There is an idea that is often repeated in many homes: when grandchildren arrive, grandparents light up and the house fills with laughter. And also, as has just been shown, with health. The latter is not just a romantic metaphor about family affection, which is also very important for individual well-being, but a scientific hypothesis that has just received solid empirical support. Older adults who help care for their grandchildren have better cognitive function and less mental deterioration over time. This is the conclusion of a study published inPsychology and Aging by behavioral science specialist Yvonne Brehmer and her collaborators from various universities and research centers in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden.To reach this conclusion, they have analyzed data from almost 3,000 grandparents participating in the so-called Longitudinal Study on Aging, conducted in England. These researchers have taken advantage of the surveys and cognitive tests carried out between 2017 and 2022 on people over 50 years old participating in the aforementioned aging study. What they discovered is surprising. Those grandparents who, at some point in the previous year, had played with their grandchildren, done leisure activities with them, helped with homework, or with any other daily task, obtained higher scores in memory and verbal fluency tests than those who had not. A difference that is maintained even after adjusting personal data based on factors such as age or general health status, which further reinforces the idea that it is not just that the "healthiest" people are the ones who look after their grandchildren, but that looking after them favors their health.

At every moment, our brain receives a flood of stimuli. Images, sounds, bodily sensations, emotions, and fleeting thoughts constantly invade our minds. Most disappear without a trace, while others are etched with surprising persistence, to the point of accompanying us throughout our lives. Why do we remember an apparently trivial conversation with such clarity, and yet forget facts that may seem important? of accompanying us throughout our lives. Why do we remember an apparently trivial conversation with such clarity, and yet forget facts that may seem important?This question, which has been part of psychology for decades, has entered a new phase thanks to recent work showing that memory is not a passive storage process, but an active and dynamic decision regulated in time, which is inscribed in the molecular biology of specific brain circuits. A study published in Natureby researchers from The Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, led by neuroscientist Priya Rajasethupathy, shows that the brain uses internal “timers” to decide what is worth remembering, a mechanism that favors memory and contributes to building our mental identity.Traditionally, research on memory has focused on the hippocampus, a structure of the limbic system known to be key for the formation of episodic memories. These are memories of specific personal experiences, situated in a particular time and place, and include the emotional context in which they were generated. It has also long been known that new experiences activate specific sets of neurons and that, if the neuronal connections formed are sufficiently reinforced, the memory is consolidated and transferred to the cerebral cortex, where it is stored long-term. This model, however, does not explain why apparently very similar experiences can have such different fates in memory.

“Happiness” is an intense and immediate state of joy, pleasure, or euphoria, which makes us “feel good”. That is why, when we speak colloquially, we often use the terms happiness and well-being as if they were synonyms. But cerebrally, these concepts are different and have diverse implications for our health and quality of life. Understanding the distinction between happiness and well-being is not only interesting from an academic point of view, but it is also essential for promoting sustainable emotional balance and lasting mental health.

In nature, color is never merely an aesthetic matter, but a biological adaptation. From the iridescent wings of a butterfly to the understated green of a leaf, from the vibrant colors of a flower to the brown tones of a viper, hues fulfill essential functions linked to the survival of both the individual and the species. Through color, organisms can communicate, warn, seduce, or camouflage themselves, especially in contexts related to reproduction or predation.

Neurotechnology, the tools that can read, modulate, or interpret our brain activity, is advancing at a rapid pace. But with this rapid evolution also comes an increased risk of unwanted and unauthorized interference with our minds, which can affect privacy and even inner freedom. Faced with this global challenge, UNESCO has taken a historic step: on November 11, 2025 approved the first global ethics framework for neurotechnology, It establishes universal standards to ensure that this scientific and technological revolution serves to improve the quality of life and respects human dignity. The text was drafted by a group of 24 international experts, incorporating thousands of contributions from civil society, the private sector, research institutions, and governments, in a pluralistic and transparent process.

According to theMonthly Statistical Report of the DGAIAAccording to a report from the Catalan Agency for Prevention and Protection of Children and Adolescents (DGPPIA) in February 2025, 1.4% of Catalan children and adolescents have experienced or are still experiencing situations of abuse, neglect, or family abandonment. The percentage is likely higher, as this figure is based only on reported cases. Globally, according to UNICEF According to the WHO, 6 out of 10 children under the age of 5 experience some form of physical, emotional, or sexual violence. In total, it is estimated that nearly 1 billion children may have been exposed to this violence in the past year—figures that are absolutely chilling.

Imagine a friend telling you about their weekend, or perhaps you're telling someone else about it, or even reminiscing about it yourself. You could describe the sensory details you experienced, like the cool breeze, the colors of the sunset, or the aroma of coffee; or you could focus more on the thoughts and emotions the experience evoked, such as feeling free, recalling old dreams you'd half-forgotten, or noticing a shift within you. While both accounts describe the same objective facts, the way you present them completely affects how you remember them later.

