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Astronomers may have found some of the strongest evidence yet for one of quantum mechanics’ strangest predictions: even apparently empty space can influence the way light travels. Known as ‘vacuum birefringence’, the phenomenon was predicted nearly 90 years ago by Werner Heisenberg, one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics. His…
A little more than a century ago, Albert Einstein turned his attention from gravity itself to the fate of the entire universe. In 1917, shortly after developing his general theory of relativity, he began applying his new equations to cosmology. General relativity had transformed our understanding of gravity, so it…
Certain imagery-based psychotherapy techniques may help reduce fear of failure connected to painful childhood experiences, according to research from scientists at SWPS University and the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology. The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Difficult experiences early in life, including criticism, neglect, or severe…
Kratom, a psychoactive plant that can produce opioid like effects at high doses, has been linked to a sharp rise in poison center reports and serious medical outcomes across the United States. New research published in Addiction found that reported kratom exposures have increased dramatically over the past decade. According…
Scientists have identified the bacteria that help give three British artisan cheeses their distinctive flavors, and some of those microbes may also have potential benefits for human health. Researchers in the Food Microbial Sciences Unit at the University of Reading tracked the microbial and biochemical changes that occurred as three…
A low-fat vegan diet can reduce the energy density of the foods people eat by about 30%, helping them consume fewer calories while still eating satisfying amounts of food. The approach was also associated with weight loss, even though participants were not instructed to restrict calories, according to new research…
Since NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope first revealed little red dots (LRDs) in 2022, astronomers have been trying to determine exactly what these strange objects are. The compact, extremely distant red sources appear throughout the early universe, but their true nature has remained difficult to explain. One leading idea is…
The search for life on Mars or on icy moons such as Europa and Enceladus may capture more attention, but another major astrobiology mystery is much closer to home. Scientists are still trying to understand when the first eukaryotes appeared on Earth and how those organisms helped set the stage…
Caltech researchers have found a way to move light across silicon wafers with exceptionally little signal loss, reaching levels at visible wavelengths that approach those of optical fiber. The advance could support a new generation of highly coherent and energy-efficient photonic integrated circuits (PICs), with potential uses ranging from optical…
New research from the University of Oklahoma has revealed how an aggressive type of breast cancer can manipulate the immune system to draw nerves into tumors, creating conditions that may help the cancer grow. Scientists have known for years that many solid tumors contain extensive nerve networks. What has been…
DNA serves as the genetic blueprint for every living organism, but it is also an extraordinarily dense way to store information. A single gram can hold about 215 million gigabytes of data. Bringing that remarkable storage capacity into electronics could lead to more efficient data centers, faster processing and systems…
A Finnish study has found an unexpected association between screen use and cognitive performance. Children who accumulated more screen time as they grew up tended to show better cognitive processing during adolescence. One of the researchers cautions against viewing screen time as entirely harmful and says the goal should be…
Microorganisms developed biodegradable plastics long before humans began making them. Many bacteria and archaea naturally produce compounds known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which they store inside their cells as reserves of carbon and energy. Scientists had long assumed that only microorganisms could break down these natural plastics. New research from the…
Researchers at Rice University have found that extremely small wrinkles in graphene can alter how the material behaves electrically. The results provide experimental evidence for flexoelectricity, an effect in which uneven bending causes a material to develop an electric charge. The findings are published in Advanced Materials. The work points…
Ursula Quitterer calls it “Compound 10,” a chemical substance developed by her research team that could potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Quitterer, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at ETH Zurich, has so far tested the experimental treatment in mice. The results were encouraging. The nerve cell death typically associated…
A low dose of digoxin may help people with heart failure avoid hospitalization and reduce the risk of death, according to three studies led by UMCG cardiologists Dirk Jan van Veldhuisen, Kevin Damman, and Peter van der Meer. The researchers believe the new findings could eventually influence heart failure treatment…
Physical activity and healthy blood sugar levels during midlife may be linked to a significantly slower decline in thinking abilities later in life, according to new research from UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio. The findings suggest that exercise may…
Growing older has plenty of upsides – but achy joints is not one of them. As we age, the joints that once handled every bend and fall start to weaken. This is because the amount of cartilage, a tough but flexible kind of connective tissue, and fluid in your joints…
New findings from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are challenging a familiar picture of what gives protons one of their defining quantum properties. The results suggest that gluons, the particles that act as the glue holding quarks together, may play a key role in carrying…
New Australian research is shedding light on why walking often becomes slower and more tiring with age. The findings suggest that the body gradually gives up some movement efficiency in favor of staying stable and upright. Led by researchers at Flinders University and the University of Canberra, the study found…
Researchers at La Brea Tar Pits have identified a previously unknown amphibian that lived in Ice Age Los Angeles. The extinct spadefoot toad, now named Spea labreae, represents the first new extinct amphibian species discovered from the famous fossil site. The find is exceptionally rare. Only one other extinct Pleistocene…
A massive star has been torn apart and gradually consumed by a black hole in a spectacular event that scientists compared to “preparing a snack for lunch.” Astronomers around the world observed the extreme encounter, and the event was presented at the AAS conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Researchers described the…
Viruses that remain in the body for years, including Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes virus, are extremely common. In many people, they cause no symptoms and appear to be harmless. But growing evidence suggests that when these dormant viruses become active again, they may play a role in autoimmune diseases…
Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may already be influencing human biology. New research has identified long-term changes in blood chemistry that appear to track rising atmospheric CO2, raising concerns that an important blood marker could approach the upper end of its healthy range within the next several…
Plant based diets support health in several ways, including benefits for the gut, immune system, metabolism, and cardiovascular system. Part of that effect comes from encouraging a diverse population of bacteria in the intestines. Scientists have long known that dietary fiber contributes to these benefits because gut microbes help break…
Researchers from Okayama University of Science, Tokyo City University, the Natural History Museum, Kishiwada City (Osaka Prefecture), and other institutions have uncovered four fossil bones that went unrecognized for roughly three decades. The bones were found inside rock containing mosasaur remains collected in Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture. One of the…
A chemical commonly used to preserve food has been linked to a recent increase in suicide deaths in the UK, with young people and boys and men accounting for a disproportionately large share of cases. The findings come from a comprehensive analysis of available data from 2019-24 published in the…
For more than six decades, evolutionary biologists have debated whether an unusual genetic system shared by ants, bees and wasps helped drive one of nature’s most sophisticated forms of social organization: eusociality. In eusocial colonies, reproduction is divided between queens and workers, creating highly cooperative societies with specialized roles. New…
Cambridge researchers have uncovered why both activating and blocking the same brain receptor can promote weight loss. The findings may help scientists develop obesity treatments that are more effective and potentially work better in combination. The mouse study, published in Nature Metabolism, found that the outcome depends on which part…
For decades, scientists have generally viewed the brain’s immune system as largely separate from the immune defenses operating throughout the rest of the body. The brain has its own specialized immune cells, along with the blood-brain barrier, which restricts many substances and cells from entering brain tissue. New research from…