https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Taylor & Francis Loneliness affects the memory of older adults but does not speed up mental decline over time, suggests data from a major European study tracking more than 10,000 people over seven years. Participants who reported high levels of loneliness performed worse on memory tests at the start of the research period. However, the ability of lonely people to recall information declined at a similar rate over the time course monitored as that of participants who did not feel alone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loneliness-memory-early-doesnt-brain.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:00:01 EDT news695281525 Social media is where teenagers spend most of their time, either scrolling and sharing, or sometimes falling into the traps of fake news, toxic content and online drama. But what if we could equip our young people to challenge harmful narratives and protect themselves from the darker side of the internet? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-critical-teens-resist-fake-news.html Social Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:00:05 EDT news695295504 Burnout is at an all-time high, with some studies saying two-thirds of employees now cite job burnout as a major challenge. Overwork and chronic stress do not just drain energy, they can erode health, contributing to a wide range of psychological and physical problems, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and even increased stroke risk. Shaina Siber offers solutions rooted in science in her new book, "Using ACT and CFT for Burnout Recovery: The Beyond Burnout Blueprint," with strategies to help people in high pressure situations break the cycle of exhaustion. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-thirds-workers-science-tackle.html Social Sciences Sun, 22 Mar 2026 18:30:03 EDT news693046068 A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile which experts believe began life on four legs before, in adulthood, it learned how to walk on just two has been revealed in a new study. Named Sonselasuchus cedrus, this archaic reptile was part of the shuvosaurid group, most of which had an appearance mimicking that of the ornithomimid dinosaurs that it shared the landscape with during the Late Triassic (approximately 225–201 million years ago). https://phys.org/news/2026-03-peculiar-crocodile-ancestor-life-legs.html Evolution Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:10:02 EDT news691922882 Workers think that artificial intelligence (AI) makes them more efficient, but many don't trust it, according to a study cited in a new book called "Entanglement" by technology researcher Dr. Marigo Raftopoulos. Dr. Raftopoulos found that seven in ten (71%) people think AI performs "very" or "extremely" well because of its ability to save time and improve processes, accuracy and efficiency. But 84% feel it poses cyber, military, job, privacy or other risks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-workers-embrace-ai.html Machine learning & AI Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:50:03 EST news691944122 New minuscule fossils of Purgatorius, the earliest-known relative of all primates—including humans—have been unearthed in a more southern region of North America than ever before, and the breakthrough is providing paleontologists with fresh clues about evolution. The work appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tiny-purgatorius-fossils-denver-basin.html Evolution Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:10:01 EST news691404181 People spend 90% of their lives in buildings, which act as a protective "third skin" from the elements, but climates are becoming more extreme and so the design of places we live and work in must be radically overhauled to keep people at safe temperatures indoors. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-opinion-surviving-extreme-temperatures-climate.html Environment Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:10:06 EST news691230842 More than half of college students are lonely—and those who use social media the most are particularly likely to feel isolated, a study of tens of thousands of 18 to 24-year-olds in the US shows. Just 16 hours a week—two or so hours a day—on social media was linked with higher odds of loneliness, reports a paper in the Journal of American College Health. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-college-students-links-hours-week.html Social Sciences Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:01 EST news690134218 China's youth are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Now, experts are exploring the potential healing power of artificial intelligence (AI) in a society where mental health issues have long been taboo. Clinical psychologist Dr. Olive Woo and AI expert Dr. Yuk Ming Tang suggest that the technology could be transformative for accessible emotional support, provided it is implemented with care and responsibility. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-ai-tools-deepseek-emotional-mental.html Psychology & Psychiatry Sun, 15 Feb 2026 19:10:01 EST news690200822 Unchecked use of technology and pandemic isolation have "reshaped" how teenagers develop—but it's not too late to intervene. This is the stark warning of educator Amber Chandler, who suggests teens are struggling with unprecedented levels of anxiety in this "scared new world," which presents a major challenge for parents and schools. However, the teacher says children can learn to flourish and thrive if given the right support. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tech-pandemic-isolation-anxious-generation.html Social Sciences Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:04 EST news689924588 Cars with self-driving features are supposed to promise a safer and more convenient future. But there's a problem: human brains weren't designed for the strange new role these vehicles demand of us. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-psychology-cars-technology-doesnt-human.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:00:04 EST news689936616 The charismatic, robust, and impressive North American mountain sheep is losing its habitat to industrial mining, the changing climate, and human activity. And unless action is taken to protect this popular and inherently American species, it could face extinction. