Abstract: "Opposing someone on a contentious sociopolitical issue often prompts criticism and conflict. People may be tempted to reduce such acrimony by expressing neutrality. Across 11 studies with North American samples, we find that, although people commonly express neutrality on controversial issues, observers are skeptical of others’ neutrality, judging them as similarly moral as those who oppose them those who explicitly oppose them. Unpacking lay beliefs about why people express neutrality sheds light on this disjunction between responses to the neutral self versus the neutral other. Specifically, people render more favorable attributions for their own neutrality (e.g., true indecision) than do observers (e.g., apathy, strategic behavior). Therefore, while neutrality is an often-invoked strategy to manage impressions, it is unlikely to succeed in doing so."
"Findings. 43 studies were included in the systematic review, and 17 studies in the meta-analysis. When considering sibling comparison studies, paracetamol exposure during pregnancy was not associated with the risk of autism spectrum disorder (OR 0·98, 95% CI 0·93–1·03; p=0·45), ADHD (0·95, 0·86–1·05; p=0·31), or intellectual disability (0·93, 0·69–1·24; p=0·63). There was also no association between paracetamol intake during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (OR 1·03, 95% CI 0·86–1·23; p=0·78), ADHD (0·97, 0·89–1·05; p=0·49), or intellectual disability (1·11, 0·92–1·34; p=0·28) when considering only studies at low risk of bias according to QUIPS. This absence of association persisted when considering all studies with adjusted estimates and those with more than 5 years of follow-up."
Abstract: "The near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 -- a ∼60 m rocky object that was once considered a potential Earth impactor -- has since been ruled out for Earth but retained a ∼4.3% probability of striking the Moon in 2032. Such an impact, with equivalent kinetic energy of ∼6.5 Mt TNT, is expected to produce a ∼1 km crater on the Moon, and will be the most energetic lunar impact event ever recorded in human history. Despite the associated risk, this scenario offers a rare and valuable scientific opportunity. Using a hybrid framework combining Monte Carlo orbital propagation, smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) impact modeling, and N-body ejecta dynamics, we evaluate the physical outcomes and propose the observation timelines of this rare event. Our results suggest an optical flash of visual magnitude from -2.5 to -3 lasting several minutes directly after the impact, followed by hours of infrared afterglow from ∼2000 K molten rock cooling to a few hundred K. The associated seismic energy release would lead to a global-scale lunar reverberation (magnitude ∼5.0) that can be detectable by modern seismometers. Furthermore, the impact would eject ∼108 kg of debris that escapes the lunar gravity, with a small fraction reaching Earth to produce a lunar meteor outburst within 100 years. Finally, we integrate these results into a coordinated observation timeline, identifying the best detection windows for ground-based telescopes, lunar orbiters, and surface stations.
Original title: "Dust Properties of the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Revealed by Optical and Near-Infrared Polarimetry"
Abstract: "We present independent polarimetric observations of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, including the first near-infrared polarimetric measurements. Using imaging polarimeters, we measured the degree of linear polarization from the visible RC band (0.64 {\mu}m) to the near-infrared KS band (2.25 {\mu}m), and investigated its dependence on solar phase angle (polarization phase curve; PPC) and wavelength (polarization color curve; PCC). We confirm that the PPC of 3I/ATLAS differs significantly from those of typical Solar System comets, showing an unusually large polarization amplitude. This PPC shows no significant change in the RC band across perihelion passage, despite the perihelion lying within the water snow line. This indicates that the unusual polarimetric behavior of 3I/ATLAS is unlikely to be driven by transient volatile activity, but instead reflects intrinsic optical properties of refractory dust particles. The PCC increases with wavelength over 0.6-1.2 {\mu}m and peaks at 1.5-2.0 {\mu}m, suggesting that the dominant scattering units are dust aggregates composed of submicron-sized monomers, broadly consistent with interstellar dust and solar-system cometary aggregates. Taken together, our results indicate that 3I/ATLAS preserves polarimetric properties characteristic of a primitive cometary planetesimal formed in another planetary system, with a refractory dust composition that differs from that typically observed among Solar System comets, despite sharing a similar size scale of the aggregate building blocks."
