You've probably heard it before. Whether it's about holding a door, helping locate a lost item or providing strangers with directions, you've encountered the idea that people aren't as helpful as they once were. Is there any truth to this idea, despite its pervasiveness? Denying the perception that people today aren't as willing to assist one another, a study published shows that the inclination to cooperate has slightly increased among strangers in the U.S. in the years since the 1950s. This slight increase, the authors say, could indicate an improvement in people's abilities to address global problems, such as pandemics and climate change. (DiscoverMagazine)

New research out of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark reveals some interesting, albeit disgusting, facts about a fungus that affects common houseflies. The fungus is called Entomophthora muscle, and it survives by causing male flies to perform necrophilia with infected female corpses. First, the fungus infects the female fly with deadly spores that consume the fly from within slowly over roughly six days. Second, after the fungus has completely taken over the female fly, it changes the females' behavior causing the flies to reach the highest point they can get, whether on top of vegetation or a wall. Then, the fly dies. When the fungus kills the female, it releases chemical signals that bewitch male flies and cause an incredible urge for them to mate with lifeless female carcasses, infecting themselves. (TND)

You may have noticed receiving fewer robocalls over the past year, but a new report finds scammers are increasingly using a new way to reach consumers: text messages. A statement from the Consumer Watchdog office of the nonprofit group U.S. PIRG is urging the Federal Communications Commission to pass new rules against robotexts, including requiring phone companies to block illegal text scams. The scamming text messages trick consumers into sharing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links. (Everythingofscience)

A new research paper published by scientists from London argues that insects most likely detect pain. Based on behavioral, neuroscientific, and molecular evidence, the authors say that insects probably have descending controls for nociception-the ability to perceive pain. The fruit fly is currently used as a model organism for human pain research because of similarities in human genetics and behavioral responses as scientists look for ways to intervene when humans have pain disorders. (Everythingofscience)

The U.K. broke its record for the hottest day ever on Tuesday as a heat wave continues to scorch Europe. The heat wave that settled over southern Europe last week moved north, bringing boiling temperatures that are breaking records and causing a national emergency in the U.K. The recorded temperature at Heathrow was 104.4 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 101.7° in 2019. The sweltering heat threatens to buckle railway lines and deplete reservoirs. There were disruptions to flights at two airports on Monday after the heat caused "surface defects" on Luton Airport's runway and caused the tarmac at the Royal Air Force's station in Brize Norton to melt. (Yahoo)