Today in Science: People are more likely to cheat when they use AI

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September 29, 2025—The complete nervous system of a mouse, mapped. Plus, fashion's waste problem and storms in the Atlantic.  —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor TODAY'S NEWS NOAA/NESDIS/STAR In a version of the Fujiwhara effect, a theory of how two vortices spin through fluid, Hurricane Humberto is pulling Tropical Storm Imelda eastward and away from the U.S. | 3 min read People are more likely to cheat when they delegate a task to AI. | 4 min read Avoiding Tylenol during pregnancy and not treating high fevers can endanger the fetus. | 3 min read  Lab-made mini organs that mimic the placenta, endometrium, ovary and vagina could transform female reproductive medicine and point to treatments for common conditions such as preeclampsia and endometriosis. | 9 min read More News Want to access every story I link to? Consider a subscription to Scientific American. Today in Science readers can get started for just $1! TOP STORIES "Connectome" Cartography Scientists have mapped the entire nervous system, or "connectome," of a mammalian body for the first time. Scientists removed material from 16 mice's bodies that would block light, such as fat and calcium, to make them as transparent as possible. Then, using a custom combined slicing tool and microscope, the scientists took images of the mice bodies. Seven of the mice were genetically modified to have fluorescent neurons. Four were immunostained to have proteins in the sympathetic nervous system with different colors. And in the last five, researchers used viruses to measure the full length of the axons of the nerve projections. Each vagus nerve fiber connected to only one organ in the gut, rather than branching to many different organs as some had predicted.    Why this matters: Rather than just homing in on the brain and spinal cord, which have historically been given more attention, researchers included the nerve fibers from the peripheral nervous system (PNS), too. This network of nerves lets mammals walk, controls eye movements, and sends alerts of pain. Mapping them out helps scientists understand how the nerves interact with organs and how the physiology of our nerves underlies disease, potentially inspiring treatments.   What the experts say: "By revealing the precise projection patterns and organ-specific targeting of different peripheral nerves, these maps will provide a structural framework for understanding how the PNS mediates body physiology," says co-author of the study Guo-Qiang Bi, a biophysicist at the University of Science and Technology of China. —Andrea Tamayo, Newsletter Writer At left, nerves (blue) are visible in a reconstructed view of their paths through a mouse. At right, the sympathetic nerves appear in purple. "High-Speed Mapping of Whole-Mouse Peripheral Nerves at Subcellular Resolution," by Mei-Yu Shi et al., in Cell, Vol. 188, No. 14; July 10, 2025 (CC BY 4.0) Fashion Season In September the fashion world turns its attention to the biggest runway shows: in New York City, London, Milan and Paris (starting today) designers exhibit their spring lines. These are a feast for the eyes, but (as any fan of the movie The Devil Wears Prada knows) the looks on the runway also go on to inspire myriad clothing designs worn by everyday people, many of which are produced en masse and sold at low prices. So-called fast fashion has an enormous ecological footprint.    Why it matters: Projections indicate that by 2030 the world will be producing 134 million tons of textile waste every year. In the U.S. alone, at least 17 million tons of textiles are discarded annually, which works out to about 100 pounds of clothes per person.   What can be done: Creating clothing takes many stages, from designing garments and processing the raw fibers, to yarn and textile creation and clothing distribution. At the end of this chain one of several things can happen. The vast majority of clothing ends up in landfills. But what if clothing production could resemble more of a circle than a line with a beginning and end? That is, instead of being trashed, what if clothes began a second life when they were discarded—either to be reused by someone else, or recycled as raw materials that reenter the production process? Read more in our in-depth article and accompanying infographics.  Jen Christiansen

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MONDAY MATH PUZZLE Hans-Karl Eder/Spektrum der Wissenschaft, restyled by Amanda Montañez The odd numbers form this pyramid. What is the sum of the numbers in row 100? Click here for the solution. More Math Puzzles Today I'm reminded why I love science so much. It can illuminate the fluid dynamics of storm movement over the ocean. It gives researchers the tools to build a transparent mouse in order to literally see the mammalian nervous system at work. It can help devise new technologies that repurpose clothing fabrics and save them from the world's teeming landfills. Science is everywhere and might help us overcome any challenge we have. Every story is a science story.  From one science lover to another, thank you for reading Today in Science. Send any feedback to: newsletters@sciam.com. See you tomorrow!   —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor

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