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We assume loneliness comes from having no one around, but UCLA researchers found people can feel most isolated inside crowded social lives—when every relationship stays warm on the surface and reaches nothing underneath

The UCLA Loneliness Scale, developed in 1978, revealed that the loneliest people are often not the isolated ones but those with full social calendars and relationships that never reach past the surface.

By Terra Daily Editorial Team · Jul 21, 2026

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Octopuses have nine brains, three hearts, and blue copper-based blood, and roughly two-thirds of their neurons live in their arms, meaning each limb can taste, decide, and problem-solve without checking in with the central brain.

An octopus's central brain holds only about a third of its neurons — the other two-thirds live in the eight arms, which can taste, grip, and decide on their own. A field guide to nine brains, three hearts, and copper-based blue blood.

By Terra Daily Editorial Team · Jul 21, 2026

Terra Daily

We tend to think a full year should feel long, but memory researchers find the brain stores mainly what is new — which is why the years feel shorter as life grows predictable and the internal camera quietly switches off

Memory researchers have confirmed what William James suspected in 1890: the brain records novelty in high resolution and treats repetition as background noise, which is why adult years compress as life grows predictable.

By Terra Daily Editorial Team · Jul 20, 2026

Terra Daily

Psychologist John Bowlby developed attachment theory after the World Health Organization commissioned him in 1950 to study children orphaned across post-war Europe, finding early separation left marks that lasted decades

In 1950 the World Health Organization sent psychiatrist John Bowlby across post-war Europe to survey the mental health of orphaned children. His 1951 report seeded attachment theory — the claim that early separation from a consistent caregiver leaves marks that can last a lifetime.

By Terra Daily Editorial Team · Jul 20, 2026

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About Terra Daily

News about planet Earth.

Terra Daily is an independent publication covering planet Earth, natural hazards, water systems, ecosystems, climate impacts, and the science behind life on a changing planet. The site pairs a deep archive with current reporting on the research, communities, policy shifts, and environmental events shaping Earth's living and physical systems. We employ modern AI technologies to support our editorial workflows; every published piece is editorially directed and reviewed.

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