Organic Farming Leads Evidence Base on Biodiversity and Soil Health The science keeps stacking up. A new body of research confirms what organic farmers have known for decades, that farming without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers builds richer soil, supports more species, and creates more resilient land over time. Worth a read for anyone who needs the data to back up the conversation. Read the full story at Farming UK.
Why Shared Moments Matter: The World Cup, Community and Well-Being With the World Cup underway, Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health takes a thoughtful look at how shared sporting events affect us psychologically. The risks, from gambling to binge drinking, are real. But so is the genuine mental health benefit of collective joy, shared identity, and feeling part of something bigger than yourself. Read the full story at CAMH.
Scientists Unlock Gut-Healing Power of Fruits and Nuts Paired With the Right Gut Microbes Not all fiber works the same way for everyone. New research shows that the gut-healing benefits of fruits and nuts depend heavily on which microbes are already living in your gut. The right microbial community can unlock powerful anti-inflammatory compounds from the same foods that might do very little for someone with a different microbiome makeup. Learn more at Medical Xpress.
Gut Microbiome Could Remain Disrupted For Over a Decade After Polyp Removal Colonoscopies save lives, but a new study suggests the bowel prep process may do longer lasting damage to the gut microbiome than previously understood. Researchers found disruption persisting for more than ten years after polyp removal, which could help explain why some cancer prevention techniques aren’t as effective as expected. Read the full story at Science Alert.
Cheese Trekking: How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures Shape Terroir A new book from Chelsea Green explores the living world behind great cheese, the specific fungi, bacteria, landscapes, and centuries of human knowledge that make a real Roquefort or an aged Gruyère unrepeatable anywhere else. A beautiful read for anyone who thinks about food as culture, place, and ecology all at once. Learn more at Chelsea Green Publishing.
Scoop: Trump Backs MAHA in Heated, “Shocking” Oval Office Fight on Pesticides Axios reports on a heated confrontation inside the Oval Office over pesticides and the Make America Healthy Again agenda, with Trump ultimately siding with MAHA advocates in what insiders called a shocking outcome given the administration’s record. A fascinating window into the real tensions between the chemical industry’s grip on this White House and the health politics Trump is trying to straddle. Read the full story at Axios.
Does Cooperation Beat Cheating After All? A new take on the classic prisoner’s dilemma suggests that cooperation may be more evolutionarily stable than previously thought. Nautilus digs into the game theory and biology behind why working together sometimes beats defection, and what that means for how we understand human and animal behavior. Learn more at Nautilus.
California’s Landmark Anti-Plastics Law Sparks Anger as 17 States Move To Sue California’s sweeping single-use plastics law is drawing fire from 17 other states who are threatening legal action, setting up what could be a major battle over whether states can set their own standards on plastic packaging. Sound familiar? It’s the same fight playing out in pesticides, GMOs, and animal welfare all at once. Read the full story at The Guardian.
How to Feel at Home in the Modern World Nautilus takes on one of the quieter but more persistent anxieties of contemporary life, the feeling of not quite belonging anywhere, in a world that moves faster than our ability to put down roots. Thoughtful reading for anyone who has ever felt that the pace of change has outrun their sense of home. Learn more at Nautilus.
Ovaries Appear to Develop an Incredible Second Role After Menopause For a long time, the prevailing assumption was that ovaries essentially retire after menopause, their reproductive job done. New research suggests that is far from the whole story. Scientists have found evidence that post-menopausal ovaries may take on a significant new biological role, one that could reshape how we understand women’s health in the second half of life. The human body continues to surprise us. Read the full story at Science Alert.
UCL Study Highlights Potential Underdiagnosis of ADHD Among Adults in England A new University College London study suggests that ADHD is being significantly underdiagnosed in adults in England, with many people going decades without understanding why they struggle with focus, organization, and emotional regulation. The findings have broad implications for how health systems recognize and support neurodivergent adults. Read the full story at Noclor NHS.
The Case Against Fireworks As the Fourth of July approaches, Time makes the case that our annual tradition of exploding things in the sky deserves a second look. From air and water pollution to wildfire risk, noise trauma for veterans and pets, and injuries, the costs are worth weighing against the spectacle. Learn more at Time.
Chris Jones, Democratic Nominee for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Iowa water quality scientist and author Chris Jones is running for Secretary of Agriculture in one of the most important farm states in the country, bringing a background in nutrient pollution research and a willingness to say out loud what most Iowa politicians won’t about industrial agriculture’s impact on the state’s waterways. Read the full story at Robert Leonard’s Substack.
Real Organic Project Podcast Interview with Chuck Benbrook: The Supreme Court’s Big Win for Bayer-Monsanto Pesticide researcher Chuck Benbrook joins the Real Organic Podcast for an urgent conversation about what the Supreme Court’s Monsanto v. Durnell ruling actually means, not just for Roundup victims but for everyone harmed by any of the 57,000 EPA-regulated pesticides. He also gets into how the same political forces reshaping pesticide regulation are quietly trying to redefine “regenerative” agriculture in ways that could end up strengthening the industrial system rather than replacing it. Essential listening this week. Learn more at Real Organic Project.
Mouthwash, Supplements and GLP-1s – The Surprising Things Messing With Your Microbiome According to Mr. Gut Health The gut health conversation is getting more nuanced. A leading microbiome researcher walks through some unexpected disruptors including daily mouthwash, greens powders, and the rising class of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, which appear to significantly alter the gut microbiome in ways we don’t yet fully understand. Learn more at The Independent.
Inside Chernobyl, a Fungus Has Been Quietly Feasting on Radiation The Chernobyl exclusion zone is off limits to most life, but a remarkable black fungus called Cladosporium sphaerospermum has not just survived there, it has thrived. Researchers believe the fungus uses melanin to convert gamma radiation into chemical energy, essentially doing for radiation what plants do with sunlight. This is one of the stranger and more wonderful stories in biology right now. Read the full story at Science Alert.
