New fuel cell breakthrough could help power energy-hungry data centers

The rapid expansion of data centers across the United States is putting growing pressure on the nation’s electricity supply. These facilities require enormous amounts of power not only to operate their computing equipment, but also to keep it cool. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that data centers could account…

Scientists reveal how much exercise you really need to protect your heart

Adults may need far more weekly exercise than current guidelines recommend to achieve a major reduction in the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to findings from an observational study published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers found that substantial cardiovascular protection was associated with…

A protein older than blood circulation could transform cancer immunotherapy

An immune molecule that appeared in evolution long before blood circulation may help improve cancer immunotherapy. Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan discovered that complement C3 can prevent immune-suppressing cells from building up inside tumors, but only when the protein is produced locally within the tumor. C3 traveling through the…

This tiny gold crystal could bring quantum technology out of the deep freeze

Quantum materials could reshape fields as varied as high-performance computing, secure communication, sensitive detection, and energy production. Yet one persistent limitation has kept most of them from becoming practical technologies. Almost every quantum material discovered so far works only when cooled to temperatures near absolute zero. At ordinary temperatures, heat…

The sun is covered in tiny whirlpools we’ve never seen before

Scientists have captured previously unseen plasma vortices swirling across the surface of the Sun, revealing tiny structures that could help explain how our star stores, moves, and releases magnetic energy. The discovery comes from researchers at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO), the Max Planck Institute…

Cutting sweet foods doesn’t curb cravings or improve health

A new six-month trial suggests that changing how much sweet-tasting food people eat does not alter how much they enjoy sweetness. Researchers also found no meaningful differences in several measures related to heart disease and diabetes risk among people who ate diets with high, low, or average levels of sweetness.…

Sunlight creates quantum entanglement once thought to require lasers

Many of today’s quantum technologies depend on powerful lasers that consume significant amounts of energy. As these systems grow larger and more widespread, their electricity requirements could become an increasing concern. Researchers have now demonstrated a striking alternative: sunlight itself can be used to generate quantum entanglement between photons. “Quantum…

Teen cannabis use linked to slower memory and thinking growth

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have found that teenagers who start using cannabis may develop memory and thinking abilities more slowly than teens who do not use it. The findings were published in Neuropsychopharmacology and were based on data from more than 11,000 participants in the Adolescent…

Vitamin C may fight cancer — but not the way scientists once thought

Linus Pauling was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He won two Nobel prizes and transformed our understanding of chemical bonds and the structure of proteins. Late in his career, though, he became famous for something very different: a passionate belief that very high doses of…

New autism therapy shows surprising benefits even in adult mice

Researchers have uncovered a potential new way to treat autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by restoring the function of an important brain receptor. The study, led by Director Eunjoon Kim of the IBS Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, focused on a glycine transporter known as Slc6a20a/SLC6A20. The team found that reducing…

UCLA scientists discover how to guide heat like light at room temperature

Managing heat efficiently inside solid materials is essential for developing faster, more reliable electronics. Until now, a wave-based form of heat transport called phonon focusing had only been observed at extremely low cryogenic temperatures, which made it difficult to study and limited its potential applications. Researchers at the UCLA Samueli…

Wearable ultrasound patch boosts REM sleep without drugs or surgery

Researchers led by the University of Texas at Austin have created a soft wearable patch that improved REM sleep in real-world testing without medication or surgery. Known as NEUSLeeP, the device combines gentle ultrasound stimulation with electrodes that track brain activity as it happens. This allows the patch to influence…

The key to colonizing Mars may be hidden inside asteroids

I recently rewatched Armageddon, complete with Bruce Willis, oil drillers sent into space, and an asteroid the size of Texas racing toward Earth. Beneath all the Hollywood spectacle is a fascinating question: What could humanity actually do with an asteroid if we were able to reach and use one? The…

Scientists find unexpected life on Ötzi the Iceman’s 5,300-year-old body

Researchers used multiple sampling techniques to determine which microorganisms lived inside Ötzi during his lifetime and which arrived after his death. The later microbes could have colonized the body while it remained frozen in the glacier or during more than 30 years of modern conservation. Genetic material recovered from internal…

Scientists rediscover lost Megalodon fossils—and reveal a 79-foot giant

Museums are supposed to be havens for the collective cultural and scientific heritage of the planet, but specimens sometimes go missing. Happily, they can also be rediscovered, as a new study shows, with the vertebrae of the legendary predatory shark known to the world under its old name of Megalodon…

Scientists discover a hidden brain shift that begins around age 50

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has uncovered a major shift in the immune environment of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that plays a central role in learning and memory. The findings suggest that this immune remodeling begins in midlife and may help explain…

Major study challenges long-held fears about acetaminophen and ibuprofen use in babies

A major new study provides strong reassurance about the use of acetaminophen (paracetamol) and ibuprofen (Advil) during a baby’s first year. Researchers found no evidence that either common pain reliever increases the risk of eczema or bronchiolitis, a respiratory illness that often affects young children. Earlier studies had raised concerns…

A star’s violent death exposed a hidden supermassive black hole

University of Maryland astronomers have identified a dormant supermassive black hole positioned far from the center of its host galaxy. The discovery marks the first time scientists have found an inactive black hole at such a great distance from a galactic core. Because the black hole was not actively consuming…

Cell-inspired nanoreactor turns sunlight into hydrogen peroxide

Researchers have created a hollow CdS@polydopamine nanoreactor that imitates two important features of living cells. The design offers a new way to reproduce some of the highly organized chemical functions of cells inside synthetic nanomaterials. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The research was…

World’s most-used weedkiller disrupts honeybee brains

Flowering plants in pollinator gardens, agricultural fields, and residential landscapes often grow alongside weeds that are controlled with herbicides. Honeybees regularly visit these same areas while collecting nectar and pollen, raising questions about what happens when they are exposed to weedkillers during their daily foraging. A Virginia Tech study found…

Nearly half of dementia cases may be linked to risks you can change

Nearly half of dementia cases may be connected to risk factors that people can potentially change, including smoking and high blood pressure. New research from Lund University has identified how specific risk factors are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, the two most common causes of dementia. A person’s…

A drug already used for osteoporosis blocked spinal damage in a new study

Changes in gene activity may contribute to neck and back pain by damaging the discs that act as the spine’s natural shock absorbers, according to new research. A study using zebrafish found that altered gene activity can cause minerals to accumulate within the spine. This process resembles bone forming where…

Forget the sperm race: Fertilization may depend on teamwork

Fertilization is commonly portrayed as an intense contest in which millions of sperm race toward a single egg. New research from evolutionary biologists at Syracuse University, University of Siena, Italy, and University of Szeged, Hungary, points to a more complex picture. In some species, reproductive success may depend not only…

The AMOC stayed strong even as a major ocean “lifeline” nearly shut down

Scientists have long believed that warm, salty water flowing from the Indian Ocean around the southern tip of Africa and into the Atlantic helps support one of the planet’s most important ocean circulation systems. This flow, known as Agulhas Leakage, has been considered a major contributor to the Atlantic Meridional…

Dirty air may trigger painful rheumatoid arthritis flares

Air pollution may make rheumatoid arthritis more active and increase the likelihood of painful flare-ups, according to a new study. The strongest connection involved fine particulate matter found in dust, soot, and smoke (PM2.5). Published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (ARD), The EULAR Journal, by Elsevier, the findings…

THC medication made PTSD nightmares disappear for more than a third of patients

Nightmares can be one of the most distressing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that may develop after a person experiences a disaster, serious accident, violence, combat, or another severe trauma. During sleep, people with PTSD may feel as though they are living through the event again in…