Welcome back to the Abstract! Here are the studies this week that had off-Earth offspring, took stock of a mortal threat, productively slept, and sought out old friends.First, what to expect when you\u2019re expecting a star child. Then: how to fight cancer, the nap-plications of lucid dreaming, and why old rats don\u2019t make new friends.As always, for more of my work, check out my book First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens or subscribe to my personal newsletter the BeX Files.\u00a0How to make babies in space (Don\u2019t)Palmer, Giles Anthony et al. \u201cReproductive biomedicine in space: implications for gametogenesis, fertility and ethical considerations in the era of commercial spaceflight.\u201d Reproductive BioMedicine Online.It\u2019s hard enough to have babies on Earth, let alone off it. But if humans ever do expand beyond our planet to live in orbital outposts or on other planets, we would presumably want to build healthy families there. Even in the near term, it is conceivable that space will be flooded by rich tourists eager to join the 250-mile-high club, raising questions about how to practice safe space sex (or if that is even possible).In a new study, scientists review the medical and ethical challenges of space reproduction, noting that while space sex is \u201coften overshadowed by sensationalized or speculative portrayals, the topic\u2026nonetheless demands serious attention.\u201d\u201cSpace is toxic to terrestrial life. It is an inherently hostile environment for terrestrial biology to thrive,\u201d said researchers led by Giles Anthony Palmer of the International IVF Initiative Inc. \u201cThe microgravity, cosmic radiation, circadian disruption, pressure differentials, and extreme temperatures found in orbit or beyond present unique and multifactorial stressors to the human body.\u201d\u201cAs we enter a new era of space exploration, defined by longer missions, broader participation, and eventual human settlement beyond Earth, the question is not simply whether reproduction can occur in space, but whether human fertility can be preserved, protected and comprehensively understood in an environment fundamentally different from that in which our species evolved,\u201d the team added.The study provides a comprehensive review of how various space environments might impact fertility, pregnancy, labor, and health outcomes of children. For example, studies of rodent reproduction in space show higher risks of abnormal cell division and impaired development; meanwhile, the inherent dangers of pregnancy and labor are significantly amplified in space environments.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe question of whether humanity should reproduce beyond Earth is no longer hypothetical\u2014it is a pressing ethical frontier,\u201d the team concluded. \u201cIn the context of commercial spaceflight, where ambition often outpaces caution, the stakes are higher than ever. Without robust frameworks, rigorous research, and a deeply human commitment to ethical principles, there is a risk of exporting not just life but injustice, exploitation and harm into the cosmos. To be worthy of the stars, we must earn our place, not only through technological prowess, but through ethical wisdom.\u201dIn other news\u2026Let\u2019s get cancer\u2019s assFink, Hanna et al. \u201cGlobal and regional cancer burden attributable to modifiable risk factors to inform prevention.\u201d Nature Medicine.Roughly ten million people die from cancer each year, making it a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. While many cancers are not preventable, scientists set out to estimate just how much of the global cancer burden can be attributable to \u201cmodifiable risk factors,\u201d meaning behavioral, environmental, or occupational factors that influence the odds of developing cancer.The results revealed that \u201cnearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide in 2022 could have been prevented by eliminating exposure to the risk factors considered in this study,\u201d which include smoking, alcohol consumption, and contaminated environments, said researchers led by Hanna Fink of the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.\u201cSmoking (15.1%), infections (10.2%) and alcohol consumption (3.2%) were the leading contributors to cancer burden,\u201d the team added. \u201cLung, stomach, and cervical cancers represented nearly half of preventable cancers. Strengthening efforts to reduce modifiable exposures remains central to global cancer prevention.\u201dThe researchers also found \u201cobvious gendered patterns in causes of cancer\u201d such as higher rates of smoking and alcohol consumption in men, and higher BMI in women. While there is an enduring allure to the idea of a cancer cure-all, this study underscores that the disease emerges from a complex interplay of factors, only some of which are under our control.To sleep, perchance to lucid dreamKonkoly, Karen R. et al. \u201cCreative problem-solving after experimentally provoking dreams of unsolved puzzles during REM sleep.\u201d Neuroscience of Consciousness.Scientists have gone ahead and done an Inception. In a new study, 20 experienced lucid dreamers were presented with puzzles matched with sound cues, which were then played as the participants slept to help them crack unsolved tasks in their dreams.\u00a0\u00a0Figure illustrating the experiment design. Image: Konkoly, Karen R. et al.\u00a0\u201cWhereas dream content is notoriously difficult to control experimentally, here we induced dreams about specific puzzles by presenting associated sounds during REM sleep,\u201d said researchers led by Karen R. Konkoly of Northwestern University. \u201cWe preferentially recruited experienced lucid dreamers, intending for them to receive our real-time instructions in their dreams about which puzzles to volitionally attempt to solve.\u201d\u201cAlthough many participants did not experience lucid dreams, we nevertheless found that cues successfully influenced dream content, biasing dreaming toward specific puzzles,\u201d the team added. \u201cMoreover, when puzzles were incorporated into dreams, they were more likely to be solved the next morning.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Yet more evidence for the most broadly applicable advice to humanity: sleep on it.\u00a0Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a mazeGupta, Subhadeep Dutta et al. \u201cWhen Familiar Faces Feel Better: A Framework for Social Neurocognitive Aging in a Rat Model.\u201d eNeuro.People get set in their ways as they get older\u2014and that\u2019s apparently true for rats, according to this new research. To probe the effects of age on mammalian social behavior, researchers obtained 169 male rats in two age cohorts: \u201cyoung adults\u201d at six months old and \u201caged\u201d rats that were way over the hill at two years old.\u00a0\u00a0A series of rat mixers in water mazes revealed that the rodent elders were as likely to interact with rats as youngsters, but nearly half of them preferred to mingle with rats that were familiar to them, rather than socializing with new faces.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cResults for the aged rats were strikingly different from young in two ways,\u201d said researchers led by Subhadeep Dutta Gupta of the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore.\u00a0 \u201cFirst, as a group, aged rats failed to display a reliable social novelty preference overall\u201d and \u201csecond, inter-individual variability was significantly greater among old animals, with nearly half exhibiting a phenotype not seen in the young group, comprising an apparent social bias for the familiar conspecific.\u201dI think we can all relate to an occasional social bias for familiar conspecifics. To that end, the study concludes with a truth bomb: \u201cIt is important to recognize that a brief session of social interaction with a stranger inevitably falls short in matching the depth of familiarity established through enduring human social relationships.\u201dIn the words of the ultimate rat elder, Master Splinter: \u201cHelp each other, draw upon one another, and always remember the true force that binds you.\u201d\u00a0Thanks for reading! See you next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"