Scientists Gave People Wings in VR, And It Triggered Changes in The Brain - ScienceAlert

In August 2025, researchers reported finding traces of a comet that may have exploded over Earth roughly 12,800 years ago, possibly triggering a prolonged cold spell known as the Younger Dryas. The discovery, made in sediments from Baffin Bay near Greenland, appeared to offer new support for one of archaeology and climate science’s most controversial theories. The journal PLOS One retracted the study, citing serious problems with the dating of sediments, the identification of supposed cosmic material, and the reliability of the research.

Around 7,300 years ago, one of Earth’s largest volcanic eruptions devastated prehistoric Japan, triggering severe population declines in certain regions while communities elsewhere continued to grow, according to new research. “This eruption must have been devastating,” said Peter Jordan, senior author and professor of archaeology at Lund University.

Coiro, M., Doyle, J. A. & Hilton, J. How deep is the conflict between molecular and fossil evidence on the age of angiosperms? New Phytol. 223, 83–99 https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15708 (2019). Article Hughes, N. F. & McDougall, A. B. Barremian-Aptian angiospermid pollen records from southern England. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 65, 145–151 (1990). Article

You've probably heard a bit about ultra-processed foods by now, and if so, you likely know they're not the healthiest things you can eat. These industrially manufactured foods are increasingly being linked to heightened risk of disease, and research suggests they may affect how we think and harm our mental health. In light of all the concerning associations scientists are finding, it's easy to assume that ultra-processed foods are unhealthy because they're packed full of nutritionally poor ingredients – but what if there's more to it than that? "We know that the majority of ultra-processed foods are high in fat, they're high in sugar, they're low in fiber, and they're low in protein," says neuroscientist Alex DiFeliceantonio from Virginia Tech. "But if we artificially hold all of those things constant, is there something about the processing that leads to a different outcome? "The answer, it seems, is yes, according to a surprising finding reported in Nature Metabolism. Ultra-processed foods seem to produce a different metabolic response, even when nutrients and calories are matched.

Published on 24 September, the Planetary Health Check report paints a deeply concerning picture. These ‘planetary boundaries’ – nine scientifically defined limits designed to keep Earth stable and safe for humanity – have now been pushed even further out of balance. The newest addition to this growing list is ocean acidification, a phenomenon largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels, and intensified by deforestation and land use changes. Six other boundaries have already been significantly exceeded: climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, the spread of synthetic chemicals including plastics, freshwater depletion, and the disruption of the nitrogen cycle linked to agriculture. For now, only the ozone layer and atmospheric aerosols remain within relatively safe limits.