Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 25 September 2026 · From issue 43

Dynamic attribute activation explains gaze biases in choice

Looking at an item sparks thoughts about it, and those thoughts drive choice.

Xiaozhi Taro Yang, Sudeep Bhatia.

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Also in issue 43 15 papers

In mice, targeted nanoparticles shrank tumor scarring and restored immune attack on cancer.
Science
In Antarctica, storms and rising warm water opened a huge hole in winter sea ice.
Geophysical Research Letters
In mice, missing brain cleanup cells cause lasting changes in threat response behavior.
Nature Communications
A common ocean bacteria breaks open diatom shells, killing over 95% of cells within 72 hours.
Nature Communications
A jumping brain gene copied itself into a human wart virus and still moves today.
Science
In a computer simulation, an AI tool found dark matter clumps ten times faster than the usual method.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Designer molecules called scavengers pulled stuck products off enzymes, making them work up to 39 times faster.
Nature Communications
Sunlight makes soot particles grow a salt coating that traps more heat in city air.
Geophysical Research Letters
A math model explains why some solids suddenly snap along one thin line instead of bending.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
In mice, blocking one fat gene boosted fat burning and protected muscle during drug-based weight loss.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
A gas-based dating method pinned the Vesuvius eruption to 1938 years before 2025, matching history closely.
Science Advances
A wood-waste glue matched or beat store-bought wood glues without using formaldehyde.
Science Advances
A weak light beam makes a liquid laser almost 1,000 times more stable.
Science Advances
In mice, a calming signal from gut support cells keeps immune cells from causing too much inflammation.
Science

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