It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, May 06, 2025
Black tea and berries could contribute to healthier aging
Higher intakes of black tea, berries, citrus fruits and apples could help to promote healthy ageing, new research has found.
This study conducted by researchers from Edith Cowan University, Queen’s University Belfast and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that foods rich in flavonoids could help to lower the risk of key components of unhealthy ageing, including frailty, impaired physical function and poor mental health.
“The goal of medical research is not just to help people live longer but to ensure they stay healthy for as long as possible,” ECU Adjunct Lecturer Dr Nicola Bondonno said.
“We know from previous research that people who have a higher flavonoid intake tend to live longer, and they are also less likely to get any of the major chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes or heart disease.
“Our research shows that people who consume more flavonoids tend to age better.”
The study, which analysed data from 62,743 women and 23,687 men over 24 years, found that women with the highest flavonoid intakes had a 15% lower risk of frailty, a 12% lower risk of impaired physical function, and a 12% lower risk of poor mental health compared to those with the lowest intakes. While fewer associations were observed in men, higher flavonoid intake was still linked to a lower risk of poor mental health.
“Flavonoids are well known for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting blood vessel health, and even helping to maintain skeletal muscle mass - all of which are important for preventing frailty and maintaining physical function and mental health as we age,” said senior author, Professor Aedin Cassidy from Queens University Belfast.
She added that regularly consuming flavonoid-rich foods - such as berries, apples, red wine, oranges, and tea - could support healthier aging by reducing the risk of frailty, physical decline, and poor mental health. The stronger associations observed in women may be due to differences in follow-up time between the two cohorts rather than true sex-specific effects, which remain underexplored in existing research.
“We found that participants who increased their intake of flavonoid-rich food by three servings a day, had a 6% to 11% lower risk across all three of the ageing outcomes in females, and a 15% lower risk of poor mental health in males.
“Overall, these findings underscore the potential for simple dietary modifications to impact overall quality of life and contribute to the optimisation of healthy aging,” added Professor Eric Rimm from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Associations between flavonoid-rich food and flavonoid intakes and incident unhealthy aging outcomes in older United States males and females
Article Publication Date
5-May-2025
COI Statement
AC and EBR act as advisors to the USHBC grant committee. All other authors report no conflicts of interest.
SPACE/COSMOS
Black holes: Beyond the singularity
Can we do away with the troublesome singularity at the heart of black holes? A new paper in JCAP reimagines these extreme objects in light of current knowledge.
Credit: Sissa Medialab. Background image sourced from ESO/Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit (https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1101a/)
“Hic sunt leones,” ( here there are lions )
remarks Stefano Liberati, one of the authors of the paper and director of IFPU. The phrase refers to the hypothetical singularity predicted at the center of standard black holes — those described by solutions to Einstein’s field equations. To understand what this means, a brief historical recap is helpful.
In 1915, Einstein published his seminal work on general relativity. Just a year later, German physicist Karl Schwarzschild found an exact solution to those equations, which implied the existence of extreme objects now known as black holes. These are objects with mass so concentrated that nothing — not even light — can escape their gravitational pull, hence the term “black”.
From the beginning, however, problematic aspects emerged and sparked a decades-long debate. In the 1960s, it became clear that spacetime curvature becomes truly infinite at the center of a black hole: a singularity where the laws of physics — or so it seems — cease to apply. If this singularity were real, rather than just a mathematical artifact, it would imply that general relativity breaks down under extreme conditions. For much of the scientific community, invoking the term “singularity” has become a kind of white flag: it signals that we simply don’t know what happens in that region.
Despite the ongoing debate around singularities, scientific evidence for the existence of black holes has continued to grow since the 1970s, culminating in major milestones such as the 2017 and 2020 Nobel Prizes in Physics. Key moments include the first detection of gravitational waves in 2015 — revealing the merger of two black holes — and the extraordinary images captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) in 2019 and 2022. Yet none of these observations has so far provided definitive answers about the nature of singularities.
