New Research Shows Multilingualism Slows Brain Aging and Microgravity Alters Brain Plasticity

Scientists presented a study at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies showing that people who speak two or more languages have brains that appear up to 13 years younger than monolingual peers, based on magnetoencephalography data from 728 participants in Spain's Basque region. The effect grew with the number of languages spoken, with four‑language speakers showing the greatest age gap.

Separate research from London’s Birkbeck University examined how long‑term exposure to microgravity reshapes the human brain. The analysis of 15 studies involving nearly 400 participants found rapid neuroplastic changes in areas controlling movement, balance and body perception. Returning to Earth’s gravity requires a prolonged re‑adaptation period, a risk for future missions to Mars. Astronaut Luca Parmitano described the experience as “the body changes, legs thin and the face rounds,” while ESA flight surgeon Alessandro Alcibiade warned that “if the brain does not function properly in space, the whole mission could be futile.”