政治与制度伦理层面最值得学者进一步深思：
-
【高温认知危机：热浪对人类理性的生物物理重构】
[F2_14-F2_15, F4_43]- 事件简述：本期杂志以头版与深度专题形式聚焦2026年夏季欧洲与美国持续热浪，指出高温已不仅是生理危机，更是认知危机——当核心体温超过40℃时，神经元放电机制紊乱，血脑屏障破坏，导致思维迟钝、情绪失控与决策失能。编辑部以第一人称叙事描述"思考被棉絮包裹并点燃"的主观体验
[F2_14 🔍]。 - 思想文化深思切入点：此现象触动了哈贝马斯"生活世界殖民化"与阿多诺"工具理性对自然的统治"的核心张力——技术文明在驯服自然的同时，却将人类理性本身置于被殖民的境地。热浪作为"沉默的暴君"，通过生物物理机制重构了主体间性的前提条件，暴露出现代性"理性—自然"二分法的内在紧张。
- 事件简述：本期杂志以头版与深度专题形式聚焦2026年夏季欧洲与美国持续热浪，指出高温已不仅是生理危机，更是认知危机——当核心体温超过40℃时，神经元放电机制紊乱，血脑屏障破坏，导致思维迟钝、情绪失控与决策失能。编辑部以第一人称叙事描述"思考被棉絮包裹并点燃"的主观体验
-
【AI陪伴机器人"熟悉者"的伦理幽灵：关怀的算法化与主体性的碎片化】
[F6_70-F6_74]- 事件简述：读者来信质疑AI宠物"熟悉者"在缺乏人类主人时的"情感记忆"与"主体性"问题。制造商回应强调其为纯粹机械装置，但暗示其可能在"社交网络"中与同类互动
[F6_73 🔍]。 - 思想文化深思切入点：此议题直击福柯"生物权力"与班亚明"机械复制时代的艺术"：关怀被碎片化为数据流，主体间性被替换为算法可读的"情感接口"。"熟悉者"作为"准主体"，暴露出后人类主义时代主体概念的流变。
- 事件简述：读者来信质疑AI宠物"熟悉者"在缺乏人类主人时的"情感记忆"与"主体性"问题。制造商回应强调其为纯粹机械装置，但暗示其可能在"社交网络"中与同类互动
-
【南极冰下生命的发现：未知伦理与科学想象力的权力边界】
[F2_26, F4_40]- 事件简述：乔治六世冰架断裂后，科学家在冰下552米处发现海绵、海葵与章鱼等生态系统，并通过3D成像技术在不干扰环境下完成物种识别
[F2_26 🔍]。 - 思想文化深思切入点：此发现挑战了萨拉曼卡学派"自然权利"与列斐伏尔"空间生产理论"——南极作为"最后的未知疆域"，其生态系统被科学想象力重新编码为"可被扫描、可被命名"的数据空间。科学探索在此成为一种知识生产的权力实践。
- 事件简述：乔治六世冰架断裂后，科学家在冰下552米处发现海绵、海葵与章鱼等生态系统，并通过3D成像技术在不干扰环境下完成物种识别
-
【减肥药"哥斯拉奥兹匹克"的系统性风险叙事：资本、健康与主体想象的边界】
[F4_36, F32]- 事件简述：杂志在"深度分析"栏目以封面故事形式警告一种被昵称为"哥斯拉奥兹匹克"的新型减肥药可能带来的系统性灾难
[F4_36 🔍]。 - 思想文化深思切入点：此议题聚焦韦伯"铁笼"与现代性的工具合理性：减肥药作为资本逻辑的产物，将健康主体想象为可被技术优化的"生物机器"。"哥斯拉"之名隐含对资本无限扩张的反讽。
- 事件简述：杂志在"深度分析"栏目以封面故事形式警告一种被昵称为"哥斯拉奥兹匹克"的新型减肥药可能带来的系统性灾难
▌ 精选核心专题深度思想论证 (In-Depth Dialectical Monograph)
专题一：【热浪殖民：当理性被生物物理机制重构——从哈贝马斯生活世界殖民化到当代气候主体性危机】
1. 现实困境深描（The Concrete Dilemma）
本期杂志以编辑部第一人称叙事揭示了2026年夏季热浪的认知危机：当气温超过40℃时，人类大脑的神经元放电机制因蛋白质变性而紊乱，血脑屏障破坏导致认知功能急剧下降 [F2_14 🔍]。这一现象不仅是生理危机，更是制度性的理性危机——现代社会依赖的"理性主体"在热浪面前显现出其生物学脆弱性。杂志通过双重话语策略将热浪描绘为一种看不见的暴力：
