Rare Autism-Linked Syndrome Is Far More Common Than Scientists Thought
by CureSHANK on July 22, 2026 at 6:54 pm
A large genetic analysis suggests that Phelan-McDermid syndrome may affect far more people than previously recognized. For some families, a genetic diagnosis can explain years of medical, developmental, and behavioral challenges. But many people with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) may still have no idea that they carry the condition. Researchers led by the Seaver Autism Center […]
The Brain Can Reason Without Language, MIT Study Finds
by Massachusetts Institute of Technology on July 22, 2026 at 6:19 pm
Neuroscientists found that logical reasoning does not rely on the brain regions involved in language processing. A person may be unable to form a sentence after a stroke yet still solve a difficult puzzle, recognize a hidden pattern, or make a sound logical judgment. That contrast points to a basic question about the mind: does […]
New Catalyst Turns Stubborn Plant Waste Into Valuable Chemicals
by Enna Bartlett, University of Manchester on July 22, 2026 at 4:03 pm
Atomic insight could make plant waste a more practical source of fuels, plastics and chemicals. Every year, agriculture and forestry leave behind large amounts of plant material containing lignin, the substance that helps stems, wood, and other tissues remain rigid. Lignin can make up (up to 35%) of this discarded biomass and represents nature’s largest […]
Caltech’s New Device Steers Light With Light at Mind-Bending Speed
by California Institute of Technology on July 22, 2026 at 3:28 pm
A light-controlled meta-surface redirected another beam at femtosecond speeds without relying on slower electronic relaxation. A pulse of light crosses the width of a human hair in roughly 74 femtoseconds (74 quadrillionths of a second). Caltech researchers have now redirected a beam in that same fleeting interval by using a second beam as the control […]
Quantum Gravity May Be Far Less Quantum Than Physicists Expected
by Kyushu University on July 22, 2026 at 2:53 pm
A new study reveals that some proposed signatures of quantum gravity may have an unexpected classical explanation. Imagine placing an object in two locations at once. Quantum mechanics allows such a possibility, at least for sufficiently small systems. But if the object occupies multiple positions, what happens to the gravity surrounding it? That question lies […]