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The phrase “House of Cards” is often linked today with a popular Netflix political series, but its original meaning describes something far more literal: a structure that can collapse easily. That idea is exactly how Sarah Thiele, formerly a PhD student at the University of British Columbia and now a…
A new study led by Colgate Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie, working with Jillian Paulin ’23 of the University of Pennsylvania, Andreea Petric of the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Katherine Freese of the University of Texas at Austin, proposes a single idea that could address three…
Tumors in the human body contain immune cells called macrophages that are naturally capable of attacking cancer. However, tumors suppress these cells, preventing them from carrying out their cancer-fighting role. Researchers at KAIST have now developed a new therapeutic strategy that bypasses this suppression by turning immune cells already inside…
A newly released perspective article in Nature Nanotechnology describes an innovative nanoparticle-based approach designed to remove harmful proteins from the body. This advance could dramatically expand the ability to treat so-called “undruggable” proteins, opening new possibilities for diseases such as dementia and brain cancer. The work was led by Chair…
Cancer immunotherapy has reshaped cancer treatment by training the body’s immune system to recognize and attack tumors. Drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, have led to long-lasting responses in some patients and fueled optimism about durable cancer control. Yet for most people, these therapies do…
An international study found that U.S. long COVID patients report far more brain fog and psychological symptoms than patients in lower-income countries. Researchers believe the gap is driven by culture and healthcare access, not biology — hinting that millions worldwide may be struggling unseen. A large study of more than…
How obesity affects the brain may depend on more than overall body weight. New research published on January 27 in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the location of fat in the body plays a major role in brain health and cognitive…
A comprehensive review finds that tea, especially green tea, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. Beyond these well known benefits, tea consumption is also linked to brain protection, reduced muscle loss in older adults, and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial…
Talking to yourself may feel uniquely human, but it turns out this habit can also help machines learn. Internal dialogue helps people organize ideas, weigh choices, and make sense of emotions. New research shows that a similar process can improve how artificial intelligence learns and adapts. In a study published…
Astronomers from an international research team, including scientists from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), have found the clearest evidence so far that some fast radio bursts originate in binary star systems. Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are extremely powerful flashes of radio waves that…
Astronomers have, for the first time, detected radio waves coming from an unusually rare kind of exploding star. This breakthrough gives scientists a unique way to examine the final years of a massive star’s life before it ends in a violent supernova. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters,…
Researchers examining spiders and scorpions at the Zoological Collections Laboratory of the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, noticed something unusual on a spider only a few millimeters long. The animal appeared to be wearing a delicate pearl necklace. Unsure of what they were seeing, the team turned to a…
A newly published scientific review brings together decades of research examining how wild blueberries may influence cardiometabolic health. This area of health includes key measures such as blood vessel function, blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and blood sugar (glucose). The review appears in Critical Reviews in Food Science…
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered that Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread parasite estimated to infect up to one-third of the world’s population, is far more intricate than scientists once believed. The study, published in Nature Communications, sheds new light on how the parasite causes disease and why…
Researchers from the Department of Medicine at the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have identified a biological process that explains how physical activity helps maintain strong bones. The discovery could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis and bone loss, particularly for people…
For many years, scientists believed they had a clear picture of what causes asthma. The condition has been linked to inflammation in the lungs that narrows the airways and makes breathing difficult. That inflammation was widely attributed to molecules known as “leukotrienes.” These chemicals are released by white blood cells…
Researchers from University of Utah Health have published new findings in Science Advances that examine the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet. The results raise fresh questions about whether the diet is safe or effective for improving metabolic health over extended periods. Although the ketogenic diet was first developed as…
Most cells in the human body can replace themselves after damage. Neurons, the cells that power the nervous system, usually cannot. Once injured, they rarely generate healthy replacements. Following events such as strokes, concussions, or neurodegenerative diseases, neurons and their axons are much more likely to deteriorate than to repair…
Quantum technology is rapidly moving beyond controlled laboratory experiments and into practical use. According to a new paper published in Science, the field has reached a critical phase that mirrors the early era of classical computing before the invention of the transistor reshaped modern technology. The paper was written by…
Small, pale rocks scattered across Mars’ reddish surface are offering fresh clues that parts of the planet may once have been far wetter than they are today. These light-colored spots stand out sharply against the surrounding terrain and suggest that some regions of Mars once hosted humid environments with frequent…
Creatures without hard shells or bones, such as jellyfish, almost never survive in the fossil record. Preservation becomes even more difficult in sandstone, a rock made of coarse grains that allow water to pass through easily and typically forms in turbulent environments shaped by waves and storms. These conditions usually…
New research from Curtin University offers the clearest scientific support so far that people, rather than glaciers, carried Stonehenge’s well known bluestones to the ancient monument. The findings take aim at one of archaeology’s longest running debates and add weight to the idea that the stones were deliberately moved by…
A large study from France published by The BMJ reports that people who consume higher amounts of food preservatives may face a slightly increased risk of developing cancer. These additives are commonly used in industrially processed foods and drinks to extend shelf life. The researchers emphasize that more studies are…
New research suggests that both the amount and the type of carbohydrates people eat may strongly influence their risk of developing dementia. The findings come from a collaborative study conducted by the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) research group at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Centre for Environmental,…
Physicists have identified an unexpected connection between magnetism and the pseudogap, a puzzling phase of matter that appears in some quantum materials just before they become superconducting. This insight could help researchers develop new materials with valuable properties, including high-temperature superconductivity, where electricity travels without energy loss. The discovery came…
People who have obesity and high blood pressure may be more likely to develop dementia, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Dementia is an increasing global public health concern, and there is currently no cure. People affected by the condition experience a serious…
Researchers at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering have identified the first physical mechanism explaining how magnetic fields slow the movement of carbon atoms through iron. Published in Physical Review Letters, the work sheds new light on how carbon affects the internal grain…
In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Alice runs endlessly alongside the Red Queen but never moves ahead. “It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place,” the Queen explains. That idea has long been used to describe evolutionary standoffs between species, such as hosts and…
When ice turns into water, the change happens almost instantly. As soon as the temperature reaches the melting point, the rigid structure of ice collapses into liquid water. This rapid switch from solid to liquid is typical for familiar three-dimensional materials. Extremely thin materials behave very differently. Instead of melting…
One of astronomy’s longest standing puzzles has been understanding how black holes grew so large in such a short span of cosmic time. Scientists have long known that supermassive black holes existed surprisingly early in the universe, but how they reached those enormous sizes remained unclear. Now, researchers at Ireland’s…