In 2007, a team of hunters and scientists from the Inupiad, an Arctic people, captured a whale in the Bering Sea, near the coastal town of Utqiaġvik. During the processing of the animal, they made an exceptional discovery: they found metal fragments of a 19th-century explosive harpoon embedded in the subcutaneous tissue. Since these harpoons had not been used for over 120 years, it allowed them to estimate that this whale could be between 115 and 130 years old, or even older. This finding reinforced the now well-established hypothesis that bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals on the planet, with individuals that can exceed 200 years.

Pablo Picasso said that "inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." When we have a moment of inspiration, we feel a creative impulse growing within us. It allows us to imagine the most spectacular things and often brings us pleasure. But what exactly is inspiration in neurobiological terms? Why does an idea sometimes strike us suddenly, like a spark, and other times seem impossible to conjure?

Entering certain internet forums or social networks like X can often be like navigating a minefield. One unfortunate comment or simply something that one of the participants doesn't like, and a storm of insults and threats can erupt. Digital hate is so common that we often consider it an inevitable part of social media, and we tend to associate it with the poor manners of some internet users. But what if hate speech on the internet wasn't just a reflection of bad manners? What if it concealed patterns reminiscent of other forms of human communication related to certain personality disorders?

Giraffes are one of the most iconic animals of the savannah. Their long necks, tall, twisted legs, and the unique pattern of spots and colors in their fur leave no one indifferent. They can grow to over five and a half meters tall, making them the tallest animal in the world. To pump blood to their heads, their heart, which weighs 11 kilograms, generates a pressure three times that of a human heart. Their tongue is also prodigious: it can measure up to half a meter in length and allows them to surgically pluck tiny acacia leaves from among very sharp thorns.

Fear is a universal, deep, and essential emotion directly linked to survival. At some point, we've all heard a pressure in our chest, a sudden muscle tension, a shiver on our skin, or a racing heartbeat that heralds imminent danger. But what exactly is fear? Why is it so necessary for us, and how do we manage it? And what does it reveal about us, as a species and as individuals?

Every September, students of all ages, from pre-school through post-compulsory education, reconnect with classmates, routines, and books. It is a key moment for mental, emotional, and social development. Returning to school goes far beyond learning new concepts: it is a cognitive and emotional "reboot" that nourishes the brain and reinforces identity. Recent research, led by neuropsychologists Bruce McCandliss and Jason Yeatman of Stanford University (USA), and published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, underlines this relevance from a neurophysiological perspective.

Imagine a computer, an internet connection, and the desire to contribute to science. Now imagine all of this transforming into invaluable data that can be used to protect a unique animal species on the list of vulnerable species: the marine iguanas of the Galapagos Islands. This scenario is possible thanks to citizen science.

Adolescence is an inevitable and essential stage of life. It is a period of transition during which profound changes occur, both morphologically and behaviorally. From an evolutionary perspective, it allows us to leave behind childhood, including our dependence on our parents, and gradually acquire the physical and mental characteristics of youth and adulthood. This includes the ability to establish the social and emotional bonds characteristic of adulthood, a process often achieved through trial and error, questioning, and sometimes even crossing, established boundaries.

When we travel, we usually carefully plan our journeys and choose the route we will follow to find the fastest, most comfortable, cheapest, or most scenically attractive, depending on our priorities. We are not the only species that makes periodic movements. Many other animals, such as herbivores that live in social groups, also do so in search of the best pastures and water sources depending on the time of year. This is the case with zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles, among many others. It may seem that they move guided simply by their survival instinct, without giving it much thought, but as Emilio Berti and his collaborators from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, the Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, the University of Oxford, and also the organization Save the Elephant have just demonstrated, they are guided by their movements.

For decades, the ability to combine words to create new meanings, a characteristic of human language called compositionality in linguistics, has been considered exclusive to humans. For example, the word biology It is formed by morphemes bio-, which means life, and -lodge, which means study or science. Biology is, therefore, the study or science of life. The other, as for example when we say "good soccer player" or "attentive teacher."

Autism, or more accurately, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) It is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior in affected individuals. It manifests itself differently in each person and may include restricted interests and repetitive patterns of behavior, although these are not always present. It is estimated that there are around 75,000 people affected in Catalonia., around 160,000 in the Catalan Countries as a whole, which represents around 1.23% of the population.

One of the possibly most exciting characteristics of humans is the willingness we show to help when someone is in difficulty, especially, but not only, if they are friends or if we have previously met. It is a prosocial capacity related to empathy that favors the survival of the species and has been shown to also benefit the person who helps, as it receives approval from the environment, fosters reciprocal social relationships, and improves their status within the community. However, it is known that we are not the only species that exhibits this behavior.

Stress is a physiological and psychological response to situations perceived as threatening. It originates in the brain and triggers the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which prepare the body to react: they increase heart rate, blood pressure, and the amount of available energy. This reaction is essential for survival in situations of real danger, but when sustained for so long that there is no chance of recovery, it can have negative effects. on physical and mental healthAdrenaline triggers the immediate stress response, while cortisol is responsible for maintaining a prolonged state of alertness.