Unknowable territory
And this brings us back to the “leones” Liberati refers to: we can describe black hole physics only up to a certain distance from the center. Beyond that lies mystery — an unacceptable situation for science. This is why researchers have long been seeking a new paradigm, one in which the singularity is “healed” by quantum effects that gravity must exhibit under such extreme conditions. This naturally leads to models of black holes without singularities, like those explored in the work of Liberati and his collaborators.
One of the interesting aspects of the new paper is its collaborative origin. It is neither the work of a single research group nor a traditional review article. “It’s something more,” explains Liberati. “It emerged from a set of discussions among leading experts in the field — theorists and phenomenologists, junior and senior researchers — all brought together during a dedicated IFPU workshop. The paper is a synthesis of the ideas presented and debated in the sessions, which roughly correspond to the structure of the article itself.” According to Liberati, the added value lies in the conversation itself: “On several topics, participants had initially divergent views — and some ended the sessions with at least partially changed opinions.”
Two non-singular alternatives
During that meeting, three main black hole models were outlined: the standard black hole predicted by classical general relativity, with both a singularity and an event horizon; the regular black hole, which eliminates the singularity but retains the horizon; and the black hole mimicker, which reproduces the external features of a black hole but has neither a singularity nor an event horizon.
The paper also describes how regular black holes and mimickers might form, how they could possibly transform into one another, and, most importantly, what kind of observational tests might one day distinguish them from standard black holes.
While the observations collected so far have been groundbreaking, they don’t tell us everything. Since 2015, we’ve detected gravitational waves from black hole mergers and obtained images of the shadows of two black holes: M87* and Sagittarius A*. But these observations focus only on the outside — they provide no insight into whether a singularity lies at the center.
“But all is not lost,” says Liberati. “Regular black holes, and especially mimickers, are never exactly identical to standard black holes — not even outside the horizon. So observations that probe these regions could, indirectly, tell us something about their internal structure.”
To do so, we will need to measure subtle deviations from the predictions of Einstein’s theory, using increasingly sophisticated instruments and different observational channels. For example, in the case of mimickers, high-resolution imaging by the Event Horizon Telescope could reveal unexpected details in the light bent around these objects — such as more complex photon rings. Gravitational waves might show subtle anomalies compatible with non-classical spacetime geometries. And thermal radiation from the surface of a horizonless object — like a mimicker — could offer another promising clue.
A promising future
Current knowledge is not yet sufficient to determine exactly what kind of perturbations we should be looking for, or how strong they might be. However, significant advances in theoretical understanding and numerical simulations are expected in the coming years. These will lay the groundwork for new observational tools, designed specifically with alternative models in mind. Just as happened with gravitational waves, theory will guide observation — and then observation will refine theory, perhaps even ruling out certain hypotheses.
This line of research holds enormous promise: it could help lead to the development of a quantum theory of gravity, a bridge between general relativity — which describes the universe on large scales — and quantum mechanics, which governs the subatomic world.
“What lies ahead for gravity research,” concludes Liberati, “is a truly exciting time. We are entering an era where a vast and unexplored landscape is opening up before us.”
Journal
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Method of Research
Literature review
Article Title
Towards a Non-singular Paradigm of Black Hole Physics
CAII receives NASA funding to assist Euclid space mission
By developing and integrating an open-sourced deep learning framework to process images captured by Euclid, CAII and Principal Investigator Xin Liu aim to accurately and efficiently identify blended galaxies or overlapping sources of information that make data analysis much more difficult.
“A significant challenge in Euclid data analysis is the presence of blended or overlapping sources, which leads to biased measurements in critical areas such as photometry, photometric redshift estimation, galaxy morphology and weak gravitational lensing,” Liu said. “Addressing this challenge is crucial for ensuring the accuracy of Euclid’s scientific outputs.”
Liu and a team of researchers will utilize an artificial intelligence tool known as Detection, Instance Segmentation and Classification with Deep Learning (DeepDISC), which leverages machine learning to transform how stars and galaxies are detected. Using DeepDISC within the Euclid mission will also allow researchers to quantify uncertainty in the analysis predictions.
