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Scientists from Spain and the USA conducted the first direct comparison of the metabolic rate of the entire organism and the brain in fed and starved ants. Under normal conditions, the brain consumes approximately 24–35 percent of all energy resources, but after a prolonged period of fasting, this figure increases to 45 percent.

Despite the hunger, the starved ants demonstrated the same aggressive reaction to threats as the fed individuals, indicating the preservation of vital life functions. The results of this study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In many animal species, the brain consumes a disproportionately large amount of energy in the form of glucose compared to other parts of the body. A review covering fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals showed that the central nervous system consumes an average of 2 to 8 percent of basal metabolism. The situation is different in primates: up to 20 percent of total metabolism is allocated to the brain. Later studies on six mammalian species established that glucose consumption by a single neuron in humans, rats, and monkeys is practically identical, and the volume of consumption correlates with the number of neurons in the brain.

Even with a short resource deficit, the brain continues to actively consume glucose, and when it is lacking, it switches to using ketone bodies. For example, in rats, after two days of fasting, muscles reduce glucose consumption by 30–65 percent, the heart by 75–93 percent, and adipose tissue by 54 percent, while brain glucose consumption remains unchanged. This phenomenon corresponds to the Selfish Brain Theory, although previously, such a priority of energy by the brain had only been observed in vertebrates. Furthermore, no direct measurement of brain and whole-body metabolism under stress had ever been performed in any animal.

The research team led by Zach Kato from Boston University decided to conduct such measurements. They worked with the ant species Tetramorium immigrans. During the experiments, the level of ex vivo brain metabolism and whole-body metabolism was measured simultaneously in three groups of ants: fed, starved, and those taken from the mother colony to separate stress from starvation from isolation stress.

The starved ants were kept without food for 14 to 40 days, while about 20 percent of the individuals remained in the subcolony. To assess the whole-body metabolism of each ant, it was placed in an airtight chamber where carbon dioxide emission during respiration was recorded for one and a half hours. The authors also simultaneously recorded locomotor activity, as the ants might move. Brain metabolism was measured differently: the head was separated from the body, the brain was extracted and placed in a nutrient medium, where the analyzer determined oxygen consumption over two and a half hours.

Comparative analysis showed that the brain metabolism of starved ants did not change, whereas the whole-body metabolism decreased by 30 percent. As a result, the share of energy consumed by the brain increased from 24–30 percent to 45 percent of the total energy consumed by the ant. Although the brain mass was the same in all groups, the body mass of the starved ants decreased noticeably. Locomotor activity turned out to be dependent not on hunger, but on isolation, as it decreased in both fed and starved ants separated from the colony.

Additionally, a behavioral test was conducted in which the ants were shown another ant, Pheidole dentata. All individuals reacted to the stranger with equal aggression, including attacking postures and bites, confirming the ability of weakened animals' brains to react to dangers. Thus, scientists demonstrated for the first time that during starvation, the brain of ants maintains a high level of metabolism and preserves critically important reactions, while other tissues begin to expend less energy. The authors suggested that this mechanism is evolutionarily stable or developed independently (convergently) in different groups.

It was previously established that over three million years of human evolution, the total cerebral blood flow has increased by approximately six times, linked to a 3.5-fold increase in brain volume, indicating a faster growth rate of brain metabolic speed compared to the brain itself.

Paleontologists discovered a new species of stem snake that lived in the territory of modern Brazil at the end of the Cretaceous period, 75–85 million years ago. It has been named Tametara mirim. According to researchers, this ancient reptile reached a length of about 40 centimeters and, judging by the structure of its skull, brain, and inner ear, led a lifestyle associated with burrowing.

As noted in the journal Nature, the discovery of T. mirim highlights that stem snakes possessed significant anatomical and ecological diversity.

In the center of Tashkent, between the Yunus Rajabi and Beshagach mahallas, there is an embankment along the Burdshar Canal that has significant potential to attract residents. However, due to a destroyed descent, lack of lighting, benches, and regular cleaning, this area has turned into an underused and abandoned place.

Although this area is in close proximity to busy city routes, most passersby ignore the canal itself. The path along Burdshar offers coolness, shade from mature trees, and silence broken only by the sound of water, making it a natural place for walks. Nevertheless, the condition of access to the water, including destroyed steps and the absence of basic landscaping elements, prevents its full use.

How can the embankment be improved?

Currently, the embankment is losing its potential due to a lack of lighting, bins, and benches. Developing this area does not require major construction; it is enough to ensure convenient access, safety, and basic maintenance. Restoring the descent, installing lighting, and placing resting elements can transform the forgotten canal section into a full-fledged urban embankment.

Special attention should be paid to the lighting, which must be intelligently designed. It is recommended to use autonomous LED lamps with solar panels and batteries that accumulate energy during the day and provide light at night. In shaded areas under trees, hybrid systems can be used to increase reliability and reduce operating costs.

Benches play a key role because they encourage people to slow down and stay in the space, turning a passage into a place of dwelling. Furthermore, the presence of regularly serviced bins is critical for maintaining cleanliness, which is a matter of both infrastructure and culture.

The joint implementation of these elements helps change the logic of territory use, attracting runners, cyclists, parents, and the elderly. The principle of 'eyes on the street' by Jane Jacobs is also applicable: the more people use public space, the safer it is due to natural surveillance.

What is the estimated cost of the work?

A study conducted by Podrobno.uz showed that even using budget solutions, improving this area will cost approximately 250 million soms. This amount covers cleaning, path repair, installation of eight lights, five benches, and five bins, as well as minimal landscaping of the adjacent area.