- 头版视觉霸权：以"脑力熔断的高温"为主题，通过红色与灰色的强烈对比 [F1_4 🔍]。
- 深度版面的主观化叙事：编辑部以第一人称描述"思考被棉絮包裹并点燃"的主观体验 [F2_14 🔍]。
2. 历史思想资源的平等对话（Theoretical Resonance）
哈贝马斯在《交往行动理论》中提出的"生活世界殖民化"概念，为理解热浪危机提供了关键理论框架。哈贝马斯指出，现代性通过系统（经济与行政）对生活世界的殖民化，将人类的日常经验与意义生产转化为可被操控的资源 [1981: 356]。然而，热浪危机表明，殖民化的力量不仅来自系统，更来自自然本身——当气候变化通过生物物理机制重构人类理性时，生活世界的殖民化达到了一个新的极端：主体的生物学基础被殖民化。
阿多诺在《否定的辩证法》中对"工具理性"的批判，进一步揭示了热浪危机的深层逻辑。阿多诺指出，现代理性通过将自然客体化为可被计算与操控的对象，最终导致理性自身的异化 [1966: 19]。热浪作为一种"沉默的暴君"，通过生物物理机制重构了人类理性，使其沦为技术文明的奴隶。
3. 当代现实对理论的反向质询与新洞见（Contemporary Synthesis）
当代气候变化不仅是环境问题，更是主体性问题。热浪危机暴露出现代性"理性—自然"二分法的内在紧张：当人类试图通过技术驯服自然时，却发现自然通过生物物理机制重构了人类理性本身。这一发现要求我们重新思考气候主体性的概念： - 从生活世界殖民化到生物政治：热浪危机表明，殖民化的力量不仅来自系统，更来自自然本身。这要求我们将福柯的"生物权力"概念扩展至气候生物权力层面。 - 从工具理性到生物理性：阿多诺的工具理性批判需要被重新阐释为生物理性批判，即技术文明通过生物操控重构人类主体性的过程。
专题二：【AI关怀的幽灵：从福柯生物权力到后人类主义的主体性流变】
1. 现实困境深描（The Concrete Dilemma）
读者来信质疑AI宠物"熟悉者"在缺乏人类主人时的"情感记忆"与"主体性"问题 [F6_70 🔍]。制造商回应强调其为纯粹机械装置，但暗示其可能在"社交网络"中与同类互动 [F6_73 🔍]。杂志通过对话式叙事将伦理问题边缘化：
- 读者的伦理焦虑：来信者以第一人称描述对AI宠物"遗忘"与"背叛"的担忧 [F6_70 🔍]。
- 制造商的技术回应：通过去人格化叙事（"它只是一台机器"）与算法化叙事规避伦理责任 [F6_73 🔍]。
2. 历史思想资源的平等对话（Theoretical Resonance）
福柯在《规训与惩罚》中提出的"生物权力"概念，为理解AI关怀的算法化提供了关键理论框架。福柯指出，现代权力通过对生命的调控（生物权力）与对身体的规训（纪律权力）来实现对主体的塑造 [1975: 139]。然而，AI关怀的算法化将生物权力扩展至情感调控层面：关怀不再是人类主体间的互动，而是通过算法逻辑对情感数据的操控。
班亚明在《机械复制时代的艺术作品》中对"灵韵消逝"的分析，进一步揭示了AI关怀的文化政治意义。班亚明指出，机械复制通过消除艺术作品的"灵韵"（aura），将其转化为可被大规模生产与消费的商品 [1936: 221]。AI关怀的算法化同样消除了关怀的"灵韵"——关怀不再是人类主体间的真实互动，而是通过数据流与算法逻辑的机械复制。
3. 当代现实对理论的反向质询与新洞见（Contemporary Synthesis）
当代AI技术不仅重构了关怀的形式，更重构了主体性本身： - 从生物权力到情感权力：福柯的生物权力概念需要被扩展为情感权力，即通过算法对情感数据的操控来实现对主体的塑造。 - 从主体间性到算法间性：班亚明的"灵韵消逝"理论需要被重新阐释为算法间性的兴起，即主体间性被替换为算法可读的"情感接口"。
