Yale study finds nearly half of older adults improved with age

The research was supported by funding from the National Institute on Aging. oth physical and mental abilities. However, new research from Yale University paints a far more optimistic picture. The study found that many older adults actually improve over time, and their beliefs about aging may play an important role…

Think human anatomy is finished? Scientists say think again

Leaf through a textbook, watch a wellness influencer or listen in at the gym, and it can feel as though the human body has already been mapped to exhaustion. Every muscle named, every nerve traced. Everything understood and readily available. Most people recognize at least a few anatomical terms –…

Scientists discover neurons must break their DNA to build the brain

As the brain develops, newly formed neurons must travel through tightly packed tissue to reach their final destinations in the cerebral cortex, where they become part of the brain’s communication network. This journey forces the cells through narrow gaps between fibers and neighboring cells. A new study published in Nature…

Major review finds vaping likely causes lung and oral cancer

A comprehensive new review led by UNSW Sydney has concluded that nicotine based e-cigarettes are likely to cause cancers of the lungs and oral cavity. Published in the journal Carcinogenesis, the study evaluated a broad range of international research and brought together experts from several institutions, including The University of…

This simple twist could bring quantum computers closer to reality

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney have demonstrated a new way to control tiny sources of quantum light by twisting atomically thin layers of hexagonal boron nitride. The advance provides scientists with a new method for tuning quantum emitters, which are microscopic light sources that could play an important…

Scientists found a cannabis compound that relieves pain without the high

Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences have identified compounds from the Cannabis sativa plant that may offer a new way to treat fibromyalgia and post-surgical pain. The findings, published in Pharmacological Reports, add to growing evidence that certain cannabis-derived molecules could help relieve chronic pain without causing the…

A single cobalt shock could trigger global EV battery supply chaos

Cobalt is a critical ingredient in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, but new research suggests the global cobalt supply chain may be far more vulnerable than previously recognized. Rather than being limited to isolated shortages, disruptions in one country or production stage can spread through…

The first primates may have evolved in the cold, not the tropics

Most people imagine our early primate ancestors swinging through lush tropical forests. But recent research shows that they were braving the cold. As an ecologist who has studied chimpanzees and lemurs in the field in Uganda and Madagascar, I am fascinated by the environments that shaped our primate ancestors. These…

This DNA repair gene went rogue and exposed a cancer weakness

Tumor suppressor genes are often viewed as the body’s built-in defense system against cancer. They produce proteins that help maintain and repair DNA, reducing the chances that harmful mutations will accumulate. When these genes stop working properly or are present at low levels, cancer risk can rise. But new research…

Ozempic changed obesity treatment, but experts say the real revolution is next

The popularity of GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) has dramatically reshaped the way obesity is treated. However, specialists say these drugs are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to managing one of the most widespread chronic health conditions…

Hidden geological process offsets carbon emissions from thawing permafrost

A study published in Nature suggests that thawing permafrost may have an unexpected effect on the carbon cycle. While melting frozen ground is widely known for releasing greenhouse gases, researchers found that it can also strengthen a natural process that removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The research was…

The secret language behind animal cooperation

Animals don’t just communicate with members of their own species. New research shows that communication also plays a crucial role in helping different species work together. In a review published in Animal Behaviour, an international team of researchers examined how animals use calls, body movements, visual displays, and other signals…

Think you're eating healthy? You may be missing this heart-protecting nutrient

Adding foods like blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans, and cherries to your daily diet, especially when paired with green tea, could be a simple way to support heart health, according to new research. A large international study led by scientists from the University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, the University…

Scientists expected a black hole but found a neutrino factory powered by stars

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have tracked down the source of a powerful neutrino burst with the help of a remarkable cosmic phenomenon that acted like a natural telescope. What they discovered challenged expectations. Researchers initially suspected that a supermassive black hole was powering an extraordinarily bright…

