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Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have identified two gut bacteria that appear to work together to trigger chronic constipation. The microbes, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, break down the protective mucus layer that lines the colon. This slippery coating is essential for keeping the colon lubricated and stool soft.…
For years, the sharp rise in myopia — or nearsightedness — has largely been blamed on growing screen use, particularly among children and young adults. However, new research from scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry suggests the explanation may be more nuanced. A study scheduled for publication in Cell…
Scroll through TikTok or Instagram and you will likely see the familiar line: “Your frontal lobe isn’t fully developed yet.” It has become a popular explanation for questionable choices, from ordering another drink to texting someone you promised to avoid. The frontal lobe is responsible for many higher level abilities,…
A young woman was laid to rest with two small children at her side. For years, it might have seemed natural to assume they were her own. But DNA testing tells a different story. The children were closely related to each other, yet the woman was not their mother. In…
An international group of researchers, including scientists from the University of Wollongong (UOW), has uncovered strong evidence that shifting climate conditions contributed to the disappearance of Homo floresiensis, the small-bodied human species often called the hobbits. The findings, published in Communications Earth & Environment, indicate that these early humans left…
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire are using artificial intelligence to speed up the search for advanced magnetic materials. Their work has produced a searchable resource containing 67,573 magnetic compounds, including 25 materials that had not previously been recognized as magnets capable of staying magnetic at high temperatures. “By…
Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising option for cleaner, more sustainable energy storage. Researchers at the University of Surrey have identified a surprisingly simple way to improve their performance by keeping water inside a critical battery material instead of removing it. Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the market, but they…
An international team of researchers has developed a method to identify and forecast hotspots for some of the most dangerous scorpion species on Earth. By examining environmental conditions, the scientists determined which factors allow highly venomous scorpions to survive and spread — insights that could help reveal where scorpion stings…
Over the last decade, scientists at Northwestern University have identified a key insight about how vaccines work. The ingredients matter, but the way those ingredients are physically arranged can dramatically influence performance. After validating this concept in multiple studies, the researchers applied it to therapeutic cancer vaccines aimed at HPV-driven…
A new study reports a clear association between high sugar drink intake and anxiety symptoms in teenagers. Researchers from Bournemouth University collaborated on a large review that examined findings from multiple earlier studies exploring the relationship between diet and mental health. By analyzing the combined data, the team looked for…
Ocean waves represent one of the largest and most consistent sources of renewable energy on Earth. Despite their promise, converting wave motion into usable electricity has proven difficult. Most existing wave energy devices perform well only under specific wave conditions, limiting their effectiveness in the constantly shifting environment of the…
Intermittent fasting does not appear to help overweight or obese adults lose more weight than standard diet advice or even no structured program at all, according to a new Cochrane review. The findings challenge the widespread belief that changing when you eat leads to better weight loss results than traditional…
Researchers have created the first worldwide map and detailed study of small mare ridges (SMRs), subtle geological features that signal tectonic activity on the Moon. The findings, published in The Planetary Science Journal, come from scientists at the National Air and Space Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies and…
Researchers have pinpointed three already approved medications that may be repurposed to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Instead of starting from scratch, scientists examined medicines that are currently used for other conditions to see whether any could help protect the brain. The study, funded by Alzheimer’s Society and led by…
Today, oxygen is essential to life and constantly present in the air we breathe. But for most of Earth’s early history, that was not true. Oxygen did not become a stable part of the atmosphere until about 2.3 billion years ago, during a transformative period known as the Great Oxidation…
Antibiotic resistance (AR) has escalated rapidly in recent years, growing into a serious global health emergency. Disease-causing bacteria are continually adapting, finding new ways to survive treatments that once eliminated them. As a result, more drug resistant “superbugs” are spreading, and projections suggest that by 2050 they could be responsible…
For more than two centuries, paleontologists have studied a group of plant eating dinosaurs known as Iguanodontia. These dinosaurs were first identified in the early 1800s and are famous for their beaked mouths and strong hind legs. Now, that long established branch of the dinosaur family tree has gained a…
For years, many ecologists have argued that as global warming intensifies, nature should change more quickly. The logic seems straightforward. Rising temperatures and shifting climate zones would force species out of some areas while opening new habitats elsewhere, triggering faster local extinctions and rapid colonization. In theory, ecosystems should be…
Cannabis infused drinks could offer a new way for some people to cut back on alcohol, according to a small study led by public health researchers at the University at Buffalo. Alcohol use carries serious health and social consequences. Drinking has been linked to at least seven types of cancer…
NASA has successfully launched two sounding rocket missions from Alaska to investigate the powerful electrical forces behind the northern lights. The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor and the Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science mission, known as GNEISS (pronounced “nice”), both lifted off from the Poker Flat Research Range near…
For decades, assessments from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have tracked how Earth’s climate is shifting and have helped shape policies aimed at slowing global warming. Those assessments draw on extensive climate records, including annual measurements of autumn snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere collected by…
Researchers in China have created a more efficient strategy for producing natural killer (NK) cells for use in cancer immunotherapy. NK cells play a critical role in the body’s early defense against viruses and cancer, along with other immune functions. Because of their natural ability to detect and destroy abnormal…
Researchers in soil science, environmental engineering, and public health from the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) in Brazil, and the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain investigated whether crops grown near the Doce River estuary are safe to eat. The area in…
An international team led by the University of Vienna and Liège University Hospital Centre has uncovered genetic changes linked to a rare inherited growth disorder in two people who lived more than 12,000 years ago. By combining ancient DNA testing with modern clinical genetics, the researchers diagnosed the condition in…
Scientists at Columbia University working with Breakthrough Listen, a research initiative focused on searching for signs of civilizations beyond Earth, have reported new findings from the Breakthrough Listen Galactic Center Survey. This project represents one of the most sensitive radio investigations ever carried out to search for pulsars in the…
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have identified two brain receptors that help regulate the breakdown of amyloid beta, the protein that builds up in Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings suggest it may be possible to develop future medications that are both…
The journey began with T3p, a small RNA molecule detected in breast cancer but not in normal tissue. When it was first described in 2018, it stood out as unusual. That initial finding launched a six-year effort to systematically identify similar orphan non-coding RNAs (oncRNAs) across major cancer types, determine…
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a cutting edge method for protecting communications using the laws of quantum mechanics. It allows two parties to create a shared secret key even if someone is secretly monitoring the connection. The strength of QKD lies in the physics itself. Any attempt to intercept the…
A new study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that the type of foods people choose on a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet may be more important than simply cutting carbs or fat. Researchers found that when these diets focused on nutrient-dense, wholesome foods,…
At the start of 2025, Santorini and nearby parts of the Aegean Sea were rattled by tens of thousands of earthquakes. Scientists have now determined what caused the intense shaking. In a study published in Nature, researchers from GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research…