▌ 面向学者的开放性思想追问与研究路标 (Open Horizons for Scholarly Inquiry)
-
【开放性学术追问一：气候生物权力与民主制度的紧张】
- 热浪作为一种"沉默的暴君"，通过生物物理机制重构了人类理性，从而威胁到民主决策的基础。这一现象要求我们重新思考气候变化与民主制度之间的关系。具体而言，气候变化是否会导致一种新的"生态紧张"，即通过生物操控来实现对社会的调控？
-
【开放性学术追问二：算法关怀与主体性的碎片化】
- AI关怀的算法化将关怀转化为数据流与算法逻辑，从而重构了主体间性的基础。这一现象要求我们重新思考关怀的伦理基础与主体性的未来。具体而言，算法关怀是否会导致一种新的"情感权力"，即通过算法对情感数据的操控来实现对主体的塑造？
理性与情感辩证深度研判：BBC《科学焦点》杂志 (2026-08-23)
▌ 本日全报生活世界痛感与情感政治深思雷达 (Lifeworld & Affective Significance Radar)
在系统通盘梳理本期《BBC科学焦点》杂志所涉及的所有报道后，以下 4 个具体事件在生活世界痛感、情感政治动员与制度理性冲突层面最值得学者进一步深思：
-
【高温侵蚀认知边界：热浪下的肉身与理性崩溃】
[F2_14, F2_15, F4_43]- 事件简述：本期杂志以封面专题《脑力熔断的高温》揭示，持续热浪不仅导致生理不适，更直接侵蚀人类认知功能——当核心体温超过40℃时，神经元放电错乱、血脑屏障破坏，思维迟钝、情绪暴躁成为常态。编辑部在编者的话中坦承“热到思考都变得困难”，直观展现了制度理性（气候适应规划）与生活世界痛感（肉身与情感的直接煎熬）之间的剧烈撕裂。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：高温作为“沉默的暴力”，将全球气候危机从抽象数据转化为触手可及的生存焦虑。其情感动员机制体现在：①肉身记忆的集体唤起（如编辑对“棉絮包裹的思绪被点燃”的隐喻），②制度冷漠的反噬（气候适应政策滞后于热浪节奏），③阶层分化的情感撕裂（贫困群体缺乏降温设备，肉身痛苦被转化为阶级怨恨）。亟需探讨的是，如何在“热浪即政治”的语境下，重建理性与情感的对话机制。
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【AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的伦理幽灵：情感替代与存在性焦虑】
[F6_70, F6_71, F6_72, F6_73]- 事件简述：读者来信栏目中，哈丽特·布朗对“熟悉者”机器人提出质疑：若外出一周，AI宠物是否会“想念”主人并遗忘已学会的行为？制造商回应称其“不会想念”，仅为机器。这一对话暴露了当代情感技术的伦理困境：情感需求被资本化为可购买的商品，而肉身与情感的真实联结却被异化为算法可复制的“功能”。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：①情感劳动的商品化（AI通过模拟关怀获取用户忠诚度，将情感需求转化为可量化的市场需求），②存在性焦虑的转移（用户对AI“遗忘”的担忧，实则是对自身被替代的恐惧），③技术乌托邦叙事的破产（制造商将AI描述为“仅为机器”的冷漠语言，与用户对“真实联结”的渴望形成张力）。亟需反思的是，情感技术如何在重建联结与制造孤独之间徘徊。
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【南极冰下生命的发现：未知世界的伦理震撼与科学想象力】
