Does AI already have human-level intelligence? The evidence is clear The vision of human-level machine intelligence laid out by Alan Turing in the 1950s is now a reality. Eyes unclouded by dread or hype will help us to prepare for what comes next.

Does AI already have human-level intelligence? The evidence is clear www.nature.com/articles/d41...

‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university? When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

TDP43 filaments in synapses

Giampietro Schiavo receiving INA 2026 Basic Science Life Achievement Award

Congratulations to Giampietro Schiavo on receiving the 2026 Basic Science Life Achievement Award of the International Neurotoxin Association. This award recognises the contributions of the Schiavo Lab. to the understanding of the mechanism of action of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins.

A genetically encoded device for transcriptome storage in mammalian cells Understanding how cells make decisions over time requires the ability to link past molecular states to future phenotypic outcomes. We present TimeVault, a genetically encoded system that records and s...

A genetically encoded device for transcriptome storage in mammalian cells | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body Exclusive: Some scientists say many detections are most likely error, with one high-profile study called a ‘joke’ High-profile studies reporting the presence of microplastics throughout the human body have been thrown into doubt by scientists who say the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives. One chemist called the concerns “a bombshell”. Studies claiming to have revealed micro and nanoplastics in the brain, testes, placentas, arteries and elsewhere were reported by media across the world, including the Guardian. There is no doubt that plastic pollution of the natural world is ubiquitous, and present in the food and drink we consume and the air we breathe. But the health damage potentially caused by microplastics and the chemicals they contain is unclear, and an explosion of research has taken off in this area in recent years. Continue reading...

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body

Organelles do NOT have a single uniform pH.
And if you think they must, because “protons diffuse fast,” this paper is for you.
A thread on why that assumption is wrong; and what we found instead. 🧵 1/n

Stable isotope labelling kinetics of neurofilament light Leckey et al. report novel measures of neurofilament light chain kinetics in the human central nervous system using stable isotope labelling. Translation o

Congratulations to Dr Claire Leckey my PhD student. Using stable isotope labelled leucine we measured synthesis and turnover of neurofilament light in patients. The protein turns over very slowly showing brain trials need long timelines to reveal benefit. academic.oup.com/braincomms/a...

High-fat food reinforces risk taking by suppressing defensive neurons This study by de Araujo Salgado and Krashes reveals how high-fat diets suppress defensive neural circuits, driving riskier foraging in the presence of predation. The findings highlight how high-fat fo...

A high #fat #diet increases risk taking and suppresses escape neurons
in🐁🐁🐁
#neuroscience

www.cell.com/current-biol...

New ‘PLAMseq’ method revolutionizes the study of genome proteins | EurekAlert! www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands to boycott Eurovision 2026 as Israel cleared to compete Decision not to hold vote on Israel’s participation comes in spite of several broadcasters calling for its exclusion Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands will boycott next year’s Eurovision after Israel was given the all-clear to compete in next year’s song contest in spite of several participating broadcasters calling for its exclusion. At the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, the body that organises the hugely popular international annual singing competition, no vote on Israel’s participation was held. Continue reading...

Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands to boycott Eurovision 2026 as Israel cleared to compete

Interview with Professor Giampietro Schiavo ABSTRACT. Giampietro Schiavo is a Professor of Cellular Neuroscience, Deputy Director for strategy at Queen Square Institute of Neurology, academic lead of the Alzheimer Research UK Drug Discovery Ins...

journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Duro pero magnífico, tu selección me sigue alucinando, con su mezcla imposible

Flyer on Developmental Language Disorder, prepared by the organisation RADLD (Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder). The flyer has the title "You can't see DLD" and shows a photograph of a boy in a blue short-sleeved shirt and khaki trousers, against a purple background. To the right of him there are lines of text which read: - Started to talk later than his siblings - Has difficulties learning new words - Needs lots of repetitions to follow instructions - Struggles to join activities & discussions The bottom of the flyer says "Support #DLDday on Friday 17th October 2025. Learn more at RADLD.ORG".

