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After a long day of teaching, Rudy Lerosey-Aubril turned to a familiar task: preparing a Cambrian arthropod fossil for study. At first glance, the specimen looked typical for its age. But as he carefully removed surrounding material, something unusual appeared. Instead of an antenna, there was a claw. “Claws are…
“What should I eat?” is one of the most common questions people with inflammatory bowel disease ask their doctors. It is also one of the hardest to answer. Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, has not been studied extensively when it comes to diet. Large, well-controlled…
A new study shows that gene therapy can significantly improve hearing in people born with congenital deafness or severe hearing loss. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, working with hospitals and universities in China, treated ten patients and saw hearing improve in every case. The therapy was also well-tolerated. The findings were…
A giant barn owl, a type of rodent called a hutia, and a burrowing bee entered a cave. Only two of them left. Which one stayed behind? The answer is the one that cannot fly. This unusual chain of events likely unfolded thousands of years ago on the Caribbean island…
A common feature of schizophrenia is difficulty using new information to understand the world. This challenge can make decision-making harder and, over time, may contribute to a disconnect from reality. Researchers at MIT have identified a gene mutation that may play a key role in this problem. In experiments with…
In 2016, geologist Rowan Martindale was hiking across a hillside in Morocco when something unusual caught her eye. A slab of sedimentary rock was covered in a wrinkled texture that looked strikingly like elephant skin. The pattern was so unexpected that it immediately stood out. “I looked at the wrinkles…
The ice giants are among the most fascinating targets in our solar system, and Uranus has recently moved to the top of the list. The 2022 Decadal Survey from the National Academies identified it as the highest priority destination for future exploration. Yet despite that strong endorsement, there is still…
Older adults are far more likely to develop severe illness from flu or COVID, and new research from UC San Francisco offers an explanation. The study shows that aging lung cells can trigger an overly aggressive immune response, which can turn even mild infections into serious conditions. These findings provide…
New research from Italy suggests that the widely used body mass index (BMI) system may be misclassifying many people. The findings, which will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, May 12-15) and published in Nutrients, show that when body fat is measured using dual-energy…
Fast fashion offers an affordable way to keep up with kids who quickly outgrow their clothes. But new early research suggests that some of these garments may contain a dangerous substance: lead. After analyzing shirts from several retailers, undergraduate researchers found that every item tested exceeded U.S. federal safety limits…
Fried foods are widely enjoyed, but their high fat content is linked to health issues such as obesity and hypertension. Creating lower fat versions that still deliver the same taste and texture could help consumers make healthier choices without feeling like they are missing out. Researchers at the University of…
Fast, reliable wireless connections are essential in everyday life. Video calls, streaming, virtual reality, and connected devices all rely on networks that are already under heavy strain. Today, most wireless communication depends on radio-based technologies like Wi-Fi and cellular networks. While these systems have enabled global connectivity, they are running…
Older adults who carry genes linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease may not experience the expected increase in cognitive decline if they eat relatively large amounts of meat. That is the key finding from a new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, published in JAMA Network Open. The…
A research team led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), together with collaborators, has uncovered genetic pathways and compounds that can help protect cone photoreceptors. These cells are damaged in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss. Cone…
Earth’s Ediacaran Period, which lasted from about 630 to 540 million years ago, has long been one of the most confusing intervals for scientists studying the planet’s magnetic past. In most other eras, Earth behaved in predictable ways. Tectonic plates moved at steady rates, climate patterns were relatively stable, and…
A new study in American Antiquity, a leading journal of North American archaeology published by Cambridge University Press for the Society for American Archaeology, presents compelling evidence that the earliest known dice were created and used by Native American hunter-gatherers more than 12,000 years ago. These discoveries come from the…
Some of the longest-living and healthiest populations in the world follow a simple idea known as hara hachi bu. This traditional Japanese practice encourages people to stop eating when they feel about 80% full, rather than continuing until they are completely satisfied. The concept comes from Confucian teachings and focuses…
A newly uncovered Greek inscription inside the Great Mosque of Homs in Syria is reviving a long-running debate about the location of the ancient Temple of the Sun. This temple was once tied to Elagabalus, a high priest who rose to become Roman emperor in the third century AD. Homs,…
Scientists have struggled for years to explain a curious pattern inside tokamaks, the doughnut-shaped machines designed to one day produce electricity by fusing atoms. Inside these devices, superheated plasma is held in place by magnetic fields. Some of those particles eventually escape from the core and travel toward the exhaust…
NASA has launched its Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts into space for the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years. The mission marks a major step forward in human space exploration and signals a return to deep space beyond Earth’s orbit. The agency’s SLS (Space…
To survive inside the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome parasite covers itself with a protective layer made of proteins called variant surface glycoproteins (VSG). A study published in Nature Microbiology has now identified a key protein that allows the parasite to precisely control this protective “cloak.” Researchers found that a…
Colorectal cancer appears to stand apart from other cancers in a surprising way. New research from the University of East Anglia suggests it carries its own distinct microbial “fingerprint,” a discovery that could reshape how doctors understand and treat the disease. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in…
High in the treetops of a South American rainforest, scientists have identified a tiny soldier termite with a surprisingly whale-like appearance. The unusual insect caught the attention of an international team of researchers, who were struck by how different it looked from any known species. Named Cryptotermes mobydicki, the termite…
In South Korea, a playful green cartoon dinosaur named Dooly, known for the two small tufts of hair on his head, has been a favorite for generations. So when scientists uncovered a new species of young dinosaur on Aphae Island, the name came naturally: Doolysaurus. “Dooly is one of the…
As digital communication accelerates and cyber threats continue to rise, researchers are working to develop more secure ways to transmit information. One of the most promising approaches is quantum cryptography, which uses individual photons to generate encryption keys. A research team from the Faculty of Physics at the University of…
Far more people work very early morning shifts than overnight schedules, yet many struggle with severe fatigue linked to shift work disorder. This condition can interfere with concentration, job performance, and safety. A new clinical trial led by researchers at Mass General Brigham found that the wake-promoting drug solriamfetol (Sunosi)…
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have identified a previously unknown system inside cells that acts like internal “trade winds,” rapidly carrying important proteins to the front edge of the cell. This finding changes how scientists understand cell movement, cancer spread and wound healing. The study, published in Nature…
Alaska’s waters support one of the world’s most important salmon fisheries, sustained by complex marine food webs. Scientists are eager to understand how these systems are changing as the climate shifts. The challenge is that reliable samples from decades ago are hard to find. “We have to really open our…
Researchers have uncovered a powerful genetic mechanism that may help explain how some species evolve with surprising speed. Certain sections of DNA, known as “flipped” segments, appear to help fish rapidly adapt to new environments and even split into entirely new species. These genetic features act like evolutionary accelerators, preserving…
Squid and cuttlefish are among the ocean’s most fascinating animals, known for their color-changing skin and jet-like movement. For decades, scientists have tried to understand how these unusual creatures evolved. Progress has been slow because their fossil record is limited and their genomes are complex. Now, new research is finally…
