Survival of the wittiest: Linguistic cleverness in human evolution
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Mar-2026 08:16 ET (31-Mar-2026 12:16 GMT/UTC)
For more than two thousand patients who had cycled through years of antidepressant regimens without relief, the problem was never solely in their heads. A new study published in Brain Medicine tracked 2,197 individuals across six years and found that specific dysfunctions of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, namely alpha-sympathetic withdrawal and parasympathetic excess, were starving the brain of adequate blood flow in ways that mimicked or magnified depressive states. Once clinicians identified and corrected those autonomic imbalances using low-dose pharmacologic and lifestyle interventions, 95 percent of subjects experienced symptom relief, plummeting from an average of 23.2 reported symptoms at baseline to 5.2 at final follow-up. The findings challenge the assumption that patients who fail standard antidepressants are simply treatment resistant.
An in-depth econometric analysis reveals the significant environmental consequences of Brazil's expanding tourism sector and economic growth. The new report, authored by Asif Raihan of the Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, examines three decades of data to untangle the complex relationship between the nation's economy, energy consumption, tourism industry, and its carbon footprint. While tourism is a vital engine for development, its reliance on energy-intensive activities poses a direct challenge to Brazil's environmental goals, including its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Everyday financial anxieties and frustration with low-quality work – rather than immigration alone – helped populist politics explode across Europe from the mid-2010s, according to a new book that analyses data from over 75,000 voters.
The study shows that the brain’s representation of social boundaries can rapidly reorganise in response to context. The research team suggests that this neural flexibility underlies the human ability to navigate complex social environments characterised by multiple and interconnected group identities. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective strategies to bridge divisions and foster more harmonious intergroup relations.