Wednesday, April 01, 2026

 SPACE/COSMOS

Spacecraft data reveals surprising detail about Saturn's magnetic "shield"




Lancaster University
Saturn 

image: 

Saturn's equinox captured by Cassini in 2009

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Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute





Scientists analysing data from the Cassini-Huygens mission have uncovered a significant structural surprise in Saturn’s protective magnetic bubble.

Researchers say this discovery confirms that giant planets operate under a different magnetospheric regime from the Earth’s.

The study in Nature Communications includes Dr Licia Ray and Dr Sarah Badman from Lancaster University with Dr Chris Arridge, formerly of Lancaster. 

Cassini was sent to study the planet Saturn and its system, including its rings, natural satellites and local space environment, as part of a research mission by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian space agency (ASI). It was in orbit between 2004 and 2017.

This latest research backs up a longstanding scientific theory that the rapid spin of massive planets like Saturn would replace the solar wind – the stream of charged particles from the Sun - as the dominant force sculpting their “magnetospheres”.

A magnetosphere is the region in the near-space environment where a planetary magnetic field acts as a shield against the solar wind. However, near the planetary poles, funnel-shaped openings called "magnetospheric cusps" allow charged particles from the Sun to leak directly into a planetary atmosphere.

Researchers analysed Cassini data collected between 2004 and 2010 to determine the precise location of Saturn’s magnetospheric cusp. The results showed a clear difference from similar measurements at Earth.

Saturn's immense rotational forces "drag" the cusp away from noon, skewing its average location significantly toward the afternoon sector, specifically between 13:00 and 15:00 local time while sometimes extending toward 20:00 local time. The dusk-oriented location of Saturn’s cusp confirms that a planet’s rotation rate can fundamentally change the structure of its near space environment

The shifted cusp location fundamentally alters models of magnetic reconnection, high-energy particle acceleration, and Saturn’s powerful auroral activity.

Dr Licia Ray of Lancaster University said: “This result allows us to move forward with new and improved theories on how planetary magnetospheres interact with the solar wind.”

Earth spins quite slowly compared to gas giants like Saturn. With one terrestrial day lasting 24 hours, the dominant factor driving the shape of the magnetosphere is the balance between the pressure from the Sun - the solar wind- and pressure from Earth’s magnetic field. This balance aligns the cusp towards local high noon.

At Saturn, one day lasts approximately 10.7 hours and its magnetosphere is full of ionised material from its moon Enceladus. These two effects mean that for Saturn, pressure from the magnetic field and a rapidly spinning disk of ionised material must balance the solar wind pressure.

Dr Ray said: “In particular, the afternoon cusp locations have implications for how we interpret Saturn’s bright aurora and where we expect magnetic reconnection, an explosive process that accelerates particles to very high energies of keV and more, to occur. It also highlights the rich science that can still be done with Cassini data more than eight years after the end of mission.”


 

When an orgasm is consistently absent, women may see it as less important



Rutgers research shows women may begin to downplay orgasms when they don’t experience them across different partners



Rutgers University






Over time, expectations can shift, especially when something remains out of reach. Researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick suggest this also may be true for orgasms.

When an orgasm is repeatedly absent, women may begin to see it as less important, according to the researchers, whose study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

“Women don’t necessarily care less about orgasm compared to men, but when it doesn’t happen regularly, they may start to see it as less important,” said Grace Wetzel, the lead author of the study who conducted the research as a former Rutgers doctoral student and is now at Indiana University. “That shift in expectations may be one way people adapt to the ‘orgasm gap,’ the well-documented pattern in which heterosexual women experience orgasm less often than men during partnered sex.”

The findings show that women may begin to downplay orgasms when they don’t experience them across different partners. Researchers said this shift may help ease declines in satisfaction and relationship quality, even though the absence of orgasm still has negative effects overall. They added it may even contribute to the gap between how often men and women experience orgasm, when women stop trying to have them.

This pattern reflects a broader tendency: When people are less likely to experience something, they often lower both their expectations for it and how important it feels, said Wetzel, whose research focuses on how gendered experiences shape sexual lives, particularly in relation to pleasure.

Wetzel said the results reflect both individual coping strategies and a broader social context in which women’s pleasure is often deprioritized, even as individuals make decisions that work best for their relationships.

Lowering expectations may help protect relationships in the moment, but researchers note it also may help perpetuate the gap and reduce satisfaction over time.

Researchers used a set of controlled scenarios in which participants were asked to imagine different relationship situations. In each case, an orgasm either occurred frequently or rarely, both in past relationships and with a current partner. By varying these conditions, the researchers examined how consistent experiences, or the lack of them, influenced how participants viewed orgasm.

Participants were then asked to rate how important orgasms would be to them, along with their expected levels of sexual satisfaction, desire and relationship commitment. This allowed researchers to assess how changes in orgasm experience shaped both perceived importance and broader relationship outcomes.

“We found that women placed the least importance on orgasm when they were told in the hypothetical scenario that they had not experienced it in the past or with a current partner,” Wetzel said. “In other words, women devalued orgasm only when it was consistently absent across partners.”

The study, coauthored by Diana Sanchez, a professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, also found that men showed a similar pattern, placing less importance on a hypothetical female partner’s orgasm when it was consistently absent. This suggests that both partners adjusted their expectations when orgasm was not part of the experience, the researchers said.