Researchers found a Wordle strategy that wins 99% of the time

Millions of people tackle Wordle every day, trying to uncover a hidden five-letter word in the New York Times’ wildly popular puzzle game. Now, researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, say they have developed a mathematical approach that can solve Wordle with a remarkable 99% success rate.…

Scientists reprogram brain immune cells to fight Alzheimer’s

Researchers in Spain and Switzerland have identified an experimental molecule that may help restore the brain’s natural defenses against Alzheimer’s disease. The compound, known as OLE, appears to “reprogram” microglia, the brain’s immune cells, allowing them to regain some of their protective abilities. The research was led by José Vicente…

Einstein’s “biggest blunder” may finally have an explanation

One of the biggest unsolved problems in physics centers on a number known as the cosmological constant. This value describes the energy responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. It also sits at the heart of a major conflict between two of science’s most successful theories. According to quantum field theory…

This giant tropical fruit could help reverse gum disease damage

Researchers in Brazil have created a new biomaterial made from jackfruit latex, pomegranate peel extract, and simvastatin (a statin-based medication) that could offer a more effective way to treat periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease. The team, from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FCMS) at the Pontifical…

DNA time stamps reveal the strawberry’s surprising origins

Many of the world’s most important crops have unusually complex genomes created through repeated rounds of whole-genome duplication and hybridization. These so-called polyploid genomes contain multiple sets of chromosomes inherited from different ancestral species. However, determining exactly how those genomes were assembled can be extremely difficult, especially when the original…

Black hole winds may be robbing giant galaxies of their future stars

Astronomers may be getting closer to solving a long-standing mystery about the universe’s largest galaxies. Observations from the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, known as XRISM, are providing new evidence that supermassive black holes could be preventing these giant galaxies from forming as many stars as expected. According to current…

SpaceX wants to build AI data centers in space. Will it work?

Imagine if one company could become the railroad, electric utility and cloud-computing provider of the emerging space economy. That potential fueled excitement around the long-anticipated initial public offering of SpaceX. Investors are not simply betting on rockets anymore. They are betting on an entire orbital ecosystem. Among the most ambitious…

Scientists May Have Found What Really Triggers Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have proposed a new explanation for how Alzheimer’s disease may begin. Instead of being driven primarily by plaque buildup in the brain, the disease could start when one protein interferes with the normal function of another inside nerve cells. For years, Alzheimer’s research…

Arizona reservoir nearly vanishes after snowpack collapse triggers massive fish kill

The Gila River is one of the Southwest’s most vital waterways, supplying water to communities, farms, and wildlife while connecting the snow-covered mountains of southwestern New Mexico with the desert landscapes of southwestern Arizona. In years with ample precipitation, winter snow that accumulates in the Mogollon Mountains and Black Range…

Ancient DNA reveals plague was already killing humans 5,500 years ago

For many people, plague brings to mind rats, crowded medieval towns, and the devastating epidemics that spread across Europe during and after the Middle Ages. New research suggests the disease’s deadly history stretches back much further. A study published in Nature found that plague was already killing people 5,500 years…

Could cosmic memory explain dark matter, dark energy, and black holes?

For more than a century, physics has been built on two great theories. Einstein’s general relativity explains gravity as the bending of space and time. Quantum mechanics governs the world of particles and fields. Both work brilliantly in their own domains. But put them together and contradictions appear – especially…

Major errors found in Al Gore-founded Climate TRACE database

A new study from Northern Arizona University (NAU) suggests that a major global greenhouse gas emissions database may be significantly undercounting carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles in cities. According to the researchers, the Climate TRACE database, developed by the Climate TRACE consortium co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore, underestimates…

These bees have nowhere to hide from extreme heat

New research suggests that native bee species that build their nests inside plant stems may face the greatest immediate threat from rising temperatures linked to climate change. In contrast, bees that nest underground appear better equipped to avoid dangerous heat. The study, published in Nature Communications, examined heat tolerance in…