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-north-american-wild-mountain-sheep.html Plants & Animals Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:20:01 EST news689861685 A new study evaluating climate policies in 40 countries over a 32-year period finds that carbon pricing and taxation—combined with investments in renewable energy and research—are among the most effective tools governments can use to reduce CO₂ emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-emissions-policy-carbon-pricing-taxation.html Environment Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:00:04 EST news688837022 The word "dissociation" has grown in popularity and become embedded in everyday language, but while the term has gained traction in popular culture and mental health advocacy, misconceptions persist—including some which are harmful, experts say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-daydreaming-dissociation-mind-survival-tactic.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 27 Jan 2026 19:10:09 EST news688638541 After years of international negotiation and diplomacy, as of January 2026, the High Seas Treaty has come into effect. It has been ratified by 61 states around the world and is intended to protect international waters and marine life. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-international-laws-ocean-activists-action.html Environment Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:10:01 EST news688137610 A new report by HEPI and Taylor & Francis explores the potential of AI to advance translational research and accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real-world application. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-highlights-potential-ai-real-world.html Machine learning & AI Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:38:36 EST news687083882 Self-harming and self-sabotaging behaviors, from skin picking to ghosting people, all stem from evolutionary survival mechanisms, according to a compelling new psychological analysis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-procrastination-sabotaging-behaviors-rooted-survival.html Psychology & Psychiatry Sun, 04 Jan 2026 19:00:01 EST news685615831 Vegetarian and vegan diets can support healthy growth when carefully planned with appropriate supplementation, finds a major new meta-analysis—the most comprehensive study to date of plant-based diets in children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-based-diets-children-largest-kind.html Health Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:02 EST news684665537 Penguins living off the coast of South Africa have likely starved to death en masse during their molting season as a result of collapsing food supplies. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-penguins-starved-death-en-masse.html Plants & Animals Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:00:01 EST news683998398 A US study of more than a million Medicaid enrollees newly diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD), finds most—nearly seven in 10—are not receiving access to potentially life-saving drugs within six months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-medicaid-patients-treatment-months-opioid.html Addiction Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:01 EST news682849834 Young people who play video games with "gambling-like" elements—such as buying loot boxes or in-game items—are more likely to go on to gamble with real money. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-teens-play-video-games-gambling.html Addiction Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:10:01 EST news682677241 A newly discovered, carnivorous lizard ostensibly represents what most casual onlookers would perhaps perceive to be a dinosaur; however, it is in fact a precursor of the modern crocodile. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-predator-precursor-crocodile-early-dinosaurs.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 12 Nov 2025 22:00:01 EST news682159536 An increasingly concerned group of veterinarians has issued a stark warning about the rise of what they call "fur baby culture," suggesting the anthropomorphizing of animals is behind alarming animal welfare problems. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-fur-baby-culture-fueling-overtreatment.html Veterinary medicine Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:42:04 EDT news680780522 Most successful fertility treatments for women aged 43 years and older rely on donor eggs, according to a study involving more than half a million patients in the UK. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-donor-eggs-ivf-successes-women.html Obstetrics & gynaecology Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:42:05 EDT news680769721 A new analysis of open research practices suggests that researchers are increasingly motivated to share their data by factors beyond policy mandates, such as enhanced visibility, impact, and collaboration. The investigation by Taylor & Francis and DataSeer found that more than half of authors included a Data Availability Statement (DAS) in their journal article, explaining whether and how readers can access data, and a third of researchers in some disciplines openly shared their data. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-exceeding.html Other Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:01:02 EDT news680439657 Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting banking customers could be unknowingly slapped with a fraud marker without even knowing about it. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-fraud-wrongly-brandishing-thousands-innocent.html Business Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:56:04 EDT news678012961 Continuous landmasses, now submerged, may have made it possible for early humans to cross between present-day Turkey and Europe, new research of this largely unexplored region reveals. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-early-humans-turkey-mainland-europe.html Archaeology Thu, 18 Sep 2025 19:10:01 EDT news677344681 Modern "sustainable"' innovations in architecture are failing to slow climate change, but revisiting ancient knowledge and techniques found in traditional architecture could offer better solutions. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-09-architecture-key-sustainable-future.html Engineering Mon, 15 Sep 2025 19:10:01 EDT news677143442 Human historians are ever more vital in the age of AI—especially with the crucial need to capture the emotional and moral complexity behind world events. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-historian-ai-overwrite-history-human.html Social Sciences Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:10:01 EDT news676893601 Bright children from poorer backgrounds are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with mental health problems than high-achievers with affluent upbringings. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-bright-children-poorer-backgrounds-mental.html Social Sciences Mon, 08 Sep 2025 19:10:03 EDT news676542541