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Vision guides an animal’s actions, but new research from MIT shows that the relationship goes both ways. The study, published November 25 in Neuron, reports that behavior and internal conditions directly influence how visual information is processed. In mice, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which serves as a major center for…
Every day, the brain turns passing impressions, creative sparks, and emotional experiences into lasting memories that shape our identity and guide our decisions. A central question in neuroscience has been how the brain determines which pieces of information are worth storing and how long those memories should remain. Recent findings…
New research from the University of St Andrews reports that some coastal regions are on track to become far more acidic than scientists once believed. As additional atmospheric CO2 enters the air, it dissolves into the ocean more quickly than anticipated, driving a rapid drop in pH that threatens coastal…
A recently analyzed fossil from Devon is giving scientists a rare look at what the earliest members of the lizard lineage may have looked like, and the findings come with several unexpected twists, according to researchers at the University of Bristol. The work was published in Nature. Today, lizards and…
In a new paper in Science, researchers from the University of Chicago describe how, about 66 million years ago, the bodies of the duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens were transformed into remarkably detailed dinosaur “mummies” that preserved tiny features of skin, scales, and hooves. The team names the process “clay templating.”…
Belgian researchers from VIB and Ghent University (UGent), working with partners in Denmark, have found strong evidence that infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) early in infancy sharply raises the likelihood of developing childhood asthma. The effect is especially pronounced in children who have a family history of allergies or…
Women who experience continuing thyroid hormone irregularities throughout pregnancy may face a higher chance of having a child diagnosed with autism, according to a study released in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Thyroid hormones supplied by the mother play an important role in fetal neurodevelopment. When these hormones…
New findings from scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History show that most dogs alive today retain small but measurable amounts of wolf ancestry that developed after domestication. These lingering wolf genes appear to have influenced characteristics such as body size,…
Life online remains vulnerable. Criminals can infiltrate bank accounts or steal personal identities, and AI is helping these attacks become more sophisticated. Quantum cryptography offers a promising defense by using the rules of quantum physics to secure communication against eavesdropping. Even so, building a functioning quantum internet still involves major…
In the summer of 2022, only a few weeks after the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began delivering its first scientific images, astronomers noticed an unexpected pattern: tiny red points scattered throughout the new observations. These extremely compact, distinctly red objects appeared with remarkable clarity thanks to JWST’s sensitivity, and…
In the early 1930s, Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky noticed that many galaxies were moving far faster than their visible mass should permit. This unusual motion led him to propose that some kind of invisible structure — dark matter — was supplying the extra gravitational pull needed to keep those galaxies…
Right now, 68 million Americans have a deadline coming up: the deadline to decide their Medicare health coverage for next year if they’re over age 65 or have major disabilities. They must make those decisions by December 7, for coverage beginning January 1, 2026, which makes this time, known as…
For many people, a glass of beer feels incomplete without a thick, creamy layer of foam resting on top. Yet anyone who enjoys beer knows that this foam often disappears quickly, collapsing before the first sip. Some varieties, however, manage to hold their foam for a surprisingly long time. Researchers…
People invest significant time and effort into keeping their skin looking young through masks, creams and serums. Researchers have now identified naturally produced molecules with anti-aging potential that originate within the body itself. These three compounds come from a blood-dwelling bacterium and were shown to reduce both cellular damage and…
A population-based natural experiment investigated how living near cannabis retail stores relates to cannabis-related harms. The researchers found a connection between store exposure and higher rates of harm, with the largest increases appearing in neighborhoods that had many stores located close together. These results indicate that limiting the number of…
A new study examining cognitively impaired professional boxers and mixed martial arts fighters reports that the brain’s waste-clearing system appears to weaken after repeated blows to the head. These findings are scheduled to be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Sports-related…
Researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP), working together with the Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL), have found significant amounts of hazardous chemicals in plastic toys sold throughout Brazil. The team examined 70 products, including both imported and locally produced items, creating what they describe as the most extensive…
Researchers Dr. Adrienne Chan and Professor Ian Wong of Aston University examined how antiseizure medications are used around the world. The World Health Organization lists valproate as an essential medicine, yet the drug can lead to serious neurodevelopmental disorders when taken during pregnancy. Findings show that access to antiseizure treatments…
Graphene is a remarkable form of carbon, built from a single layer of tightly connected atoms that is only one atom thick. Despite its thinness, it is highly stable and conducts electricity extremely well. Because of these qualities, graphene is considered a “miracle material” and is already being explored for…
Thanks to newly discovered fossil bones, scientists have now been able to match an enigmatic 3.4-million-year-old hominin foot, first found in 2009, to a species that is different from the famous fossil Lucy. This link strengthens the case that two separate species of early human ancestors were living in the…
Artificial intelligence can now craft award-winning essays and help doctors detect disease with impressive accuracy. Yet when it comes to true mental flexibility, living brains still have the clear advantage. Humans can adjust to new situations and information with remarkable ease. Learning unfamiliar computer software, trying a new recipe, or…
CBD is already used by many people for issues such as chronic pain, nausea, and inflammation. A new analysis suggests that dogs might also experience some of these benefits. Researchers in the US examined information from the Dog Aging Project to better understand the characteristics, health patterns, and behavior of…
Bird flu viruses pose a significant danger to humans because they can continue multiplying at temperatures warmer than a normal fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing down viral infections, yet new research led by the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow shows that these avian viruses…
Long-term exposure to polluted air may significantly reduce the positive health effects of regular physical activity, according to new research from an international team that included experts from UCL (University College London). The study, published in BMC Medicine, examined information from over 1.5 million adults who were monitored for more…
A newly identified kind of DNA damage inside mitochondria, the small structures that supply cells with energy, may help explain how the body detects and reacts to stress. The work, led by researchers at UC Riverside and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that this…
Understanding how many atoms move and interact inside laser-driven polyatomic molecules is essential for any attempt to guide chemical reactions using intense light. With the help of ultrashort, high-power X-ray pulses created by accelerator-based free electron lasers (FELs), scientists can now directly observe how strong laser fields rapidly reshape molecular…
Whether preparing for a marathon, squeezing in an after-work gym session, or stepping onto the field for a professional game, warming up appears to play a role that is nearly as crucial as the workout or competition itself. New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) explored whether warm-up routines could…
Over the past ten years, emergency departments have seen a steady rise in patients seeking help for abdominal pain and episodes of intense or long-lasting vomiting. What these cases often share is chronic cannabis use. Until last month, clinicians lacked a standardized way to document this condition. They now have…
Coastlines around the planet are being steadily “crushed” as climate-driven sea level rise combines with expanding development in coastal zones. This ongoing process damages the diverse life that depends on sandy environments, disrupts local economies that rely on fishing and tourism, and leaves coastal cities more exposed to encroaching waters.…
Researchers at the University of Queensland have produced the first detailed, high-resolution images of the yellow fever virus (YFV). Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne infection that can severely damage the liver and is potentially fatal. Their work uncovered clear structural distinctions between the long-used vaccine strain (YFV-17D) and the strains…
