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Scientists at the U.S.Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have identified a potentially much more efficient way to achieve fusion ignition, a major milestone in the pursuit of practical fusion energy. Their calculations suggest that changing the order in which plasma is heated and compressed could dramatically…
Loneliness and social isolation are widespread in the United States. According to a 2023 report, about half of U.S. adults experience loneliness, while nearly as many are socially isolated. Despite health consequences that can rival other major risk factors, both problems remain relatively overlooked as urgent public health concerns. Until…
Astronomers have discovered an unusual star system about 300 light-years from Earth where a small star is gradually consuming a nearby brown dwarf. Instead of swallowing its companion in one dramatic event, the star is steadily pulling material from it, creating a cosmic feeding process that could continue for billions…
Patients with a particular form of bowel cancer remained free of recurrence for almost three years after receiving a short course of immunotherapy before surgery, according to new findings from the NEOPRISM-CRC clinical trial led by researchers at UCL and UCLH. The results, which are due to be presented at…
Chronic diabetic ulcers are among the most difficult complications facing modern healthcare. More than 131 million people worldwide are affected, and the wounds are associated with roughly $755 billion in healthcare costs each year. They also carry serious risks, including amputation and death, making it increasingly important to understand why…
Scientists at Caltech and Yale University have developed a way to precisely calculate the Kondo effect in specific real materials, something that had not previously been possible. For decades, researchers have largely depended on simplified models that capture the phenomenon only approximately. The new approach instead works directly from a…
Two people diagnosed with depression can experience vastly different symptoms. One might struggle with persistent anxiety and repetitive negative thoughts, while another may experience trauma related symptoms or substance abuse. But do these differences also appear in the way their brains function? Researchers at the University of Helsinki investigated this…
Scientists have demonstrated a new type of radio antenna that looks remarkably like a lightsaber. Instead of using a conventional metal structure, the device relies on a laser to create a narrow beam of plasma capable of transmitting radio waves. The technology could eventually make it possible to build antennas…
Astronomers revisiting decades-old observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have found a new clue in a long-running cold case. According to a study published Oct. 5 in Nature Astronomy, an unusual chemical signature suggests that the white dwarf HS 0209+0832 could be home to a second-generation planet. A white dwarf…
Losing body fat is one thing. Losing fat while keeping the muscle that helps you stay strong and active is another, especially as you get older. Research suggests that one particular type of exercise may have an advantage when it comes to achieving both goals. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), which…
Researchers have uncovered previously unknown materials by closely following what happens as molecular precursors break apart and transform during heating. Among the discoveries is a new form of a well-studied clean energy material. The research, published in Nature Communications, focuses on intermediate phases that appear while molecules are being converted…
Scientists searching for new ways to treat bacterial infections are increasingly turning to viruses known as bacteriophages (phages). These viruses specifically target bacteria, allowing them to kill harmful microbes without damaging human cells. They can also attack bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics. Phage therapy, however, faces a major…
For the first time, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has demonstrated that it can detect the extremely faint radio glow of hydrogen gas from the distant universe using only its own observations. The result could give scientists a faster and less costly way to investigate dark energy, the…
Nearly a century after Nobel laureate Hans Bethe predicted their existence, scientists have created and observed unusual quantum structures known as “Bethe strings” using ultracold atoms. The experiment, led by quantum physicist Hanns-Christoph Nägerl, provides researchers with a highly controllable way to explore these unusual quantum many-body states. In 1931,…
After spending more than seven months aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts have safely returned to Earth. Their spacecraft splashed down Thursday in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles, bringing an extraordinary mission to a close. The four astronauts spent 237 days in orbit, traveled more than…
October is bringing a spectacular lineup of celestial events, including a disappearing planet, two meteor showers, and a bright full Moon just in time for Halloween. As autumn days grow shorter and darkness arrives earlier, the night sky offers more opportunities to witness some remarkable astronomical sights. NASA has highlighted…
An updated Cochrane review has found that nicotine e-cigarettes may help more people stop smoking than several commonly used approaches, including nicotine gum, nicotine patches, behavioral support, or trying to quit without assistance. Smoking remains the world’s leading cause of preventable disease and death. According to the World Health Organization…
Curcumin, berberine, and several other plant-derived substances have drawn attention from scientists because of their potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. New research from Wroclaw Medical University and the University of Wroclaw suggests, however, that these compounds can behave very differently. A substance that appears powerful against cancer cells may not…
For millions of people with osteoarthritis, pain and stiffness can make everyday activities increasingly difficult. Common treatments, including over-the-counter medications and steroid injections, may reduce symptoms for a time, but they do not prevent the underlying joint damage from progressing. New research from Yale suggests a different approach. In a…
A routine experiment involving a microscopic organism from a freshwater pond led scientists to an extraordinary genetic discovery. The tiny creature was found to interpret DNA instructions in a way researchers had never documented before, challenging a long held assumption about how the genetic code works. The surprise came when…
Scientists surveying underwater mountains off Costa Rica have identified a remarkable new coral that is unlike any known coral family. Its genetic makeup and physical features were so distinctive that researchers created an entirely new family to classify it. The bright yellow coral, which has a branching, tree-like appearance, was…
Archaeologists from La Trobe University have described 18 newly published hominin fossils from South Africa, including a second skull fragment belonging to Homo erectus. The discovery adds stronger evidence that the species was present in southern Africa 2.0 million years ago, about 200,000 years earlier than traditionally believed. The fossil…
NASA is moving closer to establishing humanity’s first Moon base with the selection of three scientific investigations designed to answer some of the biggest questions about living on the lunar surface. The missions will search for underground caves that could shelter astronauts, investigate hidden deposits of lunar ice, and monitor…
Short gamma-ray bursts, or short GRBs, are believed to occur when two compact objects, such as neutron stars, spiral toward one another before colliding and merging. These extraordinarily violent events produce gravitational waves and rank among the most powerful explosions in the Universe. For decades, astronomers have mainly detected these…
Just one week of strength training was enough to increase visceral fat breakdown in obese mice, even though their body weight had not yet changed. Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) found that seven days of exercise activated biological processes that break down stored fat, reduced the size…
A common vitamin D supplement may have an unexpected effect inside the body. Research published in 2025 found that taking vitamin D2 can reduce levels of vitamin D3, the form humans naturally make when skin is exposed to sunlight. That distinction matters because vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are often…
A new study suggests that the trans fats naturally present in dairy foods, including milk, butter, and cheese, do not increase the risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Researchers reviewed evidence from 22 studies involving thousands of participants in Europe, Canada and the United States. Their findings indicate…
Maternal mortality has become widely recognized as an urgent public health problem in the United States, although it took decades for the issue to receive sustained attention. The deaths of fathers, however, have attracted far less scrutiny. Research has shown that fathers, especially men in their 20s through early 40s,…
Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a two-part molecule that turns a major driver of B-cell lymphoma against the cancer cells that depend on it. In mice, twice-daily treatment with the experimental compound caused aggressive lymphoma tumors to disappear within 11 days. The work advances a strategy the research team has…
Scientists think one of the most important events in the early solar system was a colossal collision between the young Earth and a Mars-sized body known as Theia. The impact likely vaporized huge quantities of rock and hurled material into space. Some of that debris eventually came together to form…