Reporting world updates to you
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…
A new study from the University of California, Santa Cruz, has revealed how psilocybin, the psychedelic substance found in “magic mushrooms,” changes the brain by reorganizing connections between nerve cells. The findings could eventually help scientists develop treatments for mental health conditions that capture some of psilocybin’s potential benefits without…
A natural substance found in broccoli could offer an unexpected new approach to treating a devastating genetic disease that progressively damages the nervous system. Researchers at Swinburne University have identified promising effects from the compound, raising hopes for a more affordable and accessible treatment for patients with few available options.…
Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary ring of planetary wreckage around a dead star, offering a possible preview of what could happen to our own Solar System billions of years from now. Even more surprising, the debris is divided into two distinct rings, with a clear gap between them that may…
A chemistry challenge that had frustrated researchers for more than 60 years has finally been overcome. Scientists at the University of Würzburg in Germany have discovered a way to produce and isolate oxoboranes, a group of unusual molecules that were long considered too unstable to study under ordinary laboratory conditions.…
Scientists have discovered remarkably preserved traces of dinosaur blood inside 115-million-year-old bones, revealing that delicate biological molecules can survive far longer than previously believed. The breakthrough could transform how researchers study prehistoric animals and even influence the search for ancient life beyond Earth. An international team led by Curtin University…
A major clinical trial has raised new questions about how doctors decide who should take statins to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Researchers found that using heart scans to guide treatment decisions produced the same observed rate of major cardiovascular events as traditional risk assessments, even though the scans led…
North Carolina’s blueberry growers are facing an emerging threat from a destructive beetle whose larvae feed underground, damaging plant roots and potentially killing blueberry bushes. Scientists have now identified the insect responsible, providing an important first step toward protecting crops from the pest. A research team at North Carolina State…
November 2026 is packed with celestial events worth watching, from brilliant meteors streaking across the sky to a striking encounter between Mars and Jupiter. NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is also approaching an extraordinary milestone, while a dazzling supermoon will close out the month. Three meteor showers offer multiple opportunities to…
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has returned to Earth after spending nearly 22 years in space, bringing an extraordinary era of astronomical discovery to a close. The spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, ending a mission that lasted more than ten times longer than originally planned. Launched in 2004, Swift…
For years, people have been encouraged to choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products to protect their hearts and manage their weight. But growing scientific evidence suggests that full-fat dairy may not carry the health risks many have come to expect. A new Canadian study led by University of Toronto professor…
Some of the universe’s dead stars may be capable of growing far more massive than a famous limit in physics was thought to allow. New computer simulations suggest that powerful magnetic fields hidden inside these stellar remnants could help them withstand crushing gravity and reach extraordinary masses. The discovery challenges…
A drug commonly used to prevent organ transplant rejection may offer an unexpected new approach to protecting people at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered that rapamycin, a medication also studied for its effects on aging, can improve blood flow in the brains…
Researchers have developed a surprisingly simple way to separate crude oil without heating it, potentially transforming one of the world’s most energy-intensive industrial processes. The breakthrough uses an inexpensive membrane that could significantly reduce the energy required for oil refining while lowering operating costs and carbon emissions. The international research…
Scientists have developed a new way to change the internal structure of glass while it is being made, giving them greater control over properties such as magnetism and the way the material interacts with light. The discovery could open the door to advanced glasses with capabilities that were previously difficult…
For most of the 20th century, the model of human origins was a tree: with the trunk dividing into branches, and then twigs. Each species of human relative (hominin) was a neat, single branch. As an undergraduate, I was taught that Homo sapiens was one of these branches that emerged…
