#ScienceEducation

In a surprising twist to the American tourism landscape, the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida has soared to the coveted No. 1 spot among US attractions, according to Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do. Heralded as the nation’s top draw, the Kennedy Space Center edged out the state’s normally dominant beaches and theme parks, adding rocket fuel to Florida’s reputation for unique, world-class destinations. The announcement comes as Tripadvisor, the globe’s largest travel guidance platform, revealed its list based on reviews and ratings collected over the twelve months leading up to March 31, 2025. Other Florida sites making the top ranks include the Stetson Mansion in DeLand at No. 5 and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo at No. 6, reinforcing the state’s diverse appeal to both domestic and international tourists (Miami Herald).

New research is reshaping how we view cortisol, moving beyond the simple label of the “stress hormone.” For health-minded readers in Thailand, this shift invites a clearer understanding of how cortisol supports daily function and long-term health.

In Bangkok and across the country, many people have heard warnings about rising cortisol—from weight changes to sleep disruption. Social media often promotes quick fixes like “cortisol reset” or the so-called “cortisol cocktail.” Experts warn that such shortcuts can overlook cortisol’s essential roles and fuel unnecessary anxiety.

The latest international research and expert opinion are challenging the widespread reputation of cortisol as merely the “stress hormone,” calling for a more nuanced and positive understanding of this vital chemical messenger—a shift especially relevant for health-conscious Thais navigating the pressures of modern life (The Guardian).

Many Thais, from Bangkok office workers fearing “cortisol belly” to health enthusiasts influenced by global fitness trends, are frequently warned about the dangers of rising cortisol. Social media is awash with figures claiming that everyday stresses threaten to keep the body’s cortisol alarm bells ringing, linked to weight gain, poor sleep, and even immune dysfunction. Advice abounds on “resetting” cortisol through meditation, herbal concoctions, or ice baths, echoing global trends like the viral “cortisol cocktail.” But this persistent “cortisol panic,” experts warn, risks oversimplifying a hormone that plays a far bigger, and far more beneficial, role in our lives.

A global debate on teaching Darwin’s theory persists in the United States, while the United Kingdom has moved toward broader acceptance. New research suggests the divide is not only about science; religion, identity, and psychology shape beliefs about human origins. For Thai audiences, the findings offer practical lessons on communicating science with cultural sensitivity.

The controversy in the United States traces back to the 1925 Scopes trial, a symbol of a broader cultural clash over education. Recent surveys show that acceptance of evolution varies by country. In 2020, Pew Research Center found that about 64% of Americans agreed humans and other living things have evolved, 18% did not, and many were unsure. In contrast, roughly 73% of Britons accepted common ancestry. These figures reflect different social dynamics and educational contexts.

Nearly a century after a Tennessee court trial ignited a national debate over whether schools should teach Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, Americans remain deeply split on the subject—even as much of the world, including the United Kingdom, regards the issue as largely settled. Recent research, as highlighted in a July 2025 article in The Conversation, reveals that this enduring divide is less about scientific evidence and more about the complex interplay of religion, identity, and psychological factors in shaping public beliefs about human origins (theconversation.com).

A resurgence of ancient medical ideas is reshaping public health discourse in unexpected ways, as evidenced by recent moves in the United States under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Drawing on the centuries-old miasma theory—which proposes that diseases arise from “bad air” or pollution—Kennedy has implemented policies and made public statements that challenge the contemporary scientific consensus around vaccines. The revival of this long-discredited framework echoes far beyond American borders, offering important lessons for Thailand as it contends with its own vaccine hesitancy and public health challenges (NPR).

Public health debates are increasingly shaped by old ideas resurfacing in new forms. In the United States, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked discussions by revisiting miasma-era thinking that disease comes from polluted air and the environment. His statements and policies emphasize environmental factors and immune strengthening over vaccination, prompting concern among infectious disease experts and offering Thai readers a lens to understand vaccine hesitancy at home.

The miasma concept originated with ancient Greek physicians, including Hippocrates, and once guided sanitation efforts by linking disease to foul air. While it helped prompt cleaner cities, the theory was displaced by germ theory in the 19th century, a shift that underpins today’s vaccines and antibiotics. As data show, vaccines dramatically reduce disease and save lives, a point echoed by Thai health officials who maintain strong immunization programs amid ongoing public dialogue.

A new wave of astrophysical research suggests magnetars—highly magnetised neutron stars—may be more than dramatic space rocks. They could be important in seeding the galaxy with heavy elements like gold, reshaping our understanding of where precious metals originate. The study, drawing on more than two decades of NASA and ESA data, proposes that giant flares from magnetars eject heavy nuclei into space, contributing a meaningful share of elements heavier than iron. This finding adds a dramatic thread to the story of gold, linking Bangkok’s vibrant jewelry markets to events that happened billions of years ago in the cosmos.

