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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-Jun-2026 02:16 ET (1-Jun-2026 06:16 GMT/UTC)

Can exercise turn back the clock on your brain? New study says yes

Journal of Sport and Health Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Regular aerobic exercise may help slow biological brain aging in adults. In a randomized clinical trial, researchers used MRI-based brain age estimates to assess the effects of a year-long exercise program. Participants who followed guideline-level aerobic activity showed younger-appearing brains compared with controls. These findings suggest that sustained, moderate-to-vigorous exercise in midlife may support long-term brain health and reduce future risk of cognitive decline potentially across diverse adult populations.

Journal: Journal of Sport and Health Science
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Electric vehicles could catch on in Africa sooner than expected

ETH Zurich
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Electric vehicles could become economically competitive in many African countries before 2040. Off-grid solar solutions make charging possible even in places with no or unreliable electrical grids. Major challenges remain in terms of financing, with high interest rates slowing down adoption, despite drops in cost of technology.

Journal: Nature Energy

Schizophrenia: The cerebellum’s unexpected role

Université de Genève
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Apathy, social withdrawal, and loss of motivation — the so-called ''negative'' symptoms of schizophrenia — are among the most disabling and hardest to treat. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has uncovered the unexpected role of the cerebellum in the emergence of these symptoms, through its ability to modulate the brain’s reward system. This mechanism, which has remained largely unexplored until now, opens the door to new targeted and non-invasive therapeutic approaches. The study is published in Biological Psychiatry.

Journal: Biological Psychiatry

Study: Western populations endorse support for Ukraine

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New study by LMU and the University of Konstanz shows broad public approval for the support of Ukraine to maintain its political and territorial sovereignty.

The possibility of high casualty numbers and the risk of nuclear escalation constrain support and carry more weight than economic costs.

Over 10,000 people in five major NATO countries, supporting Ukraine, were surveyed for the study.

Journal: Nature Communications

Work hard, play hard?

Flinders University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As Australians return to work after the holidays, many will be reflecting on their health and wellbeing goals for the year ahead. New research reveals that while workplace factors like long hours, work-related stress and shift work do influence high-risk drinking, personal and social factors play an even bigger role.

Journal: Drug and Alcohol Review
Funder: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Psychosis patients ‘living in metaphor’ -- new study radically shifts ideas about delusions

University of Birmingham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People experiencing delusions during an episode of psychosis may be ‘living out’ a deeply held emotion, according to new research that provides a ‘radically different perspective’ on one of the most puzzling elements of psychosis.

Journal: The Lancet Psychiatry

Canada–Estonia partnership advances community-centered clean energy

University of Victoria
Business Announcement

The ACET–Estonian Islands Community Energy Partnership unites the University of Victoria (UVic)-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative with the Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA) to co-design and deliver applied clean energy research that responds directly to local priorities.

Funder: Canada First Research Excellence Fund