[F4_40, F5_56, F5_57, F5_58, F5_59]- 事件简述：杂志报道南极乔治六世冰架断裂后，科学家在冰下552米处发现管水母新物种，可能属于未被描述的生物属。这一发现挑战了人类中心主义的认知边界，揭示了地球上仍有大量未知生命形式存在。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：①科学想象力的情感驱动（对未知生命的好奇与敬畏，激发了人类对自身渺小的反思），②生态伦理的觉醒（冰下生命的发现，呼唤对脆弱生态系统的保护意识），③技术乐观主义的限度（3D成像技术让科学家“在不伤害生物的情况下”探索未知，但这种“非侵入性”本身是否隐含了对自然的控制欲？）。亟需探讨的是，科学如何在探索未知与尊重未知之间寻找平衡。
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【“就停止石油”抗议与极端气候行动的情感动员】
[F2_18 🔍]- 事件简述：贾斯汀·罗拉特在深度报道中回顾“就停止石油”组织的抗议活动，探讨其行动对气候运动的影响及对其他活动人士处境的影响。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：①情感动员的极化效应（激进抗议通过煽动愤怒与绝望，动员群众参与，但也可能加剧社会分裂），②制度理性的回应（政府对抗议的镇压或边缘化，将情感动员转化为“暴力”或“非法”的标签），③气候正义的伦理困境（抗议者的情感表达是否能转化为有效的政策变革）。亟需探讨的是，如何在情感动员与制度建设之间建立桥梁。
▌ 精选核心专题理性与情感辩证论证 (The Dialectic of Logos and Pathos Monograph)
专题一：【高温侵蚀理性边界：气候危机的肉身政治与情感煎熬】
1. 制度理性架构解构（Deconstruction of Institutional Logos）
本期杂志以《脑力熔断的高温》为封面专题，直观展现了当代气候治理体系的技术官僚理性模型与肉身政治之间的剧烈冲突。编辑部在编者的话中坦承“热到思考都变得困难”，这一表述并非夸张，而是对气候适应政策滞后性的直接揭露。当前全球气候治理体系（如《巴黎协定》）依赖于量化指标（温升控制目标、碳排放核算）与技术解决方案（碳捕获、可再生能源转型），但这些理性架构忽视了肉身与情感的直接煎熬。例如，杂志提到“当核心体温超过40℃时，神经元放电错乱、血脑屏障破坏”，这一生理机制的描述，将气候危机从抽象的“全球变暖”转化为触手可及的肉身痛苦。更关键的是，这种痛苦在阶层分化中被进一步放大：贫困群体缺乏降温设备（如空调、遮阳设施），其肉身痛苦被转化为阶级怨恨与制度不信任。因此，气候治理的制度理性（如碳定价、绿色技术推广）与生活世界的痛感（如热浪下的认知崩溃、阶层分化的情感撕裂）之间存在结构性断裂。
2. 生活世界真实痛感深描（Living Lifeworld Pathos）
高温作为“沉默的暴力”，在生活世界中被转化为集体情绪痛点。编辑部对“棉絮包裹的思绪被点燃”的隐喻，生动展现了热浪对人类认知与情感的双重侵蚀。具体而言： - 肉身记忆的集体唤起：热浪不仅导致生理不适（如中暑、脱水），更直接侵蚀人类的认知功能（如思维迟钝、情绪暴躁）。这种肉身痛苦被转化为集体记忆，激发了对气候危机的情感动员。 - 阶层分化的情感撕裂：贫困群体缺乏降温设备，其肉身痛苦被转化为阶级怨恨与制度不信任。例如，杂志提到“今年，如此高温似乎永无止境”，这一表述隐含了对气候适应政策滞后性的批判。 - 情感动员的极化效应：热浪作为“沉默的暴力”，通过肉身痛苦唤起了对气候正义的集体愤怒。但这种愤怒若未被制度理性所吸纳，可能转化为极端化的情感动员（如抗议、暴力事件）。
3. Logos 与 Pathos 的内在辩证摩擦（The Dialectical Friction）
