Science is constantly evolving, sometimes making small, and sometimes large, discoveries for the better (mostly) of mankind.Every year, new things are uncovered, and some of these insights are quite remarkable.So, to remark on these scientifically remarkable breakthroughs, the Western Standard has compiled a list of the most shocking and extraordinary findings humans have unearthed in the year 2026.Let's get into it, shall we? .1. The case of the two brainsDid you know that humans evolved from not one brain, but two?Me neither, Western Standard reader, but you learn something new every day.In this case, Stanford Medicine researchers published a study in late September claiming they have found evidence suggesting that, at one point or another, long ago, the human brain had merged from two separate nervous systems..According to the study, scientists treated the brain and all its functional parts, the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, as having the same developmental and evolutionary starting point.But their findings contradict this story, splitting it in two.They discovered the human brain may have been formed by two different ancient nervous systems evolving over hundreds of millions of years, one a bit more primitive in nature, which regulates the beating of our hearts, our breathing, and other automatic internal bodily functions.The other nervous system is the one that makes us distinctly human, capable of problem-solving and other forms of high-order thinking, like math, poetry, and wondering about our origins..According to the Stanford Report, this discovery helps scientists explain why they have found it difficult to grow certain types of brain cells in the laboratory, since not all of them are one and the same.This breakthrough has now opened new possibilities for studying diseases that affect the brain stem, like spinal atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).So, how did they make this great finding, you might be wondering?Researchers were studying the earliest moments of embryonic development, during the stage called gastrulation, when the body first takes shape, examining mouse embryos. .They then discovered the hindbrain followed a separate developmental path, running in parallel instead of jumping off from the pathway that created the upper forebrain and midbrain.Most interestingly, the researchers then looked back over 550 million years, and found the same two-origin brain pattern in chickens, zebrafish, and acorns worms — yes, you read that right — tiny creatures that live on the ocean floors that share a distant common ancestors with humans.Jellyfish also have two nervous systems at different ends of their body, and they too diverged from humans about 600 to 700 million years ago..2. No opioid in my opioidsBefore we get into this breakthrough non-opioid medication, we must understand the infamous opioid.An opioid is meant to relieve pain and inflammation through mimicking naturally occurring chemicals in the body and binding to opioid receptors in the brain and body, which regulate pain, reward and addictive behaviours. This explains the state of relaxation, pain relief and euphoria opioids usually leaves with their users.Though, these drugs are often abused, and can lead to addiction.That is why, to help reduce this risk altogether, a type of non-opioid drug, approved by the US' Food and Drug Administration (FDA), called Suzetrigine, was created, having the same pain-relieving effects opioid drugs have..Though this drug was released in 2025, the Western Standard decided to make an exception, for how exceptional this drug truly is, since, unlike opioids, it does not have addictive qualities and represents a major breakthrough for opioid pain relief that continues in 2026.Suzetrigine targets a pain-signaling pathway, sodium channels, also called NaV1.8 inhibitors, in the peripheral nervous system, the part of the nervous system that lies outside of the brain and spinal cord, before pain signals reach the brain. This differs from opioids, which target the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord, binding to opioid receptors.Clinical trials with Suzetrigine have demonstrated it relieves acute pain without respiratory depression, shallow breathing, sedation and potential abuse, all possible consequences of opioid use..3. Cosmic burps can fuel jetsSome burps can be powerful — but who knew they could launch jets into space?No, but really, black holes are a topic where some essential details about them have left researchers stumped, but now they are coming a bit closer to understanding the way they work and better anticipating when black holes appear.Astronomy researchers have discovered that when black holes "burp" up jets, ejections of charged particles that are released sometimes at the speed of light, this actually reveals the stage of the black hole's feeding cycle..But hold up — what exactly is a black hole?Black holes are sinks of energy and matter — usually formed, depending on their size, by collisions between galaxies (especially when they're massive), or more ordinarily by the explosive deaths of stars.Black holes are so dense that it is said not even light can escape their gravitational clutches, devouring the matter and energy that come into their orbit.But they aren't just bottomless holes of consumption; they are also a large source of radiation — and this is where jets come in..When we talk about jets, we aren't talking about your favourite celebrity's preferred method of transportation.In this case, a jet is an ejection of energy caused when a star orbiting a black hole then forms a disk of material close to it; these disks often radiate brightly from the heat of friction.Then, when the material from the companion star falls onto the disk, it results in the occasional release of jets.These "burps" blast material across what can be staggering distances and can fundamentally influence the evolution of their host galaxies..This is how the researchers discovered an underlying rule that applied to all black holes no matter their size — jets are launched twice in a black hole's feeding cycle and both tell researchers what stage the black hole is in.The first phase occurs early when a black hole is feeding at extreme rates, the next, hundreds of thousands of days later, when the black hole's feeding rate drops and its Eddington limit, the point where outward radiation pressure balances gravity, drops to 2%.Now that predictions can be made about when jet "belches" occur, scientists can anticipate these events and optimize the use of highly in-demand astronomical instruments..4. Alzheimer's develops sooner than we thinkThere are usually signs in the brain that point to the development of Alzheimer's, most notably, using PET scans, which detect amyloid plaques, a sure sign someone has the disease.These amyloid plaques occur from a naturally occurring protein in the brain called the amyloid precursor.When someone has Alzheimer's, this protein is often overproduced, clumping together to form plaques, sort of like on your teeth, and disrupting cell function.This then can affect memory and cognitive function via disrupting communication between the body and brain. .This is where most Alzheimer treatment is currently focused — preventing and reducing said plaque buildup, with studies showing this is effective, slowing the progress of Alzheimer's-related cognitive decline. But what if scientists could detect Alzheimer's signs even sooner than this — giving people even more time, or preventing the disease from occurring?Well, researchers may be one step closer to this, now that they can potentially detect the disease at least seven years earlier, prior to the formation of plaque buildup by scanning the brains of patients using MRIs.Through this, they are able to detect changes in the thickness of the cortex — the wrinkly outer layer of the brain — a huge discovery that could aid researchers in uncovering the beginnings of Alzheimer's..As reported by the Smithsonian Magazine, the study followed 1,000 adults who did not have dementia, over the course of 16 years, participants following up with multiple MRI scans during this time.Eventually researchers were able to develop data on the the differences in the brains of people who did not end up getting Alzheimer's and those who did.They found that in people who ended up getting Alzheimer's, their brains' cortex was abnormally thick for their age (as the cortex usually thins with age), and eventually developed elevated amyloid levels."Showing that Alzheimer’s develops over years means that the window to prevent or delay the disease is longer," Lucy Hopper, a physician and founder of Coyne Medical, not involved in the study, told Newsweek. .A neuroradiologist from the University College London, Frederik Barkhof, also not involved in the study, told Science News that although cortical thickness may not be enough to diagnose Alzheimer's, he believes the results can help researchers understand the drivers of the disease and different forms of treatment.