DeepDISC will be essential for maximizing the scientific return of the Euclid mission to transform our understanding of the dark universe.
Xin Liu, Principal Investigator
This innovative framework will also be adaptable to other space exploration projects, including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which anticipates its first light later this year. Improving the accuracy and efficiency of deblending ground-based images and those taken in space emphasizes the interdisciplinary excellence of CAII, NCSA and NASA.
“Co-principal Investigators Director of CAII Vlad Kindratenko, Astronomy Professor Yue Shen and Computer Science Professor Yuxiong Wang provide critical expertise and leadership, strengthening the project’s interdisciplinary foundation,” Liu said. “Their contributions will ensure robust computational infrastructure, sophisticated data analysis techniques and advanced machine learning methodologies.”
“The computer vision and AI community has developed powerful foundation models for understanding the visual world through natural images,” Wang said. “Now is an exciting time to extend these capabilities toward unlocking the mysteries of the universe.”
ABOUT CAII
The Center for Artificial Intelligence at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign operates as a central nexus that spearheads AI research and application in academia and industry. The center empowers and supports advancements in AI by leveraging NCSA’s cutting-edge technology and expertise and facilitating collaboration across multiple disciplines, including agriculture, astrophysics, automotive, big data, and infrastructure. Furthering NCSA’s commitment to accelerating AI, the CAII is dedicated to building foundations that will pave the way for the next generation of innovators.
Pioneering scientist reveals breakthrough link between psychedelics and immune system in treating fear
Harvard's Dr. Michael Wheeler illuminates how psychedelic compounds interact with brain-immune pathways to potentially treat both psychiatric and inflammatory disorders
BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA, 6 May 2025 -- In a compelling Genomic Press interview published today, rising scientific star Dr. Michael Wheeler unveils revolutionary findings about how psychedelics reshape communication between the brain and immune system, potentially transforming treatments for psychiatric disorders and inflammatory diseases alike.
Bridging the Mind-Body Divide
As an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dr. Wheeler stands at the frontier of neuroimmunology, a field exploring how the nervous and immune systems interact. His groundbreaking research, recently validated in Nature (April 23, 2025; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08880-9), demonstrates that psychedelics like psilocybin don't just affect neurons: they fundamentally reshape immune responses tied to fear and stress.
"We found that astrocytes in the amygdala use a specific receptor called EGFR to limit stress-induced fear," explains Dr. Wheeler. "When chronic stress disrupts this signaling, it leads to a cascade involving brain-resident cells and immune cells that ultimately increases fear behavior. What is fascinating is that psychedelic compounds can reverse this entire process."
This finding represents a paradigm shift in understanding psychedelics' therapeutic potential. Rather than simply acting on neural pathways, these compounds appear to recalibrate entire neuroimmune circuits. Could this dual action explain why psychedelics show promise across diverse conditions from depression to addiction? And might they eventually prove useful for treating inflammatory disorders that have no apparent psychiatric component?
From Legal Defender to Brain-Immune Explorer
Dr. Wheeler's journey to this breakthrough began in an unexpected place, the Public Defender's office in Baltimore City. "I felt that the actions of the people we defended were so inextricably linked with their environmental circumstances, inclusive of physical or emotional abuse beyond their control, that I was desperate to understand the inner workings of their minds," Dr. Wheeler reflects.
This early experience shaped his scientific mission to unravel how environmental factors—including stress and trauma—reshape our internal neurobiology. Following this passion, he made the courageous decision to join the lab of an immunologist during his postdoctoral training despite having no background in the field.
"One of the most intimidating choices I made was joining the lab of an Immunologist during my post-doc," notes Dr. Wheeler. "I only trained in Neuroscience at that point, so when I looked at Francisco's papers on dendritic cells and T cells, I was nervous about what I was getting into."
This interdisciplinary leap proved transformative. By bringing together insights from neuroscience and immunology, Dr. Wheeler identified previously hidden communication channels between the brain and immune system that may help explain why traditional psychiatric treatments often yield inconsistent results.
