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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…
A badly distorted British silver coin dating to 1834 may hold evidence of an unusual accident during the minting process nearly 200 years ago. New scientific analysis suggests that the remarkable damage to the coin was more likely caused by a manufacturing problem than by ordinary wear, corrosion, or a…
Deep inside South Africa’s Rising Star Cave system, scientists have uncovered a surprising clue about an extinct human relative that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. For the first time, researchers have recovered and studied ancient proteins from Homo naledi fossils, revealing evidence that the cave may have contained…
A radical alternative to the standard picture of the cosmos is gaining attention after researchers at the University of Ottawa reported that it successfully matched several important astronomical observations. The model suggests that the Universe could be 26.7 billion years old, nearly twice the widely accepted age of 13.8 billion…
A specially engineered chewing gum could offer an unexpected new weapon against viruses and bacteria linked to head and neck cancer. In laboratory tests using samples from cancer patients, researchers found that extracts from the gum reduced levels of human papillomavirus, or HPV, by as much as 93%. An enhanced…
New preliminary research involving more than 440,000 American adults has uncovered a concerning association between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke. The findings suggest that even occasional marijuana use may be linked to higher odds of cardiovascular problems, raising new questions about the health effects of a substance that…
Some people seem to attract mosquitoes wherever they go, but new research reveals that being a mosquito magnet depends on which species is doing the biting. In a study published in iScience, researchers at Florida International University (FIU) tested how three of the world’s most dangerous mosquito species responded to…
An ancient rodent of extraordinary size has been identified from fossils uncovered in a mine in southern Thailand. The discovery, made by an international team of paleontologists that includes scientists from McGill University, provides new evidence that giant rodents appeared much earlier and in more parts of the world than…
A remarkable fossil discovery in China has revealed an ancient amphibian that lived entirely in the ocean, something no amphibian alive today is known to do. The unusual animal, named Gerrothorax maritimus, had a broad, flattened body protected by bony armor and was roughly the size of a giant salamander.…
The Milky Way is believed to contain billions of planets beyond our solar system. These distant worlds, known as exoplanets, offer astronomers an opportunity to explore other planetary systems, identify potentially habitable environments, and perhaps eventually discover evidence of life elsewhere in the universe. Finding these planets is one challenge.…
Protein is everywhere these days. From breakfast cereals and coffee to bottled water, manufacturers are adding extra protein to an expanding range of everyday products. But while consumers are being encouraged to eat more of it, a major scientific review suggests that cutting back on protein could offer surprising benefits…
A mysterious structure stretching roughly 93 billion miles across space is giving astronomers new clues about the violent events that shape young planetary systems. Known as the “Cat’s Tail,” this enormous cloud of dark material lies about 63 light-years from Earth, in the faint constellation Pictor (which is Latin for…
A fossil dating back more than 450 million years has revealed something scientists almost never find: delicate soft tissues from an animal that lived hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs appeared. The extraordinarily rare discovery is giving researchers a new understanding of how some of Earth’s earliest marine animals…
Free radicals have traditionally been associated with damage to the body’s cells, leading to widespread interest in whether antioxidants might help prevent cancer. But new research suggests these often misunderstood molecules also play an important role in protecting us from the disease. Scientists have discovered that certain immune cells actually…
For nearly a century, scientists have considered the possibility that comets helped make life on Earth possible by delivering essential organic molecules from space. Now, new research suggests this long-standing explanation is extremely unlikely. Comets are known to contain many of the chemical compounds associated with the origins of life.…
Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are expected to decline slightly in 2026, offering a promising sign that the world’s transition to cleaner energy is beginning to make a measurable difference. According to the latest Global Carbon Budget from the Global Carbon Project, fossil fuel CO2 emissions are projected…
After spending more than a year experiencing what life could be like on Mars, four NASA volunteers have finally stepped outside, marking the end of an ambitious experiment designed to prepare humans for future missions to the Red Planet. The crew completed their simulated Mars journey on October 31, 2026,…
NASA is offering $500,000 in prizes to encourage American companies to develop more capable electric propulsion systems for future space missions. The competition focuses on a technology known as Hall effect thrusters, which use electricity to propel spacecraft through space. The new initiative, called the Advanced Mid-Power Electric Rocket (AMPERE)…
