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Kitchen sponges are a staple in most homes, but they may also be an overlooked source of microplastic pollution. A new study led by researchers at the University of Bonn examined how many tiny plastic particles are released from sponges during everyday dishwashing and what impact those particles have on…
A minor injury, a serious infection, or even the flu can send the body down very different paths. Some people recover quickly, while others become severely ill or die. Scientists call this path a disease trajectory, and it can be shaped by many factors, including age, sex, health history, and…
People at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be able to postpone the disease for years with early treatment, according to new research from King’s College London. The study found that a one year course of the biologic drug abatacept significantly delayed the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, with…
For more than a century, biology has been guided by the principles of inheritance first described by Gregor Mendel through his famous pea plant experiments. While those rules explain how many genetic traits are passed from parents to offspring, scientists have also known that DNA sequences are not the whole…
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft is approaching one of the most important stages of its development. The experimental X-plane is set to begin a new series of test flights that will include its first trip beyond the speed of sound, along with several other key objectives for the mission.…
A striking new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope highlights Messier 88 (M88), a spiral galaxy embarking on a journey that will unfold over hundreds of millions of years. Also known as NGC 4501, M88 lies about 63 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair).…
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to dramatically expand the search for planets beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets. Scientists estimate the mission could uncover about 100,000 previously unknown worlds, a remarkable increase compared to the nearly 6,300 exoplanets discovered so far through NASA missions and other…
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have uncovered evidence that the thymus, a small immune system organ long thought to lose its importance after childhood, may play a major role in adult health. Two new studies found that adults with healthier thymuses were more likely to live longer and less likely…
A conservation approach once praised as a global model for helping people and predators coexist may be losing ground because of a lack of long-term government support, according to new research. In 2015, Sweden drew international attention when researchers reported that its Conservation Performance Payment (CPP) program, the oldest initiative…
Creating nearly invisible wearable technologies such as smart contact lenses and ultrathin augmented reality (AR) glasses will require a radical redesign of conventional optical components. Instead of relying on bulky lenses and hardware, researchers are exploring materials that can manipulate light at the atomic scale. A team from XPANCEO, working…
The brain has its own built in immune defenses that help detect threats and protect nerve cells. But growing evidence suggests that in Alzheimer’s disease, these immune cells become stuck in a state of chronic activation. Instead of helping, they trigger ongoing inflammation that can damage the connections between brain…
Cancer becomes more common with age and is often harder to treat in older adults. Yet most cancer studies in mice do not reflect that reality. Fewer than 10% of mouse experiments use aged animals, with researchers typically relying on mice that roughly correspond to humans in their early 20s.…
Humans often organize their relationships into layers, spending the most time with a small group of close friends and family while maintaining weaker connections with a larger number of acquaintances. A new international study suggests that this pattern is not unique to people. Researchers from Utrecht University and Universidad Carlos…
According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people still do not have access to safely managed drinking water. To help meet growing demand, many regions, from California to parts of the Middle East, rely on desalination plants that convert seawater into fresh water. Traditional desalination methods such as reverse osmosis…
Detecting light and radiation is essential across the electromagnetic spectrum, but some regions remain especially challenging. One of those is the terahertz (THz) range, which sits between microwaves and infrared light. Existing detectors for these frequencies are often slow, lack sensitivity, or depend on large, costly equipment that frequently requires…
Scientists have uncovered evidence that tiny microbes living inside fish may be helping drive important processes that affect the world’s oceans. The research, led by former University of Miami graduate student Anthony Bonacolta, suggests that gut bacteria and marine fish work together to produce calcium carbonate, a mineral that plays…
How pigeons can travel hundreds of miles and still find their way home has puzzled scientists for decades. New research suggests the answer may lie in an unexpected place: the liver. According to a study published in Science, pigeons may use specialized immune cells in their livers to detect Earth’s…
More than one billion people worldwide now live with obesity, a condition that raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Yet losing weight and keeping it off can be extremely difficult. The body does not simply respond to fewer calories in a straightforward way. Signals…
Fish oil may have a surprising role in the fight against insulin resistance, especially in a form of type 2 diabetes that is often overlooked. A Brazilian study published in Nutrients found that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduced glucose intolerance and weakened insulin resistance in rats that were…
For decades, the computing industry has followed a simple formula: make transistors smaller and pack more of them onto a chip. That strategy fueled the extraordinary rise in computing power predicted by Moore’s law. But as components approach atomic scales, engineers are increasingly running into the physical limits of silicon…
Melatonin supplements may help the body repair DNA damage linked to night shift work, according to a small clinical trial published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. The findings point to a possible way to counter one of the hidden biological effects of working through the night. However, the researchers stress…
When ancient DNA studies began to gain attention, little more than a decade ago, the view took hold among geneticists that everything we thought we knew about the peopling of Europe by modern humans was wrong. The story was simpler than anyone was expecting: Europe was settled in just three…
Researchers from Brown University and the University of Michigan have achieved something that scientists had only imagined until now. By carefully arranging tiny particles of silver into custom-built structures, they created and stabilized a previously elusive state of matter that had existed only in theoretical models. The work, published in…
Drinking a specially formulated tomato-soy juice rich in plant compounds linked to health benefits reduced several markers of inflammation in adults with obesity after just four weeks, according to new research. The findings suggest the beverage could serve as a functional food capable of helping control chronic inflammation, a process…
Researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) have found that caffeine can help restore a specific type of memory that is impaired by sleep deprivation. The findings, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, reveal how caffeine acts on a well-defined brain pathway involved…
Quantum computers today are notoriously difficult and expensive to operate. Most require temperatures near absolute zero, about -459 degrees Fahrenheit, to maintain the fragile quantum states needed for computation and communication. Now, researchers at Stanford University have developed a nanoscale optical device that functions at room temperature while linking the…
Scientists at Stanford University have uncovered a major clue to why the brain deteriorates with age. Their research points to breakdowns in the cell’s protein production system, a process that appears to trigger widespread dysfunction linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The study, published in Science,…
For years, Saturn appeared to be doing something impossible. Measurements suggested the giant planet’s rotation rate was changing over time, as if Saturn were somehow speeding up or slowing down. That puzzling result left scientists searching for answers. Now, researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) say they have…
New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that combining cannabis edibles with alcohol can impair driving more than using either substance alone. The study also found that standard field sobriety tests often failed to detect impairment caused by cannabis, whether it was consumed by itself or alongside alcohol. The findings,…
During the Triassic Period, many of the major animal groups we know today were only beginning to evolve. The world was filled with unusual creatures experimenting with body shapes and lifestyles that often resemble modern animals or later dinosaurs. One newly identified species, Labrujasuchus expectatus, is a striking example. Described…
