Forget the memberships and the mirrors. The most striking gym on earth is right outside your front door, and it has the best ventilation. Prioritizing fitness in nature is a mellow way to reclaim your vitality. Your heart loves the challenge of a hill, and your head loves the view from the top. When you […]
Barreling through the universe with incredible power and speed, galactic cosmic rays are a major source of radiation in space. But thanks to Earth’s strong magnetic field, these charged particles don’t usually make it directly to our planet, so we are protected from the radiation’s damaging effects. This field may be doing much more: new data collected by China’s Chang’e 4 lunar lander shows that our magnetic field’s influence is so powerful that it extends farther into space than previously believed—stretching even beyond the moon.
n a study published on Wednesday in Science Advances, researchers describe a “cavity” in space between Earth and the moon where cosmic rays are deflected by Earth’s magnetic field. This suggests that the effects of our planet’s magnetism are present much farther from us than anyone could have expected.
Gravitational cosmic rays spiral through the heliosphere, but Earth’s magnetic influence shields a large area of space from some of the particles. From “A Galactic Cosmic Ray Cavity in Earth-Moon Space,” by Wensai Shang et al., in Science Advances, Vol. 12, No. 13; March 25, 2026
Launched in 2018, Chang’e 4 was the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon. Among the many scientific instruments onboard was the Lunar Lander Neutron and Dosimetry experiment, which was designed to measure the radiation future astronauts might experience if they were to land there. Scientists had long assumed most of the moon lay beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, but in 2019, scientists began noticing something odd about the experiment’s data that suggested the moon was somewhat protected from galactic cosmic rays.
The finding came as “a surprise,” says Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber, a co-author of the study and a physicist at Kiel University in Germany. “Personally, I didn’t believe it for a long, long time. I thought it was an artifact in the data until we did a lot of statistical tests.”
Galactic cosmic rays originate from a variety of sources in space, such as stars, supernovae, and black holes. These diverse origins mean that by the time the rays get near Earth, they don’t all carry the same level of energy. The highest-energy particles move quickly through the solar system, while some of the weaker particles linger—and their radiation could affect astronauts, Wimmer-Schweingruber says.
“These low-energy particles weren’t that interesting to us until we saw this effect, and then we realized this is actually important for the skin dose of astronauts,” he says.
Shielding astronauts from the dangers of radiation is critical to ensuring a human presence in space. This means creating materials that are light enough to bring into space but protective enough to keep radiation at bay, says Philip Metzger, a professor of planetary science and space technology at the University of Central Florida, who was not involved in the new study. Knowing more about the distribution of radiation in space, and especially between the moon and Earth, could help scientists plan safer missions.
For example, if NASA’s plan to put humans on the moon in a semipermanent capacity comes to pass, then it may make sense for astronauts to schedule activities outside any sheltered habitats while the moon is within the influence of Earth’s magnetic field.
“It is brilliant research, and it just shows us that the more we study phenomena outside of our planet, the more we discover we don’t know,” Metzger says. “That’s why we need to do space missions.”
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Though it is far from Earth’s magnetic core, the moon feels even more of the core’s effects than scientists previously thought. NASA
Rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, is the final phase of the four stage cycle that occurs during sleep. Unlike non-REM sleep, the fourth phase is characterized by an increase in brain activity and autonomic nervous system functions, which are closer to what is seen during the awakened state. Similar to non-REM sleep stages, this stage of sleep is primarily controlled by the brainstem and hypothalamus, with added contributions from the hippocampus and amygdala. Additionally, REM sleep is associated with an increase in occurrence of vivid dreams. While non-REM sleep has been associated with rest and recovery, the purpose and benefits of REM sleep are still unknown. However, many theories hypothesize that REM sleep is useful for learning and memory formation.
Key Takeaways: What Is REM Sleep?
REM sleep is an active stage of sleep characterized by increased brain wave activity, return to awake state autonomic functions, and dreams with associated paralysis.
The brainstem, particularly the pons and midbrain, and the hypothalamus are key areas of the brain that control REM sleep with hormone-secreting “REM-on” and “REM-off” cells.
The most vivid, elaborate, and emotional dreams occur during REM sleep.
The benefits of REM sleep are uncertain, but may be related to learning and storage of memory.
