Science News: Who's a good boy? Study suggests interacting with pets may not improve stress, negative emotions

Who's a good boy? Study suggests interacting with pets may not improve stress, negative emotions

The team’s initial focus was to better understand the nuances of how having a pet affects owners’ emotional well-being, and whether the benefits of pet ownership vary depending on the pet you have.

By Shir Perets, Jerusalem Post, June 19, 2026

https://www.jpost.com/science/article-899676

Cats and dogs, illustrative.  (photo credit: Flickr/Douglas Sprott)

The emotional benefit of having a pet doesn’t come from whether you own a cat or a dog, but hinges on the type of bond you have with your companion, researchers have found.

The team’s initial focus was to better understand the nuances of how having a pet affects owners’ emotional well-being, while also examining whether the benefits of pet ownership vary depending on whether you have a cat or a dog, particularly in stress management.

Led by researchers from the Open University in the Netherlands, the peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Psychology also included researchers from Maastricht University Medical Center and the University of Basel in Switzerland.

“Our findings indicate that stress-buffering is not the mechanism causing momentary emotional well-being when interacting with a pet. Interaction with either species did not act as a buffer for negative emotions,” said Dr. Mayke Janssens, an assistant professor of psychology at The Open University.

“In cats, we even observed that a higher level of interaction was associated with a stronger link between stress and negative emotions in owners.”

                   Bear, a 7-month-old kitten adopted from Rosh Ha'ayin. (credit: Courtesy Shir Perets)

For the study, pet owners were asked to answer a questionnaire 10 times a day for five days straight about their well-being and if they were currently with their pets.

In total, the study generated almost 8,000 real-time data reports for researchers to gain a better understanding of how pets can influence emotions in a day-to-day context.

Pets can incite positive feelings in owners, mainly when the owners are already happy

Overall, the results showed that interacting with a pet could lead to positive emotions, and the more an owner interacted with their pet, the more positive feelings they experienced than negative ones. The results were the same regardless of whether the pet was a dog or a cat.

“Dog owners were probably more likely to identify as ‘dog people,’ whereas cat owners were more likely to identify as ‘cat people,’” said Dr. Sanne Peeters, a researcher at The Open University.

“It’s possible that this owner-pet ‘match’ partly explains why the findings were so similar for dogs and cats.”

The team also investigated whether interaction with a pet could decrease stress and negative emotions more than just being near one. However, the study showed that this was not the case, and interacting with your pet does not protect against the negative effects of stress on mood.

“The positive effects of pet interaction on well-being appear to be genuine, but they don’t seem to happen because pets help people handle stress better at the exact moment the stress occurs,” Janssens said.

“Interacting more intensively with the companion animal did not provide additional emotional benefits beyond those that may arise from the animal simply being present. It could be that interacting with a pet provides a sense of companionship and that pets help people feel more connected and less alone, which in turn could contribute to improved emotional well-being.”

No significant difference in emotions when pet is a dog or cat, as long as bond is there

Most notably, researchers found that when a stressed cat owner interacted with their pet, they actually experienced more intense negative feelings.

“One speculative explanation is that because interactions with cats are often more passive and less demanding in nature, a higher level of interaction might be more emotionally evocative. This might not match the need for support in stressful moments,” Peeters pointed out.

However, the findings were not definitive, as the cat sample of the study was smaller than the dog sample, and the association between cats and stressed owners could not be consistently observed.

Additionally, dog owners did not necessarily see improvements to emotions while interacting with pets; they just didn’t get worse.

“I wouldn’t say that one species makes a ‘better’ pet than the other,” concluded Peeters

Instead, it’s more likely about owner personality and preference. The main conclusion is that interacting with dogs and cats appears to provide similar emotional benefits.”

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Health & Wellness News: Dr. Rosman recommends: The snack you should incorporate into your menu

Dr. Rosman recommends: The snack you should incorporate into your menu

They have a lot of volume and few calories, they help you feel full, and they provide natural sweetness without a feeling of heaviness – start eating cherry tomatoes.

By Dr. Maya Rosman, Jerusalem Post, June 1st, 2026

https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/nutrition/article-897169

                     Cherry tomatoes (photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

There are foods that do not need glamorous public relations to prove themselves. They are simply there, in the refrigerator, on the counter, in the salad, in the sandwich, in the stew, next to the omelet, or in a small container taken on the go. Tomatoes are exactly like that: Simple, available, tasty, low in calories, rich in important components, and integrate into almost any menu.

And I love cherry tomatoes in particular.

