SPONSORED BY  | | | | August 17, 2023: Toxic birds, hearing loss linked to cognitive decline and kids need help identifying misinformation on social media. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | Toxic birds have feathers and skin that carry the same type of potent neurotoxin found in South American poison dart frogs. If these substances, called batrachotoxins, bind to neurons' sodium-channel proteins, they cause the neurons to fire nonstop and, in some cases, cause paralysis and death. Researchers recently identified two new species of toxic bird, and showed that each independently evolved resistance to batrachotoxins' effects via mutations that change the proteins where those toxins bind, so the birds can use the toxin without harming themselves.
Why this is cool: Researchers suspect that the birds acquire batrachotoxins by eating poisonous beetles of the genus Choresine, but no one is certain. The toxic may protect the birds from parasites, and they are able to resist its harmful effects thanks to key mutations in their brains.
What the experts say: "Understanding biodiversity and the diversity of adaptations, especially these extreme phenotypes," says Knud Jønsson, an ecologist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, "can give us really great ideas for medicine, for agriculture and for understanding how animals adapt to pollution." | | | Even mild or moderate hearing loss in older adults is associated with accelerated cognitive decline. In a recent trial of nearly 1,000 people aged 70 to 84, those who were at higher risk for dementia because of age and underlying health conditions saw a 48 percent reduction in cognitive change if they got hearing aids. In 2020 a Lancet Commission on dementia identified hearing loss as the leading modifiable midlife risk factor for later development of the disease.
What the experts say: The key to getting around the societal stigma of wearing hearing aids will be "the ubiquity of wanting to hear well" and the sense that "everyone is doing it," says Frank Lin, an otolaryngologist and director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. If "wireless earbuds also become hearing aids, that changes the whole perspective of what it means to use hearing technology."
Dive deeper: | | | • After weathering hurricanes, earthquakes, budget cuts and a pandemic-induced shutdown, the iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico closed down its research on 14 August. | 7 min read | | | • A new study finds that heat-related illness and deaths are likely to soar at Grand Canyon National Park in the coming decades as temperatures rise. | 4 min read | | | • What is behind ever-increasing rates of Black maternal mortality and how can we fix it? This in-depth podcast reveals the legacy of racism in reproductive medicine. | 45 min listen | | | Credit: Worledit/Getty Images | | | • A recent study of 1,500 18- to 24-year-olds from every province across Canada revealed that 84 percent of youths are not sure that they can distinguish true from false content on social media, writes Roseann O'Reilly Runte, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. "Education is crucial for enabling the next generation to learn how to discern false statements—starting from the first days in elementary school," she says. | 5 min read | | | SPONSORED CONTENT BY BioFuture | Innovators & Investors Come Together to Shape the Future of Healthcare at BioFuture Oct. 4-6 in NYC! | Each year, a group of trailblazers, disruptors, and forward-thinkers converge to evaluate, inspire, and mold the future of healthcare. Gain insight from 100+ future-focused speakers exploring the evolving fields of biopharma, digital medicine, big data, AI and more. Discover 80+ innovative presenting companies. Network with biopharma executives & investors during Receptions and One-to-One Meetings. Register now & save - Advance Rate ends 9/15. Learn More | | | How's your hearing? Now that we know that hearing loss makes several other health problems worse, it might be time to get checked. | Thank you for all the great air purifier recommendations! I'll be looking into them soon. Send any other feedback or ideas to: newsletters@sciam.com. Same time tomorrow! | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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