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Aging happens at different speeds from one person to another, but it eventually affects everyone. New research from Stanford Medicine, conducted in mice and human cells, points to a particular failure in the immune system that may help explain why. The researchers found that tissue-resident macrophages, a type of immune…
The universe is producing fewer stellar “babies.” Over the past 4.5 billion years, the rate at which new stars form has fallen to less than half its previous level. Yet the supply of one of the most important types of “fuel” for star formation has changed surprisingly little. That finding…
September brings a busy lineup for skywatchers, including a dazzling Venus, a Harvest Moon near Saturn and Neptune, the seasonal equinox, and opportunities to use the Moon as a guide to some recognizable stars and Milky Way features. September Skywatching Highlights Sept. 14-20: Follow the Moon to Antares and the…
When John Glenn orbited Earth in 1962, he commented on a striking green valley northwest of El Paso, Texas, surrounded by an otherwise dry landscape. That contrast is largely the result of human-made lakes along the Rio Grande, which have made farming possible in the arid region. Irrigation supports crops…
ADHD affects millions of people and can make everyday tasks involving focus, impulse control, and sustained attention more difficult. At the same time, traits associated with ADHD are also found among highly successful artists and innovators, including Justin Timberlake and Simone Biles. New research from Constructor University neuroscientist Dr. Radwa…
Spending long periods sitting without getting up may carry greater health risks than simply accumulating a high amount of sedentary time over the course of a day. A new study found that every additional hour of prolonged, uninterrupted sedentary behavior was associated with a 9% higher risk of dying from…
Takotsubo syndrome is a sudden heart condition that most often affects postmenopausal women and can be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress. It accounts for about 2 percent of patients initially thought to be having a heart attack – and up to one in ten women with acute coronary…
Reaching another star within a practical amount of time will require something far more capable than chemical rockets. One of the leading ideas is a solar sail, a large reflective structure that can be pushed by light. If extremely powerful lasers are aimed at such a sail, they could accelerate…
Persistent financial hardship may speed up age-related cognitive decline, according to new research led by University College London (UCL). Published in Innovation in Aging, the study analyzed information from 2,759 people in the UK who completed questionnaires across much of their lives through the MRC National Survey of Health and…
A new study suggests that brain imaging could reveal changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease more than seven years earlier than researchers previously believed. The work was led by scientists in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo and was published in Nature Neuroscience. The study suggests that the…
A newly analyzed fossil predator from what is now England and Wales has been identified as the largest scorpion known to science. Researchers from The University of Manchester and the Natural History Museum reached the conclusion after revisiting fossils that had remained in museum collections for more than 150 years.…
Researchers at Flinders University have found new evidence that coffee and tea may have different relationships with bone health in older women. Published in Nutrients, the study tracked nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for 10 years. The researchers examined whether regular coffee and tea consumption was associated with…
Physicists have spent decades organizing the growing collection of subatomic particles, yet some discoveries continue to resist easy classification. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have now identified evidence for two unexpected structures that may help clarify part of this increasingly complicated particle landscape.…
The Sun does far more than provide Earth with light and heat. Two recent NASA-funded studies suggest that events from the Sun’s distant past may have influenced Earth’s climate in unexpected ways, from helping drive ancient temperature shifts to keeping the young planet warm enough for liquid water and possibly…
Where a person lives during early adulthood may influence their heart health decades later. A recent study found that people exposed to more unfavorable neighborhood social conditions when they were young adults had a greater likelihood of developing coronary artery calcification by midlife. Coronary artery calcification is an important marker…
Obesity may leave a long-lasting biological imprint on the immune system, potentially keeping some health risks elevated for years after weight loss. A 10-year study published in EMBO Reports suggests that people who have lived with obesity can retain a molecular “memory” of that state in important immune cells. The…
Simple practices such as mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and optimism training may improve several markers of cardiovascular health within a matter of weeks. A recent study found that these positive psychology interventions were consistently associated with improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart disease risk factors. Because some of the…
An international research team led by scientists in Canada has uncovered a likely explanation for one of the more unusual features of snake development: why embryos curl into tight spirals before hatching. This coiling behavior appears to help snakes accommodate the exceptionally long bodies that distinguish them from every other…
People who reach their 90s without dementia might appear to have escaped much of the danger of cognitive decline. Until recently, however, scientists had relatively little evidence showing what happens to dementia risk at such advanced ages. That gap is becoming increasingly important as lifespans rise around the world. By…
Computer models are helping scientists explain a puzzling pattern of deformation beneath the East African Rift System. The results point to the African Superplume, a vast upwelling of hot mantle material deep inside Earth, as the source of unusual motion that runs parallel to the rift as well as a…
A series of winter storms swept across northern Chile in August 2026, bringing an unusual covering of snow to parts of the Atacama Desert. Snowfall in this famously dry region is not unprecedented. Similar events occurred in 2025 and 2011. However, one of the August 2026 storms stood out for…
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is back to studying the universe with two of its three science instruments after plans to raise the spacecraft into a higher orbit were scaled back. The observatory’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope and X-ray Telescope were switched back on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Both instruments had been shut…
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the planned launch of Crew-13 to the International Space Station after engineers discovered an oxidizer leak in the propulsion system of the mission’s Dragon spacecraft. The issue was found during routine spacecraft processing ahead of launch. An oxidizer is a chemical that helps fuel burn…
A once-nightly oral medication significantly improved obstructive sleep apnea in a large phase 3 clinical trial presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference. The drug, known as AD109, is designed to treat OSA by targeting the neuromuscular problems that contribute to airway collapse during sleep. The study, “Aroxybutynin and Atomoxetine…
Microglia are the brain’s most abundant immune cells. They help protect the brain from harmful invaders, clear away damaged neurons, and support normal brain development. Researchers at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute have now found for the first time that human microglia, much like human neurons, mature far more slowly than comparable…
Cancer cells can sometimes evade the immune system by surrounding themselves with a dense layer of sugar-derived molecules. This coating can act as a form of camouflage, making it harder for immune cells to recognize and destroy them. Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and collaborating institutions across…
Choosing the diet version of a favorite soda often means consuming non-nutritive sweeteners. These additives provide sweetness without the calories found in sugar. However, some health organizations have begun raising questions about their possible long-term effects, including whether they may disrupt energy metabolism and eventually contribute to a higher risk…
Scientists at the University at Buffalo have developed an injectable hydrogel designed to keep osteoarthritis treatments inside the joint for much longer than conventional injections. After a single minimally invasive injection, the material changes from a liquid into a smooth, lubricating semisolid depot at body temperature. Once in place, it…
A simple measurement around the waist could reveal important health risks that weight alone may miss, according to new research from Rutgers Health. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that measuring waist circumference, either by itself or together with body mass index (BMI), was about as effective as…
Uncovering this hidden structure could eventually allow researchers to design superconducting materials and devices with greater control and precision. As scientists pursue quantum computers, ultra-efficient electronics, and other advanced technologies, a detailed understanding of how electrons behave inside superconductors will become increasingly important. ng-standing puzzle about their behavior and offers…