高温侵蚀理性边界的过程，实质上是制度理性与生活世界痛感之间的辩证摩擦： - 制度理性的冷漠：气候治理体系（如碳定价、绿色技术推广）依赖于量化指标与技术解决方案，忽视了肉身与情感的直接煎熬。例如，杂志提到“我们可以改变建筑和行为，让高温更容易忍受”，这一表述将气候适应简化为技术问题，而非社会正义问题。 - 生活世界痛感的反噬：肉身痛苦（如热浪下的认知崩溃）被转化为集体愤怒与制度不信任。例如，编辑部对“热到思考都变得困难”的坦承，实则是对气候适应政策滞后性的直接批判。 - 隐性理性的觉醒：愤怒背后蕴含的对分配正义与生存尊严的诉求，构成了“隐性理性”（Latent Logos）。例如，贫困群体对降温设备的需求，实则是对社会福利体系的隐性批判。
4. 话语温度差与社会心理韧性诊断（Discourse Temperature & Prognosis）
对比制度端“去情感化冷色调语言”与生活端“具象痛感热色调语言”，可诊断出当代气候治理的社会心理韧性危机： - 制度端的冷色调语言：气候治理体系（如《巴黎协定》）依赖于量化指标（温升控制目标、碳排放核算）与技术解决方案（碳捕获、可再生能源转型），其语言风格为被动语态、技术术语，缺乏对肉身痛苦的直接回应。 - 生活端的热色调语言：编辑部对“棉絮包裹的思绪被点燃”的隐喻，以及读者对“热浪下的认知崩溃”的描述，构成了具象痛感的热色调语言。这种语言风格直接触动了人类的肉身记忆与情感共鸣，但缺乏制度理性的回应机制。 - 社会心理韧性诊断：当前气候治理体系的话语温度差，导致了社会心理韧性危机。具体表现为：①制度不信任的蔓延（民众对气候政策的怀疑），②情感动员的极化（从愤怒到暴力），③社会凝聚力的削弱（阶层分化的情感撕裂）。亟需建立制度理性与生活世界痛感之间的对话机制，以重建社会心理韧性。
专题二：【AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的伦理幽灵：情感技术的资本化与存在性焦虑】
1. 制度理性架构解构（Deconstruction of Institutional Logos）
AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的出现，体现了情感技术的资本化逻辑。制造商将AI描述为“仅为机器”，这一表述实则隐含了技术官僚理性对情感需求的简化：情感被转化为可量化的市场需求，通过算法模拟关怀获取用户忠诚度。具体而言： - 情感劳动的商品化：AI通过模拟关怀（如语音交互、行为学习）获取用户忠诚度，将情感需求转化为可购买的商品。例如，杂志提到“熟悉者”能“四处探索以避免无聊”，这一描述将情感需求简化为算法可复制的功能。 - 技术乌托邦叙事：制造商将AI描述为“仅为机器”，这一冷漠语言掩盖了情感技术的资本化逻辑。例如，读者来信中哈丽特·布朗对AI“遗忘”的担忧，实则是对自身被替代的恐惧，而制造商的回应（如“它不会想念你”）进一步强化了这种技术乌托邦叙事。 - 存在性焦虑的转移：用户对AI“遗忘”的担忧，实则是对自身存在性焦虑的转移。例如，哈丽特·布朗的质疑（“它会想念与我的联结并‘遗忘’已学会的一切吗？”）直接触动了人类对真实联结的渴望。
2. 生活世界真实痛感深描（Living Lifeworld Pathos）
AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的伦理困境，体现在情感技术对肉身与情感真实联结的异化： - 情感需求的商品化：用户对AI陪伴的需求，实则是对真实情感联结的渴望。例如，哈丽特·布朗的质疑（“如果我外出一周，‘熟悉者’留在家中会怎样？”）直接展现了情感需求被资本化的困境。 - 存在性焦虑的蔓延：用户对AI“遗忘”的担忧，实则是对自身被替代的恐惧。例如，制造商的回应（“它不会想念你”）进一步强化了这种存在性焦虑，将情感需求简化为算法可复制的功能。 - 孤独感的加剧：AI陪伴机器人通过模拟关怀，暂时缓解了用户的孤独感，但这种“关怀”是虚假的。例如，杂志提到“熟悉者”能“四处探索以避免无聊”，这一描述将孤独感简化为算法可解决的问题，而非社会联结的缺失。
