The Other Side

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201062457.htm

Middle age is becoming a tougher chapter for many Americans, especially those born in the 1960s and early 1970s. Compared with earlier generations, they report more loneliness and depression, along with weaker physical strength and declining memory. These troubling trends stand out internationally, as similar declines are largely absent in other wealthy nations, particularly in Nordic Europe, where midlife well-being has improved.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201062457.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084626.htm

Scientists warn that rapid advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness, creating serious ethical risks. New research argues that developing scientific tests for awareness could transform medicine, animal welfare, law, and AI development. But identifying consciousness in machines, brain organoids, or patients could also force society to rethink responsibility, rights, and moral boundaries. The question of what it means to be conscious has never been more urgent—or more unsettling.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084626.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084616.htm

Researchers have discovered a hidden quantum geometry inside materials that subtly steers electrons, echoing how gravity warps light in space. Once thought to exist only on paper, this effect has now been observed experimentally in a popular quantum material. The finding reveals a new way to understand and control how materials conduct electricity and interact with light. It could help power future ultra-fast electronics and quantum technologies.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084616.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084131.htm

Researchers in Bangladesh have identified a bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, in patients who were initially suspected of having Nipah virus but tested negative. All had recently consumed raw date-palm sap, a known pathway for bat-related infections. Genetic analysis confirmed live virus in several samples, pointing to active human infection. The finding raises concerns that dangerous bat viruses may be circulating undetected alongside Nipah.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084131.htm

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm

Jupiter’s swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found the planet likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter—and the rest of the solar system—came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter’s atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. Together, the findings reshape our understanding of the solar system’s largest planet.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm