The largest-ever study on neophobia, or fear of novelty, has discovered the key reasons why some bird species are more fearful of new things than others.

Testing for the study, published in PLOS Biology, took place in 24 countries across six continents. Overall, across 136 species tested – representing 25 taxonomic orders from penguins to parrots – the study found that two ecological drivers strongly predicted neophobia: dietary specialisation and migratory behaviour.

Neophobia plays a crucial role in how animals balance risk and opportunity, and understanding neophobia has important implications for conservation, for example with helping species experiencing habitat change or being reintroduced into the wild from breeding programmes.

Researchers at Lehigh University are developing a faster, more accurate way to predict how metals solidify during 3D printing and other additive manufacturing processes. Supported by a three-year, $350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, assistant professor Parisa Khodabakhshi is creating a physics-based, data-driven model that connects manufacturing process parameters with the resulting material microstructure. The approach aims to replace costly trial-and-error methods with efficient simulation tools that can guide the design of high-performance metal components. The project’s outcomes could accelerate innovation across industries that rely on advanced manufacturing—such as aerospace, automotive, and healthcare—while helping train the next generation of engineers and scientists.

A McGill University-led clinical trial is the first in humans to show online brain training exercises can improve brain networks affecting learning and memory.

The study found 10 weeks’ use of the game-like app BrainHQ by older adults enhanced cholinergic function, a chemical system in the brain that typically declines with age and influences attention, memory and decision-making.

Researchers from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will partner with investigators from industrial and academic institutions, including Ginkgo Bioworks, Baylor University, University of Minnesota, Oregon State University, and Oregon Health & Science University, on a five-year initiative funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and overseen by Program Manager Andrew Brack, PhD. The project, “Microbe/phage Investigation for Generalized Health TherapY (MIGHTY),” aims to harness the natural predators of bacteria – known as phages – as precision tools to shape the human microbiome and promote health.