REM Definition
REM sleep is often described as a “paradoxical” sleep state due to its increased activity after non-REM sleep. The three prior stages of sleep, known as non-REM or N1, N2, and N3, occur initially during the sleep cycle to progressively slow bodily functions and brain activity. However, after the occurrence of N3 sleep (the deepest stage of sleep), the brain signals for the onset of a more aroused state. As the name implies, the eyes move rapidly sideways during REM sleep. Autonomic functions such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure begin to increase closer to their values while awake. However, because this period is often associated with dreams, major limb muscle activities are temporarily paralyzed. Twitching can still be observed in smaller muscle groups.
During REM sleep, brain wave activity measured on an electroencephalogram (EEG) also increases, as compared to the slower wave activity seen during non-REM sleep. N1 sleep shows slowing of the normal alpha wave pattern noted during the awake state. N2 sleep introduces K waves, or long, high-voltage waves lasting up to 1 second, and sleep spindles, or periods of low voltage and high-frequency spikes. N3 sleep is characterized by delta waves, or high voltage, slow, and irregular activity. However, EEGs obtained during REM sleep show sleep patterns with low voltage and fast waves, some alpha waves, and muscle twitch spikes associated with transmitted rapid eye movement. These readings are also more variable than those observed during non-REM sleep, with random spiking patterns at times fluctuating more than activity seen while awake.
REM and Your Brain
During REM sleep, brain wave activity measured on an electroencephalogram (EEG) also increases, as compared to the slower wave activity seen during non-REM sleep. N1 sleep shows slowing of the normal alpha wave pattern noted during the awake state. N2 sleep introduces K waves, or long, high-voltage waves lasting up to 1 second, and sleep spindles, or periods of low voltage and high-frequency spikes. N3 sleep is characterized by delta waves, or high voltage, slow, and irregular activity. However, EEGs obtained during REM sleep show sleep patterns with low voltage and fast waves, some alpha waves, and muscle twitch spikes associated with transmitted rapid eye movement. These readings are also more variable than those observed during non-REM sleep, with random spiking patterns at times fluctuating more than activity seen while awake.
The major portions of the brain activated during REM sleep are the brainstem and the hypothalamus. The pons and midbrain, in particular, and the hypothalamus contain specialized cells known as “REM-on” and “REM-off” cells. To induce the transition to REM sleep, REM-on cells secrete hormones such as GABA, acetylcholine, and glutamate to instruct the onset of rapid eye movements, muscle activity suppression, and autonomic changes. REM-off cells, as their name implies, induce the offset of REM sleep by secretion of stimulatory hormones such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, and histamine.
The hypothalamus also contains stimulatory cells known as orexin neurons, which secrete the hormone orexin. This hormone is necessary for maintaining wakefulness and arousal from sleep and is often decreased or absent in people with sleep disorders. The hippocampus and amygdala are also involved in REM sleep, specifically during periods of dreams. These areas of the brain are most notable for their functions in memory and emotional regulation. An EEG will show increased hippocampal and amygdala activity with the presence of high voltage, regular waves known as theta waves.
Dreams and REM Sleep
Although dreams can occur in other stages of sleep, the most vivid dreams occur during REM sleep. These dreams are often elaborate and emotional experiences of imagined life, most often associated with sadness, anger, apprehension, or fear. A person can also more readily recall a dream when awakened from REM sleep rather than from non-REM sleep. The purpose of dream content is not currently understood. Historically, neurologist and father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud suggested that dreams were a representation of unconscious thought, and therefore each dream had deeply significant meaning. His dream interpretation, however, is not a universally accepted theory. An opposing hypothesis proposes that dream content is a result of random brain activity that occurs during REM sleep, rather than a meaningful interpretive experience.
Benefits of REM Sleep
Sleep in general is necessary for health and well-being, as mild sleep deprivation increases risk for chronic health conditions and severe sleep deprivation can lead to hallucinations or even death. While non-REM sleep is required in order to survive, the benefits of REM sleep remain inconclusive. Studies in which participants were deprived of REM sleep by waking have shown no obvious adverse effects. Some drugs, including MAO antidepressants, lead to drastically decreased REM sleep without issue for patients even after years of treatment.
