Boosting brain health after injury

+ Iceland volcano heats up; music-triggered insulin production US Edition - Today's top story: Brains have a remarkable ability to rewire themselves following injury − a concussion specialist explains the science behind rehabilitation and recovery [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( When I was a youth soccer coach I took mandatory concussion training, but even in the decade since then, it seems the science around treating concussions and understanding how common they are has advanced significantly. Hilary Diefenbach of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and a specialist in brain injury recovery for adults writes that [brain health is a crucial factor in how a person recovers after a concussion](. She explains how a good “cognitive reserve,” or having a "fuller density of brain cells," can create a sort of buffer against damage from injury or aging, and she outlines steps people can take to build that protection. “Living an active lifestyle – physically, mentally and socially – can drive neuroplasticity and maintain the brain,” she writes. The U.N. COP28 climate change conference will kick off at the end of this month, amid a long list of signs that countries are not cutting pollution at the speed or scale needed to avert dangerous effects from global warming. Energy and environmental policy researchers Kate Hua-Ke Chi and Maulik Jagnani from Tufts University explain why cutting fossil fuel usage and investing in [sustainable energy in low-income countries]( is so critical to any efforts to limit global warming. In that regard, they see signs that international agreements could make progress toward equitable energy transitions. Anyone curious about when and whether there will be human settlements on the Moon should track the [ongoing exploration for water](, writes University of Colorado planetary scientist Paul Hayne. He provides an in-depth explanation of ongoing research and recent lunar missions to search for pockets of ice in shadowed parts of the Moon. “Building a space station on the Moon might seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but each new lunar mission is bringing that idea closer to reality,” he writes. Also in this week’s science news: - [Study examines offshore wind’s potential impact on right whales]( - [Climate change affects animals’ nervous systems, not in a good way]( - [Plant hormone ethylene could improve crop production]( If there’s a topic you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin LaMonica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters Today's newsletter supported by [The74]( Every brain injury is unique, as is every person’s path to recovery. Chinnapong/iStock via Getty Images Plus [Brains have a remarkable ability to rewire themselves following injury − a concussion specialist explains the science behind rehabilitation and recovery]( Hilary A. Diefenbach, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Concussions can teach researchers a great deal about how the brain recovers after injury and offer insights into how people can promote brain health throughout their lives. Fossil fuel emissions are still growing in much of the world. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images [UN’s ‘global stocktake’ on climate is offering a sober emissions reckoning − but there are also signs of progress]( Kate Hua-Ke Chi, Tufts University; Maulik Jagnani, Tufts University With many countries planning fossil fuel production increases and continuing subsidies, negotiators have their work cut out for them when the COP28 climate summit begins. The stark landscape of the Moon as viewed by the Apollo 12 astronauts on their return to Earth. NASA / The Planetary Society [Scientists suspect there’s ice hiding on the Moon, and a host of missions from the US and beyond are searching for it]( Paul Hayne, University of Colorado Boulder Some dark craters on the Moon are never exposed to light − ice could be hiding in these permanently shadowed regions, and India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission marked a big step toward finding it. [Volcanic Iceland is rumbling again − a geologist explains eruptions in the land of fire and ice]( Jaime Toro, West Virginia University Iceland’s volcanic activity is generally tame compared with explosive eruptions along the Pacific’s Ring of Fire. This time, it’s shaking up a town. [Insulin injections could one day be replaced with rock music − new research in mice]( Bill Sullivan, Indiana University Researchers successfully treated diabetes in mice by engineering cells to make insulin in response to the music of Queen. [How PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are getting into Miami’s Biscayne Bay, where dolphins, fish and manatees dine]( Natalia Soares Quinete, Florida International University; Olutobi Daniel Ogunbiyi, Florida International University Scientists discovered PFAS hot spots in the bay and found PFAS in water along the Atlantic coast. In a new study, they traced the chemicals’ origins to help stop the harm. [Maine voters don’t like their electric utilities, but they balked at paying billions to buy them out]( Theodore J. Kury, University of Florida Power companies can be publicly or privately owned and may report to corporate boards, local governments or co-op members. But there’s no one best way to deliver electricity reliably and affordably. - [The battle over right to repair is a fight over your car’s data]( Leah Chan Grinvald, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Ofer Tur-Sinai, Ono Academic College Today’s cars include hundreds of computer chips, and carmakers say the data produced by those chips is proprietary – and a security risk. This means you don’t own the data your car generates. - [For decades, mothers have borne the brunt of scrutiny for alcohol use during pregnancy − new research points to dad’s drinking as a significant factor in fetal alcohol syndrome]( Michael Golding, Texas A&M University Public health messaging has focused on the drinking habits of the mother during pregnancy. But a growing body of research shows that what dad is drinking before pregnancy matters too. - [People dig deeper to fact-check social media posts when paired with someone who doesn’t share their perspective – new research]( Eli Gottlieb, George Washington University A new study unexpectedly found a way to help people assess social media posts with less bias and more care – pairing them up with partners who have a different perspective. - [Is time travel even possible? An astrophysicist explains the science behind the science fiction]( Adi Foord, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Scientists are trying to figure out if time travel is even theoretically possible. If it is, it looks like it would take a whole lot more knowledge and resources than humans have now to do it. - [Want a healthier lawn? Instead of bagging fall leaves, take the lazy way out and get a more environmentally friendly yard]( Susan Barton, University of Delaware Mulching feeds your lawn and garden with nutrients and organic matter. - [The universe is expanding faster than theory predicts – physicists are searching for new ideas that might explain the mismatch]( - [How animals get their skin patterns is a matter of physics – new research clarifying how could improve medical diagnostics and synthetic materials]( - [Specialized training programs using sensory augmentation devices could prevent astronauts from getting disoriented in space]( - [Climate change is altering animal brains and behavior − a neuroscientist explains how]( - [As the US begins to build offshore wind farms, scientists say many questions remain about impacts on the oceans and marine life]( - [Exposing plants to an unusual chemical early on may bolster their growth and help feed the world]( - Like this newsletter? 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