A once-in-a-generation discovery is transforming dairy farming

At a glance, the 400 acres of soybeans on the Preston family’s dairy farm in southern Michigan appear no different from any other field in the region. But this crop is far from ordinary. The soybeans are part of a research-driven collaboration with Michigan State University that is saving the…

A 47-year study reveals when fitness and strength start to fade

A long-running Swedish study conducted at Karolinska Institutet has followed people for 47 years to examine how fitness, strength, and muscle endurance evolve during adulthood. The findings show that physical performance begins to decline around age 35. At the same time, the research makes it clear that starting to exercise…

Microplastics are undermining the ocean’s power to absorb carbon

Scientists are raising new concerns after a study found that microplastics are interfering with the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a process that plays a vital role in regulating Earth’s temperature. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring less than five millimeters. Over time, they have spread across nearly every…

Engineers just created a “phonon laser” that could shrink your next smartphone

Engineers have taken a major step toward producing the smallest earthquakes ever created, shrinking seismic-style vibrations down to the scale of a microchip. The breakthrough centers on a device called a surface acoustic wave phonon laser. The technology could eventually enable more advanced chips for smartphones and other wireless electronics,…

How scientists are turning thyme into precision medicine

Thyme extract is often described as a powerful natural remedy because of its wide range of health effects. This reputation comes from several biologically active compounds — thymol, carvacrol, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid — that are known to support immune function while also offering anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant benefits.…

AI maps the hidden forces shaping cancer survival worldwide

For the first time, scientists have applied machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), to identify the factors most closely linked to cancer survival in nearly every country across the globe. The research, publishedin the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology, goes beyond broad comparisons to show which specific…

Tiny earthquakes are revealing a dangerous secret beneath California

By closely tracking swarms of extremely small earthquakes, scientists are gaining new insight into a dangerous and complicated region off the Northern California coast. This area marks the meeting point of the San Andreas fault and the Cascadia subduction zone, a place capable of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes. The…

An endocrinologist tried a new weight loss approach and it worked

For a long time, endocrinologist Leigh Perreault, MD, felt uneasy about how weight management was handled in routine medical care. Too often, patients were sent home with the same advice to eat better and exercise more, even when it clearly was not enough. “There was a moment I put my…

Scientists are rethinking bamboo as a powerful new superfood

The first-ever academic review focused on bamboo as a food has uncovered a wide range of possible health benefits. Researchers found evidence suggesting bamboo consumption may help regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, support digestive health, and provide antioxidant effects. Bamboo is known as the fastest growing plant on the planet,…

Researchers found a tipping point for video gaming and health

Spending more than 10 hours a week playing video games may begin to affect young people’s eating habits, sleep quality, and body weight, according to new research led by Curtin University and published in Nutrition. The study surveyed 317 students from five universities across Australia. Participants had a median age…

The breakthrough that makes robot faces feel less creepy

When people talk face to face, nearly half of their attention is drawn to the movement of the lips. Despite this, robots still have great difficulty moving their mouths in a convincing way. Even the most advanced humanoid machines often rely on stiff, exaggerated mouth motions that resemble a puppet,…

A routine eye treatment is raising new concerns for glaucoma patients

New research from Nagoya University in Japan has identified a previously overlooked risk associated with widely used eye ointments. The study shows that petrolatum-based eye ointments can cause a popular glaucoma implant to swell and, in some cases, rupture. Using both patient cases and laboratory testing, the researchers demonstrated that…

Scientists found hidden synapse hotspots in the teen brain

Adolescence is a defining stage not only for social and physical growth, but also for how the brain develops. During this time, advanced mental abilities such as planning, reasoning, and decision-making continue to mature. Even so, scientists still lack a complete understanding of how the brain’s complex networks are shaped…

Vitamin A may be helping cancer hide from the immune system

Researchers at the Princeton University Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have uncovered new ways a vitamin A-derived molecule can interfere with the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. The molecule, known as all-trans retinoic acid, was found to weaken natural anti-cancer immune responses and, under certain conditions,…

NASA brings Crew-11 home early in rare medical evacuation

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission has successfully concluded with a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean early Thursday morning, just off the coast of San Diego. The landing brought to a close a mission that lasted more than five months aboard the International Space Station. The returning crew included NASA astronauts…

Scientists find ‘master regulator’ that could reverse brain aging

Scientists at the University of New Mexico have uncovered an unexpected connection between the immune system and brain health. Their research shows that OTULIN, an enzyme known for regulating immune activity, also plays a major role in producing tau, a protein closely tied to Alzheimer’s disease, other neurodegenerative disorders, brain…

A deadly chemical frozen in ice may have sparked life on Earth

A chemical known for its danger to humans may have played an unexpected role in the earliest steps toward life on Earth. Hydrogen cyanide, which is highly poisonous, can freeze into crystals at low temperatures. Computer simulations published in ACS Central Science suggest that certain surfaces on these crystals are…

Those strange red dots in James Webb images finally have an explanation

Since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began scientific operations, astronomers have been intrigued by strange red dots appearing in its images of the distant universe. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have now identified what these objects are, uncovering extreme cosmic activity hidden inside dense clouds of ionized gas.…

Fewer offspring, longer life: The hidden rule of mammal aging

Longer lives across species: Limiting reproduction is linked to longer lifespans in many mammals, boosting life expectancy by about ten percent on average and sometimes even more. Different biology for males and females: Males live longer only when castration removes testosterone, while females gain longevity from any form of reproductive…

Scientists “resurrect” ancient cannabis enzymes with medical promise

Where did cannabis compounds like THC, CBD, and CBC come from? Scientists at Wageningen University & Research have now provided the first experimental proof showing how cannabis developed the ability to make these well-known cannabinoids. Along the way, the team also created enzymes that could be useful for producing cannabinoids…

One protein may decide whether brain chemistry heals or harms

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…

Scientists found the soil secret that doubles forest regrowth

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…

Stretchable OLED displays take a big leap forward

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…

Statins may help almost everyone with type 2 diabetes live longer

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…

Electrons stop acting like particles—and physics still works

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…

This after-meal blood sugar spike may raise Alzheimer’s risk

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…

Scientists question the safety of BPA-free packaging

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…

Forest loss is driving mosquitoes’ thirst for human blood

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…

New research challenges the cold dark matter assumption

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…