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Vaccines may do more than protect people from the immediate effects of a viral infection. New research suggests they could also help prevent lasting damage to the immune system that remains even after the virus has disappeared. Scientists at Pompeu Fabra University discovered that mice recovering from an acute viral…
A major study involving more than 750,000 pregnancies has uncovered an important difference in the potential pregnancy risks of popular weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Women who unintentionally used these drugs shortly before or during early pregnancy were more likely to give birth prematurely, but only when…
A major new study suggests that many adults age 70 and older who have never experienced a heart attack or stroke may be able to stop taking statins without substantially increasing their short-term cardiovascular risks. However, the findings also point to a possible increase in risk over a longer period,…
Why do some volcanoes send towering fountains of lava into the sky while others release molten rock in much calmer eruptions? Scientists have discovered that a hidden effect of extreme heat inside magma may help explain these striking differences. An international research team led by The University of Manchester investigated…
For decades, scientists have generally assumed that dark energy, the mysterious component thought to be responsible for the Universe’s accelerating expansion, has remained constant throughout cosmic history. That long-standing assumption is now facing new scrutiny. Observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is constructing the largest three-dimensional map…
In May 2024, an extraordinary solar storm sent brilliant auroras across skies in parts of the world where the northern and southern lights are rarely visible. But the spectacular displays were only the most obvious signs of an enormous disturbance unfolding in space around Earth. Deep within the planet’s magnetosphere,…
A new computational technique could accelerate the search for diamond materials capable of powering future quantum computers and highly sensitive sensors. Developed by a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), the method makes it much easier to identify promising materials for quantum technology,…
When muscles are injured, the body normally activates specialized stem cells that help rebuild damaged tissue. But scientists have discovered that without one critical protein, this repair system can break down, leaving injured muscles filled with fat and scar tissue instead of healthy muscle. Researchers at the Perelman School of…
A promising new approach to building computer chips could dramatically reduce the energy needed for computing, including the rapidly growing demands of artificial intelligence. At the center of the breakthrough is a special class of materials known as multiferroics, which combine electrical and magnetic properties that can be controlled together…
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland has identified an intriguing relationship between the types of protein men consume and their testosterone levels. Researchers found that men who ate more animal protein tended to have lower testosterone concentrations in their blood, while those who consumed more plant protein…
For some children, learning math is much more difficult than it is for their classmates. Even when they practice and receive instruction, they may continue to struggle with problems that other children their age can solve more easily. Researchers are now uncovering clues about why these difficulties persist, and the…
Crows can make visual decisions twice as quickly as humans and monkeys, according to new research from the University of Tübingen. In experiments involving two carrion crows, the birds needed an average of just 235 milliseconds to determine which way a pattern of moving dots was traveling and respond with…
Colorectal cancer rates are climbing again in the United States after more than two decades of decline, and the troubling increase is affecting far more than younger adults. New research published in NEJM Evidence reveals that the disease is becoming more common across nearly every age group under 70, raising…
Artificial intelligence could help overcome one of the biggest challenges in restoring vision to people who are blind: getting a brain implant to produce reliable visual experiences. Researchers from three institutions, including UC Santa Barbara, have demonstrated that AI can improve how precisely an experimental visual prosthesis stimulates the brain…
Organic carbon has been confirmed in two ancient Martian rocks examined by NASA’s Perseverance rover, adding an important new piece to the puzzle of whether Mars once supported life. Even more surprising, the material was found just beneath the planet’s surface, where harsh conditions can destroy organic compounds. The discovery…
Fossils provide an extraordinary window into Earth’s distant past, revealing the animals, plants, and ecosystems that existed millions of years ago. Yet the fossil record tells only part of the story. Fossilization is exceptionally rare, meaning that just a tiny fraction of the organisms that once lived on Earth have…
A butterfly commonly seen throughout Central and South America has been concealing a remarkable secret. For more than two centuries, scientists believed that the genus Colobura contained just one widespread species. Now, researchers have identified a third species that looks almost identical to its relatives, raising new questions about how…
Women with higher blood levels of two common “forever chemicals” may face an increased risk of developing a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, according to new research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The study identified a…
Earth may have created a substantial amount of its own water as the planet was forming, rather than relying entirely on comets, meteorites, or other objects to deliver it from space. New research published in Nature Geoscience suggests that chemical reactions between rocky pebbles and the hydrogen-rich atmosphere of the…
A common sugar found in many foods and sweetened drinks may play an unexpected role in helping aggressive ovarian cancer spread. Researchers at The Wistar Institute have discovered that cancer cells surviving chemotherapy can release fructose, which acts as a signal that encourages nearby tumor cells to break free and…
A powerful new computer simulation is allowing scientists to explore one of the most mysterious periods in cosmic history, when the universe emerged from darkness and the first stars and galaxies began to transform the cosmos. Developed by researchers at MIT, Harvard University, and other institutions, the simulation, called Lumina,…
A quantum computer might seem to have little in common with a guitar, but researchers at ETH Zurich have found a surprising connection. Physicist Yiwen Chu and her team have developed a system that uses microscopic mechanical vibrations to store and manipulate quantum information, much like the vibrating strings of…
Turbulence is all around us, from milk swirling into a cup of coffee to powerful storms churning through the atmosphere and oceans. But turbulence also occurs throughout space, where it behaves in ways that scientists are still struggling to understand. Unlike the air and water on Earth, much of the…
The type of exercise you do may be more important for your bones than how long you spend doing it. Researchers at Semmelweis University have found that intense physical activity involving sudden bursts of movement, quick changes in direction, and sharp turns appears especially effective at stimulating new bone formation.…
The first animals to make the transition from water to land nearly 380 million years ago may have had a surprising limitation: they could barely turn their heads. Although scientists have long believed that the evolution of necks gave these pioneering creatures greater freedom to look around, new research suggests…
Energy drinks and stimulant supplements are raising new concerns about heart health after researchers discovered a striking pattern in reports of serious cardiovascular emergencies. Products containing caffeine and other stimulants appeared far more frequently in reports of cardiac arrest, heart attacks, and other heart problems than products without these ingredients.…
A surprising new study has found that people who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with dementia tend to live longer than those who have a normal body weight. The findings challenge expectations about the relationship between weight and health, suggesting that carrying extra weight may be associated with an…
Long before a mammal is born, its skin begins establishing the precise locations where hair will eventually grow. These developing hair follicles form intricate geometric arrangements that differ from species to species. But what determines where each follicle appears, and how does the body create such orderly patterns? Researchers at…
Unusual weather patterns over Antarctica caused the ozone hole to expand dramatically in 2026, reaching one of its largest sizes on record. Despite the striking increase, scientists from NASA and NOAA say Earth’s protective ozone layer is continuing its gradual recovery and remains on track to heal later this century.…
Some of Europe’s most famous medieval manuscripts, including the York Gospels, have revealed an extraordinary secret hidden in their pages. Scientists have discovered ancient viral DNA preserved in the animal skins used to make parchment, opening a new window into the 3,500-year history of sheeppox virus (SPPV). The discovery was…
