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A widely available nutritional supplement derived from vitamin B5 may offer a promising new approach to treating psoriasis, according to research from China. Scientists found that pantethine can calm immune cells involved in autoimmune inflammation, preventing psoriasis from developing in mice and improving symptoms in a small human clinical trial.…
Eating more plants is widely associated with better health, but scientists are still uncovering exactly why. New research suggests that fiber is only part of the story. Certain plant proteins that resist digestion may also play a surprisingly important role in shaping gut bacteria and determining whether they produce beneficial…
Scientists have demonstrated an extraordinary form of quantum matter that combines two properties that seem incompatible. Known as a supersolid, this unusual state has the orderly structure of a crystal while also displaying the frictionless flow associated with a special kind of liquid. Even more remarkably, researchers have now observed…
Tick-borne illnesses are becoming increasingly common across the United States, and Lyme disease remains the most frequently reported. Nearly 500,000 Americans are diagnosed each year. The infection is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which typically reaches humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Antibiotics can treat Lyme…
For some breast cancer survivors, the effects of treatment can linger long after their cancer care ends. Memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, and persistent exhaustion can interfere with everyday life, sometimes for years. Now, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found promising early evidence that a supplement…
For the first time, a robot has successfully assembled part of a structure in space without astronauts, demonstrating a technology that could dramatically change how large spacecraft and scientific instruments are built. The robotic system was developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) with funding from the…
NASA has revealed new details about its accelerated effort to return American astronauts to the Moon in 2028. The updated strategy includes testing two competing lunar landers, streamlining rocket preparations, and introducing a lighter spacesuit to help make the first moonwalks possible sooner. During an October 23 briefing, NASA Administrator…
A common class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis may have an unexpected benefit: lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In a study involving more than 120,000 older adults, researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) found that patients taking certain medications to strengthen…
Scientists have uncovered a remarkable collection of DNA hidden within the Shroud of Turin, revealing a surprisingly complex biological history behind one of the world’s most mysterious and controversial religious artifacts. The genetic evidence includes traces of humans, bacteria, fungi, plants, animals, and even Mediterranean red coral, offering new clues…
Researchers have identified a protein that may play an important role in Type 2 diabetes by interfering with the body’s ability to respond to insulin. The discovery could provide a promising new target for treatments designed to improve blood sugar control. The protein, known as Miro1, was found at higher…
Far below the ocean’s surface, a constant snowfall drifts through the darkness. But unlike the frozen flakes that fall from the sky, this underwater snow consists of tiny clumps of waste, dead organisms, and other debris. Known as marine snow, these particles contain everything from mucus and animal feces to…
A tiny fish with brilliant orange markings has been discovered in the Brazilian Amazon, but scientists warn that the newly identified species may already be at risk of extinction. Found in a handful of forest pools threatened by human activity, the colorful fish has prompted researchers to call for urgent…
Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a new type of immune cell therapy that activates only after entering the brain, allowing it to attack cancer while remaining inactive elsewhere in the body. In experiments involving mice, the engineered cells successfully eliminated diffuse midline glioma (DMG), an aggressive childhood brain…
An extraordinary collection of fossils in central Colombia is revealing a surprising chapter in Earth’s evolutionary history. Researchers have uncovered evidence of a time when ancient animal groups that were approaching extinction lived alongside newer groups that would eventually flourish. The discovery suggests that major evolutionary transitions can occur without…
More than 100 years after Albert Einstein developed his theory of gravity, physicists have uncovered a surprising possibility hidden within his equations. Their work suggests that gravitational fields can undergo a process in which their underlying structures break and reconnect, allowing energy to flow from gravity into matter. The phenomenon,…
A 24-hour fast may help prepare the intestines to recover from radiation damage, but scientists have discovered that a particular gut bacterium plays a crucial role in making this possible. New preclinical research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reveals how fasting and beneficial microbes work together…
MIT researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to transform immune cells into cancer fighters directly inside the body, potentially making advanced treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases much easier to produce and administer. The method focuses on natural killer (NK) cells, a type of immune cell that…
A nuclear explosion could potentially protect Earth from an incoming asteroid by releasing powerful X-rays that heat its surface and push it onto a safer trajectory. However, new research suggests that the success of such a mission could depend heavily on which side of the asteroid receives the blast. Unlike…
Men with very low testosterone levels may face an increased risk of developing cancer and dying from the disease later in life, according to a major international study. The findings suggest that testosterone levels could provide an early clue to future health risks, potentially years or even decades before cancer…
A remarkable discovery in a nearly 2,800-year-old Siberian tomb has provided the oldest directly dated archaeological evidence that people used cannabis for its intoxicating effects. By examining ancient cannabis seeds and chemical traces preserved in human hair, researchers have uncovered new clues about the role of the plant in prehistoric…
Sleep disorders may have consequences that extend far beyond fatigue. New research from Florida International University (FIU) has found that several types of sleep disorders are associated with physical changes in brain regions responsible for attention, motivation, and decision-making. These findings suggest that disrupted sleep may be connected to important…
Scientists have achieved a new world record by producing extraordinarily intense X-ray flashes that last just 300 attoseconds, an almost unimaginably brief period of time. Using the European XFEL, a powerful X-ray research facility, the team concentrated the flashes into an area roughly 100,000 times smaller than the cross-section of…
A higher dose of the annual flu vaccine may offer older adults an unexpected benefit: a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In a large study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston, adults ages 65 and older who received a high-dose influenza vaccine were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s…
A new national study suggests that the way people consume cannabis may reveal important clues about their likelihood of using it heavily or developing an addiction. While smoking remains the most popular method among US adults who use cannabis, roughly one in seven consumes it in nearly every available form.…
Mars may not be as geologically inactive as it appears. New evidence from mysterious gas emissions near an enormous Martian volcano suggests that heat and volcanic processes could still be present deep beneath the planet’s surface. Researchers have identified unusual concentrations of hydrogen chloride gas above fractures in the Alba…
Quantum physics places fundamental limits on what scientists can know about the behavior of particles. Werner Heisenberg’s famous uncertainty principle states that certain properties, such as a particle’s position and momentum, cannot both be measured with unlimited precision. This restriction is not caused by flaws in scientific instruments. It is…
Your daily cup of coffee may be doing more than helping you wake up in the morning. A long-running study of U.S. adults suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee regularly is associated with a substantially lower risk of dementia and better cognitive health as people age. Researchers found that adults who…
Every human body produces carbon dioxide simply by converting food into energy. Although the amount released by one person may seem small, the combined output of billions of people adds up to an enormous quantity. A new study led by the University of Bath estimates that carbon dioxide production from…
Picture the wilderness of central Europe 100,000 years ago, or even a million years ago. You might imagine an endless expanse of towering trees, with thick canopies blocking sunlight from reaching the ground. But according to a major new study, that familiar image of Europe’s ancient forests is probably misleading.…
The powerful new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has already uncovered two previously unknown companions of the Milky Way, offering an early glimpse of what could become a much larger wave of discoveries. Astronomers believe hundreds of faint galaxies may still be hiding around our galaxy, and the observatory…
