Chinese people are talking about a national birth rate of 6.4 per 1,000 people in 2023, the lowest in the world. Whether this is related to the wrong use of various artificial night light rays passing through our eyes is worth reflection. Non-visual effects of light are the effects of the blue component of light, which effectively inhibits the melatonin secretion in the pineal gland. As melatonin acts through high-affinity receptors located centrally and in all organs, blue light affects, in principle, the hormone secretion throughout the body, including the secretion of sex hormones and cortisol. These effects have been widely used in animal reproduction. Given that the night light environment has significantly changed over the past century, an effect of light on fertility and behavior could be detected in multiple cases. We showed that the ovulation phase of hens could be shifted by the light as low as 0.2 Lx, which corresponds to the illumination intensity at full moon,and the effect of 0.2 Lx on ovulation is normally far greater than all other factors combined. Two rounds of experiments and many other facts listed support that human intrinsic fertility may have not declined sig
Known physical mechanisms of temperature dependence anomalies of water properties were used to explain the regularities in temperature dependence (TDs) of dynamic, electrical and optical characteristics of biological systems. The dynamics of hydrogen bonds in bulk and hydrated water affected the activation energies TDs of ion currents of voltage-dependent channels that regulate signaling and trophic bonds in the neuropil of the cortical parenchyma. The physics of minimizing the TD of the isobaric heat capacity of water made it possible to explain the stabilization and functional optimization of the thermodynamics of eyeball fluids at 34.5 C and the human brain during sleep at 36.5 C. At these temperatures, the thermoreceptors of the cornea and the cells of the ganglionic layer of the retina, through connections with the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the pineal gland, switch the circadian rhythm from daytime to nighttime. The phylogenesis of the circadian rhythm was reflected in the dependence of the duration of the nighttime sleep of mammals on the diameter of the eyeball and the mass of the pineal gland. The activity of all the nerves of the eyeball led to the division of the noctur
Hippocampus was by multisynaptic axonal tracts linked to medial habenula in my DTI study. These tracts linked hippocampus to septum, and amygdala to BNST. Septal and BNST axons passed by anteromedial thalamic nucleus to MHb, which projected to pineal gland. Question is what is the MHb doing and why it receives information from hippocampus via septum? This study explores the MHb connectivity, predicts its functional role and how it is linked to memory. Combination of known findings about the septum and MHb connectivity and function led to this circuit-based idea that posterior septum activates MHb, MHb activates IPN,and IPN stimulates MRN and its serotonin release. Proposed idea is that this MHb-IPN-MRN circuit promotes slow wave sleep (SWS), high serotonin and low acetylcholine state. My prediction is that this SWS-promoting circuit reciprocally suppresses the theta oscillations promoting circuit, linked to high acetylcholine levels in brain, and formed by supramamillary area projections to the medial septum (MS) that induces theta rhythm in hippocampus and other theta-coupled regions. The MHb-IPN-MRN pathway likely inhibits, possibly reciprocally,some regions that have stimulating
Quantum mechanics has journeyed from a strange and controversial idea to the foundation of some of humanity’s most advanced technologies。 Now researchers are pushing its boundaries even further, with potential breakthroughs in energy, medicine, computing, and our understanding of the universe
A new study suggests Earth may have been sending tiny hitchhikers to Venus for billions of years。 Researchers found that asteroid impacts could launch microbes into space, where some might survive the journey and end up suspended in Venus' clouds。 If future missions detect life there, there's a surprising chance it didn't originate on Venus at all—
A new AI-powered framework could transform how astronomers measure the expansion of the Universe。 By analyzing images of Type Ia supernovae and modeling their environments in unprecedented detail, researchers can estimate cosmic distances with near-spectroscopic accuracy。 The technique is designed for the flood of data expected from the upcoming Ve
A new sunlight-powered material can convert visible light into higher-energy UV light, overcoming a challenge that has frustrated scientists for years。 The breakthrough could enable cleaner air purification, solar-driven chemistry, and advanced manufacturing technologies using nothing more than natural sunlight
As much as 50 percent of some teams affected by reductions, and more could be coming
A centimeter-sized crystal has revealed clear signs of quantum entanglement, showing that large, everyday objects can display surprisingly deep quantum behavior。 The discovery could help solve the mystery of strange metals while opening new possibilities for ultra-precise quantum sensors and other advanced technologies
What if one of the biggest assumptions in cosmology is wrong。 New research suggests the universe may not be perfectly uniform in every direction, as scientists have long believed。 A puzzling mismatch known as the cosmic dipole anomaly shows that the distribution of distant galaxies and quasars doesn’t align with patterns seen in the leftover glow o
A groundbreaking superconducting X-ray spectrometer has begun operation at BESSY II, giving Europe its first TES-based system and boosting photon detection efficiency by up to 1,000 times。 The advance enables scientists to explore atomically thin materials, nanostructures, and ultra-dilute samples with remarkable speed and sensitivity
Two newly confirmed "super-puff" planets are so diffuse that they are less dense than cotton candy, despite being about the size of Jupiter。 Their rare orbital relationship and enormous, lightweight atmospheres could provide valuable clues about how some of the strangest planets in the galaxy come to exist
A strange "chirping" signal from a distant supernova has revealed the birth of a magnetar, confirming that these incredibly magnetic neutron stars can power the universe's brightest stellar explosions。 The discovery also marks the first time Einstein's general relativity has been used to explain the mechanics of a supernova
A decades-old puzzle about water has finally been unraveled。 Researchers found that water trapped in tiny nanoscale spaces is not inherently more reactive。 Instead, the intense pressures created inside these microscopic gaps explain most of the effect, while the surrounding material can further enhance water's chemistry if it interacts with the rea
Researchers have created quantum control techniques that can make a system appear to run backward in time。 By precisely managing quantum measurements, they can reshape the system's arrow of time and even harvest energy from the measurement process itself。 The breakthrough could lead to more powerful quantum computers, quantum batteries, and other a
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth。 They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems。 By using robotic handling systems on the Moon, researchers hope to eliminate the risk of accident