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Researchers have found that microplastics drifting through rivers, lakes, and oceans constantly release a complex blend of dissolved organic chemicals into the water. This chemical leakage continues over time and becomes much more intense when plastics are exposed to sunlight. The new findings offer the most detailed molecular-level picture so…
Long before Mars became the cold, dry world we see today, rain once fell across its surface. Water gathered in low-lying valleys and river channels, overflowed crater rims, and rushed through canyons. Some of that water may have traveled far enough to reach a vast ocean that once covered part…
A large comparative study published online in the open access journal BMJ Global Health has found that even low daily alcohol consumption is linked to a much higher risk of mouth cancer in India. Drinking just 9 g of alcohol per day, about the amount in one standard drink, was…
A large review of medical studies examined whether cannabis-based products can help people living with chronic pain, a condition defined as pain that lasts for months or even years. The analysis included data from more than 2,300 adults and focused on products containing different amounts of two well-known cannabis compounds:…
New research from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine suggests that women who live near federally designated Superfund sites face a higher risk of developing aggressive forms of breast cancer — including triple-negative breast cancer, which is especially difficult to treat. Previous research…
All living things must survive in environments that are constantly changing. Seasons shift from summer to winter, and weather patterns can swing from floods one year to drought the next. Populations of plants and animals are always dealing with new pressures, explains University of Vermont scientist Csenge Petak. What remains…
Scientists have uncovered more than 30,000 fossilized teeth, bones, and other remains on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. The fossils come from a 249 million year old marine community that included extinct reptiles, amphibians, bony fish, and sharks. Together, they document one of the earliest known expansions of land-dwelling…
On Earth, finding the exact time is effortless. Our planet relies on a sophisticated global system that combines atomic clocks, GPS satellites, and ultra-fast communication networks to keep everything in sync. That precision does not extend naturally beyond Earth. Albert Einstein showed that time does not move at the same…
A new study published in Scientific Reports describes the discovery of an unusually large hydrothermal vent field on the shallow seafloor surrounding the Greek island of Milos. The vents were found during the METEOR expedition M192, when scientists carried out detailed surveys using multiple techniques. These included underwater mapping tools…
Researchers at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center report that magnesium plays a key role in regulating vitamin D levels in the body. In a randomized clinical trial, magnesium increased vitamin D in people who were deficient, while reducing levels in those who already had high amounts. The findings suggest magnesium helps keep…
As people get older, the immune system often becomes less effective. Populations of T cells shrink, and the remaining cells may respond more slowly to germs. That slowdown can leave older adults more vulnerable to many kinds of infections. To address this age related decline, scientists from MIT and the…
Earth’s climate is shifting worldwide, but the fastest changes are happening near the poles. New research from Penn State offers a detailed look at how chemical reactions in the Arctic atmosphere are unfolding, revealing that several distinct processes are interacting at the same time and reshaping the region’s climate. Scientists…
Scientists have developed a protein that can record the chemical messages brain cells receive, rather than focusing only on the signals they send out. These incoming signals are created when neurons release glutamate, a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in brain communication. Although glutamate is essential for processes like…
Acetaldehyde is an essential chemical building block that plays a major role in modern manufacturing. It is commonly produced using the ethylene-based Wacker oxidation process, a method that is expensive and carries significant environmental drawbacks. Converting bioethanol into acetaldehyde through selective oxidation offers a more sustainable alternative, but most existing…
MIT engineers have created a new aluminum alloy that can be 3D printed, tolerates extreme heat, and reaches strength levels far beyond conventional aluminum. Tests show the material is five times stronger than aluminum made using standard manufacturing techniques. The alloy is produced by combining aluminum with several other elements,…
Mars is constantly swept by winds that lift fine dust into spinning whirlwinds known as dust devils. While studying two of these storms, the microphone on the SuperCam instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover unexpectedly picked up unusually strong signals. This microphone was the first ever used on Mars. Scientists later…
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) have identified the source of a long-standing battery problem linked to fading capacity, shorter lifespans, and in some cases fires. The findings clarify why certain advanced lithium ion batteries break down faster than expected and…
Researchers have uncovered ancient wolf remains on a small, isolated island in the Baltic Sea, a location the animals could not have reached without human help. The findings point to a surprising possibility that prehistoric people deliberately brought grey wolves to the island and may have kept or managed them.…
Prescription stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall are commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including among children. In the United States, an estimated 3.5 million children ages 3 to 17 take medication for ADHD. That number has risen as diagnoses of the neurodevelopmental disorder have become…
The United States may already be producing most of the critical minerals it needs, but much of that material is currently going unused. A new statistical study led by Elizabeth Holley and her research team shows that valuable minerals could be recovered as byproducts from active U.S. metal mines, sharply…
Astronomers from around the world have reached a major milestone in studying the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), they identified a supernova, the explosive death of a massive star, at a distance never observed before. The blast, known as SN in GRB 250314A, occurred when the…
Researchers have grown pea-sized brains in the lab that are offering an unprecedented look at how neurons behave differently in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These psychiatric conditions affect millions of people worldwide, yet they remain difficult to diagnose because scientists have not fully understood their underlying molecular causes. The findings…
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found that large sharks can spend hours far below the ocean surface in the mesopelagic zone, a layer stretching from 200 to 1,000 meters (650 to 3,300 feet) deep. This dim region contains more living biomass than any other part of…
A University of Cincinnati physicist and an international team of collaborators say they have worked out a theoretical method for producing axions inside fusion reactors. It is a challenge that even two well known fictional physicists could not solve on television. On the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” characters…
Obesity remains one of the most serious health challenges worldwide, and weight loss is often encouraged as a way to lower the risks tied to excess weight. But growing research suggests that the effects of weight loss may change with age. During midlife, losing weight may not always produce the…
The most wide ranging quantitative analysis of research on complementary and alternative treatments for autism has found no strong evidence that these approaches are effective. The review also found that safety was often overlooked, with many treatments never properly evaluated for possible risks. The study was led by researchers from…
In horror films, the most frightening threats are often the ones you cannot see. In the deep ocean, scientists are now facing a similar kind of unease, driven by the unexplained absence of a crucial species. That species is the zombie worm, formally known as “the bone devourer” Osedax. Its…
A research team led by scientists at the University of Ottawa has produced a new set of detailed 3D models that map temperatures deep beneath Greenland and northeastern Canada. These models shed light on how the region formed over millions of years and help explain how Greenland’s massive ice sheet…
Scientists have now clarified how deuterons form under extreme conditions. Protons and neutrons needed to create these tiny nuclei are released when extremely short-lived, high-energy particle states decay (so-called resonances). Once freed, the particles can join together to form deuterons. The same process also explains how antideuterons, made of antimatter,…
Researchers at Stanford Medicine have identified the biological steps that explain how mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines can, in rare cases, lead to heart inflammation in some adolescent and young adult males. Their work also points to a potential strategy for lowering that risk. By combining modern laboratory techniques with previously published…