Due to the lack of conclusive evidence, many hypotheses exist concerning the benefits of REM sleep. One hypothesized benefit relates to the association of REM sleep and dreams. This theory suggests that certain negative behaviors, which should be “unlearned,” are rehearsed through dreams. Actions, events, and sequences related to fearful situations are often the subject of dreams and are therefore appropriately erased from the neural network. REM sleep is also proposed to help transfer memories from the hippocampus to the cerebral cortex. In fact, the cyclical occurrence of non-REM and REM sleep is often thought to enhance the body’s physical and mental rest as well as aid in memory formation.
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REM sleep is an active stage of sleep characterized by increased brain wave activity. Jamie Grill / Getty Images
D.H.S. Shutdown: House Republicans angrily rejected a measure passed by their Senate counterparts early Friday that would have restored most funding for the Department of Homeland Security, deepening an intraparty feud that will most likely extend a partial shutdown of the agency. In a move to address weeks of long lines at airport security checkpoints, the White House said that it had ordered the Department of Homeland Security to pay employees of the Transportation Security Administration out of existing funds.
Patel Hack: Emails and photographs stolen from a personal email account of Kash Patel before his time as the director of the F.B.I. circulated online on Friday. But there were questions about who had carried out the cyberattack and when the intrusion had taken place.
House Republicans revolt over bill to reopen D.H.S., deepening shutdown rift.
House Republicans on Friday angrily rejected a Senate-passed deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, threatening to extend the agency shutdown that has crippled airports in a fit of outrage over the agreement their own party struck with Senate Democrats to end the crisis.
After quickly assessing the compromise that passed the Senate early Friday, conservative House Republicans tore into it in harsh terms. They derided it for hewing too closely to the Democratic position by omitting money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, the two agencies responsible for carrying out President Trump’s immigration crackdown, which are operating under previously approved funds.
Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 Democrat, just hit on the logistical hurdle facing any bill that House Republicans try to pass to temporarily fund all of the Homeland Security Department, including ICE and Border Patrol: “The Senate is gone.” House members “know fully well what they’re doing” is continuing the shutdown, she added.
Even if he could pass the stopgap bill, and senators abandoned their spring break plans to hurry back to Washington, Senate Democrats would likely reject the House bill.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, said House Democrats would vote to pass the Senate-approved bill to partly fund the Department of Homeland Security if Speaker Mike Johnson were to put the measure on the floor. Jeffries added: “This should end, and could end today.”
House Republicans are gearing up to vote on a different measure that would fund the entire agency though May 22, and a majority of Democrats are expected to oppose it. It would need to be voted on by the Senate.
President Trump criticized the Senate-passed Homeland Security funding bill, saying it “wasn’t good” and “wasn’t appropriate” in a call with Fox News. Trump said it was unacceptable that the bill advanced out of the Senate and was delivered to the House without funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement: “In my opinion, you can’t have a bill that’s not going to fund ICE.”
The Department of Homeland Security said Transportation Security Administration officers should begin receiving paychecks as early as Monday. “Today, at the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.
March 27, 2026, 2:30 p.m. ET
Speaker Mike Johnson said President Trump supported the plan to pass a short-term funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. “He understands exactly what we’re doing and why,” Johnson added.
Johnson said House Republicans would vote to send the measure to fully fund the agency to the Senate “as soon as possible,” when asked if his chamber would take up the stopgap bill on Friday.
Hacked files of Kash Patel, before his time as F.B.I. director, circulate online.
Emails and photographs stolen from a personal email account of Kash Patel, the director of the F.B.I., circulated online on Friday, as hackers who claimed to be part of a group affiliated with Iranian intelligence took responsibility for the release.
The release of materials from before Mr. Patel’s time as F.B.I. chief appeared to be an effort to embarrass him as the war in Iran nears its first month. But there were questions about who had carried out the cyberattack, and it remained unclear when the intrusion had taken place.
A performer being sued by the Kennedy Center asked the judge to toss the case, calling it ‘retaliatory.’
Lawyers for a jazz musician who was sued by President Trump’s allies at the Kennedy Center asked a judge on Friday to toss out the lawsuit, calling it an attempt to stifle his protest of the organization’s takeover.
In December, Richard Grenell — at the time, the center’s president and a close ally of Mr. Trump’s — threatened to sue Chuck Redd, a jazz percussionist, for $1 million after Mr. Redd said he would not hold an annual Christmas Eve concert at the facility. Mr. Redd cited his opposition to renaming the performing arts center in honor of Mr. Trump.
