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Dark matter is usually described as an invisible substance that responds only to gravity. But scientists are now exploring a more complex possibility: dark matter particles may also interact through a hidden force of their own. A new study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) examined what…
A protein traditionally associated with protecting chromosome ends also plays an unexpected role in helping muscle stem cells remain functional and rebuild injured tissue, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery could guide future research into muscular dystrophy treatments while also…
Mathematicians have concluded that a perfectly fair election system is impossible in a specific mathematical sense. No voting method can always ensure that local victories produce local seats, national seat totals accurately reflect overall vote shares, and the size of parliament remains fixed. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and…
Researchers at the School of Public Health at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), have found that completing brisk interval walking once per week can reduce body fat and improve cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with central obesity. The benefits were comparable to those seen in…
Protein-enriched products now fill grocery store shelves, appearing in everything from cereal and coffee to water. Yet a new review of more than 350 studies on protein restriction and aging suggests that many people may gain more from eating less protein, and that lower intake could sometimes contribute to a…
Cancer may be damaging its own genetic material by forcing critical genes to operate at extreme levels. New research suggests that powerful DNA control regions known as super-enhancers drive unusually intense activity in genes that support tumor growth. This relentless activity places strain on the DNA and can lead to…
Scientists have conclusively identified a source in the Milky Way that can accelerate protons to some of the highest energies known in our galaxy. The discovery could help researchers better understand cosmic rays, the extremely fast particles that travel through the space between stars and affect events throughout the galaxy.…
NASA’s Curiosity rover has encountered an extraordinary landscape while climbing through a Martian valley nicknamed “Valle Grande.” Images sent back by the rover show the ground covered with honeycomb-like patterns known as polygonal fractures, each measuring about 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) across. Curiosity has seen small…
An international research team has found that primordial black holes may trigger white dwarf stars to explode as Type Ia supernovae. These unusual explosions could also help explain a chemical abundance pattern observed among stars in the Milky Way, according to a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal. Primordial…
For much of evolutionary history, many animals reproduced and then left their offspring to survive alone. A study published in Nature now offers a possible explanation for how caregiving emerged from those distant, nonparental beginnings. By studying clonal raider ants, researchers found that evolution may not have created entirely new…
Tiny aerosol particles may be able to strengthen tropical convective clouds, but scientists have debated the idea for decades. Aerosols influence the formation and growth of cloud droplets, which can affect condensation and the release of latent heat. One proposed process, called condensational aerosol convective invigoration, depends on clouds developing…
Eating one avocado each day may modestly reduce heart disease risk in adults with obesity, according to new research led by scientists in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. The researchers found that daily avocado consumption was linked to…
Millions of people take statins to lower cholesterol and reduce their chances of having a heart attack or stroke. For some patients, however, the medications can cause muscle pain, weakness, and difficulty exercising, making it harder to stay on treatment. Researchers at McMaster University have now identified a biological pathway…
Sodium ion batteries could offer a more sustainable way to store large amounts of energy, and new research suggests they may eventually serve another valuable purpose: helping remove salt from seawater. Scientists at the University of Surrey have found that a sodium-based battery material performs much better when its natural…
Scientists have identified a heat-driven process inside magma that could help explain why volcanoes with similar characteristics sometimes erupt in very different ways. An international research team led by The University of Manchester analyzed magma from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma, Spain. The scientists found that “superheating,” which…
Long-term tracking of chronic blood cancers has revealed major genetic differences between patients whose conditions remain stable and those whose diseases eventually become more severe. The findings suggest that DNA changes may help doctors improve diagnoses, monitor patients more accurately, assess how treatments are working, and identify signs of progression…
Two previously unknown human relatives left traces of their DNA in people alive today, adding another layer to the genetic legacy already inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans. The discovery reinforces a growing view of human evolution as a long history of encounters and interbreeding among many related hominin populations. Earlier…
A new report suggests that high blood pressure may be managed more effectively by combining two dietary changes: consuming less sodium and getting more potassium. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects more than 1.28 billion adults around the world. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular…
Plastic is found throughout modern life, from water bottles and shopping bags to vehicle dashboards. Once these products are thrown away, however, they become extremely difficult to recycle. Conventional recycling often requires workers or machines to separate plastics by type, adding expense and complexity to the process. These challenges help…
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggests that sleep habits and genetics may interact to influence subtle brain and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease years before noticeable symptoms develop. The study, conducted by ECU’s Centre for Precision Health (CPH), examined the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) gene. This gene helps control…
New findings challenge a 42-year-old theory about why children’s body mass index (BMI) declines after infancy and then begins climbing steadily from about age 6. The pattern has long been described as the “adiposity rebound,” based on the idea that body fat first decreases and then returns. However, the new…
An international research team has experimentally produced the first all-optical photonic time crystal (PTC), a material designed to change its optical behavior rapidly and repeatedly over time. The researchers came from École Polytechnique, Collège de France, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). Reported in Nature, the achievement was made possible by HZDR’s…
Astronomers led by the University of Warwick have uncovered what they describe as a kind of cosmic digestive system around a black hole. Their observations show that even when a black hole appears faint, it may still be actively expelling large amounts of matter rather than simply swallowing everything nearby.…
A new machine-learning approach that examines brain activity during sleep may help identify people with an elevated risk of developing dementia. The research was led by scientists at UC San Francisco and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The system estimates a person’s “brain age” by analyzing electrical signals…
Researchers led by scientists at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB, have identified the source of a puzzling abundance of low-energy gamma rays released by the zinc-70 nucleus. Their results show that magnetic transitions occurring inside the nucleus produce the unexpected signal. The findings, published in Nature in…
Materials scientists can now reshape the internal structure of certain alloys at extremely small scales, allowing them to enhance properties such as strength, durability, and flexibility. One especially promising group of materials is known as intermetallics. Intermetallics are solid materials made from two or more metallic elements arranged in a…
Experimental atomic physicists have found that electrical resistance caused by particle collisions appears to have a maximum limit. Researchers from the University of Toronto, L’École Normale Supérieure in Paris and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania reached the finding by studying ultracold potassium atoms cooled to nearly absolute zero. As the scientists…
A growing body of research suggests that Alzheimer’s disease may be influenced by biological changes occurring far beyond the brain. New findings now point to metabolic health, especially obesity, as a possible contributor to processes that worsen the disease. The study, led by Houston Methodist researchers, examined how changes in…
A consistent daily routine may offer meaningful benefits for both physical and mental health, according to new research from the University of Missouri. The study found that older adults who followed regular daily schedules reported less physical pain and fewer symptoms of depression, including those who experienced insomnia. The findings…
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…
