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On land, dramatic canyons such as the Grand Canyon are carved over time by flowing rivers. The ocean does not have rivers capable of cutting into rock on that scale. Even so, the seafloor hosts enormous features that surpass the size of the largest land canyons. About 1,000 kilometers off…
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new way to estimate when a person is likely to start showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease using just one blood test. In a study published Feb. 19 in Nature Medicine, the team reported that their model could…
For decades, astronomers have tried to understand why so many icy bodies in the outer solar system resemble snowmen, with two rounded sections joined together. Researchers at Michigan State University now report evidence pointing to a surprisingly straightforward process that can explain how these unusual shapes form. Beyond the turbulent…
Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have identified a newly documented behavior in cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus). When the small reef fish were given access to a mirror, they did more than simply recognize their reflections. They also began experimenting with the mirror using bits of food. The findings…
Volcanic eruptions that look like single events are often the visible outcome of slow, complicated activity taking place deep underground. Beneath the surface, magma shifts position, changes chemically, and can sit for long stretches before finally erupting. To piece together what is happening below, scientists examine lava flows, rock textures,…
A newly published study in Science announces the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a previously unknown species of spinosaurid dinosaur uncovered in Niger. The fossils were excavated in a remote region of the central Sahara by a 20 member research team led by Paul Sereno, PhD, Professor of Organismal Biology and…
As American Heart Month draws attention to cardiovascular wellness, a newly released scientific review is putting the spotlight on pecans, America’s native nut, and their role in heart healthy eating patterns. Published in the peer reviewed journal Nutrients, the analysis brings together more than two decades of research on pecans.…
As the population grows older and diabetes becomes more common, chronic wounds are affecting more people than ever. These slow healing injuries significantly raise the risk of infection, tissue damage, and amputation. Researchers at UC Riverside have developed a new oxygen delivering gel designed to help wounds heal before they…
Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs had exceptionally large nasal cavities compared to most animals. To better understand what filled that space, researchers including a team from the University of Tokyo analyzed CT scans of fossilized Triceratops skulls. They compared those scans with the snout anatomy of living animals such as…
In their natural condition, peatlands rank among the planet’s most important carbon reservoirs. The soil is saturated with water and contains very little oxygen, which slows the breakdown of dead plants. Instead of fully decomposing, plant material builds up layer upon layer over thousands of years, forming deep deposits of…
A study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry by Oxford University Press reports that widely used flea and tick treatments for dogs and cats may pose a serious threat to insects in the natural environment. Isoxazoline drugs are a relatively new class of antiparasitic medications prescribed by veterinarians around the…
Bacteria are remarkably adaptable, thriving in some of the harshest places on Earth, from boiling hot springs to deep freezes far below zero. Ice caves are one such extreme habitat, home to diverse microorganisms that scientists are only beginning to understand. These frozen environments may contain vast stores of genetic…
People with roots in the Outer Hebrides and north west Ireland face the highest known risk of developing hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Over time, that excess iron can build up to dangerous levels. This is the first time researchers…
For years, researchers have observed that people who live at high elevations, where oxygen is scarce, tend to develop diabetes less often than those at sea level. Although the trend was well documented, the biological explanation behind it was unclear. Scientists at Gladstone Institutes now say they have identified the…
Running extreme distances may do more than exhaust muscles. A study published in the American Society of Hematology’s journal Blood Red Cells & Iron reports that ultra-endurance events can injure red blood cells in ways that may interfere with how they function. Researchers do not yet know how long the…
Scientists believe so called triplet superconductors could open the door to the most energy efficient technologies ever developed. “A triplet superconductor is high on the wish list of many physicists working in the field of solid state physics,” said Professor Jacob Linder. Linder is a physicist at the Norwegian University…
In an early real world test of artificial intelligence in health research, scientists at UC San Francisco and Wayne State University discovered that generative AI could process enormous medical datasets far faster than traditional computer science teams — and in some cases produce even stronger results. Human experts had spent…
For the first time, astronomers have charted the vertical structure of Uranus’s upper atmosphere, revealing how temperature and electrically charged particles change with altitude across the planet. An international research team used the James Webb Space Telescope and its NIRSpec instrument to monitor Uranus for nearly one full rotation. By…
Most galaxies blaze with billions of stars, lighting up the universe across vast distances. But a small and unusual group barely glows at all. These are low-surface-brightness galaxies, systems so faint they are difficult to detect and so sparse in stars that dark matter makes up most of their mass.…
A common respiratory bacterium that typically causes pneumonia and sinus infections may also play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai report that Chlamydia pneumoniae can persist in both the eye and the brain for years, where it may worsen the damage associated with Alzheimer’s. The findings, published in…
Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a biological process that may explain why exercise sharpens thinking and memory. Their findings suggest that physical activity strengthens the brain’s built in defense system, helping protect it from age related damage. As people grow older, the blood-brain barrier becomes more fragile. This…
Human language is remarkably rich and intricate. Yet from the standpoint of information theory, the same ideas could theoretically be transmitted in a far more compressed format. That raises an intriguing question: why do people not communicate in a digital system of ones and zeros like computers do? Michael Hahn,…
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have significantly increased how quickly changes in delicate quantum states can be detected inside a qubit. By combining commercially available hardware with new adaptive measurement techniques, the team can now observe rapid shifts in qubit behavior that were previously impossible to see. Qubits are…
Researchers at Stanford University have produced the first worldwide map of an unusual type of earthquake that occurs deep in Earth’s mantle rather than in the crust. The mantle lies between the planet’s thin outer crust and its molten core. By charting these rare events, scientists hope to better understand…
Parkinson’s disease is a long term neurological condition that gradually worsens over time. More than one million people in the United States are living with the disorder, and about 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Current medications and therapies can ease symptoms, but no treatment has been proven to…
A team at the University of Oxford has created an advanced technique that makes it possible to clearly see a vital component inside lithium-ion battery electrodes that scientists have struggled to track. The findings, published on February 17 in Nature Communications, could make battery manufacturing more efficient and help improve…
Older adults who live with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research led by Yanling Deng of Emory University, U.S.A. The study was published February 17th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia…
Scientists widely agree that complex life emerged after two very different microbes formed a close partnership. That merger eventually gave rise to plants, animals, and fungi, collectively known as eukaryotes. Yet one key question has lingered for years. How did these two organisms meet if one required oxygen to survive…
A sweeping new investigation by the Silent Spring Institute has found dozens of potentially harmful chemicals in widely sold hair extensions, including those made from human hair. The findings represent the most detailed chemical review so far of this largely unregulated beauty product category. Researchers say the results add strong…
The story of how life began on Earth grows even more intriguing when viruses enter the picture. These microscopic particles are thought to have existed since the earliest cells emerged. Unlike living cells, viruses consist only of genetic material and cannot produce proteins on their own. Because proteins are essential…