In recent years, they have become one of the most successful snacks available: They are sweet, convenient to eat, do not require cutting, can be taken to work or on a trip, and they give the fun feeling of a snack without the nutritional price of a chip or candy. As far as I am concerned, this is one of the best examples that healthy food does not have to be complicated, expensive, or special. Sometimes it is simply a container of washed cherry tomatoes in the refrigerator.

A lot of nutritional value in few calories

One of the greatest advantages of tomatoes is that they provide a lot of volume, flavor, and nutritional values in a very low amount of calories. They contain a lot of water, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Therefore, they are highly suitable both for those who want to lose weight, those who are trying to maintain a balanced menu, and those who are simply looking for something refreshing and sweet to snack on between meals.

Additionally, in my opinion, cherry tomatoes give the sensation of a snack. They involve chewing, volume, natural sweetness, and freshness. This sounds simple, but in a daily diet, it is very important. Many times, the small snacks between meals are the ones that accumulate into unnecessary calories, especially when it comes to cookies, crackers, pretzels, or chips. A container of cherry tomatoes can replace this need for something "to have on the side," without overloading on sugar, fat, or salt.

Vitamin C to strengthen the body during busy periods

Tomatoes contribute vitamin C to the menu, and this is one of the most important vitamins for the proper functioning of the immune system, for collagen production, for skin health, for wound healing, and for the absorption of iron from plant-based foods. In periods of load, stress, lack of sleep, or less organized nutrition, it is especially advisable to ensure fresh vegetables and fruits that add antioxidant components to the body.

The advantage of tomatoes is that they are easily eaten and in a nice quantity. Most people do not need to be convinced to eat them, and they integrate into almost every meal.

A salad with tomatoes next to lunch, cherry tomatoes as an afternoon snack, tomato sauce at dinner, or shakshuka on the weekend, all of these accumulate into a nice daily contribution of essential components.

Cherry tomatoes (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

The smart combination with plant-based iron

Tomatoes also have an important advantage when combined with plant-based foods rich in iron. The vitamin C within them helps improve the absorption of plant-based iron, and therefore a tomato salad next to lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, tahini, or mujadara is an excellent combination.

This is particularly important for vegetarians, vegans, women of childbearing age, people who reduce their meat intake, and anyone who wants to improve the quality of their menu. Plant-based iron is absorbed less well than iron that comes from meat, but vitamin C in the meal can improve its absorption.

Lycopene: The red pigment that does much more than color

The big star of the tomato is lycopene, the red antioxidant that gives the tomato its prominent color. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoid family, and it has been studied for years in the context of blood vessel health, antioxidant activity, inflammatory processes, skin health, and a reduced risk of various diseases.

One of the areas where lycopene has been particularly studied is prostate health. Observational studies and meta-analyses found a link between a higher consumption of tomatoes and tomato products and a lower risk of prostate cancer. This does not mean that a tomato is a treatment or absolute protection, of course, but it certainly adds another good reason to incorporate it into the menu regularly.

It is also interesting to note that lycopene has been studied in the context of cardiovascular health as well. The advantage here does not stem from a single component alone, but from the combination of lycopene with vitamin C, potassium, fiber, polyphenols, and additional components found in the tomato as a whole food.

Why cooked tomatoes are no less important than fresh ones?

Tomatoes have an interesting advantage: They are good both when they are fresh and when they are cooked. A fresh tomato adds vitamin C, fluids, freshness, and volume to a salad. A cooked tomato, on the other hand, provides lycopene in a form more available to the body. When heating, crushing, or cooking tomatoes, the lycopene is released better from within the cell walls of the plant, and therefore is absorbed better.

This is an excellent reason to also incorporate tomato sauce, shakshuka, matbucha, tomatoes in stews, diced tomatoes in soups, or homemade sauce for pasta into the menu. And if you add a little olive skin, the absorption of lycopene improves even further, because lycopene is a fat-soluble component.

How much sugar is in a tomato?

Cherry tomatoes are sweet, and therefore I am sometimes asked if they need to be "counted" because of the sugar. In practice, the sugar in tomatoes comes as part of a whole food, with a lot of water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This is completely different from sugar that comes from candy, cakes, or sweet drinks.

In cherry tomatoes, there is about 2.5% sugar, depending on the variety and the level of ripeness. Meaning: In 100 grams of cherry tomatoes, there is usually 2.5 grams of natural sugar. In a 250-gram container of cherry tomatoes, that is about 6 grams of sugar. So true, this is already an amount that can be found in a teaspoon of sugar.

But do not forget: The sugar in tomatoes arrives inside a whole food, with a lot of water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and therefore its effect on the body is entirely different from sugar that comes from chocolate, cakes, or candy.