For comparison, the president stated that in 2026, about 5.5 billion soms is allocated on average for infrastructure development in each mahalla. Thus, the embankment can be brought into order using less than 5% of this budget. The result of such an investment is transforming a neglected concrete path into a full-fledged urban route for recreation and sports.

Contemporary residential architecture faces pressing issues of global housing shortages and growing urban populations. In practice, architects constantly experiment with new forms of collective housing, striving to create spaces for personal, family, and community development. The six unfinished projects presented here demonstrate various aspects of solving the problem of building density: relationships with existing and planned nature, availability of urban or suburban plots, creation of additional intermediate spaces that support collective life and mitigate the feeling of high density, as well as the possibility of reproducing densification models and connection to the host area.

In this selection, ArchDaily readers are presented with housing concepts from Costa Rica, the USA, Ukraine, Iran, Uzbekistan, and a modular prototype without a fixed location. Analyzing the six unfinished projects, one can find common difficulties in creating a vibrant atmosphere and neighborhood environment, as well as unique responses to climatic conditions, interaction with nature, and the distribution of private and common areas. Three projects were designed for urban densification to maximize the use of available land to integrate more people into the existing urban network. Given the lack of land, one of the proposed ideas expands possibilities through a floating residential complex project, while two other options opt for suburban collective housing, emphasizing a direct connection with surrounding vegetation.

Below are idealized housing solutions developed by six ArchDaily readers, which were submitted as images and brief descriptions.

Nuevo Cuscatlan, Costa Rica

The architectural firm Carazo Arquitectura presented the LTR1 project—a multifunctional residential complex spanning 60,265 m² in Nuevo Cuscatlan, in the San Salvador metropolitan area, El Salvador. The complex integrates over 400 residential units, a commercial zone, and a protected forest within a single hybrid building. The project implements the firm's research line known as Tropical Vertical Urbanism, which studies how dense vertical construction in tropical cities can integrate housing, commerce, ecology, and social life into a single interconnected system.

Kayan Float: Compact Floating Microhome for Urban Rivers / Khaled M. Abu Tam - KMA Atelier

In the rapidly growing city of Austin, rising property prices and constant urban expansion have exacerbated the housing crisis. Many people are forced to move to remote suburbs with limited public transport. The city faces a deficit of over 211,000 social housing units, and regulatory restrictions and high land costs hinder traditional expansion. This situation demands compact and highly efficient housing models that maximize spatial efficiency while minimizing carbon footprint and construction impact. In this context, communities of floating microhomes are proposed as a response to Austin's housing problems, as well as as a compact and reproducible urban prototype for coastal cities worldwide. By transforming underutilized waterways into habitable urban infrastructure, the project introduces a model of efficient microhousing that is affordable and adaptable. Factory planning minimizes material use and costs, while layouts optimize every square meter for integrating living, working, and leisure functions.

Onsen / AVR Development

The concept was built around preserving the pine forest and natural thermal waters, where the idea of daily rejuvenation is integrated into the lifestyle itself. The project is conceived for people who value the balance between activity and tranquility, working in a dynamic environment but needing regular physical and mental restoration without having to leave the city. The central element is the fusion of an urban quarter type (kvartal), suburban life, and a resort: placement within a closed quarter forms a protected inner forest core, while the architecture develops under the tree canopy, not competing with nature. This idea is supported by the Japanese philosophy of onsen—understood as a ritual of silence, water, and balance—expressed in the spa and thermal bath infrastructure and the integration of water into daily life.

Sabat House / Hamed Hosseini Studio

Among the architectural features of arid and hot regions of Iran, such as Kashan, are Sabats—arched covered walkways built along long paths to protect pedestrians from direct solar radiation. Beyond their ecological function, Sabats fostered social cohesion by providing comfortable places for gatherings and neighborly interaction. The Sabat project is located in one of Kashan's most historic urban networks. The plot was formed by combining several small parcels, allowing for more floors than neighboring lots. This vertical imbalance became the main design challenge, leading to the development of two different volumetric strategies to harmonize the building with the surrounding urban context.

SYS Modular Building / Office AT

The SYS modular building is a prototype ordered by Siam Yamato Steel co.,ltd. and designed by the Office AT studio. The project is based on a modular construction system where building components are prefabricated in a factory and quickly assembled on site, ensuring efficiency in both schedule and construction quality. The concept maximizes the potential of modular construction. Each module is designed with independent walls (no shared walls), which enhances natural ventilation and improves internal comfort. The system also offers great flexibility, allowing the building configuration to be easily adapted to plots of different sizes and conditions. The project intentionally remains simple, consisting of only two unit types: Type 1 (ground floor) and Type 2 (duplex). These modules are organized in an alternating and articulated pattern, creating gaps between them that simultaneously serve as terraces and ensure natural light and ventilation enter the building. Furthermore, this arrangement increases the privacy of each unit.

SUPERMAHALLA / LEVEL80 Architects

In a historic Uzbek city on the Silk Road, we reinterpreted high-rise buildings into the form of SUPERMAHALLA—a low-rise complex inspired by traditional mahallas. Four blocks define private courtyards for gatherings, mimicking a patchwork quilt. Seismic joints guide pedestrian routes, and mountain contours are used to maximize apartment placement. White facades contrast with terracotta 'windows', paying homage to the tradition of handmade ceramics, blending historical heritage with modern European style. Underground parking ensures the safety of terraces and children's areas. Comfort amidst urbanization: rooted in place, designed for people.