Reporting world updates to you
Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered a way to produce a potentially renewable supply of cancer-fighting immune cells, opening a promising new direction for cancer treatment. By working with immature cells that can develop into powerful immune defenders, the researchers have created a system capable of…
During World War II, the United States raced to develop the atomic bomb partly out of fear that Nazi Germany might build one first. But how close did Germany actually come to achieving that goal? A new scientific investigation suggests the Nazi nuclear program was much further from success than…
Stress does more than influence how we feel. It can also change what we remember, particularly when an experience is emotionally intense or personally meaningful. Scientists have long known that cortisol, a hormone released during stressful situations, can strengthen emotional memories. What has been less clear is exactly how this…
Astronomers have uncovered a surprising rule that appears to determine when black holes unleash powerful jets of material into space. Even though black holes can differ in mass by millions of times, researchers found that they seem to follow the same fundamental pattern when producing these enormous cosmic outflows. The…
Plastic pollution is one of the world’s most persistent environmental problems. Vast amounts of discarded plastic accumulate in the oceans, sometimes forming enormous garbage patches that threaten marine life. Most conventional plastics break down extremely slowly because microorganisms struggle to digest the synthetic polymers from which they are made. Instead…
Despite remaining offshore, Hurricane Simon battered Mexico’s Pacific coast with powerful winds and flooding. At the same time, NASA satellites captured an extraordinary sight high above the storm: enormous waves rippling through Earth’s upper atmosphere. Hurricane Simon was the latest in a series of powerful tropical cyclones to sweep across…
A protein that helps cancer grow may also hold a surprising key to fighting it. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that activating this protein in immune cells can make them more effective at attacking tumors, potentially opening a new path toward treating cancers that resist existing…
Scientists in Japan have discovered that tiny steps just one atom high can act like microscopic railroad tracks, guiding the movement of quantum vortices inside an ultrathin superconductor. Under certain conditions, these vortices moved more than 1,000 times more easily along the steps than across them. Researchers also found that…
Even when a person is fully unconscious under general anesthesia, their brain may still be doing something remarkable: processing language, recognizing patterns, and even anticipating which words will come next. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that the brain retains surprisingly sophisticated abilities during anesthesia, despite the absence…
Nearly five decades of satellite observations reveal a troubling transformation in the Arctic, where sea ice is shrinking in both summer and winter, and much of the remaining ice is becoming younger and thinner. The Arctic Ocean is covered by a vast expanse of frozen seawater that expands and contracts…
That late-night snack might have consequences beyond extra calories. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have found that eating late in the evening is associated with a significantly higher risk of liver disease, suggesting that when you eat could be an important factor in protecting your liver. The…
Scientists have uncovered a promising new way to protect some of the world’s most important food crops from a destructive fungus that threatens global food security. By engineering the natural immune defenses of plants, researchers have developed an experimental approach that could eventually help wheat, rice, and barley resist fungal…
Some cancers grow faster, spread more aggressively, and respond less effectively to treatment than others. Researchers at Virginia Tech are uncovering surprising reasons behind these differences, including how abnormal cancer cells recruit healthy tissue to support tumor growth and why the size of certain cancer cells could help predict their…
An unusually detailed examination of an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain has revealed striking differences between regions where treatment successfully removed harmful amyloid plaques and areas where those plaques remained. The regions cleared of amyloid showed little or no buildup of tau tangles, another protein abnormality strongly associated with brain cell damage…
Strokes are becoming increasingly common among younger adults, challenging the long-held belief that they primarily affect older people. A study examining nearly three decades of medical data found that stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled, even as the chances of surviving a stroke improved. The findings,…
A large study led by Rutgers researchers has identified a possible vision risk associated with widely used diabetes and weight loss medications, including Ozempic and Wegovy. The findings suggest that people taking these drugs may face a slightly higher risk of developing a rare eye condition that can cause sudden…
Aging may begin to affect your physical abilities earlier than you expect. A remarkable 47-year Swedish study found that fitness, muscle endurance, and physical performance generally begin declining around age 35, even among people who remain active. But the findings also offer an encouraging message. Although exercise cannot completely prevent…
New research suggests that Australia’s Indigenous population before European colonization was far larger than historical estimates have indicated. Scientists now estimate that approximately 2.22 million Indigenous people lived across the continent before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, potentially up to seven times the number suggested by some…
A dinosaur fossil that spent nearly a century overlooked in a museum collection has turned out to belong to an entirely new species of prehistoric predator. About the size of a large tiger and armed with enormous curved claws, the animal roamed what is now Britain approximately 120 million years…
Cancer rates are increasing among adults of different ages in England, but a new study has uncovered a particularly concerning pattern among younger people. Rates of bowel and ovarian cancer have risen among younger adults (under 50), while the same increases have not been observed in older age groups. The…
Finishing a tough workout always feels good. That is, until a few hours later when those uncomfortable muscle aches start setting in. This discomfort can linger for days – making easy, everyday tasks a challenge. In search of relief, some recreational gym-goers are adopting the kind of recovery techniques once…
Two brothers named Gary and Shaggy have helped Cornell University researchers make a rare genetic discovery. In a study published in Scientific Reports, scientists reported the first molecular characterization of Marfan syndrome in domestic cats, a condition primarily recognized in humans. Gary and Shaggy first stood out as kittens because…
How much energy your body needs to move as an adult could be influenced by how active you were during childhood. A new study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that physical activity early in life may have lasting effects on movement efficiency. Using birds as a model, the…
For decades, researchers have invested billions of dollars in Alzheimer’s treatments designed to target amyloid beta, a peptide that forms harmful deposits in the brain. But a biochemist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, believes scientists may have overlooked another potential contributor to the disease: a smaller, closely related…
Scientists investigating why the Moon’s two sides look so different have uncovered new evidence that could help explain this long-standing mystery. A research team led by Professor Hejiu Hui of Nanjing University analyzed lunar rocks collected by China’s Chang’e-6 (CE6) mission and found clues suggesting that enormous movements of molten…
Researchers led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University have discovered a protein that may allow harmful aging cells to escape detection by the immune system. By helping these cells remain in the body instead of being cleared away, the protein could contribute to their accumulation and the development of health problems…
A colossal prehistoric snake that lived in India about 47 million years ago may have been one of the largest snakes ever to exist. Known as Vasuki indicus, the ancient reptile could have reached an extraordinary 15.2 meters (50 feet) in length, putting it in the same league as Titanoboa,…
A minimally invasive procedure that targets abnormal blood vessels in the knee could provide lasting relief for people struggling with osteoarthritis, offering a potential alternative to joint replacement surgery. In a study involving 194 patients, researchers found that a treatment using tiny particles that dissolve within hours was associated with…
Even when artificial intelligence behaves exactly like a human, people are reluctant to consider it conscious, according to a new study from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, reports of AI systems misleading users, working together, or appearing to pursue independent goals are becoming…
A scorching hot planet nearly 320 light-years from Earth has provided the first direct evidence for a fundamental assumption about how planets form. Astronomers discovered that WASP-189b shares an important chemical characteristic with its host star, supporting a long-standing idea that also helps scientists investigate potentially habitable worlds. The breakthrough…