Reporting world updates to you
Does the brain create consciousness, or is consciousness a more basic feature of reality? Christof Koch, one of the world’s most prominent neuroscientists, explored this question during the 15th “Behind and Beyond the Brain” Symposium. The mystery reaches far beyond understanding how neurons process information. Scientists can observe which parts…
New research suggests that Mohenjo-daro followed a very different path from many other early cities. As the 4,000-year-old urban center became larger, more productive, and more successful, its society appears to have grown more equal rather than less. Historians have often argued that inequality increased when small farming settlements developed…
A naturally occurring compound found in rice bran may influence how strongly the intestines contract, according to new research from Toho University. The study, led by Dr. Keisuke Obara, Dr. Kento Yoshioka, and Professor Yoshio Tanaka of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, found that ferulic acid (FA) can reduce intestinal…
The Galápagos Islands have long been one of the most important places in the study of evolution. When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle, he collected a variety of birds and returned with them to England. At first, he believed the specimens included sparrows, woodpeckers,…
About 210 million years ago, two early relatives of modern crocodiles stood near each other among the low ferns of a humid riverbank in what is now northern New Mexico. Each animal was roughly the size of a jackal, but their bodies suggest they were adapted to hunt in different…
Astronomers looking for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth may have overlooked promising signals simply because they have concentrated on a relatively narrow portion of the radio spectrum. Most radio SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) projects have targeted frequencies between 1.42 and 1.66 GHz. This region is often called the…
Scientists have observed how energy moves through a molecule immediately after it absorbs light, revealing that individual atoms can record very different parts of the transformation. Using rapid X-ray flashes produced at the European XFEL, the researchers followed changes at specific atoms as the molecule released and redistributed the absorbed…
University of Michigan scientists have used artificial intelligence to uncover a striking pattern in the evolution of Passeriformes, the vast bird group that includes most songbirds. Their analysis suggests these birds did not evolve at a steady pace. Instead, major changes often arrived in rapid bursts that lined up with…
Maintaining the ability to handle everyday tasks without severe or limiting symptoms is an important part of quality of life in older age. New research suggests that taking a daily multivitamin may help support that independence. After 3 years, adults who received a daily multivitamin had significantly better functional health…
Untreated cavities send thousands of young children in the United States to emergency departments each year. Because hospital doctors usually cannot repair the underlying dental problem, some children continue to suffer from pain and infection, while others eventually need surgery under general anesthesia. A low-cost liquid known as silver diamine…
The taste of a madeleine famously sent French writer Marcel Proust back into vivid memories of childhood. New research suggests that this kind of recollection may involve more than the brain alone. Signals from the digestive system may also help determine which food-related experiences become memories. The study, led by…
You may be spotting bodies of dead bumblebees lying across pavements near you in the summer months. There are several reasons for this, some to do with the weather and some very much due to humans. Bumblebees are social, living in colonies that are maintained by very active workers with…
Iron and oxygen interact in many important processes throughout the human body. The best-known example is hemoglobin, where iron binds dioxygen, meaning two oxygen atoms joined together, so oxygen can be carried through the bloodstream. Iron also forms highly reactive compounds known as iron oxos. These compounds are involved in…
French fries and other fried foods are popular largely because of their crisp texture and rich flavor. However, they can absorb large amounts of oil during cooking, increasing their fat and calorie content. Regularly consuming foods high in fat can contribute to health problems such as obesity and hypertension. Researchers…
When temperatures rise, sleep often suffers. Hot nights can make it harder to fall asleep, increase waking during the night and leave people feeling less rested the next day. One reason is thermoregulation, the body’s ability to keep its internal temperature within a safe range. Sleep is closely linked to…
Europa has captivated scientists for decades because a vast ocean of liquid water may be concealed beneath its frozen surface. That buried sea has made Jupiter’s icy moon one of the most promising places in the solar system to investigate whether conditions suitable for life might exist beyond Earth. However,…
Earth’s hidden “gold kitchen” may be operating far beneath the ocean floor. Island arcs, chains of volcanoes that develop above subduction zones where one oceanic plate descends beneath another, are often unusually rich in gold. Scientists have debated for years why these regions become so enriched. New research led by…
A review of toddler foods available at 21 Texas grocery stores found that ultra-processed products dominate the shelves. Four out of every five items fell into that category, and 49% did not satisfy at least one nutrient benchmark in the World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM)…
A vast reservoir of magma beneath Japan’s Kikai caldera appears to be filling again, offering scientists a rare glimpse into how some of Earth’s largest volcanoes recover after catastrophic eruptions. The discovery, led by researchers at Kobe University, could improve understanding of enormous caldera systems such as Yellowstone in the…
A major Atlantic Ocean current is slowing, and the consequences could reach far beyond the Atlantic. New research from the University of California, Riverside suggests the change could strengthen powerful storms along the California coast while reducing snowfall over Greenland. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a vast…
Much like paper must be folded into the correct shape to create an origami sculpture, proteins inside cells must form precise three-dimensional structures before they can function properly. As prediabetes advances toward diabetes, this delicate process can begin to break down. Misfolded and defective proteins accumulate inside cells, creating stress…
For the first time, scientists have accurately determined the age of prehistoric paintings inside Font-de-Gaume, a celebrated decorated cave near Les Eyzies in Dordogne (southwestern France). The new findings provide firm dates for two black images, a bison and a masklike figure, and reveal that parts of the artwork were…
Eating a nutritious diet, losing weight, and becoming more physically active can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, lifestyle changes do not appear to offer the same level of protection to everyone. Researchers report that people assigned to Tübingen’s type 2 diabetes risk cluster 5 continued to…
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed a highly successful flyby of Mars, giving the mission a carefully planned gravitational boost while also producing valuable scientific data. Researchers are now examining those observations as they prepare for the spacecraft’s arrival at the asteroid Psyche in 2029. On May 15, the spacecraft passed Mars…
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has observed a rare supermassive black hole far from the center of a distant galaxy as it tore apart and consumed a star. Astronomers describe it as an apparent “orphan” because it sits unusually far from the galactic core, where supermassive black holes are normally…
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a semiconductor device that uses laser light to direct the movement of electrons without requiring an applied electric field or electrical power source. The device was primarily designed to investigate fundamental physics and demonstrate a behavior that had never previously been observed.…
Many molecules come in two forms that are mirror images of one another, much like left and right hands. Although these molecular twins can appear nearly identical, they may behave in dramatically different ways, particularly in living systems and medicines. Telling these enantiomers (also called chiral molecules) apart has remained…
Exercise may provide some relief for people with hip osteoarthritis, but the improvements in pain and physical function may be too small for many patients to notice in everyday life, according to a new Cochrane review. The researchers caution that stronger evidence is still needed before firm conclusions can be…
A new Finnish study suggests that spending time in a sauna can temporarily move more white blood cells into the bloodstream. These immune cells help the body detect and respond to pathogens and disease. Researchers found that a 30-minute sauna session increased the number of every type of circulating white…
Deep-diving insect larvae in an African lake are forcing scientists to reconsider a popular explanation for why insects are almost entirely absent from the open ocean. Their secret is a remarkably durable system of air sacs that can tolerate far more pressure than researchers expected. Billions of lake fly larvae…
