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Tryptophan is widely known for its connection to sleep, but its importance goes much further. The compounds produced from tryptophan help build proteins, generate cellular energy (NAD+), and create essential brain chemicals such as serotonin and melatonin. Together, these processes support mood, learning, and healthy sleep patterns. As the brain…
Newly published research finds that tropical forests can rebound up to twice as fast after deforestation when their soils contain enough nitrogen. The study shows that what happens below ground plays a major role in how quickly forests return after land has been cleared. Scientists led by the University of…
The OLED technology found in flexible smartphones, curved computer monitors, and modern televisions may eventually be used in wearable devices that sit directly on the skin. These future systems could display real-time information such as changes in temperature, blood flow, or pressure. An international research team led by scientists from…
A large long-term study has found that statins, a widely used class of cholesterol-lowering medications, significantly reduce the risk of death and serious heart-related problems in adults with type 2 diabetes. Importantly, these benefits were seen even in people who were considered to have a low chance of developing heart…
Quantum physics shows that particles do not behave like solid objects with fixed locations. Instead, they act more like waves, which means their exact position in space cannot be precisely known. Even so, in many everyday situations, scientists can still describe particles in a familiar, classical way. They picture them…
A research team from the University of Liverpool has reported new evidence suggesting that sharp increases in blood sugar following meals may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings point to after-meal glucose levels as a potential factor in long-term brain health. For years, studies have shown that conditions…
Chemicals used as replacements for bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging may have concerning effects on human ovarian cells, according to researchers at McGill University. In a new study, scientists analyzed several substances commonly found in price stickers attached to packaged meat, fish, cheese, and fresh produce. Their experiments revealed…
Running along Brazil’s coastline, the Atlantic Forest supports an extraordinary range of life, including hundreds of species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and fishes. Much of that richness has been lost. Human development has reduced the forest to roughly one third of its original size. As people move deeper into…
Scientists at Northwestern have uncovered a clever trick that helps pancreatic cancer hide from the immune system — and a potential way to stop it. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers, often found too late and difficult to treat with current therapies Researchers uncovered a sugar-based coating…
Scientists from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Université Paris-Saclay are calling into question a long-standing idea about dark matter. Their latest findings suggest that this elusive substance may have been “incredibly hot”-moving at nearly the speed of light-when it first formed, rather than cold and slow as researchers…
Foams appear in everyday life as soap suds, shaving cream, whipped toppings and food emulsions like mayonnaise. For many years, scientists believed foams behaved much like glass, with their tiny components locked into disordered but essentially fixed positions. New research now challenges that long-standing view. Engineers at the University of…
Using cutting-edge DNA sequencing and an advanced stem cell research model, an international group of scientists has identified a previously unknown form of diabetes that affects babies. The discovery sheds new light on how insulin-producing cells can fail early in life. The research was led by the University of Exeter…
Many people who are prescribed statins to lower cholesterol end up stopping the medication because of muscle pain, weakness, or ongoing fatigue. These symptoms are among the most common reasons patients abandon the drugs. New research from Columbia University suggests a possible explanation for why this happens in some individuals.…
Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii), more commonly known as monk fruit, is a long living vine that belongs to the gourd family, the same plant group as cucumbers and squash. It is native to southern China, where it has been used for centuries in traditional foods and remedies. In recent…
An unprecedented international research effort combining brain imaging and memory testing from thousands of adults is offering a clearer picture of how age-related brain changes affect memory. By bringing together data from multiple long-running studies, scientists were able to examine how memory performance shifts alongside structural changes in the brain…
Clouds, smoke, and fog can block sunlight in the sky, but beneath the ocean surface, very different forces can plunge the seafloor into darkness. Sediment runoff, algae blooms, and organic debris can sharply reduce underwater light, sometimes transforming bright coastal waters into near night. To better understand these events, an…
Wildfires on Alaska’s North Slope were more intense during the past century than at any point in the last 3,000 years, according to new research published in the journal Biogeosciences. The research took place in Arctic Alaska and involved an international group of scientists from Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom,…
A large international research effort has found that Earth’s oceans absorbed more heat in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began. The analysis, published on January 9 in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, shows that ocean heat storage continues to climb to new extremes. In 2025 alone, the ocean…
A study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, explains how rhythmic brain activity known as alpha oscillations helps the brain separate the body from the outside world. The research provides new insight into how the brain combines information from different senses to maintain a stable feeling of bodily self.…
Scientists have identified specific gut bacteria and biological pathways that cause alcohol to be produced inside the body in people with auto-brewery syndrome (ABS). This rare and frequently misunderstood condition causes individuals to experience intoxication even though they have not consumed alcohol. The research was conducted by a team at…
Even after years of medical guidelines advising caution, brain-altering medications linked to falls, confusion, and hospitalizations are still widely prescribed to people with dementia. New research published on January 12 in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA reports that about one in four Medicare beneficiaries with dementia receive these drugs. Across the…
A virus that harms cotton crops across the southern United States has been present in American fields for nearly two decades without being recognized. New research shows that cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV), once thought to be a recent arrival, was already infecting cotton plants in multiple growing regions as…
Natural sunscreens protect the skin from damaging radiation while reducing the risk of allergic reactions. In a recent study, researchers identified a previously unknown compound called β-glucose-bound hydroxy mycosporine-sarcosine. This substance is produced by heat-loving cyanobacteria when they are exposed to UV-A, UV-B, and salty conditions. Unlike other known mycosporine-like…
A new artificial intelligence system that examines the shape and structure of blood cells could significantly improve how diseases such as leukemia are diagnosed. Researchers say the tool can identify abnormal cells with greater accuracy and consistency than human specialists, potentially reducing missed or uncertain diagnoses. The system, known as…
Successful childbirth depends on the uterus producing steady, well-organized contractions that move the baby safely through delivery. Hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin play a major role in controlling this process. For years, however, researchers have also suspected that physical forces involved in pregnancy and birth, including stretching and pressure,…
The Sun completes one full rotation about every 28 days. Because of this slow spin, observers on Earth can only see any given active region on the Sun’s surface for about two weeks. Once that region rotates away from our line of sight, it disappears from view for another two…
When water is exposed to temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius and pressures reaching millions of atmospheres, it undergoes a dramatic transformation. Under these extreme conditions, water enters a rare state known as superionic water.* In this form, the oxygen atoms lock into a rigid solid framework, while hydrogen ions…
Honey bees are known for their ability to carefully control the temperature inside their hives, but new research shows that extreme summer heat can overwhelm this natural cooling system. A study published in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology found that prolonged heat waves can disrupt hive temperature control and lead to…
Droughts and floods can disrupt daily life, damage ecosystems, and strain local and global economies. Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin set out to better understand these water extremes by studying how they develop and spread across the planet. Their work points to a powerful climate force that…
For more than a century, scientists and food companies have been looking for ways to replicate the taste of sugar without its health drawbacks. From early sweeteners like saccharin in the 19th century to modern alternatives such as stevia and monk fruit, the goal has remained the same. The challenge…
