Today in Science: The dying brain's last hurrah

Daily science inspo June 12, 2023: Lucidity that comes with dying, the mystery of star spins solved and how to grow food in space. Read it all below and welcome to a new week! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TOP STORIES The Final Moments There is more to dying than meets the eye. Humans and other animals have demonstrated a surge in brain activity while undergoing cardiac arrest. And in new large surveys, hospice workers and grieving families report seemingly inexplicable periods of lucidity in people with dementia who are dying. Why this matters: Dying is not the simple dimming of one's internal light of awareness, but rather an incredibly active process in the brain. Particularly for people with dementia, "we should still pay close attention to their mind because some aspects are still there, though they may be quite damaged," says Jason Karlawish, a gerontologist at the Penn Memory Center. What the experts say: In the final months, weeks or moments before death, parts of the brain normally suppressed become accessible in patients with dementia. This "may be due to these kinds of last-ditch efforts of the brain" to preserve itself as physiological systems fail, says Jimo Borjigin, a neurologist and an associate professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan. Star Spin As stars near the end of their lives and stop fusing hydrogen at their centers, their cores contract, meaning mass is concentrated in a smaller space which in turn should speed up the speed of the star's rotation to preserve angular momentum. A new study discovered that a strong magnetic field develops in a star's core that actually slows its spin. Why this matters: For years astronomers observed that many stars, particularly older stars, appear to be spinning slower than they should be, according to measurements of seismic tremors on stars.  What the experts say: The magnetic "breaking effect," as study co-author Florence Marcotte at the Côte d'Azur University in France calls it, accounts for observations of spin rates of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It could occur within our sun as well.  Star Spin Predictions As star cores age and contract, their spins should speed up, much like how a figure skater accelerates her spin by pulling in her arms to contract her center of mass. But that's not what astronomers observe. Credit: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda TODAY'S NEWS • Wildfire smoke not only contains dangerous-to-breathe particles but also can react with urban air pollution to create toxic ozone. | 4 min read • Vital science: The first in-depth study on "blue balls" reveals they aren't dangerous. | 7 min read • Wind and solar produced more U.S. power than coal during the first five months of this year, as several coal plants closed and gas prices dropped. | 4 min read • Farmers participating in NASA's Deep Space Food Challenge are experimenting with fungi, flies and microgreens to feed space settlers. | 8 min read Interstellar Lab has a system for growing greens, fungi and insects in a cube. Credit: Allison Parshall More News EXPERT PERSPECTIVES • The number of incidences of sexual harassment in the sciences hasn't improved in decades. Science-backed training methods and new laws can make a difference, but research institutions must adopt them rather than carry on simply protecting themselves, write Jenny Morber and Starre Vartan, both professional writers and former scientists. | 11 min read More Opinion If you find what I'm calling "death science" of particular interest, check out this fascinating feature on near-death experiences. Surprisingly, most share some common features. Let me know if you have any ideas for how to improve this newsletter by emailing me at newsletters@sciam.com. Here's to a great week! —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters here. Scientific American One New York Plaza, New York, NY, 10004   Support our mission, subscribe to Scientific American here   Unsubscribe Email Preferences