The Defense Department argued in a court filing today that media rules it released this week did not defy a court order. The filing is the latest volley in a lawsuit filed by The New York Times in December, which claims that restrictions on journalists that the department adopted in October 2025 are unconstitutional.
The judge in the case, Judge Paul Friedman of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, sided with The Times last week. On Monday, the Defense Department issued a revised policy and also announced the closure of journalists’ work space inside the Pentagon. The Times has argued that the moves violate the judge’s order.
In its filing on Friday, the Pentagon laid out why it believed the department was in compliance with the order. Judge Friedman has scheduled a hearing in the case on Monday.
Another senior House Republican will retire as a midterm exodus grows.
Representative Sam Graves, the 13-term Missouri Republican who leads the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said on Friday that he would retire in January, the latest powerful member of his party to leave Congress ahead of midterm elections in which it is bracing for big losses.
“It’s time to pass the torch and allow a new guard of conservative leaders to step forward and chart a path forward for Missourians,” he said in a statement announcing his decision to depart Washington at the end of his term. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one. I believe in making room for the next generation.”
A federal judge in Rhode Island sided with a union of Veterans Affairs workers, finding that the Trump administration had ignored her previous order to reinstate a contract with the workers it had canceled last year. Judge Melissa R. DuBose gave the government until Tuesday to show it had taken concrete steps to reimplement the agreement.
The House Ethics Committee said it had found violations in 25 of the 27 counts against Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the Florida Democrat accused of embezzling $5 million of federal disaster money to support her congressional campaign.
The bipartisan vote came after a rare public hearing yesterday that lasted well into the night. Cherfilus-McCormick’s ethics trial was the first time in 16 years that the typically secretive panel had held a public hearing regarding the actions of a sitting lawmaker.
The adjudicatory panel will now schedule a hearing of the full panel to determine its recommendations for sanctions or expulsion. After that, the entire House will vote on the recommendation on the floor.
Hegseth strikes two Black and two female officers from a promotion list.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is blocking the promotion of four Army officers to be one-star generals, a highly unusual move that has prompted some senior military officials to question whether the officers are being singled out because of their race or gender.
Two of the officers targeted by Mr. Hegseth are Black and two are women on a promotion list that consists of about three dozen officers, most of whom are white men, senior military officials said.
Trump’s signature is set to appear on U.S. currency.
President Trump’s signature will appear on U.S. dollars later this year, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. The decision to have Mr. Trump’s John Hancock on America’s paper currency represented an unprecedented change, one that the department said was being made in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Mr. Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to have his signature on the greenback. His name will appear alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. As a result, the U.S. treasurer, whose name has been on the currency for more than a century, will not appear on the currency.
The Latest on the Trump Administration
Standoff With Iran: President Trump’s war with Iran is testing the limits of his unorthodox diplomatic style as he grasps for a deal to end the conflict, relying on a jumble of emissaries that reflect his improvisational approach.
Army Promotions Blocked: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is blocking the promotions of two Black officers and two women to be one-star generals, a highly unusual move that has prompted some officials to question whether the officers are being singled out because of their race or gender.
Pentagon-Anthropic Dispute: A federal judge temporarily stopped the Department of Defense from labeling Anthropic as a security risk, in a reprieve for the start-up that has been in a dispute with the Pentagon over the use of A.I. in warfare.
Brazilian Gangs: The Trump administration is weighing designating Brazil’s two biggest drug gangs as terrorist groups, after lobbying by two sons of former
‘No Kings’ Protests: More than 3,000 demonstrations are scheduled across the country on Saturday to condemn an array of Trump’s policies and to express general discontent toward the president, whom the protesters view as acting like a monarch.
Signature on Currency: Trump will become the first sitting president with his signature on the U.S. dollar, the Treasury Department said, in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary this year.
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Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the Senate bill as “a joke” and said House Republicans would instead advance a measure to fully fund the agency. Credit…Eric Lee for The New York Times
Today’s good news story comes from Protect All Wildlife. @Protect_Wldlife Thanks to Noelle Granger for sending it to me. A ROOF TILE THAT’S GIVING LITTLE OWLS THEIR HOMES BACK In rural Spain, a clever design is helping thousands of nocturnal birds reclaim what modern construction quietly took away. The Little Owl once nested in old […]
Meta and YouTube are liable for operating apps that are addictive and damaging to young people’s mental health, a jury found in the first-ever trial of its kind to weigh social media’s harms.
