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Researchers have identified a group of natural compounds from a Brazilian tree that show promising activity against the virus responsible for COVID-19. The compounds, known as galloylquinic acids, were extracted from the leaves of Copaifera lucens Dwyer, a species native to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Laboratory findings suggest these molecules can…
Researchers at Loma Linda University Health report that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adults age 65 and older. Their findings suggest that regular egg consumption could play a role in supporting long-term brain health. The study found that people who ate…
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered an unexpected feature in a distant, early galaxy. Despite forming when the universe was still very young, this galaxy shows no signs of rotation. That behavior is typically seen only in very large, mature galaxies much closer to Earth, explained Ben…
Across the Milky Way, about 190 light years from Earth, astronomers have identified a highly unusual planetary pairing. A massive hot Jupiter, a type of giant planet typically found alone, shares its system with a smaller mini-Neptune orbiting even closer to their star. This rare configuration has puzzled scientists since…
Researchers led by metabolism expert Prof Timo D. Müller at Helmholtz Munich have developed a new strategy to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Their approach uses a specially designed hybrid molecule that takes advantage of the well-known GLP-1/GIP signalling pathway as a kind of entry point into cells. Once…
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic have transformed treatment for many people with type 2 diabetes by helping lower blood sugar and support weight loss. But researchers are finding that these medications do not work equally well for everyone. A new study from Japan suggests that a person’s eating habits and…
As people get older, both the amount of fat in the body and where it is stored begin to shift. Most body fat is subcutaneous, meaning it sits just beneath the skin. This type of fat is generally not harmful and is actually necessary for overall health. Visceral fat is…
A test designed to push the limits of single cell DNA sequencing ended up revealing something far more surprising: a microscopic organism from a pond at Oxford University Parks appears to use the genetic code in a way scientists had not seen before. Dr. Jamie McGowan, a postdoctoral scientist at…
From courtroom standoffs to tense encounters with highway robbers, hats in early modern England carried far more meaning than simple fashion. New research reveals that what people wore on their heads could signal loyalty, rebellion, status, and even personal safety. Today, choosing whether to wear a hat is a personal…
A major twin study is shedding new light on the long running debate over nature versus nurture, suggesting that genetics may play a far larger role in future success than many people realize. Researchers found that IQ measured at age 23 was strongly connected to socioeconomic status by age 27,…
Scientists in Sweden have developed a more reliable way to create insulin-producing cells from human stem cells, bringing new momentum to efforts to treat type 1 diabetes. The research, published in Stem Cell Reports, shows that these lab-grown cells can effectively control blood sugar in tests and even reverse diabetes…
Understanding how surfaces grow has long been one of physics’ most important challenges. In 1986, researchers introduced the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation, a theory designed to describe growth across a wide range of systems. Over time, this framework has been applied to everything from crystal formation and population dynamics to flame…
Cumberland, British Columbia, grew out of coal mining. For decades, the industry defined daily life, employing thousands of workers and sending millions of tonnes of coal around the world. When mining operations shut down after roughly 80 years, they left behind more than empty tunnels. The closures also created a…
Winter 2026 ended on a dramatic note across southern Alaska. Coastal areas experienced colder-than-average temperatures along with periods of moderate to heavy snowfall. From above, the atmosphere revealed just how unstable conditions had become, with striking cloud formations spreading over the nearby ocean. On March 19, 2026, the final day…
Blue Origin’s MK1 lunar lander, also known as Endurance, is an uncrewed cargo spacecraft designed to test key technologies for future Moon missions. The vehicle is part of a commercial demonstration effort aimed at strengthening Human Landing System capabilities for NASA’s Artemis program. The project highlights a growing public-private collaboration…
A new type of electromagnetic thruster has successfully completed an early test at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), offering a glimpse of how astronauts could one day travel to Mars. If further developed, this technology could also power robotic missions across the solar system. On Feb. 24, engineers at JPL…
MIT neuroscientists have uncovered a surprising feature of the adult brain. It contains millions of “silent synapses,” which are immature connections between neurons that remain inactive until they are needed to help form new memories. For many years, scientists believed these silent synapses existed only during early development, when the…
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have introduced a new way to use artificial intelligence to tackle one of the most difficult challenges in mathematics: inverse partial differential equations (PDEs). These equations are essential for understanding complex systems, but solving them has long pushed the limits of both math and…
A fossil dating back 240 million years has finally been formally identified after spending decades hidden inside a retaining wall. Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Museum have now named and described the ancient amphibian, bringing new attention to an unusual discovery that began in the 1990s. The specimen…
A new clinical trial suggests that giving immunotherapy before surgery may dramatically improve outcomes for certain colorectal cancer patients. In the NEOPRISM-CRC study, patients treated with a short course of immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy after surgery have remained cancer-free for nearly three years. The trial, led by researchers at UCL and…
A widely performed knee procedure known as partial meniscectomy may not deliver the benefits many patients expect. A major study with a 10-year follow-up has found that trimming a damaged meniscus does not improve symptoms or knee function when compared to a placebo procedure. Partial meniscectomy is one of the…
Going to bed at different times each night during midlife could be a warning sign for future heart problems. New research from the University of Oulu suggests that wide swings in bedtime may significantly raise the risk of serious cardiovascular events, especially for people who spend less than eight hours…
In spring forests, timing is everything. Many insects, especially caterpillars, hatch just as tree leaves are young, tender, and full of nutrients. This perfect alignment gives them immediate access to food, allowing them to begin feeding right away. But oak trees have a surprising response when caterpillars become too abundant.…
Using MIRI (Mid Infrared Instrument) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team led by former MPIA (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany) PhD student Sebastian Zieba (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, USA) and Laura Kreidberg, MPIA Director and study PI (principal investigator),…
Creating new molecules is one of the toughest tasks in chemistry. Whether the goal is a life-saving drug or a cutting-edge material, each compound must be built through a carefully planned series of reactions. Mapping out these steps requires deep expertise and strategic thinking, which is why chemists often spend…
Improving the quality of fruit while preserving normal plant growth has long been a difficult goal in agriculture. New research suggests this balance may be easier to achieve than previously thought. Scientists found that increasing the activity of a conserved “housekeeping” gene can enhance both the nutritional value and sensory…
A shimmering crystal gets its colorful appearance from the precise arrangement of its atoms in space. In 2012, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek proposed that a similar kind of order could exist not in space, but in time. He suggested that certain quantum systems could organize themselves into repeating patterns…
Light plays a central role in modern technology, powering everything from televisions and satellites to the fiber optic cables that carry internet data across the globe. Now, physicists at Stanford have developed a way to push light even further. They created a compact optical amplifier, about the size of a…
A group of professional and amateur astronomers in Japan has uncovered evidence that a small, distant object in the outer Solar System is surrounded by a thin atmosphere. The finding is surprising because the object is far too small to hold onto gas for long, raising new questions about how…
A biomaterial designed to travel through the bloodstream could offer a less invasive way to calm inflammation and help injured tissue repair itself. In animal studies, the injectable material improved tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodents and large animals. Early proof of concept experiments also suggested that…
