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A comprehensive review published in The BMJ suggests that calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, or taking both together provide little to no clinically meaningful benefit in preventing fractures or falls for most older adults. Falls are a major health concern among seniors. Nearly one in three people age 65 and…
A common amino acid found in protein rich foods and many brain health supplements may have an unexpected connection to longevity, according to new research. Scientists reporting in the journal Aging-US examined whether two amino acids, phenylalanine and tyrosine, could influence how long people live (lifespan). Their findings suggest that…
NASA and its European partners are tracking a major buildup of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that could signal the arrival of El Niño later this year. Data collected by the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite shows a broad area of unusually warm water, stretching hundreds of miles across, has…
A tightly compressed bundle of office staples can behave in a surprising way. Even though it is made of many separate pieces, the tangled mass can be difficult to pull apart and can act almost like a single solid object. Yet that same bundle can quickly come undone. With the…
A new experimental GLP-1 pill could make it easier for people with type 2 diabetes to access treatments that help control blood sugar and support weight loss. At the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions, Mass General Brigham researcher Vanita Aroda, MD, presented results from SOLSTICE, a phase 2b randomized, placebo-controlled…
A new experimental GLP-1 pill could make it easier for people with type 2 diabetes to access treatments that help control blood sugar and support weight loss. At the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions, Mass General Brigham researcher Vanita Aroda, MD, presented results from SOLSTICE, a phase 2b randomized, placebo-controlled…
The red color of red leaf lettuce comes from anthocyanins, a group of polyphenol pigments that have attracted attention for their antioxidant properties. Plants produce anthocyanins through a series of enzyme driven reactions that begin with the amino acid phenylalanine. Along the way, the pathway generates a variety of flavonoids,…
The red color of red leaf lettuce comes from anthocyanins, a group of polyphenol pigments that have attracted attention for their antioxidant properties. Plants produce anthocyanins through a series of enzyme driven reactions that begin with the amino acid phenylalanine. Along the way, the pathway generates a variety of flavonoids,…
Researchers at the University of Oxford have created a new type of quantum superposition, a phenomenon often associated with the famous Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment. Unlike previous versions, these newly demonstrated states are built from highly nonclassical quantum components. The achievement could help advance quantum computing beyond traditional binary systems,…
Beneath the ground, vast networks of fungi quietly support plant life and play an important role in regulating the planet’s climate by helping move carbon into soils. Now, researchers have created the first global maps showing where these underground fungal networks are found and how much of them exist worldwide.…
Protein shakes may soon become easier to enjoy thanks to new research showing that changes in whey protein production can improve both taste and texture. Scientists from the University of Reading, Aberystwyth University, and Arla Foods Ingredients have been working together to develop a whey protein (a dairy derived ingredient…
Honey bees are far more precise navigators than scientists once realized. Researchers at the University of Freiburg have discovered that individual honey bees follow their own highly consistent flight routes and can repeat them with remarkable accuracy, relying on landmarks in the landscape to stay on course. The study was…
People with prediabetes who return their blood sugar levels to a normal range may significantly reduce their chances of developing major cardiovascular problems, according to new research from King’s College London published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The study found that reversing prediabetes by normalizing blood glucose levels was…
Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol is widely viewed as a promising way to recycle carbon resources. However, scientists have long faced a difficult challenge when trying to improve the process. At lower temperatures, converting CO2 into methanol is thermodynamically favorable. The problem is that CO2 becomes difficult to activate…
Massive stars produce light and heat through nuclear fusion, a process that releases enormous amounts of energy from their cores. Eventually, however, the largest stars run out of fuel. Once that happens, the outward pressure generated by radiation is no longer strong enough to resist gravity. The star begins collapsing…
For hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs appeared and long before vertebrates ventured onto land, millipedes were already thriving on Earth’s surface. These humble decomposers played a key role in some of the planet’s earliest terrestrial ecosystems. Yet despite their remarkable history, major questions about their evolution remained unanswered.…
Giving up sugar entirely may not be as beneficial as many people assume. New research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, suggests that completely removing sugar from the diet could have unintended effects on gut and metabolic health. Researchers from the Dasman Diabetes Institute…
People with obesity who lost weight while taking popular medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound became significantly less physically active, according to research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The finding may come as a surprise because many people assume that…
Parrots are famous for their ability to imitate human speech, but could they also be using names the way people do? A new study suggests the answer may be yes. Instead of traveling to tropical habitats to record wild parrots, as researchers have done in previous studies, Lauryn Benedict, a…
One of the most widely cited stories about Yellowstone’s wolves is facing fresh scrutiny. A new peer reviewed analysis published in Global Ecology and Conservation argues that a high profile 2025 study significantly overstated the ecological impact of wolf recovery in Yellowstone National Park. Researchers from Utah State University and…
For many Americans, middle age is becoming more challenging than it was for previous generations. People born in the 1960s and early 1970s report higher levels of loneliness and depression, along with poorer memory and reduced physical strength compared with those who came before them. What makes this trend especially…
A major new study led by Yale University is helping fill a longstanding gap in genetics research by providing one of the most comprehensive examinations yet of human genetic diversity in Oceania. Although the South Pacific is home to extraordinarily diverse populations, people from this region have historically been underrepresented…
A new three-year study from researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth (CBH) suggests that getting older does not automatically mean losing mental sharpness. Instead, the findings indicate that brain health and cognitive abilities can continue to improve throughout life. The research, published in Scientific Reports,…
More than 3 million years ago, the famous early human ancestor Lucy and her relatives shared the landscape of East Africa with a formidable predator. Hidden in rivers and lakes, a massive crocodile with a distinctive hump on its snout likely posed one of the greatest dangers to these ancient…
Astronomers have long suspected that a planet’s mass and its rotation speed are linked. In our own Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn provide striking examples. Despite their enormous size, both complete a full rotation in about 10 hours and account for a large share of the Solar System’s total rotational…
Living longer often comes with changes in cognitive abilities, and working memory is among the mental skills most vulnerable to age related decline. Researchers have long believed that both physical exercise and mentally stimulating activities can help support brain health as people grow older. Two brain regions that commonly shrink…
Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the decline of extended family involvement has helped fuel what the U.S. Surgeon General has described as a continuing crisis in child and adolescent mental health. “We did not evolve to raise children with as little extended family…
Even with today’s advanced DNA sequencing technologies, the underlying genetic causes of many rare movement disorders remain unknown. Researchers in Germany have now uncovered an important new clue. By analyzing 2,811 people with ataxia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and dystonia, scientists identified harmful variants in a gene called CD99L2 as the…
Astronomers say a recent challenge to one of the most important discoveries in modern cosmology has been resolved, with new research confirming that the universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate. The debate began in late 2025 when a group of astronomers published findings suggesting that evidence for dark…
Fentanyl has become one of the deadliest drugs in the United States. Each year, fentanyl and related synthetic opioids are responsible for more deaths than car crashes and gun violence combined. In high doses, these drugs disrupt normal brain function and can suppress the signals that control breathing, often leading…
