Reporting world updates to you
UCLA scientists have uncovered a harmful group of immune cells that quietly builds up in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. When these cells were removed in mice, inflammation dropped sharply and liver damage was reversed, even though the animals continued eating an unhealthy…
The 1987 Montreal Protocol is often described as the most successful environmental treaty ever created. It has led to a steady global phaseout of chemicals that once damaged the ozone layer and increased risks such as skin cancer. Research led by MIT has shown that cutting these ozone-depleting substances is…
Airlines have strict rules about where you can pack your laptop, and lithium-ion batteries are the reason. These batteries, which power everything from phones to electric cars, can pose a fire risk under certain conditions. The danger comes from lithium itself. This lightweight metal is highly reactive, meaning it can…
A new large-scale study led by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University is raising questions about the long-term safety of some medications commonly used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The findings suggest that certain drugs, including antidepressants, may be linked to a small but measurable increase in the risk…
The world’s oceans may be playing a larger role in climate change than scientists once realized, quietly boosting global warming through processes that are only now coming into focus. A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals an important driver of methane production…
Recent research from Mass General Brigham suggests that aiming for more aggressive blood pressure control could provide greater health benefits than previously believed. The findings indicate that the advantages of lowering blood pressure more intensively may outweigh concerns about overtreating patients with hypertension. The results come from a simulation study…
A new clinical trial led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research suggests that metformin, a widely used and inexpensive drug for type 2 diabetes, could help people with type 1 diabetes reduce how much insulin they need. The findings point to a potential new way to manage the condition…
A long-running scientific debate may finally be nearing its end. New research involving the University of Nebraska State Museum’s Ashley Poust provides strong evidence that Nanotyrannus, often described as a smaller version of Tyrannosaurus rex, was in fact a real and separate species. The research team, led by Christopher Griffin…
“You want to stick your finger in a dinosaur brain?” asked Simba Srivastava. Inside a paleobiology lab lined with cabinets of ancient fossils, the Virginia Tech undergraduate held up a rough, pitted skull. “This is a uniquely sucky specimen,” said Srivastava. “It’s so bad. Like, if you saw a human…
Dr. David Schwimmer, a leading authority on the massive North American crocodilian genus Deinosuchus and a geology professor at Columbus State University, has helped bring a prehistoric giant back to life. His decades of research played a key role in building the first scientifically accurate, fully mounted skeleton replica of…
A study from the University of Toronto Scarborough suggests that feeling mentally sharp can significantly boost how much you accomplish in a day. Researchers found that when people are thinking clearly and efficiently, the effect can equal roughly 40 extra minutes of productive work. Published in Science Advances, the research…
A team led by Specially Appointed Associate Professor Harrison B. Smith of the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo and Specially Appointed Associate Professor Lana Sinapayen of the National Institute for Basic Biology has introduced a new strategy for finding life beyond Earth. Instead of searching…
A genetic adaptation that allows animals such as yaks and Tibetan antelopes to survive in thin air may also point to a new way to repair nerve damage in humans. Researchers report that this mutation could help restore damaged nerve insulation in conditions like cerebral paralysis and multiple sclerosis (MS).…
Researchers analyzed registry data covering the entire adult population of Sweden to explore new ways of identifying melanoma risk. The dataset included information such as age, sex, medical diagnoses, medication use, and socioeconomic status. In total, 6,036,186 individuals were included, and 38,582 (0.64%) developed melanoma over the five-year study period.…
For decades, physicists have been trying to answer a fundamental question: can electrons move like a perfectly smooth, frictionless fluid governed by a universal quantum value? Detecting this unusual behavior has proven extremely challenging. In real materials, tiny imperfections such as atomic defects and impurities tend to disrupt these delicate…
Engaging in mentally stimulating activities across your lifetime, including reading, writing, and learning new languages, may be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower cognitive decline. That is the conclusion of a study published recently in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers…
Imagine a swarm of robots rushing to complete an urgent job, such as cleaning up an oil spill or assembling complex machinery. At first, adding more robots speeds things up. But after a certain point, the space becomes crowded, robots start interfering with one another, and overall progress slows. This…
Fred Hutch Cancer Center researchers have made a significant advance in the effort to block Epstein Barr virus (EBV), a widespread infection that affects about 95% of people worldwide and is linked to several cancers, neurodegenerative conditions, and other long-term illnesses. By working with mice engineered to produce human antibodies,…
At first glance, sea sponges seem almost too simple to be mysterious. They have no brain and no gut, and scientists have long believed they originated around 700 million years ago. Yet clear fossil evidence only dates back to about 540 million years ago, leaving a puzzling 160 million-year gap…
A new large-scale study led by researchers at the University of Nottingham has found that medications commonly used to treat gout may also lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with the condition. The findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that bringing blood urate levels down…
In the deserts of southeastern Arizona, a surprising scene unfolds outside the nests of small cone ants. Much larger harvester ants stand nearby with their serrated jaws open, appearing vulnerable. But instead of attacking, the smaller ants climb onto the bigger ones and begin licking and nibbling across their bodies.…
A new fossil discovery is bringing fresh insight into one of the most remarkable survival stories in Earth’s history while also resolving a scientific mystery that has puzzled researchers for decades. Lystrosaurus, a tough, plant-eating ancestor of mammals, became one of the dominant species after the End-Permian Mass Extinction around…
Scientists have reported a major experimental advance in understanding how some of the rarest elements in the universe are formed. These unusual atoms, known as p-nuclei, are proton-rich isotopes heavier than iron that have long puzzled researchers. The new study, led by Artemis Tsantiri, who conducted the work as a…
A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is reshaping a decades-old belief about the disappearance of Hawaiʻi’s native waterbirds. Researchers report that there is no scientific evidence showing Indigenous People hunted these species to extinction. Published in the journal Ecosphere, the study disputes this widely accepted narrative…
Bread has long been a dietary cornerstone, sustaining societies for generations. It is deeply woven into everyday life. But with obesity rates continuing to climb, researchers are beginning to question whether this reliance on staple carbohydrates still makes sense in modern diets. Obesity increases the risk of many lifestyle-related diseases,…
Researchers have found a way to make the immune system’s T cells far more effective at attacking cancer. By blocking a protein known as Ant2, they were able to change how these cells produce and use energy, essentially rewiring their internal power supply. This transformation makes T cells more active,…
Feeling lonely may affect how well older adults remember things, but it does not appear to make memory decline happen faster over time. This conclusion comes from a large European study that followed more than 10,000 people over a seven-year period. At the start of the study, participants who reported…
An international team of scientists has taken a closer look at how memory works in quantum systems and uncovered a surprising result. Their research shows that a quantum process can seem completely memoryless when viewed one way, yet still retain memory when examined from another angle. This unexpected finding opens…
The Colorado River and its network of tributaries supply water to seven U.S. states and Mexico, supporting drinking water, farming, and hydropower. A large share of that water begins as snow in the mountains, building up during winter before melting in spring. Each year in early April, water managers analyze…
Mitochondria are often called the power plants of the cell because they produce the energy cells need to function. To support this role, they carry their own genetic material, known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Each cell holds hundreds to thousands of copies of mtDNA. These copies are grouped into compact…
