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Going without food for several days does far more than force the body to burn stored fat. Research published in 2024 found that prolonged fasting produces widespread and coordinated biological changes across multiple organs, with some of the most notable effects appearing only after about three days without calories. The…
Why do some new skills seem to click almost instantly while others remain frustratingly difficult even after repeated practice? The difference may involve more than talent or effort. It may also depend on whether the brain is in the right condition to turn practice into lasting learning. Learning does not…
October offers several memorable sights for skywatchers, including Saturn at opposition, the Orionid meteor shower, and a close pairing of the Moon and the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters. Skywatching Highlights Oct. 4: Saturn reaches opposition, making the ringed planet visible for much of the night Oct. 6:…
The computers of the future may rely on more than the electrical charge carried by electrons. Researchers are increasingly interested in another fundamental electron property called spin, which could provide a new way to move and process information inside electronic devices. Conventional computers use the movement of electrical charge to…
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed an experimental treatment designed to tackle lung cancer and the severe muscle loss that can occur alongside it. The research, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, uses lipid nanoparticles to carry therapeutic genetic material directly to lung tumors. Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA to…
For the first time, scientists have identified a human gene that appears to serve an important biological role while still retaining the ability to move around the genome. Researchers at Cornell University made the discovery after finding a human genetic element inside a poxvirus. Their analysis showed that the element,…
Cancer immunotherapy can unleash T cells, the immune system’s specialized cancer killers, against tumors. But there is a major limitation: These cells can become worn down before the cancer is eliminated. This condition, known as T cell exhaustion, leaves the cells unable to maintain a strong attack or keep tumor…
NASA has chosen a proposal led by the Planetary Science Institute to determine whether a potentially large cave stretches underground from the opening of a pit on the Moon. If such a cavern exists, it could eventually offer astronauts natural protection from radiation and the dramatic temperature changes experienced on…
A protein best known for helping cells and tissues stay connected has another unexpected role. Researchers have found that it also helps epithelial cells, which form continuous sealed layers throughout the body, engulf nearby dead cells. The discovery could have implications for chronic inflammation. Debris from dying cells is a…
Constipation is one of the most common digestive problems, affecting people across age groups and backgrounds. Beyond causing bloating, straining, and infrequent bowel movements, it can also interfere with daily life by increasing stress, reducing productivity, and lowering overall quality of life. When constipation becomes persistent, it may also contribute…
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have revised a key piece of Oklahoma’s geologic history, with possible implications for how scientists interpret major events in the history of life on Earth. Beneath the town of Ames, Oklahoma, lies a meteor impact structure that stretches for miles underground. Layers…
It’s well established that the universe is expanding, but there’s serious disagreement among scientists over how fast it’s happening. Two of our best ways of measuring the cosmic expansion rate, the Hubble constant, give answers that are stubbornly at odds. This presents a major problem in modern cosmology known as…
What’s the best way to manage a forest? Australians have argued about this for decades. The debate is often framed as binary: do we protect forests entirely, or harvest trees to support local economies and communities? The reality is more interesting, as our new research on a long-forgotten experiment in…
A new UCLA study suggests that the pace of brain aging may be connected to bacteria in the gut and the chemical compounds they produce. The findings offer a new look at biological changes that may begin long before noticeable problems with memory or thinking appear. Scientists have used brain…
Researchers at Oregon State University have created a new class of materials that can use light to produce hydrogen from water, offering a potentially cleaner way to convert solar energy into fuel. The work was led by Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science. His team developed a photocatalyst…
Edward (Ed) Waldner knew something was wrong, even though he could not explain exactly what was happening. At age 55, he was constantly exhausted, regardless of how demanding his day had been. At first, he wondered whether sleep apnea might be responsible. Then he began noticing changes in the way…
A small clinical trial led by researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute has tested a treatment strategy that began with laboratory discoveries at the Salk Institute. The idea is to activate the vitamin D receptor and, in doing so, alter the protective environment surrounding pancreatic tumors. That change could potentially…
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have completed what they describe as the longest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial to date examining non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks. Non-nutritive sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free sugar substitutes commonly used in foods and beverages. The 104-week study found that NNS beverages, including…
Researchers co-led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University have identified an enzyme that may help protect the liver from the damage that can occur as the most common form of liver disease becomes more severe. The findings, from a preclinical study published in Nature Metabolism, could eventually support new strategies for…
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) made a close pass by Earth on September 28, skimming the outer reaches of the atmosphere and using our planet’s gravity to reshape its path toward Jupiter while consuming very little fuel. The carefully planned gravity assist changed Juice’s direction by…
The Moon no longer generates a global magnetic field, but traces of its ancient magnetism remain locked inside lunar rocks and soil. By studying the magnetic minerals preserved in these materials, scientists can reconstruct how the Moon’s magnetic environment changed over time. Researchers analyzing metallic iron inside impact glass from…
Researchers are using extraordinarily detailed computer simulations to reconstruct one of the most transformative periods in cosmic history: the era when the first stars and galaxies began to emerge. The work is part of the MEGATRON project, led by researchers at the University of Bath in the UK with collaborators…
Mitochondria are often described as the powerhouses of the cell because they produce much of the energy our bodies need to grow, move, repair tissues, and carry out everyday functions. But they do not operate at a constant pace. Instead, mitochondria continuously adjust their activity depending on how much energy…
A molecule made by bacteria in the digestive system may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and accelerate cognitive decline in people with dementia, according to new research. The finding could point scientists toward a potential treatment strategy aimed at lowering Alzheimer’s risk. Nearly a decade ago, a research team…
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that quantum fluctuations in a vacuum can strengthen superconductivity, opening a new path for controlling unusual states of matter. The study, published in Nature, was led by Profs. Changgan Zeng and Guanghui Cheng of the University of Science and Technology of China of…
Vitamin C can increase the activity of cellular proteins known as TET enzymes, which help regulate whether certain genes are switched on or off. Reduced TET enzyme activity is a common feature in some blood cancers, prompting researchers to investigate whether vitamin C supplements might benefit people at risk of…
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has completed an important series of tests showing that it can keep its gaze extremely steady during observations. From Sept. 15 to 21, engineers tested Roman’s fine-guidance system, which helps the observatory remain precisely locked onto its targets. Then, on Sept. 22, the telescope’s…
Researchers at Oxford Population Health have found that high blood pressure is going undetected or remains poorly controlled in a large share of adults in England. The team examined blood pressure readings taken in clinics as part of Our Future Health, the UK’s largest health research program. Participants joined the…
Researchers have identified what may be the earliest known evidence of an internal animal “GPS” system, offering a possible glimpse into how modern birds, fish, and other creatures evolved the ability to navigate using Earth’s magnetic field. The evidence comes from tiny magnetic fossils dating back 97 million years. They…
Only about 500 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was roughly 3% of its current age, some of the first stars and galaxies had already begun to shine. Astronomers have generally expected that much of the gas around these young galaxies would still have been nearly pristine,…