Help spread the word about developmental language disorder, a common yet often hidden condition that makes it hard for children to understand what's said to them & to articulate thoughts & feelings. Lots of helpful resources & information at radld.org.
#DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social

Calling early career PIs. A great opportunity to start your lab at @crick.ac.uk in the heart of London.

Ay dios, perdido

Pero que te estás fumando para escuchar a Kenny G?

‘We can leave knowing we left a mark’: how Corsica Studios transformed London nightlife – and why it’s closing The beloved south London club has announced it will shut next year as redevelopment of the site goes ahead. Founder Adrian Jones, DJs and promoters look back

‘We can leave knowing we left a mark’: how Corsica Studios transformed London nightlife – and why it’s closing

In a first, a gene therapy seems to slow Huntington disease Small study suggests uniQure drug could be first successful treatment for devastating brain disorder

“This is an immensely exciting development for the Huntington’s field.” https://scim.ag/4nnW62z

Better together: researchers discover how cells keep groups of proteins in check Researchers have discovered a new biological process that they’ve called ‘interstasis’, a way for cells to promote the equilibrium of functionally-related proteins, preventing too many from accumulati...

Researchers have discovered a new biological process they've called 'interstasis', which keeps groups of proteins in check, preventing excessive build up and protecting the cell from potential harm.
www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-09...

Incredible!!!

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.

2024 Swedish study on 2.5M people's data:
"Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability... This suggests that associations observed in other models may have been attributable to confounding."
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Pure bloodlines? Ancestral homelands? DNA science says no. — Harvard Gazette Geneticist explains recent analyses made possible by tech advances show human history to be one of mixing, movement, displacement.

“The big perspective change from ancient DNA study is that people living today are almost never the descendants of the people in the same place thousands of years before”

news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...

Beautiful data from @dvillarroelc.bsky.social showing a key role for TBK1 in #AxonalTransport of signalling endosomes:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

@uclqsion.bsky.social @mndassoc.bsky.social #ALS #MND

Step back and take it in: the US is entering full authoritarian mode | Jonathan Freedland Trump’s dictator-like behaviour is so brazen, so blatant, that paradoxically, we discount it. But now it’s time to call it what it is, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

The best piece I’ve read this year on Trump’s increasingly blatant lurch towards total power.

To quote Sinclair Lewis, if you think “it can’t happen here” you are just not paying attention.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

An evergreen thread: Race/Ethnicity is *not the same* as genetics, and you can't use Race/Ethnicity as a sort of stand-in for genetics. These two concepts are connected via aspects like skin colour, but the connection is alot less profound and categorical than most people think.

Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low likelihood, study finds Scientists say ‘shocking’ discovery shows rapid cuts in carbon emissions are needed to avoid catastrophic fallout The collapse of a critical Atlantic current can no longer be considered a low-likelihood event, a study has concluded, making deep cuts to fossil fuel emissions even more urgent to avoid the catastrophic impact. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is a major part of the global climate system. It brings sun-warmed tropical water to Europe and the Arctic, where it cools and sinks to form a deep return current. The Amoc was already known to be at its weakest in 1,600 years as a result of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low likelihood, study finds

A young Liane Russell working with a mouse. She is in a lab, wearing a white shirt. Someone outside the frame of the picture is also touching the mouse. Image: @ORNL

Geneticist Liane Russell was born #OTD in 1923.

She pioneered the study of mutagenesis and teratogenesis due to radiation, and identified the role of the Y chromosome in sex determination. Her work led to diagnostic x-ray safety standards for women of childbearing age. 🧪 👩‍🔬 ⚛️

The Democrats are in deep trouble in the US – and Labour is on the way to joining them | Nesrine Malik When millions of once-loyal supporters become disillusioned with a party, there can only be one result: electoral disaster, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

The Democrats are in deep trouble in the US – and Labour is on the way to joining them | Nesrine Malik

They’re among the best in British indie. So why have Field Music become a Doors cover band? Faced with ‘catastrophic financial doom’ in a difficult industry, the Sunderland outfit explain why imitating Jim Morrison is their way to survive

They’re among the best in British indie. So why have Field Music become a Doors cover band?