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Astronomers from an international research team, including scientists from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), have found the clearest evidence so far that some fast radio bursts originate in binary star systems. Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are extremely powerful flashes of radio waves that…
Astronomers have, for the first time, detected radio waves coming from an unusually rare kind of exploding star. This breakthrough gives scientists a unique way to examine the final years of a massive star’s life before it ends in a violent supernova. The results, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters,…
Researchers examining spiders and scorpions at the Zoological Collections Laboratory of the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, noticed something unusual on a spider only a few millimeters long. The animal appeared to be wearing a delicate pearl necklace. Unsure of what they were seeing, the team turned to a…
A newly published scientific review brings together decades of research examining how wild blueberries may influence cardiometabolic health. This area of health includes key measures such as blood vessel function, blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and blood sugar (glucose). The review appears in Critical Reviews in Food Science…
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered that Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread parasite estimated to infect up to one-third of the world’s population, is far more intricate than scientists once believed. The study, published in Nature Communications, sheds new light on how the parasite causes disease and why…
Researchers from the Department of Medicine at the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have identified a biological process that explains how physical activity helps maintain strong bones. The discovery could lead to new treatments for osteoporosis and bone loss, particularly for people…
For many years, scientists believed they had a clear picture of what causes asthma. The condition has been linked to inflammation in the lungs that narrows the airways and makes breathing difficult. That inflammation was widely attributed to molecules known as “leukotrienes.” These chemicals are released by white blood cells…
Researchers from University of Utah Health have published new findings in Science Advances that examine the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet. The results raise fresh questions about whether the diet is safe or effective for improving metabolic health over extended periods. Although the ketogenic diet was first developed as…
Most cells in the human body can replace themselves after damage. Neurons, the cells that power the nervous system, usually cannot. Once injured, they rarely generate healthy replacements. Following events such as strokes, concussions, or neurodegenerative diseases, neurons and their axons are much more likely to deteriorate than to repair…
Quantum technology is rapidly moving beyond controlled laboratory experiments and into practical use. According to a new paper published in Science, the field has reached a critical phase that mirrors the early era of classical computing before the invention of the transistor reshaped modern technology. The paper was written by…
Small, pale rocks scattered across Mars’ reddish surface are offering fresh clues that parts of the planet may once have been far wetter than they are today. These light-colored spots stand out sharply against the surrounding terrain and suggest that some regions of Mars once hosted humid environments with frequent…
Creatures without hard shells or bones, such as jellyfish, almost never survive in the fossil record. Preservation becomes even more difficult in sandstone, a rock made of coarse grains that allow water to pass through easily and typically forms in turbulent environments shaped by waves and storms. These conditions usually…
New research from Curtin University offers the clearest scientific support so far that people, rather than glaciers, carried Stonehenge’s well known bluestones to the ancient monument. The findings take aim at one of archaeology’s longest running debates and add weight to the idea that the stones were deliberately moved by…
A large study from France published by The BMJ reports that people who consume higher amounts of food preservatives may face a slightly increased risk of developing cancer. These additives are commonly used in industrially processed foods and drinks to extend shelf life. The researchers emphasize that more studies are…
New research suggests that both the amount and the type of carbohydrates people eat may strongly influence their risk of developing dementia. The findings come from a collaborative study conducted by the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) research group at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Centre for Environmental,…
Physicists have identified an unexpected connection between magnetism and the pseudogap, a puzzling phase of matter that appears in some quantum materials just before they become superconducting. This insight could help researchers develop new materials with valuable properties, including high-temperature superconductivity, where electricity travels without energy loss. The discovery came…
People who have obesity and high blood pressure may be more likely to develop dementia, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Dementia is an increasing global public health concern, and there is currently no cure. People affected by the condition experience a serious…
Researchers at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering have identified the first physical mechanism explaining how magnetic fields slow the movement of carbon atoms through iron. Published in Physical Review Letters, the work sheds new light on how carbon affects the internal grain…
In Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking-Glass,” Alice runs endlessly alongside the Red Queen but never moves ahead. “It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place,” the Queen explains. That idea has long been used to describe evolutionary standoffs between species, such as hosts and…
When ice turns into water, the change happens almost instantly. As soon as the temperature reaches the melting point, the rigid structure of ice collapses into liquid water. This rapid switch from solid to liquid is typical for familiar three-dimensional materials. Extremely thin materials behave very differently. Instead of melting…
One of astronomy’s longest standing puzzles has been understanding how black holes grew so large in such a short span of cosmic time. Scientists have long known that supermassive black holes existed surprisingly early in the universe, but how they reached those enormous sizes remained unclear. Now, researchers at Ireland’s…
First observed in the early 1800s, the Helix Nebula has become one of the most recognizable planetary nebulas in the sky thanks to its bold, ring-like appearance. As one of the closest planetary nebulas to Earth, it offers astronomers a rare opportunity to closely examine the final stages of a…
Researchers at the University of Basel and the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel have shown that quantum entanglement can be used to measure several physical quantities at the same time with greater accuracy than traditional methods allow. Entanglement is often described as one of the most mysterious effects in quantum physics. When…
Adding a log to a glowing fireplace on a cold winter night often feels comforting and harmless. However, new research from Northwestern University shows that burning wood inside homes plays a much larger role in winter air pollution across the United States than many people realize. The study found that…
Scientists have successfully reconstructed the genome of Treponema pallidum from human remains that are about 5,500 years old, discovered in the Sabana de Bogotá region of Colombia. This bacterium is responsible for several serious infectious diseases today, including syphilis. The findings, published in the journal Science, significantly expand what researchers…
Scientists have created a new way to predict how cancer cells evolve as they gain or lose entire chromosomes. These large chromosome changes can quickly reshape tumors, helping them grow, adapt to stress, and resist treatment. A new tool called ALFA-K reveals which chromosome changes help cancer cells thrive and…
Alzheimer’s disease is known for one devastating effect above all others. It steadily destroys brain cells and the connections between them, breaking down the neural networks that allow us to store and recall memories. What remains far less certain is how this destruction begins. One leading explanation focuses on amyloid…
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a chain reaction within the immune system that may help explain why people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a much greater risk of colorectal cancer. The preclinical findings show how signals in the gut can trigger a surge of white blood cells…
A long-standing mystery surrounding a Roman-era skeleton discovered in southern England may finally be close to an answer. Earlier studies suggested the young woman, known as the Beachy Head Woman, may have had recent ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa or the Mediterranean. New genetic research now points in a different direction,…
Can generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT genuinely create original ideas? A new study led by Professor Karim Jerbi from the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal, with participation from renowned AI researcher Yoshua Bengio, takes on that question at an unprecedented scale. The research is the largest…
