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  Endurance: exercise leads to specific brain changes that are crucial for better endurance. Experiments with mice. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00414-1

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  Reprogramming cancer cells into immune targets is worth a prize. https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aef9967

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  Pre-existing memory T cells can eliminate virus infected cells before they release new virions. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-026-01298-y

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  Poverty is the master parameter for negative health outcomes, including death from air pollution https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/03/air-pollution-deaths-vulnerability-study-pollutionwatch

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  @JohnAltringham That was worth the wait. I found the picture strangely familiar although I have not known Liathach. After a while I saw that the range on the left had a shape similar to the Sphinx of Giza and the massive pyramid in the center was another echo of Giza. Of course that's very superficial and the scales don't fit, but your picture has the same air of an unsolved riddle. The knowledge of the geology deepens that feeling. Love it.

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  Spring morning haiku Nightblue yields to rose, a thousand stars yield to one, blackbird duet, bright.

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  The staggering cost of climate inaction is widely known since the Stern review, 20 years ago. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01020-x

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  Early prediction of #heart failure by AI analysis of CT scans. Spots subtle changes of tissue around heart. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/08/oxford-scientists-develop-ai-tool-spot-heart-failure

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  A mummified reptile that lived almost 300 million years ago https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10307-y

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  A single nucleotide insertion in a non-coding region (enhancer Enh13) leads to formation of testes in female mice. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71328-9 #genetics

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  Association of #pesticides, perturbed gut #microbiome, and #diabetes2 https://www.science.org/content/article/pesticides-may-wreak-havoc-gut-microbiome

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  Combination therapy including relacorilant, a medicament usually used to treat excessive cortisol levels, extends survival of patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer, phase 3 clinical trial shows. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00462-9 #ovariancancer

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  Like many other folks, I find the cherry blossom one of the more uplifting spectacles of the year, even somewhat overwhelming with buzzing bees, songbirds, and the exuberance of the blossoming trees. For those who don't have the chance to experience this first hand, a little poem. As it should read like a festive minuet, I have given it a classic form: Cherry blossom In the orchard softly sing, dancing with mild winds of spring, wrapped in silk of brightest whites, rows and rows of lus...

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  Somatic mutations are not only a crucial factor in cancer but can also be critical for #thyroid #autoimmune disease https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10493-9

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  A climate coalition of the willing: fewer people, more engagement. That's probably the way forward, much better than waiting. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/17/colombia-convenes-climate-coalition-of-the-willing-to-break-global-fossil-fuel-deadlock

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  Immune cells (B cells) have a metabolic link to muscle performance. Experiments in mice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.03.039

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  Forever chemicals detected in penguin habitats using pollution detection anklets https://www.science.org/content/article/penguins-become-marine-detectives-thanks-pollutant-detecting-anklets

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  Color magic at the train station starring a Prunus, an Asian lady beetle, and a splash of spring sun.

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  The way forward to peace in the Middle East. This is extraordinary and should be normal. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787887/palestinian-israeli-activists-share-a-vision-of-peace

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  Many #cancers evolve over time into genetically heterogeneous mixtures that can metastasize and evade the immune system. Better understanding of that #evolution can help to develop effective personalized treatments. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00467-8

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  The French town of Sarralbe has installed a webcam that monitors a stork nest. There are currently hatching chicks. https://www.sarralbe.fr/cigognes

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  It is now possible to simulate simple cell biology from more elementary molecular principles. Apparently we have understood something. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00174-1

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  A spectacular geological formation on the Isle of Skye has inspired the second "Light and Time" duet of a wood engraving by @JohnAltringham and then a poem by me. Enjoy! Free at https://blots.substack.com/p/light-and-time-2

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  An interesting contribution to the difficult discussion on assisted dying for people with dementia. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/01/reading-key-breaking-through-fog-parents-dementia