The legal arguments presented by the plaintiffs echoed some of those brought against big tobacco in the 1990s, which ultimately led to restrictions against tobacco companies targeting ads or products toward young people, among other remedies to restrict their influence.
The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified in court as Kaley G.M. Meta was ordered to pay 70 percent of the damages, and YouTube was ordered to pay 30 percent. During the trial, Kaley G.M. testified that using social media as a child and as a teenager gave her anxiety and made her feel insecure about her looks. Her lawyers alleged that the features and design of social media apps are intentionally addictive, while “like” buttons feed teens’ need for social validation.
The case is one of several that are being brought against the social media companies Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap on behalf of 1,600 plaintiffs, including hundreds of families and 250 school districts. It is a “bellwether trial,” meaning its outcome could affect how other lawsuits against social media companies play out.
Before the trial began, TikTok and Snap reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs involved in the case. Over the course of the seven-week trial, lawyers for Meta and YouTube, which is owned by Google, argued that their platforms are safe for the majority of young users.
“For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features,” said the plaintiff’s lawyers in a statement released to the media. “Today’s verdict is a referendum—from a jury, to an entire industry—that accountability has arrived.”
“We disagree with the verdict and plan to appeal. This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site,” said Google spokesperson José Castañeda in a statement.
Meta provided a separate statement to the media in which it said, “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and are evaluating our legal options.” The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Scientific American.
In the world, human beings are facing various problems. People who are full of greed, anger, and ignorance are seen to be fighting with each other in words and deeds. As the fighting continues, various problems such as civil wars, wars of aggression, and wars of aggression are occurring. As world peace is being destroyed, humans are facing unbearable problems. Innocent children and women are not getting the rights they deserve and deserve. I can't think of one thing every time. What is it? The United Nations. If we look at the responsibilities and duties of the United Nations, I think it is not suitable for solving the problems that are happening in the world today. In fact, the United Nations and the World Security Council, such an organization must rule the world, must be able to give orders, and must have various ways to obey orders. There must be no organization that can influence more than that organization. There should be experts from each country. They can even dominate the superpowers like the US, China, and Britain. Only then will global peace be achieved quickly. Now, if a country with power develops more militarily, economically, or socially than its own country, then powerful countries will jealously seek out enemies and wage war. Or they will attack with fighter jets. In this, innocent people are losing their lives. No one understands the value of a life. You should think about how to achieve global peace by controlling these. If the US continues to be the permanent president of the UN, world peace will never be achieved. If you think carefully, no one sees that they are working for the common good, but for their own benefit, for the benefit of their own country. The permanent president of the UN and the Security Council has rejected this, As a young Rohingya, I have come to realize that only by electing the president and secretary from among the countries in the world through a secret ballot system and governing the world fairly can we achieve global peace. The United Nations and the Security Council are organizations in which any country must govern, give orders, and make them obey their orders. For example, only when a defendant is tried in court can we hold the leaders of the countries in check and control them, can we achieve global peace smoothly. Otherwise, it will not be easy for powerful countries to use various excuses to end this war every year, every year, for the benefit of themselves and their countries. No country's leaders pay any attention to the words of the United Nations and the Security Council. If we look at it in practice, look at the Rohingya issue. Myanmar is a small country. Even that country has been under siege for 8 years. What action can be taken? Why is the UN and the Security Council Powerless? Without such Power, how can the organization bring about global peace? Everyone should think about it. Whether there is a veto or a strong one, all countries in the world can only achieve global peace if they are subject to the UN and the Security Council. Seek peace in the quiet embrace of nature. Peace is an indispensable need of the human race. It is not as if one person can kill another person, and it is as if one country can attack another country, but instead of trying to build peace, we must try to destroy the peace now, and the world is getting hotter and is on the verge of collapse. I especially appeal to all the world experts to urgently try to bring about peace in all parts of the world. Mr, Noor Muhamed Arkhan Rohingya Youth Myanmar
Film and Writing Festival for Comedy. Showcasing best of comedy short films at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Plus, showcasing best of comedy novels, short stories, poems, screenplays (TV, short, feature) at the festival performed by professional actors.
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REM sleep is an active stage of sleep characterized by increased brain wave activity. Jamie Grill / Getty Images
Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed the Senate bill as “a joke” and said House Republicans would instead advance a measure to fully fund the agency. Credit…Eric Lee for The New York Times
Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images
