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Scientists have known for nearly a century that the universe is expanding, but the exact rate of that expansion is still uncertain. This ongoing debate has even raised questions about the standard model of cosmology. Now, researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), and the…
Defining where the Milky Way ends has always been challenging because its disk does not stop abruptly — it gradually fades into space. Now, for the first time, an international team of astronomers has pinpointed the boundary of the Galaxy’s star-forming disk by examining the ages of stars. Their findings…
A medication that has been around for decades and used to treat several conditions, including a chronic parasitic infection, is now emerging as a potential option for patients with a different and far rarer disease. Early findings suggest the drug could help people with Bachmann-Bupp syndrome (BABS), a life-threatening genetic…
A new study from MIT indicates that a cancer-causing chemical found in some medications and in drinking water contaminated by industrial activity may pose a much greater risk to children than to adults. In experiments with mice, researchers discovered that young animals exposed to water containing this compound, called NDMA,…
NASA’s Curiosity rover has identified a wide range of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds that scientists consider key ingredients for the origin of life on Earth. The discovery comes from a chemical experiment carried out on another planet for the first time. Results show that the Martian surface is…
One of the defining breakthroughs that set quantum physics apart from classical physics was the realization that matter behaves very differently at extremely small scales. Among the most important discoveries was wave-particle duality, the idea that particles can also act like waves. This concept became widely known through the double-slit…
Researchers at MIT have identified an unexpected effect in optical physics that could lead to a faster and more detailed way to image living tissue. Under specific conditions, what normally looks like a scattered and disordered laser signal can reorganize itself into a narrow, highly focused “pencil beam.” With this…
Why do some dreams feel vivid and lifelike, while others are confusing or hard to remember? New research from the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca suggests that the answer lies in a mix of personal traits and shared life experiences, both of which influence what we see and feel…
Scientists are still working to understand why Neanderthals went extinct while Homo sapiens established a lasting presence in Europe. The answer is not simple. It likely involves several overlapping factors, but a new study using techniques inspired by digital ecology is offering a clearer picture. The research was led by…
Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in their effort to understand dark energy by completing observations for the full target area of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)’s 3D map of the universe. The project wrapped up ahead of schedule and delivered far more data than originally anticipated. This map…
Researchers in Brazil have found that a simple vitamin D supplement may help chemotherapy work better in women with breast cancer. The study, carried out at the Botucatu School of Medicine at São Paulo State University (FMB-UNESP), suggests that low doses of the vitamin could improve treatment outcomes and potentially…
In quantum materials, electronic order rarely forms in a smooth, uniform way. Instead, it often appears as complex patterns that vary from one region to another. One well-known example is the charge density wave (CDW), a state in which electrons organize into repeating patterns at low temperatures. While CDWs have…
Researchers at the University of Utah have identified an enzyme called PapB that can reshape therapeutic peptides, a class of protein-like drugs, by linking their ends together into tight rings. This process, known as macrocyclization, creates compact structures that can improve how these medicines perform in the body. The discovery…
Between 750 and 900 CE, the Maya lowlands in Central America went through a dramatic drop in population and political power. For years, researchers linked this decline to repeated periods of severe drought. That explanation has long dominated scientific thinking. But new findings based on sediment records stretching back 3,300…
A strange object known as the “golden orb” puzzled scientists and captured public attention after it was collected during a 2023 NOAA expedition. More than two years later, researchers have finally identified what it is. The unusual golden mass, discovered at a depth of 3,250 meters (over 2 miles) in…
Mammals once shared the planet with dinosaurs until a catastrophic event 66 million years ago wiped out about 75% of all life on Earth. Even so, some species managed to survive. Among them were small, rodent-like mammals belonging to the genus Cimolodon. These animals were part of the multituberculates, a…
Stress that people turn inward may be quietly increasing the risk of memory loss in older Chinese Americans, according to new research from Rutgers Health. The study, published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, was conducted by researchers at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and…
Cryopreservation, the process of preserving biological tissue by cooling it to extremely low temperatures, often sounds like something out of science fiction. In reality, scientists have been studying and refining this technique for nearly a century. Progress remained slow for decades, but that began to change in 2023, when researchers…
Modern cosmology is often associated with massive observatories, advanced instruments, and large international collaborations backed by significant funding. However, meaningful progress does not always require such scale. Even in the complex search for dark matter, smaller teams with creative approaches and institutional support can still make important contributions. A recent…
For the first time, researchers have directly visualized the quantum behavior that drives superconductivity, a state in which paired electrons allow electricity to flow with zero resistance at very low temperatures. But what they observed came as a surprise. In a study published April 15 in Physical Review Letters, the…
New research from the University of Colorado Boulder points to a little-known brain circuit that may determine whether short-term pain fades away or becomes a long-lasting problem. The findings suggest that this pathway plays a key role in turning temporary pain into chronic pain that can persist for months or…
A major new study published in Nature Health has found a strong connection between environmental exposure to agricultural pesticides and an increased risk of cancer. By combining environmental monitoring, national cancer registry data, and biological research, scientists from the IRD, Institut Pasteur, University of Toulouse, and the National Institute of…
Humans share a surprisingly strange ancestor with all other vertebrates. New research suggests that far back in evolutionary history, one of our earliest relatives had a single eye, much like a tiny cyclops, positioned on top of its head. Scientists from Lund University and the University of Sussex report that…
Regularly engaging in a variety of physical activities could be one of the most effective ways to extend lifespan, according to research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine. The findings suggest the relationship is not simply about doing more exercise. Instead, benefits appear to level off after a…
Each year during Central America’s dry season (generally between December and April), strong northern trade winds help drive an important ocean process in the Gulf of Panama. These winds push surface waters in a way that allows colder, nutrient-rich water from deep below to rise toward the surface. This process,…
At the bottom of some mezcal bottles sits one of the most recognizable curiosities in the world of spirits: a pale, curled “worm” preserved in alcohol. It has helped give mezcal an air of mystery for decades, but scientists have now shown that this famous bottle stowaway is not a…
Despite decades of effort, scientists have never recovered dinosaur DNA. Most paleontology research today still focuses on searching for traces of original organic material in fossils, but DNA has not survived the passage of time. Much of what we understand about dinosaurs comes from fossilized bones and teeth. These durable…
A sweeping genetic analysis is challenging one of the simplest versions of the human origin story: the idea that all modern humans arose from a single ancestral population in Africa. Instead, the research points to a more intricate beginning, with early human groups spread across Africa, mixing for long stretches…
A new study from the Medical University of South Carolina is raising fresh concerns about fish oil supplements, especially for people who experience repeated mild traumatic brain injuries. Writing in the journal Cell Reports, researchers report that these widely used supplements, often promoted as protective for the brain, could actually…
Hygiene is essential for everyday items that come into close contact with the body, including clothing, masks, and toothbrushes. Scientists have now uncovered how graphene can selectively eliminate bacteria while leaving human cells unharmed. This discovery points to a new class of antibacterial materials that could be both safe for…
