WEIRD STUFF

Dietary therapy sparks hope for autism cure

A trio of everyday nutrients may reverse autism-like symptoms in mice -- and researchers say the breakthrough could someday help humans too.

Scientists in Taiwan have developed a supplement 'cocktail' that boosts communication between neurons, calms overactive brain circuits, and improves social behaviour -- all within just seven days.

In the journal PLOS Biology, the team wrote: "These findings have revealed a promising new avenue for dietary therapy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)."

The mixture -- zinc, serine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) -- sounds like something you'd find on a gym enthusiast's shopping list. But, instead of building muscle, this blend appears to reboot misfiring neural pathways.

Zinc strengthens neuronal connections. Serine powers neurotransmission. BCAAs help balance the brain's internal signalling.

"I was thrilled to observe that just seven days of treatment with the nutrient mixture significantly modulated neuronal circuit activity and connectivity in real time," said co-first author Ming-Hui Lin.

In autistic mice, the combination actually reshaped their brains -- dialling down hyperactive neurons and giving the animals a noticeable boost in social behaviour. Importantly, the nutrients had no effect when given alone, underscoring the chemical teamwork required for the brain changes.

Senior author Yi-Ping Hsueh added: "Our findings show that a low-dose nutrient mixture ... offers a safe and more practical strategy for long-term, broad application, even beginning in childhood."

There is still no cure for autism, and current treatments mostly target anxiety, communication challenges and sleep. But the Taiwanese study lands amid growing interest in supplement-based interventions.

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Cats need extra meows to get men's attention

Men, brace yourselves -- your cat is talking to you, loudly.

Researchers from Ankara University filmed 31 cats and their owners at home using chest-mounted cameras, capturing the first 100 seconds after humans walked through the door.

The results? Cats meowed an average of 4.3 times at male owners, compared to just 1.8 meows for women.

That is more than double the vocal effort just to get a man to look up and say, "Oh hey, buddy."

The theory behind the noise is wonderfully blunt: women are simply better at talking to their cats. Female owners more often use "cat-directed speech" -- the sing-song baby talk cats adore -- and they're more attuned to subtle feline cues.

"It is therefore possible that male caregivers require more explicit vocalisations to notice and respond to the needs of their cats," the researchers wrote in Ethology.

Noise wasn't the only thing the cameras caught. Cats also broke out their full welcome-home routine -- upright tails, excited approaches and allorubbing, the affectionate head-butting gesture that marks their humans with scent.

And, despite the long-running joke that cats only care about kibble, the animals weren't motivated by food. They genuinely seemed happy -- or relieved -- to see their humans return.

Other studies show just how complex feline communication can be. Humans, it turns out, are terrible at interpreting it. One study found people struggle to tell relaxed cats from stressed ones. Another revealed cats can produce nearly 300 facial expressions -- everything from the slow-blink "I love you" to the flattened-ears "I will end you".