Abstract: "Based mainly on rodents studies, forty-hertz (40-Hz) physical stimulation has been regarded as a potential noninvasive treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Considering the brain differences between rodents and humans, the effects of 40-Hz physical stimulation need to be further validated using nonhuman primates before its clinical application. Here, we took advantage of a rare opportunity to expose nine aged rhesus monkeys (26 to 31 y old) to 40-Hz auditory stimulation. Given the strong correlation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ and Tau concentrations and corresponding AD pathology in brain parenchyma in clinical practice, we investigated the effects of 40-Hz stimulation on AD pathology by monitoring changes in CSF Aβ and Tau concentrations. Our results revealed that 7 consecutive days of 40-Hz auditory stimulation triggered a rapid and significant increase of Aβ levels by more than 200%, but no effect on Tau levels in the CSF. Additionally, we observed that the elevation of CSF Aβ levels persisted for more than 5 wk after cessation, which had not been reported in any previous studies. After this, a pathological examination of the temporal cortices of 4 of the experimental monkeys was carried out and the data demonstrated that all of them had prevalent extracellular Aβ senile plaque pathology, whereas Tau pathology was negative or very weak. These results provide a good explanation for the differences between the CSF Aβ and Tau protein levels. Together, these first-time results from monkeys suggest that 40-Hz auditory stimulation has strong potential of a noninvasive AD treatment method."
Abstract: "The Milankovitch cycles of Earth result from gravitational interactions with other bodies in the solar system. These interactions lead to slow changes in the orbit and angular momentum vector of Earth, and correspondingly influence Earth’s climate evolution. Several studies have shown that Mars may play a significant role in these Milankovitch cycles, such as the 2.4 Myr eccentricity cycle related to perihelion precession dynamics. Here we provide the results of a detailed dynamical analysis that explores the Earth Milankovitch cycles as a function of the Martian mass to quantify the extent that Mars influences variations in Earth’s orbital eccentricity, the longitude of perihelion, the longitude of the ascending node, and obliquity (axial tilt). Our results show that, although the 405 kyr long-eccentricity metronome driven by g2 (Venus) and g5 (Jupiter) persists at all Mars masses, the ∼100 kyr short-eccentricity bands driven by g4 (Mars) lengthen and gain power as Mars becomes more massive, consistent with enhanced coupling among inner-planet g-modes. The 2.4 Myr grand cycle is absent when Mars approaches zero mass, reflecting the movement of g4 with the Martian mass. Meanwhile, Earth’s obliquity cycles driven by s3 (Earth) and s4 (Mars) lengthen from the canonical ∼41 kyr with increasing Mars mass, relocating to a dominant 45–55 kyr band when the mass of Mars is an order of magnitude larger than its present value. These results establish how Mars’ mass controls the architecture of Earth’s climate-forcing spectrum and that the Milankovitch spectrum of an Earth-like planet is a sensitive, interpretable probe of its planetary neighborhood."
Original article: "Dearth of Photosynthetically Active Radiation Suggests No Complex Life on Late M-Star Exoplanets" - https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02548
Abstract: "Global ocean warming continued unabated in 2025 in response to increased greenhouse gas concentrations and recent reductions in sulfate aerosols, reflecting the long-term accumulation of heat within the climate system, with conditions evolving toward La Niña during the year. In 2025, global upper 2000 m ocean heat content (OHC) increased by ∼23 ± 8 ZJ relative to 2024 according to IAP/CAS estimates. CIGAR-RT, and Copernicus Marine data confirm the continued ocean heat gain. Regionally, about 33% of the global ocean area ranked among its historical (1958–2025) top three warmest conditions, while about 57% fell within the top five, including the tropical and South Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, North Indian Ocean, and Southern Oceans, underscoring the broad ocean warming across basins. Multiple datasets consistently indicate ocean warming, as measured by 0–2000 m OHC, increased from 0.14 ± 0.03 W m−2 (10 yr)−1 during 1960–2025 to 0.32 ± 0.14 W m−2 (10 yr)−1 during 2005–2025 (IAP/CAS), the latter being consistent with EEI (Earth’s Energy Imbalance) estimates within uncertainties. In contrast, the global annual mean sea surface temperature (SST) in 2025 was 0.49°C above the 1981–2010 baseline and 0.12 ± 0.03°C lower than in 2024 (IAP/CAS; similar in CMA-SST, FY3 MWRI SST, ERSSTv5 and Copernicus Marine data), consistent with the development of La Niña conditions, but still ranking as the third-warmest year on record."
Abstract: "Opposing someone on a contentious sociopolitical issue often prompts criticism and conflict. People may be tempted to reduce such acrimony by expressing neutrality. Across 11 studies with North American samples, we find that, although people commonly express neutrality on controversial issues, observers are skeptical of others’ neutrality, judging them as similarly moral as those who oppose them those who explicitly oppose them. Unpacking lay beliefs about why people express neutrality sheds light on this disjunction between responses to the neutral self versus the neutral other. Specifically, people render more favorable attributions for their own neutrality (e.g., true indecision) than do observers (e.g., apathy, strategic behavior). Therefore, while neutrality is an often-invoked strategy to manage impressions, it is unlikely to succeed in doing so."
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