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Vitamin C may do more than support everyday health. New research from the University of Waterloo suggests that it could also help prevent potentially cancer-causing chemicals from forming during digestion. Using mathematical modeling, scientists investigated how vitamin C influences chemical reactions in the digestive system that have been linked to…
An existing osteoporosis drug has shown surprising promise in protecting the spine from damage, raising hopes for new treatments for chronic neck and back pain. In experiments involving zebrafish, researchers found that the medication prevented abnormal mineral deposits from forming in the spine, a process that can cause spinal tissues…
NASA scientists are tracking an exceptionally powerful El Niño that could grow even larger than the historic 1997 event, which brought extreme weather to regions around the world. Using 35 years of satellite observations, researchers can now compare the rapidly developing 2026 El Niño with some of the strongest events…
When NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft visited Uranus and Neptune in the 1980s, it discovered something extraordinary. Unlike Earth, which has a relatively orderly magnetic field with clearly defined north and south poles, both distant planets possess strangely distorted and dramatically tilted magnetic fields. For decades, scientists have struggled to explain…
Astronomers have traced mysterious radio signals to an unusual pair of stars more than 5,000 light-years from Earth. One is a dead star that rotates every eight minutes, while its companion closely resembles our own Sun. The discovery was made by researchers at the Curtin University branch of the International…
A common amino acid found in everyday foods could play a surprisingly important role in helping the immune system recognize cancer and fight viral infections. Scientists at Rockefeller University have discovered that when the body runs low on arginine, a key part of its immune defense system can stop working…
Alzheimer’s disease may begin leaving detectable clues in the brain as much as a decade before memory problems appear. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified two brain regions that show signs of deterioration earlier than the hippocampus, the area commonly examined for evidence of the disease. The discovery could…
A new study from the University of Otago, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, has revealed a surprising divide in the fortunes of one of New Zealand’s least understood penguin species. Although Erect-crested penguins breed in just two remote island groups, their populations are experiencing dramatically different outcomes. Published in PLOS ONE, the…
Dinosaurs living along ancient coastlines may have enjoyed an unexpected addition to their diets: seaweed and other food from the ocean. New research suggests that marine resources washed onto prehistoric beaches helped feed dinosaurs and their prey millions of years ago. Today, powerful storms frequently deposit seaweed and other ocean…
Physicists at Auburn University have discovered how to use brief bursts of laser light to organize tiny electrical regions hidden inside a crystal. Their findings shed new light on a mystery that has puzzled researchers for decades and demonstrate how lasers can influence the material’s electrical behavior. The breakthrough could…
The European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope has discovered 31 exceptionally ancient quasars, including two that have set new records as the earliest ever observed. These brilliant galactic centers, powered by enormous black holes, were already radiating as much light as a trillion Suns when the Universe was only 670…
More than 300,000 people in the United States die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. This deadly emergency occurs when the heart’s electrical system suddenly fails, causing the heart to stop pumping blood. It can strike older adults with known heart conditions as well as seemingly healthy young athletes. Although…
A consistent daily routine may do more for your health than you realize. Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that older adults who follow regular daily schedules tend to experience less physical pain and fewer symptoms of depression, even when they struggle to get a good night’s sleep.…
A specially designed fiber supplement may offer a promising new way to improve gut health for millions of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) have developed and tested a fiber combination that supports beneficial gut bacteria without making common digestive symptoms worse. The research…
Subtle patterns of brain activity may reveal the risk of Alzheimer’s disease years before memory problems develop or harmful proteins begin accumulating in the brain, according to new research led by Stanford Medicine. The same approach can also identify people whose brains show exceptional resistance to cognitive decline, suggesting they…
A serious knee injury can cause problems that persist long after surgery, but new research suggests that the right exercise program could make a major difference. A clinical trial led by researchers at La Trobe University found that supervised exercise and education can improve knee health, reduce pain, and enhance…
An enormous icy world discovered beyond Pluto could soon become the sixth officially recognized dwarf planet in our solar system. The object, temporarily named 2026 ED138, was identified by an astronomer analyzing observations from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Early estimates suggest it ranks…
Used coffee grounds may be far more valuable than they appear. Instead of ending up in the trash, this everyday waste could provide ingredients for renewable fuels and a variety of useful chemicals. Researchers at Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) have identified an efficient way to recover oil from discarded…
A growing body of research suggests that aging may be more flexible than once believed. Now, scientists at Yale have taken an important step toward identifying which treatments can actually influence biological aging and which ones show little measurable benefit. Their findings suggest that certain prescription medications and lifestyle changes…
New forensic evidence suggests that some of ancient Egypt’s earliest rulers had members of their royal households killed when they died, possibly so those individuals could continue serving them in the afterlife. The discovery sheds new light on a disturbing burial practice that archaeologists suspected more than a century ago…
A smile might brighten your mood, but new research suggests that forcing yourself to smile over and over can have the opposite effect. When smiling becomes an obligation, especially one tied to financial pressure, it may actually leave people feeling less happy and more irritated. For years, psychologist Nicholas Coles,…
Physicists have captured an extraordinary quantum phenomenon in which electrons appear to leap across energy gaps that would normally be off limits. Using a new type of slow-motion electron camera, researchers were able to watch these incredibly fast movements in graphene, revealing how powerful electric fields can drive electrons between…
Simulating the complex behavior of light inside powerful laser systems requires enormous computing resources, making it difficult for researchers to predict and adjust laser performance quickly. Now, scientists at Stanford University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have developed an artificial intelligence model that…
Vaccines may do more than protect people from the immediate effects of a viral infection. New research suggests they could also help prevent lasting damage to the immune system that remains even after the virus has disappeared. Scientists at Pompeu Fabra University discovered that mice recovering from an acute viral…
A major study involving more than 750,000 pregnancies has uncovered an important difference in the potential pregnancy risks of popular weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Women who unintentionally used these drugs shortly before or during early pregnancy were more likely to give birth prematurely, but only when…
A major new study suggests that many adults age 70 and older who have never experienced a heart attack or stroke may be able to stop taking statins without substantially increasing their short-term cardiovascular risks. However, the findings also point to a possible increase in risk over a longer period,…
Why do some volcanoes send towering fountains of lava into the sky while others release molten rock in much calmer eruptions? Scientists have discovered that a hidden effect of extreme heat inside magma may help explain these striking differences. An international research team led by The University of Manchester investigated…
For decades, scientists have generally assumed that dark energy, the mysterious component thought to be responsible for the Universe’s accelerating expansion, has remained constant throughout cosmic history. That long-standing assumption is now facing new scrutiny. Observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is constructing the largest three-dimensional map…
In May 2024, an extraordinary solar storm sent brilliant auroras across skies in parts of the world where the northern and southern lights are rarely visible. But the spectacular displays were only the most obvious signs of an enormous disturbance unfolding in space around Earth. Deep within the planet’s magnetosphere,…
A new computational technique could accelerate the search for diamond materials capable of powering future quantum computers and highly sensitive sensors. Developed by a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), the method makes it much easier to identify promising materials for quantum technology,…
