Category: Feature
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The Dark Side of Microglia: Hidden Drivers of Alzheimerโs Diseaseย
Photo by: geralt from Pixabay 2023 Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK, yet it remains incurable and poorly treated. Alzheimerโs disease (AD), a subtype of dementia, is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder, characterised by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline, that gradually erodes independence. For decades, efforts to treat AD have focused…
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The Hallucinating Machine: Why AI Needs to Dream
Image Created by Elisa Castagnari with ChatGPT Core argument: Hallucinations in Large Language Models (LLMs) may not be merely errors. They may emerge from the same cognitive dynamics that make human dreaming useful, according to neuroscientist Erik Hoelโs overfitted brain hypothesis, which posits that dreams act as a counterweight to rigid learning. In both biological…
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Under the Ink: The Silent Effects of Tattoo Pigments
Photo by: ilovetattoos from Pixabay / March 28, 2018 Tattoos are now a common way for people, especially younger adults, to express themselves. As millions of people dive into tattoo culture, it raises an important question: What actually happens to the ink once it enters the body? There has been increasing concern about tattoo safety,…
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Ever See TV Static in Your Vision? Hereโs Why.
Photo by: Wojtek Paczeล from Pexels / 2020 Take a second to lift your eyes from the screen, and let them rest on a nearby wall. Does your view appear smooth, clear and unobstructed? Or do you notice something faint, flickering like television static โ hundreds of tiny dots crackling in and out of view?…
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Huntingtonโs Disease May No Longer Be A Life Sentence
[Image created by Claudia Logan with BioRender.com] Huntingtonโs Disease (HD) is a rare, inherited brain disorder which progressively damages nerve and muscle functions, yet until recently had no cure. In 2024, roughly 8,000 people were living with Huntingtonโs in the UK, according to the Huntingtonโs Disease Association UK. The average age of onset is around…
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Can low blood oxygen silently weaken your immune system by tweaking the genetics?
Photo by: Nasimudeen, R. from Wikimedia Commons / 2017 Climbing a mountain and being hospitalised with severe lung disease both have similar effects on your immunity. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have discovered that low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) can trigger a change in the genetic programming of the immune system, making key immune…
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Invisible invaders: the rise of microplastics in human organs
Image description: Photo by Stijn Dijkstra from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/colorful-paper-straps-15528035/ Plastic: lightweight, cheap and durable, itโs become a staple in households and industry. It may make our lives easier, but it also has the ability to enter our bodies and stick around. Whilst this isnโt a new concern – itโs been known for several years that…
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AI spots heart attack risks before they strike
Photo By: Etatics Inc. from Pexels / 2022 AI is now helping doctors detect heart disease even before visible symptoms appear. While some people are cautious about this advancement, one companyโCaristo Diagnostics, an Oxford University spin-outโhas shown how AI can be used responsibly to pre-empt heart conditions. Their technology enables the identification of individuals with…
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Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe
Mishita takes us through a century of astronomy discoveries and how a “mistake” from Einstein may have been hiding a clue for decades
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Setting a Higher Standard: Improving Reporting in Psychedelic Research
Guido takes us through the current research into pharmacological psychedelics, outlining the reasons that have been holding the use of these therapeutics back.