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Bacteria that cause gum disease may do more than damage your teeth. New preliminary research suggests they could also contribute to the buildup of calcium in the heart’s aortic valve, potentially leading to calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS), a common and potentially life threatening heart valve disorder. The findings were…
Scientists are preparing for a new era of lunar exploration, but a new study suggests that every landing could leave behind more than footprints. Researchers found that methane released in spacecraft exhaust may spread across the moon surprisingly quickly, potentially contaminating regions that could preserve ancient chemical clues about how…
Citizen scientists have helped researchers uncover how parental care evolved in harvestmen, a group of spider like arachnids, by contributing observations through the popular nature platform iNaturalist. The findings, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, reveal that parental guarding behavior has appeared, disappeared, and evolved again multiple…
New research has revealed that tau, a protein best known for its connection to Alzheimer’s disease, is also essential for creating long lasting memories. The discovery provides new insight into how healthy memory works and could help guide future efforts to develop treatments for dementia. The study, led by Flinders…
More than 50 years ago, physicist Sir Roger Penrose proposed a remarkable idea: under the right conditions, it might be possible to extract energy from a rapidly spinning black hole. In his concept, a particle entering the black hole’s ergosphere, a region where spacetime is dragged along by the object’s…
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected source of food in the deep ocean that could change how researchers understand both marine ecosystems and Earth’s carbon cycle. A new study from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) suggests that deep ocean microbes are not living in such a nutrient-starved environment after all.…
Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, have identified a promising new use for continuous low-intensity ultrasound that could one day help treat joint injuries and reduce the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Their findings suggest the non-invasive approach may shift the…
Researchers at Georgetown University have uncovered new evidence that the brain physically reorganizes itself as people master a skill, allowing well-practiced tasks to become automatic. The findings challenge the long-standing idea that humans cannot truly multitask, suggesting that with enough experience, the brain can perform certain activities simultaneously instead of…
A new Stanford led study has provided the strongest evidence yet for why some marine animals survived Earth’s largest mass extinction while many others disappeared forever. The findings not only explain how modern ocean ecosystems came to be, but also offer a cautionary glimpse of how today’s warming oceans could…
Serotonin is usually associated with mood, sleep, and digestion. But research published in 2023 suggests this chemical messenger may also influence a small structure that performs a vital job during every heartbeat: the mitral valve. The multicenter investigation found evidence that reduced activity of the serotonin transporter may accelerate damaging…
Gold has long been valued for its brilliant, long lasting shine. Now, researchers at Tulane University have uncovered an important reason why the precious metal remains so resistant to tarnishing. Their findings show that gold’s durability is not determined by its chemistry alone. Instead, the arrangement of atoms on its…
Parkinson’s disease may spread through the brain with the help of two proteins found on the surface of motor neurons, according to new research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM). The discovery could open the door to treatments designed to slow or even stop the disease instead of only managing…
A medication that has long been used to treat high blood pressure could also help make an important class of cancer drugs much more effective, according to new research from Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC). The study found that the FDA approved drug telmisartan significantly boosted the cancer killing activity of…
An experimental drug developed at Michigan Medicine has shown the ability to reverse severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by restoring gut health. The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest that targeting the connection between the gut and liver could offer a promising new approach for…
Praying mantises have fascinated people for centuries. Across different cultures, they have been viewed as everything from mystical guides that help lost travelers find their way home to ominous creatures associated with bad luck. Beyond the legends, native mantises also play an important ecological role by serving as indicators of…
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), working with The Ohio State University and Amphenol Corporation, have uncovered a surprising new way to control how heat moves through solid materials. Their findings challenge long held assumptions about heat transport and could lead to more efficient cooling…
A second pregnancy changes the brain in ways that are both familiar and distinct from a first pregnancy, according to new research from Amsterdam UMC published in Nature Communications. Building on earlier work showing that a first pregnancy reshapes the brain, the researchers found that each pregnancy leaves its own…
Physicists from the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University in Finland have successfully created a two dimensional topological crystalline insulator, marking the first experimental realization of a quantum material that scientists had predicted for more than a decade. Until now, attempts to produce it had been held back by difficulties…
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new way to control how ink dries by adding ultra fine bubbles to ink droplets instead of chemical additives. By simply changing the number of bubbles in each droplet, the team found they could dramatically alter the pattern left behind as the…
The human body is often described as a marvel of “perfect design”: elegant, efficient and finely tuned for its purpose. Yet, when we look closer, a rather different picture emerges. Far from being a flawless machine, the body reads more like a patchwork of compromises shaped by millions of years…
A rare fossil goose discovered in the remains of an ancient lake in Central Otago is changing scientists’ understanding of how New Zealand’s unique bird life evolved. According to researchers from the University of Otago — Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, the find adds to growing evidence that the origins of Aotearoa’s…
When SpaceX’s Starship lifted off from the Texas coast in the summer of 2023, it marked a milestone that aerospace engineers had discussed for decades but few expected to witness so soon. The towering stainless steel rocket, standing taller than a 30 story building, ignited all 33 of its engines…
Intestinal worms may help reduce inflammation, but new research suggests they can only do so when they have enough dietary fiber to thrive. Without sufficient fiber, these worms enter a hibernation-like state and lose their ability to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. The findings, published in Nature Communications, come from parasitologists at…
Oceanographers often point out that scientists have mapped the surfaces of the Moon and Mars in greater detail than much of Earth’s deep ocean. That contrast is especially striking in the Bismarck Sea north of Papua New Guinea, where the seafloor remains poorly understood despite its remarkable geological complexity. The…
As marijuana becomes legal in more states, many people assume it is relatively safe. But when it comes to cancer, the picture is far less clear. While tobacco smoking has long been established as a major cause of lung cancer, scientists are still working to understand exactly how marijuana affects…
Smartphones, electric vehicles, and countless portable electronics all depend on batteries. As demand for better energy storage grows, improvements in battery capacity, lifespan, and safety will play a major role in the future of electrification. One of the most promising technologies is the solid-state battery, which could allow smartphones to…
Bumblebees may be small, measuring only about an inch long, but they play an enormous role in global agriculture. About one third of the world’s food production relies on pollinators such as bees. At the same time, these vital insects face growing pressure from pesticides and other environmental threats. Modern…
Mount Etna has fascinated geologists for decades. The towering volcano on the Italian island of Sicily is the most active in Europe, erupting several times a year, yet scientists have never fully understood how it formed. Now, researchers from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) have proposed a new explanation that…
Since physicist Freeman Dyson first proposed the idea in 1960, the hypothetical “Dyson sphere” has become one of the most intriguing concepts in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Rather than a single solid shell, scientists now envision a Dyson “swarm” made up of countless orbiting structures that capture nearly all…
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most valuable tools doctors use to diagnose disease. Yet even with today’s advanced scanners, producing clear images of some areas remains difficult. Deep brain structures and the delicate tissues of the eye and surrounding orbit are especially challenging because of the hardware…