The enduring mystery of how gold – a metal of immense cultural and economic value in Thailand and around the world – originated in the universe may be a step closer to resolution, as new astrophysical research points to an unexpected cosmic source. According to a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highly magnetised neutron stars known as magnetars may play a critical role in producing not only gold but a slew of other heavy elements vital to the fabric of the cosmos. This finding reshapes long-held views on the cosmic manufacture of these elements, presenting a breakthrough that ripples from the farthest reaches of space into the heart of Bangkok’s bustling gold markets and beyond (Al Jazeera).

NASA’s oldest active astronaut recently spoke about a surprising hurdle after returning from a 220-day mission on the International Space Station. The experience highlights how long-duration spaceflight reshapes the body and mind, and it offers practical lessons for both current explorers and Thai learners curious about health, science, and technology.

Thai audiences are increasingly engaged in space science and STEM education. Thailand’s NSTDA and GISTDA are expanding programs to inspire the next generation, while Thailand’s medical and research communities track how extreme environments affect human health. Research from Thailand’s institutions shows that global discoveries in space science can translate into improved health knowledge and new tech applications for local use.

NASA’s oldest active astronaut, renowned for spending 220 days on the International Space Station, has opened up about the profound challenges astronauts face upon returning to Earth—a revelation that newly illuminates the dramatic impacts of space travel on the human body and mind. His insights serve as a timely reminder of the scientific hurdles confronting both current astronauts and future generations hoping to embark on long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, or beyond.

A provocative new study reignites the debate over whether dinosaurs could have survived without the asteroid impact 66 million years ago. Researchers now suggest dinosaurs were not already in decline before the catastrophe, and that the asteroid’s deadly climate effects sealed their fate. This shift challenges long-standing theories and influences how we understand ancient mass extinctions and life’s fragility on Earth.

For years, the scientific consensus hinted at a gradual slide toward extinction. Climate shifts, volcanic activity, and changing vegetation were thought to weaken dinosaur populations. New analyses, supported by recent studies in prestigious journals, contest that view. Findings based on updated fossil records, advanced computer models, and ecosystem reconstructions indicate dinosaurs remained healthy up to the impact. The research suggests the asteroid was the decisive external shock rather than an inevitable end of the line.

A provocative new study has reignited the age-old question: Would dinosaurs still roam the Earth if an asteroid had not ended their reign 66 million years ago? According to researchers, recent findings indicate that dinosaurs were not, as previously believed, already in decline before the impact event — and that the catastrophic asteroid was the decisive factor in their sudden extinction. This shift in scientific thinking challenges traditional theories and captures the imagination of both scientists and the public, with implications for how we interpret ancient mass extinctions and the fragility of life on Earth.

A long-lost fragment of the Soviet Union’s deep-space ambitions has resurfaced in the news, as experts confirm that a probe launched over 50 years ago is expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere in May 2025—drawing the attention of scientists, policymakers, and the public alike. This remarkable event serves as both a testament to the durability of Cold War-era technology and a reminder of the growing issue of space debris as nations continue to reach for the stars.

A long-lost fragment from the Soviet era is set to make a high-stakes return to Earth in May 2025. Experts say the descent module from a Venus-bound mission launched in 1972 may re-enter the atmosphere, reigniting discussions about space debris, international coordination, and the future of Thailand’s growing space interests.

The object in question is widely believed to be the descent capsule of Kosmos 482, a Soviet mission launched in March 1972 intended to reach Venus. The mission was to follow the successful Venera-8, which briefly endured Venus’s extreme conditions. Kosmos 482 never left Earth orbit, likely due to an early engine shutdown, turning what could have been a landmark Venus mission into a footnote in space history. Since then, small fragments have drifted in orbit, with several pieces re-entering the atmosphere in the 1980s. One object, designated 1972-023E and roughly the size of a descent sphere, has persisted in low Earth orbit for decades. Space researchers note that both American and Russian tracking agencies have treated 1972-023E as the most probable relic of the original descent module.

An international team has produced the first detailed three-dimensional map of a mammal’s brain, revealing unprecedented insight into brain structure and function. Focusing on a tiny fragment of a mouse’s visual cortex, the achievement marks a milestone for neuroscience with potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism. For Thai readers, the findings underscore how advances in brain science can influence medicine, education, and future AI applications amid Thailand’s aging society.

In a scientific breakthrough once thought impossible, an international team of researchers has created the first detailed three-dimensional map of a mammal’s brain, offering an unprecedented window into the structure and function of the mind. This ambitious feat, achieved by studying a tiny fragment of a mouse’s visual cortex, marks a pivotal advance in neuroscience and holds profound implications for understanding brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism (CNN/Yahoo! News).