The absence of an orgasm also shaped how women evaluated relationships. 

“When women saw orgasm as less important, it helped soften the effects of not experiencing it on their relationships,” Wetzel said. “In that sense, it acted as a way of protecting how they felt about the relationship.”

However, women consistently reported lower sexual satisfaction, less desire and lower relationship commitment when they imagined not experiencing an orgasm with a partner, Wetzel said.

Wetzel said the findings suggest that women’s attitudes toward orgasms aren’t fixed but shaped by experience and context. The study also highlights how both partners may contribute to this pattern.

“Men’s and women’s devaluing of women’s orgasm likely perpetuates the orgasm gap over time, as expectations for and pursuit of women’s orgasm decrease,” Wetzel said.

She added that couples can work together to make choices that are right for them, while ensuring that the female partner’s pleasure is prioritized, regardless of orgasm.

The study was also coauthored by Shana Cole, an associate professor of psychology at Rutgers, and Hayley Svensson, a former doctoral student at Rutgers who is currently at the University of Oklahoma.

 

Psychotherapists aren’t prepared to treat eating disorders in boys and men



New research shows that psychotherapists don’t have the knowledge and training to treat boys and men with eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia, both of which are becoming more prevalent



University of Toronto





Toronto, ON — A new binational study of 259 outpatient psychotherapists across Canada and the United States highlights significant gaps in clinician knowledge, confidence, and formal training related to treating eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia among boys and men, conditions that are rising sharply but remain widely misunderstood. 

Led by Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, of the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, the research is the first of its kind to examine outpatient mental health providers’ preparedness to treat this underserved group. The study found that most psychotherapists lack adequate training and report low confidence in identifying and treating these conditions, despite regularly seeing boys and men who present with eating disorder symptoms. 

Overall, clinicians reported low levels of knowledge and confidence regarding both eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia in boys and men. More than one-quarter of providers said they had no knowledge of eating disorders in this population, and nearly half reported no knowledge of muscle dysmorphia, an even more concerning finding given its growing recognition in the community. 

“Boys and men with eating disorders are often hiding in plain sight,” said Dr. Ganson. “Many clinicians simply haven’t been trained to recognize the unique ways these issues show up in male clients.” 

Formal training was uncommon. Only a small minority of psychotherapists received any training specific to boys and men with eating disorders during their undergraduate or graduate programs, and just a quarter received such training afterward. Yet among those who received training, most reported that it improved their clinical work, suggesting that even limited educational interventions can meaningfully enhance therapists' preparedness. 

Despite this, the effectiveness ratings for these trainings were modest. Providers consistently rated training on muscularity-oriented concerns, such as bulking and cutting, or excessive exercise behaviors, among the least effective components. According to Dr. Ganson, this gap has real consequences: “Clinicians are telling us they want more tools. They’re seeing boys and men in their practice but don’t feel equipped to address the muscularity-focused concerns that are often central to these cases.” 

When asked about their training needs, clinicians identified several priority areas: understanding and assessing boys’ and men’s unique risk factors and symptom presentations, learning how to tailor treatment to male-specific experiences, and better addressing stigma, shame, and barriers to care. Surprisingly, fewer clinicians expressed a need for training on building rapport or fostering treatment engagement, even though boys and men are known to seek help less often and drop out of treatment more frequently. 

“This is a critical moment for the field,” Dr. Ganson noted. “Our findings show that clinicians want more specialized training, and that such training is urgently needed to ensure boys and men receive competent and affirming care.” 

To help meet this need, the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work offers a graduate-level Eating Disorders Assessment and Treatment course taught by Dr. Ganson. The course equips emerging social workers with gender‑responsive assessment strategies, skills for addressing muscularity‑oriented concerns (including muscle dysmorphia), and evidence‑informed psychotherapy approaches tailored to boys and men, while remaining inclusive of diverse genders and intersectional identities. 

“We designed the course to close the training gap we’re seeing in the field,” said Dr. Ganson. “Students leave with practical tools, including how to assess muscularity-focused symptoms, how to adapt treatment language and strategies for boys and men, and how to address stigma and barriers, so they can deliver competent, affirming care right away.” 

Contrary to persistent stereotypes, eating disorders are affecting boys and men at increasing rates. Hospitalizations and community prevalence data show sharp rises across North America and internationally. Muscle dysmorphia, a disorder marked by a preoccupation with muscularity, is also increasingly recognized among adolescent boys and young men. 

These conditions often present differently in males, frequently centered on muscularity and leanness rather than thinness, yet most clinical training still reflects female-centric symptom patterns. As a result, boys and men are at heightened risk of underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and delayed treatment. 

Because outpatient psychotherapists are often the first point of contact for individuals with eating disorders, the study authors emphasize that improving training at this level is critical. 

The findings point to several opportunities to strengthen care, including: 

  • Integrating gender-sensitive approaches into assessment and treatment 

  • Expanding training on muscularity-oriented behaviors 

  • Enhancing understanding of stigma and gender norms that affect help‑seeking 

  • Tailoring psychotherapy models to male-specific body image concerns 

  • Improving clinicians’ ability to recognize muscle dysmorphia in practice 

Together, these steps can help ensure boys and men receive competent, informed, and equitable mental health care.