Even when eating a large quantity of tomatoes, it is a food with a relatively low glycaemic load, a lot of volume, and few calories. Therefore, tomatoes are highly suitable also for those who have a tendency toward diabetes, as part of a balanced menu. They can replace more problematic snacks, help with the feeling of fullness, and provide natural sweetness without a feeling of heaviness.

The ultimate snack for the road 

One of the biggest problems in the daily menu is not always the meals themselves, but what happens between them. You leave the house for a few hours, do not prepare in advance, and then you buy something at a gas station, at a bakery, or from a vending machine. Here, cherry tomatoes can be a simple and smart solution.

A small container of cherry tomatoes in the bag or in the car can save many moments of a small hunger. They do not require a spoon, heating, cutting, or special preparation. They are suitable for work, for trips, for hikes, for children, and for anyone looking for something small to snack on without opening a bag of chips. 

In a diet, this is an especially major advantage. Cherry tomatoes give the feeling of "I ate something," add volume and fluids, and in many cases reduce the need for a less healthy snack. This is not a trick, it is simply smart organization.

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Archaeology News: Ancient Greco-Roman cemetery unearthed at archaeological site in Egypt's Nile Delta

Ancient Greco-Roman cemetery unearthed at archaeological site in Egypt's Nile Delta

Several painted plaster and barrel-shaped pottery coffin, among those most common coffin types in the Ptolemaic period,  were also found at the site.

By Miriam-Sela Eitam, Jerusalem Post, June 13, 2026

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-899220

Ancient remains and artifacts discovered at Greco-Roman cemetery in northern Egypt, June 5, 2026.

(photo credit: EGYPTIAN TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES MINISTRY)

An ancient Greco-Roman cemetery was discovered at the Tel Kom Aziza archaeological site in Beheira Governorate in northern Egypt, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced last week.

Excavation of the site revealed multiple different types of burial, from simple burial pits where the deceased were directly interred in the soil to those with frames made from mud bricks.

Several painted plaster and barrel-shaped pottery coffin, among those most common coffin types in the Ptolemaic period,  were also found at the site.

Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities noted that the burial orientations didn’t only vary in method, but it in position as well. 

 Orientation of the burials varied between north–south and east–west axis, Leithy explained, adding that the hand positions of the deceased differed between folded or crossed over the pelvis, around the neck, in the distinctive Osirian position with arms crossed over the chest, or straight alongside the thighs.

Human remains unearthed at Greco-Roman cemetery in northern Egypt, June 5, 2026. (credit: EGYPTIAN TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES MINISTRY)

Additionally, complete burials of wild boars were found at the site - a rare discovery in ancient Egyptian funerary sites given the animal’s association with the deity Set.

Older artifacts found at the site also show the cemetery had been built above older settlement levels, with finds dating back to Egypt’s Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, the Late Period, all the way into the Greek and Roman eras.

Such artifacts included pottery and stone vessels used in daily life, bread Molds, multi-purpose stone tools, a collection of ovens and storage vessels, as well as a large quantities of fish, bird, and animal bones.

Mohamed Abdel-Badie, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that the excavations represents a “multi-period archaeological site, that witnessed settlement and habitation activities since the earliest phases of ancient Egyptian history, before transitioning in later periods into an area of intensive funerary activity.”

Further, the site serves as a “comprehensive archaeological record documenting diverse patterns of human interaction with the surrounding environment across successive historical eras,” according to Badie.

“This new archaeological discovery reflects the great importance of the Tel Kom Aziza site as one of the most promising archaeological sites in the Delta region,” said Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy.

Its significance, he noted, is not limited to the discovered funerary remains alone, but also provides a comprehensive picture of the evolution of settlement patterns, daily life, and human-environment interaction across thousands of years.

Ancient Egyptian tombs, coffins discovered at Luxor necropolis site

In May, archaeological excavations at a necropolis on the Nile River’s west bank have uncovered a plethora of previously unrecorded individuals and ancient Egyptian artifacts, the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced on Friday.

The excavations, which began in November 2025, are taking place in the area of Draʻ Abu el-Naga’s necropolis, located on the Luxor West Bank in Egypt.

It has been focused on the southeastern part of the tomb of Roy, an 18th Dynasty royal scribe and his wife, which has been covered in debris from archaeological missions from over a century ago.

In the courtyard between the tomb of Roy and the nearby tomb of Baki, archaeologists have discovered a collection of 10 wooden coffins hidden within a burial shaft. All 10 were found to be in good condition, bearing a variety of scenes and texts.

