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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called ‘forever chemicals’, include thousands of manmade compounds used in non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, fire-fighting foams, food packaging, cleaning supplies, and plastics. Their chemical structure is built on extremely strong molecular bonds, allowing them to resist breaking down in the environment. As a result,…
A recent study suggests that older adults who avoid meat may be somewhat less likely to reach age 100 than those who eat it. However, the findings are more complex than they first appear and should not be taken as a simple verdict against plant based diets. Researchers followed more…
A shingles vaccine may do more than prevent a painful rash. New research from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests it could also be associated with slower biological aging in older adults. Scientists analyzed information from the nationally representative U.S. Health and Retirement Study, focusing on more than…
A sweeping (umbrella) systematic review and pooled analysis published in the open access journal RMD Open suggests that exercise therapy may provide only minimal and short lived relief from osteoarthritis symptoms. In some cases, the benefits may be little different from receiving no treatment at all. The researchers say these…
Eating mostly oatmeal for just two days may significantly reduce cholesterol, according to a clinical trial from the University of Bonn published in Nature Communications. The study focused on people with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes excess body weight, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and abnormal…
Researchers have uncovered a promising new treatment target for a severe autoimmune brain disorder. The finding could help drive the development of more precise therapies for a condition caused by the immune system attacking a critical brain receptor known as the NMDA receptor. It may also open the door to…
After analyzing 11 years of magnetic field data from the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellite constellation, researchers have found that a large weak zone in Earth’s magnetic field over the South Atlantic has grown dramatically. This region, called the South Atlantic Anomaly, has expanded since 2014 by an area nearly…
Future missions to Mars may want to dig into ice rather than rock. Scientists say ancient microbes, or traces of them, could be locked inside Martian ice deposits, preserved for tens of millions of years. Researchers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Penn State recreated Mars like conditions in…
Scientists have uncovered new details about how certain sugars help immune cells enter the skin during psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease. These sugars, known as glycans, appear to play a more active role in guiding immune cells than previously thought. The findings were published in Science Signaling in a paper…
Even the fastest supercomputers struggle with certain complex tasks, such as discovering new medicines or breaking advanced encryption. Quantum computers could one day handle these challenges, but they depend on rare materials known as topological superconductors that are extremely difficult to create and control. Researchers at the University of Chicago…
About 250 million years ago, a region that is now a harsh desert in remote northwestern Australia lay along the edge of a shallow bay connected to a vast prehistoric ocean. Fossils collected there more than six decades ago and largely overlooked in museum collections are now reshaping scientists’ understanding…
For many people living with depression, standard antidepressant medications do not bring enough relief. In those cases, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has become an important alternative. This noninvasive therapy uses magnetic pulses to activate targeted areas of the brain linked to mood. Traditionally, TMS requires patients to visit a clinic…
A horse’s whinny may sound like a single call, but it is actually a blend of both high and low frequencies. In a study published February 23 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, researchers explained how horses manage to produce these very different sounds at the same time. They…
A new study has found tiny plastic particles in nine out of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Researchers also discovered that these microplastics were present at higher concentrations in cancerous tumors than in nearby noncancerous prostate tissue. The investigation was carried out at NYU Langone Health, including its Perlmutter…
More than 40,000 years ago, early humans were already engraving symbols onto tools, figurines, and other objects. A new study by linguist Christian Bentz of Saarland University and archaeologist Ewa Dutkiewicz of the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Museum of Prehistory and Early History) in Berlin suggests these sequences of…
Major scientific advances often require patience, and this discovery is a prime example. After nearly 50 years of theory and repeated failed attempts by research groups around the world, David Scheschkewitz, Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at Saarland University, and his doctoral student Ankur — collaborating with Bernd Morgenstern…
Small shifts in how blood moves through the brain and how brain cells receive oxygen may be closely connected to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. That is the conclusion of new research from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine…
For generations, scientists have studied the stars and planets to better understand how our galaxy works. Now, Dr. Jo-Anne Brown, PhD, is focused on charting something we cannot see at all: the Milky Way’s magnetic field. “Without a magnetic field, the galaxy would collapse in on itself due to gravity,”…
Scientists at Kyoto University have developed a theoretical model examining whether disturbances in the ionosphere could apply electrostatic forces deep within the Earth’s crust. Under certain conditions, these forces might contribute to the start of large earthquakes. The research is not designed to forecast earthquakes. Instead, it outlines a possible…
Tropical swamps and peatlands are critical players in Earth’s carbon cycle and, by extension, the global climate. In regions such as the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin, and the wetlands of Southeast Asia, thick layers of partially decomposed plant material build up over time. Together, these ecosystems lock away roughly…
A remarkably complete skeleton uncovered along the UK’s Jurassic Coast has been identified as a previously unknown species of ichthyosaur — a group of prehistoric marine reptiles that once dominated the world’s oceans. The dolphin-sized creature, named Xiphodracon goldencapensis and nicknamed the “Sword Dragon of Dorset,” is the only known…
Scientists at the University of Waterloo are working on a new cancer treatment that uses specially engineered bacteria to consume tumors from the inside. The strategy relies on microbes that naturally thrive in oxygen-free environments, which makes the interior of many solid tumors an ideal target. “Bacteria spores enter the…
Researchers at CU Boulder have developed highly efficient optical microresonators that could support a new generation of powerful sensor technologies. A microresonator is a microscopic structure designed to confine light in a small space. As light circulates inside, its intensity increases. When that intensity reaches a sufficient level, scientists can…
A new nationwide study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reports that U.S. counties situated closer to operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) have higher cancer death rates than counties located farther away. This is the first study of the 21st century to examine the…
Rising global mean sea level (GMSL) is one of the clearest signs of a warming planet. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have produced the first highly precise 30-year (1993-2022) record of changes in global ocean mass, also known as barystatic sea level. Their findings show that the…
Regular exercise supports both physical and mental health. Now, new findings from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggest that how intensely you train may also influence the makeup of your gut microbiome. PhD candidate Ms. Bronwen Charlesson examined how different training loads, ranging from high intensity to lighter periods, affect athletes’…
Aging muscles heal more slowly after injury, a frustrating reality familiar to many older adults. New research from UCLA, conducted in mice, points to a surprising explanation. As muscles age, their stem cells build up high levels of a protein that makes them slower to switch on and repair damaged…
On land, dramatic canyons such as the Grand Canyon are carved over time by flowing rivers. The ocean does not have rivers capable of cutting into rock on that scale. Even so, the seafloor hosts enormous features that surpass the size of the largest land canyons. About 1,000 kilometers off…
New research into how people perceive differences between colors is reshaping a theory first proposed nearly 100 years ago by physicist Erwin Schrödinger. Roxana Bujack, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, led a team that applied geometry to precisely describe how we experience hue, saturation and lightness. Their findings,…
Limiting sugar consumption during early childhood may reduce the risk of serious heart problems later in life. A study published in The BMJ, based on data from the end of sugar rationing in the United Kingdom in 1953, found that people who consumed less sugar early on were less likely…
