Science Today

Interesting developments on the Science front – courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Colours of Nature’, ‘Ancestral Stories’, ‘Weird Facts’, ‘Unbelievable Facts’, ‘Today I Learned’, Science and facts, Crazy creatures, The Knowledge Factory, The study secrets etc… Although trials, experiments and studies show promise, I guess it will be some time yet before they are a reality.

The heart and brain are in constant communication, and research shows this relationship is far more balanced than once believed. In fact, the heart sends a large volume of signals to the brain through neural pathways, hormones, and rhythmic patterns. These signals influence attention, emotional regulation, and how the brain processes information.

One key concept researchers study is heart rhythm coherence. This occurs when the heart beats in a smooth, consistent pattern rather than an erratic one. Sustained positive emotions such as appreciation, calm, or gratitude naturally promote this coherent rhythm. When this happens, the brain receives more organized signals, allowing neural networks to function more efficiently.

Brain imaging and physiological studies show that during coherent heart rhythms, activity in the prefrontal cortex improves. This area supports focus, decision making, emotional balance, and goal directed behavior. At the same time, stress related brain circuits quiet down, reducing mental noise and reactivity. This creates a state of clarity and mental stability.

These effects do not require forced positivity. They emerge from genuine emotional regulation. Slow breathing, mindfulness, and moments of appreciation help stabilize heart rhythms and support this brain state. Over time, practicing these habits strengthens communication between the heart and brain.

Understanding this connection reframes emotional health as a biological process rather than a mindset trick. When emotional signals become steady, the brain performs at its best. Alignment between heart rhythm and brain function supports clearer thinking, stronger focus, and a greater sense of internal balance. – A Facebook post by ‘Explaining The World

The most powerful intelligence skill isn’t knowing more. It’s knowing how your mind works while it’s working. That ability has a name in neuroscience. Metacognition.

Often described as thinking about thinking, it’s the skill that lets you step outside your own thoughts, notice what’s happening, and choose what to do next.

While traditional intelligence measures what you know, metacognition measures how you use knowledge. It’s how you realise you don’t understand something. How you change strategies mid-problem. How you pause instead of reacting.

Neuroscientists link this ability to the brain’s executive networks, especially the prefrontal cortex. This area acts like a command centre, monitoring performance, correcting errors, and guiding decisions. When it’s active, you’re not just thinking. You’re supervising your thinking.

Here is the truth.
Raw intelligence without self-awareness is limited. And mastery begins the moment you can observe your own mind instead of being driven by it.

Metacognition fuels learning, resilience, creativity, and self-control because it turns the brain into a feedback system. You notice mistakes faster. You adapt sooner. You improve intentionally instead of accidentally.

Fun Fact: Brain imaging studies show that metacognitive monitoring activates networks involving the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, allowing real-time error detection and strategic adjustment during thinking tasks.

When you learn how to think about your thinking, every other skill becomes easier to sharpen. – A Facebook post by ‘Educated Minds’

The best way to control the mind is to exhaust the body is a phrase often repeated in psychology, military training, and behavioral science. It reflects a real and well studied connection between physical fatigue and mental control. When the body is pushed into extreme tiredness, the brain shifts into energy saving mode. Cognitive functions like critical thinking, emotional regulation, and decision making become weaker. This is not a theory but a documented psychological response.

Research in psychology shows that prolonged physical exhaustion increases cortisol, the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol reduces activity in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for logic, impulse control, and independent thinking. At the same time, the brain relies more on automatic behaviors and emotional reactions. This is why exhausted people are more likely to comply, follow instructions, or accept ideas without questioning them.

Sleep deprivation studies also support this effect. Lack of rest reduces attention span, weakens memory, and lowers resistance to persuasion. In high pressure environments like intense work schedules, extreme fitness routines, or constant stress, mental resilience slowly breaks down. The mind becomes easier to influence because it is focused on survival, not reflection.

Psychology also shows the opposite is true. Physical recovery, proper rest, and balanced movement strengthen mental clarity and emotional stability. A rested body supports a sharper mind. Understanding this connection helps people protect their mental autonomy and recognize when exhaustion is being used as a control mechanism. – A Facebook post by 'Mind Box'

Deep in the Siberian permafrost, tiny multicellular animals known as bdelloid rotifers have returned to life after lying dormant for roughly 24,000 years. These microscopic “zombie worms” were not fossils but living creatures whose biological processes had effectively paused, allowing them to survive tens of thousands of years in a frozen state. When thawed under careful laboratory conditions, the rotifers stirred, became active, and even began to reproduce—demonstrating an astonishing capacity for endurance that challenges our understanding of life itself.

The secret behind this incredible survival lies in a phenomenon called cryptobiosis. In this state, the rotifers’ metabolism slows to nearly undetectable levels, enabling them to withstand freezing, desiccation, and other extreme conditions that would normally be fatal. Once conditions become favourable again, they can “wake up” and resume normal life. For creatures this tiny, it is a survival strategy that effectively allows them to cheat death for tens of thousands of years.

Discoveries like these reshape our view of what life is capable of. Even multicellular organisms, often considered fragile, can endure conditions that seem impossible. These tiny survivors illustrate nature’s adaptability and resilience, suggesting that life can persist far longer in suspended states than we ever imagined. This has exciting implications for science, including potential insights into long-term biological preservation, cryobiology, and even ideas for surviving extreme conditions in space exploration.

While the revived rotifers are microscopic, their story carries a profound message: life is more resilient and resourceful than we often give it credit for. They are a living reminder that survival can take extraordinary forms, and that even the most extreme conditions cannot entirely erase the spark of life.

Strange Fact: Some rotifers and similar microscopic animals can survive complete dehydration and even exposure to radiation, only to spring back to life when water or nutrients return. – A Facebook post

Researchers at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology found that gut bacteria from Japanese tree frogs can kill tumors, exploring microbes because of low cancer rates in amphibians and reptiles.

Scientists isolated 45 bacterial strains from frogs, newts, and lizards, narrowed them to nine with anti-tumor effects, and identified Ewingella americana as the strongest responder.

A single intravenous dose of Ewingella americana eliminated colorectal tumors in all treated mice and prevented tumor regrowth upon re-exposure.

The bacterium targets low-oxygen tumor environments, multiplies rapidly inside tumors, directly kills cancer cells, and activates immune responses involving T cells, B cells, and neutrophils. – A Facebook post by 'Fossbytes'

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