According to preliminary studies, four of the coffins date to the 18th Dynasty, including one bearing the name of Merit, believed to be a enchantress of Amun.

A second coffin, dating to the Ramesside period (the 19th and 20th Dynasty periods), bears the name Padi-Amun (“he who Amun gave”), who was a priest in the Temple of Amun.

The remaining coffins dated to the Late Period of Egypt, circa 664–332 BCE, which encompassed the 26th-31st dynasties.

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Defense News: Rafael unveils Hunter Eagle, a hit‑to‑kill interceptor for the low‑altitude drone fight

Rafael unveils Hunter Eagle, a hit‑to‑kill interceptor for the low‑altitude drone fight

The VTOL interceptor carries no warhead, and if the mission is aborted it can return to its launch point and land vertically-ready for the next mission

By Anna Ahronheim, Jerusalem Post, June 14, 2026

https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-899330

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Hunter Eagle counter-UAS system (photo credit: RAFAEL ADVANCED SYSTEMS)

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has introduced Hunter Eagle, a compact kinetic interceptor designed to counter the rapidly expanding threat of low‑altitude unmanned aircraft on the modern battlefield. First shown publicly at Defence Security and Equipment International  (DSEI) 2025 and now presented in its serial configuration at ILA Berlin 2026, the system marks an expansion of Rafael’s layered counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) portfolio.

Low‑altitude drones (those that range from hobby‑class quadcopters to larger Group 3 platforms) have become one of the most disruptive technologies on the modern battlefield. Their ability to fly low, evade radar, and deliver precision‑guided or improvised munitions has forced militaries to rethink air defense from the ground up. The proliferation of cheap, expendable drones has also overwhelmed traditional point‑defense systems, creating demand for interceptors that are fast, precise, and cost‑effective.

IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon have been facing low-altitude drones launched by the Lebanese Shia terror group Hezbollah, with over a dozen soldiers and reservists killed and numerous more wounded. 

Israel’s Defense Ministry, through MAFAT and the defense-tech ecosystem, has been rushing to find solutions to the threat and Hunter Eagle is Rafael’s answer to that challenge.

Hezbollah FPV drone strikes IDF troops in southern Lebanon (credit: SCREENSHOT/X)

A compact, reusable hard‑kill interceptor

The interceptor is a vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing (VTOL) drone standing roughly 0.4 to 0.5 meters tall and weighing between 5 and 10 kilograms. Its cylindrical fuselage houses an electro‑optical seeker, while cruciform wings carry electric motors with three‑blade propellers at each tip. The design allows for rapid vertical launch from a four‑legged ground support unit, followed by autonomous terminal guidance once the seeker locks onto the target.

Unlike loitering munitions or explosive‑laden interceptors, Hunter Eagle uses a pure hit‑to‑kill mechanism. It carries no warhead, eliminating the risk of collateral damage-an increasingly important requirement as drone engagements shift closer to urban areas, critical infrastructure, and friendly forces. If it misses or the mission is aborted, the interceptor can return to its launch point and land vertically, ready for re‑tasking.

The system can be deployed as a single interceptor or launched in coordinated swarms to counter multiple simultaneous threats. It is engineered to engage Group 1 through Group 3 unmanned aerial systems, covering the spectrum from small quadcopters to larger fixed‑wing drones commonly used for reconnaissance, strike missions, and kamikaze attacks like those seen in Lebanon.

The system integrates into Rafael’s broader Drone Dome suite, extending the company’s detection‑classification‑neutralization chain into a hardened kinetic layer. Drone Dome includes electronic‑warfare and directed‑energy effectors, while Hunter Eagle adds a reusable hard‑kill option for drones that are resistant to jamming or require physical destruction.

A response to the low‑altitude threat environment

According to Rafael, the company developed Hunter Eagle under a new internal directorate focused specifically on low‑altitude threats – a domain that has grown in importance as state and non‑state actors adopt drones for surveillance, targeting, and precision attack. Conflicts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus have demonstrated that small UAS can strike armored vehicles, artillery positions, and logistics nodes with minimal warning.

Hezbollah’s fiber‑optic drones have emerged as one of the most challenging threats on the northern front. Unlike traditional UAVs, these systems are physically tethered to their operators, making them effectively immune to electronic warfare and jamming. Their low cost, often under $1,000, enables mass deployment by Hezbollah, and their onboard autonomy allows them to navigate and target with minimal external guidance. 

The company positions Hunter Eagle as a mature, near‑term solution, with delivery readiness targeted for 2026.

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