Two years after October 7, its psychological impact continues to surface in unexpected ways. A new study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that Israeli men with difficulties regulating their emotions were more likely to develop gambling problems in the months following the attacks and ensuing war. The findings highlight how collective trauma reverberates not only in memory, but also in private struggles for coping and survival.

Would you trade the ability to climb a flight of stairs for the assurance that your country is protecting democratic freedoms? A new study asked Americans to weigh surprising tradeoffs—health versus dignity, income versus rights, convenience versus environmental quality. The answers revealed consistent patterns in how people value very different aspects of life, offering a practical way to compare “apples and oranges” in policy decisions. The approach could help governments, hospitals, and other institutions design choices that reflect real human priorities.

In the windswept steppe of northeastern Mongolia, archaeologists have unearthed a rare window into daily life along the medieval frontier of the Liao Empire. Excavations at a remote garrison site revealed thousands of animal bones—evidence of herding, hunting, fishing, and a harsh environment—offering a ground-level view of survival far from the imperial centers recorded in history books. The findings challenge traditional accounts by illuminating the lives of soldiers and civilians who lived not in palaces, but along the empire’s long and lonely wall.

A well-meaning environmental tax turned into a cultural flashpoint: a new study shows that Israel’s 2021 tax on single-use plastics caused a sharp and lasting drop in climate support among the ultra-Orthodox community. Driven by a deep sense of political victimization—not financial burden—many saw the tax as an attack on their way of life. Even years after the tax was repealed, the damage to environmental trust still lingers.