Mapping the Brain-Body Interface
Dr. Wheeler's laboratory employs cutting-edge technologies including genomic screening, single-cell analysis, and behavioral studies to create what he describes as a "wiring diagram" of brain-immune communication.
His team's recent Nature publication demonstrates that when chronic stress disrupts normal signaling in the amygdala—a key brain region for processing fear—it triggers an inflammatory cascade involving immune cells in the meninges (the protective membranes surrounding the brain). Remarkably, psychedelics can interrupt this process at multiple points, reducing both immune cell accumulation and fear behaviors.
This research raises intriguing questions about traditional approaches to psychiatric disorders. If mental health conditions have significant immune components, might we need to rethink treatment strategies that focus exclusively on neurotransmitters? Could new therapeutic agents that target both neural and immune pathways prove more effective than current options?
Looking ahead, Dr. Wheeler envisions a revolution in thinking about neuropsychiatric disorders. "I am excited about the prospect of identifying brain-body communication loops as a fundamental feature of physiology," he states. "Often, we think of mental health disorders based on their behavioral symptoms. However, we are likely leaving much underlying biology on the table by focusing solely on the brain."
Team Science and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Dr. Wheeler emphasizes that his success stems from collaborative team science rather than solitary genius. As a laboratory leader, he values bringing together people with diverse scientific backgrounds to create synergistic insights that no individual could achieve alone.
"My favorite part is bringing people into the lab and onto our team with completely different scientific (and personal) backgrounds to have everyone work together," says Dr. Wheeler. "This facilitates cross-pollination between ideas that could only happen on the organizational level."
This approach reflects Dr. Wheeler's conviction, formed during his undergraduate years at Johns Hopkins, that "you cannot do great science alone, everyone needs a great team." It's a philosophy that has guided his academic journey and research approach.
Dr. Michael Wheeler's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today's most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that delve into the scientist's impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas -- Genomic Press Interview series can be found in our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.
The Genomic Press Interview in Psychedelics titled "Michael A. Wheeler: Psychedelics and neuroimmune circuits—what a strange trip, indeed," is freely available available via Open Access on 6 May 2025 in Psychedelics at the following hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.61373/pp025k.0011.
About Psychedelics: Psychedelics: The Journal of Psychedelic and Psychoactive Drug Research (ISSN: 2997-2671, online and 2997-268X, print) is a peer reviewed medical research journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Psychedelics is dedicated to advancing knowledge across the full spectrum of consciousness altering substances, from classical psychedelics to stimulants, cannabinoids, entactogens, dissociatives, plant derived compounds, and novel compounds including drug discovery approaches. Our multidisciplinary approach encompasses molecular mechanisms, therapeutic applications, neuroscientific discoveries, and sociocultural analyses. We welcome diverse methodologies and perspectives from fundamental pharmacology and clinical studies to psychological investigations and societal-historical contexts that enhance our understanding of how these substances interact with human biology, psychology, and society.
The unfinished process of creation. The image illustrates the endless process of revision and reformulation described by Drummond de Andrade, where humans continually attempt to compose definitive versions of knowledge and self without ever reaching completion.
Credit: From “Diagnosing Madness," by Julio Licinio, 2013, Science, 340(6139), p. 1406. Illustration by Joe Sutliff/www.cdad.com/joe. Reprinted with permission from AAAS.
NEW YORK, USA, 6 May 2025 -- In a thought-provoking Genomic Press editorial, the Psychedelics journal has formally expanded its scope beyond classical psychedelic compounds to embrace the broader landscape of consciousness-altering substances. The publication, which previously focused primarily on serotonergic compounds, now explicitly includes all psychoactive drugs in its research purview.
A Quiet Correction, Not a Rebranding
The editorial, authored by Editor-in-Chief Dr. Julio Licinio, reflects on the inherent limitations of categorizing mind-altering substances solely by their pharmacological properties. "From the outset, our journal's indexed title, Psychedelics, has served a practical purpose," writes Dr. Licinio. "But even in our earliest planning, we knew this name alone could never hold the full scale of what we hoped to publish."