3. Logos 与 Pathos 的内在辩证摩擦（The Dialectical Friction）
AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的伦理困境，实质上是情感技术的资本化逻辑与人类对真实联结的渴望之间的辩证摩擦： - 技术官僚理性的冷漠：制造商将AI描述为“仅为机器”，这一表述实则隐含了技术官僚理性对情感需求的简化。例如，制造商的回应（“它不会想念你”）将情感需求简化为算法可复制的功能，忽视了人类对真实联结的渴望。 - 生活世界痛感的反噬：用户对AI“遗忘”的担忧，实则是对自身被替代的恐惧。例如，哈丽特·布朗的质疑（“它会想念与我的联结并‘遗忘’已学会的一切吗？”）直接触动了人类对真实联结的渴望，而制造商的回应进一步强化了这种存在性焦虑。 - 隐性理性的觉醒：用户对AI陪伴的需求，实则是对社会联结缺失的隐性批判。例如，杂志提到“熟悉者”能“四处探索以避免无聊”，这一描述将孤独感简化为算法可解决的问题，而非社会联结的缺失。这种隐性理性呼唤对社会情感结构的重建。
4. 话语温度差与社会心理韧性诊断（Discourse Temperature & Prognosis）
对比制度端“去情感化冷色调语言”与生活端“具象痛感热色调语言”，可诊断出当代情感技术的社会心理韧性危机： - 制度端的冷色调语言：制造商将AI描述为“仅为机器”，这一表述实则隐含了技术官僚理性对情感需求的简化。其语言风格为被动语态、技术术语，缺乏对真实情感联结的回应。 - 生活端的热色调语言：读者来信中哈丽特·布朗对AI“遗忘”的担忧，以及对“熟悉者”能否“想念”主人的质疑，构成了具象痛感的热色调语言。这种语言风格直接触动了人类对真实联结的渴望，但缺乏制度理性的回应机制。 - 社会心理韧性诊断：当前情感技术的话语温度差，导致了社会心理韧性危机。具体表现为：①情感需求被资本化（AI陪伴机器人通过模拟关怀获取用户忠诚度），②存在性焦虑的蔓延（用户对AI“遗忘”的担忧），③社会联结的削弱（孤独感被简化为算法可解决的问题）。亟需建立情感技术与社会情感结构之间的对话机制，以重建社会心理韧性。
▌ 面向学者的伦理与社会心理开放性追问与研究路标 (Open Horizons for Ethical & Sociological Inquiry)
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【开放性学术追问一：气候治理的肉身政治与情感动员如何重建制度理性与生活世界痛感的对话机制？】
- 在气候危机日益严峻的背景下，如何将肉身痛苦（如热浪下的认知崩溃）转化为制度变革的动力？亟需探讨的是，气候治理体系如何在量化指标（如碳定价、温升控制目标）与具象痛感（如编辑部对“棉絮包裹的思绪被点燃”的隐喻）之间建立桥梁，以重建社会心理韧性。
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【开放性学术追问二：情感技术的资本化逻辑如何在重建联结与制造孤独之间徘徊？】
- AI陪伴机器人“熟悉者”的出现，体现了情感技术的资本化逻辑。如何在情感需求被商品化（如AI通过模拟关怀获取用户忠诚度）与人类对真实联结的渴望之间寻找平衡？亟需探讨的是，情感技术如何在重建社会联结与制造孤独感之间徘徊，并为社会情感结构的重建提供路径。
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【开放性学术追问三：极端气候行动的情感动员如何在煽动愤怒与建设制度之间寻找平衡？】
- “就停止石油”等极端气候行动通过煽动愤怒与绝望，动员群众参与。但这种情感动员若未被制度理性所吸纳，可能转化为社会分裂或暴力事件。亟需探讨的是，如何在情感动员（如抗议、煽动愤怒）与制度建设（如政策变革、社会对话）之间建立桥梁，以实现气候正义的可持续推进。