This expansion is formalized in the journal's revised subtitle: "The Journal of Psychedelic and Psychoactive Drug Research," which Dr. Licinio describes not as rebranding but as "a quiet correction of what was always slightly misaligned." This change acknowledges the publication was "never just about psychedelics" but rather "the pharmacopeia of mind alteration."
Challenging Traditional Classifications
The decision raises fascinating questions about how we categorize consciousness-altering substances. What precisely defines a "psychedelic" experience? Is it determined by molecular structure, receptor targets, subjective effects, or cultural context? These classifications, while useful, are ultimately human constructs that evolve as our understanding deepens.
"Our compounds of interest are part of humanity's ongoing attempt to transcend our incompleteness," explains Dr. Licinio, borrowing from Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade's metaphor of humans continually trying to compose definitive versions of knowledge and self without ever reaching completion.
Beyond Traditional Boundaries
The editorial acknowledges that this expanded focus includes substances like MDMA, ketamine, and ibogaine – compounds that resist neat categorization and exist at the margins of established taxonomies. These pharmacologically diverse substances challenge our understanding of consciousness alteration while offering promising therapeutic applications.
"The boundaries we rely on are 'concocted hour after hour without ever attaining our own convincing edition,'" Dr. Licinio notes, suggesting that these classifications, while useful, are never final. This philosophical approach positions the journal at the intersection of neuroscience, psychiatry, and the humanities.
Implications for Therapeutic Research
This refined focus comes at a pivotal moment in psychoactive drug research. Recent years have seen unprecedented interest in these compounds' therapeutic potential, from psilocybin for depression to MDMA for PTSD. How might broadening our understanding of consciousness-altering substances lead to novel therapeutic approaches? Could previously overlooked compounds offer unique benefits by acting through different neurological mechanisms?
Embracing Intellectual Discomfort
Dr. Licinio's approach encourages researchers to embrace the contradictions and incomplete understanding inherent in this field. "We have room for writing that resists the urge to wrap things up," he writes. "Sometimes, staying with the discomfort tells us more than reaching a quick conclusion."
This perspective raises intriguing questions about the future of consciousness research. How might our understanding of these substances evolve as we move beyond rigid classifications? What unexpected therapeutic applications might emerge from compounds currently at the margins of research? And how does studying these substances illuminate the fundamental nature of human consciousness?
A Platform for Ongoing Scientific Conversation
The editorial concludes with an invitation to anticipate contradiction, acknowledging that "some compounds will not fit" and "some theories are still in the middle of becoming something else." This admission of the field's evolving nature positions Psychedelics journal as a platform for ongoing scientific conversation rather than definitive conclusions.
The Psychedelics Editorial titled "Psychedelics, Yes—but Not Only: Redefining the boundaries of consciousness research as part of humanity's ongoing attempt to transcend our incompleteness," is freely available via Open Access on 6 May 2025 in Psychedelics at the following hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.61373/pp025d.0014.
About Psychedelics: Psychedelics: The Journal of Psychedelic and Psychoactive Drug Research (ISSN: 2997-2671, online and 2997-268X, print) is a peer reviewed medical research journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Psychedelics is dedicated to advancing knowledge across the full spectrum of consciousness altering substances, from classical psychedelics to stimulants, cannabinoids, entactogens, dissociatives, plant derived compounds, and novel compounds including drug discovery approaches. Our multidisciplinary approach encompasses molecular mechanisms, therapeutic applications, neuroscientific discoveries, and sociocultural analyses. We welcome diverse methodologies and perspectives from fundamental pharmacology and clinical studies to psychological investigations and societal-historical contexts that enhance our understanding of how these substances interact with human biology, psychology, and society. Visit the Genomic Press Virtual Library: https://issues.genomicpress.com/bookcase/gtvov/
Psychedelics, Yes—but Not Only: Redefining the boundaries of consciousness research as part of humanity's ongoing attempt to transcend our incompleteness
