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An international group of researchers led by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) has identified a previously unknown species of fossilized insect from the Jurassic period in Australia, estimated to be about 151 million years old. This discovery marks the oldest known member of the Chironomidae family found in the Southern…
In a breakthrough that connects modern science with ideas first explored a century ago, researchers have witnessed a surprising phenomenon once thought possible only in inorganic metal oxides appearing inside a glowing organic semiconductor molecule. Led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, the discovery reveals a new and efficient…
For years, scientists have known that tiny chemical patterns can form inside metal alloys, but most assumed these patterns were insignificant or disappeared during manufacturing. Recent experiments have shown that in controlled lab conditions, such patterns can actually influence how metals behave — affecting their strength, durability, heat resistance, and…
Regular physical activity does more than improve muscle strength and cardiovascular health — it also enhances immune function. This conclusion comes from a study of older adults with a long history of endurance training, which includes sustained forms of exercise such as long-distance running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and walking. An…
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease occur when neurons gradually deteriorate and die. This progressive loss of brain cells leads to severe symptoms including memory decline, cognitive impairment, and difficulty with movement. Over time, these conditions can greatly diminish quality of life and often leave patients dependent…
Scientists at the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have created a pioneering brain imaging method that captures how the brain’s smallest blood vessels pulse in time with each heartbeat. These subtle movements may offer vital insights into…
Changes in eyesight are one of the most familiar effects of getting older. Sit in a dim restaurant with someone over 60, and you might hear, “Hold on — let me pull out my cell phone. I need more light to read the menu!” But what if declining vision with…
In a new interview published today (October 14) by Genomic Press in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Bruce M. Cohen shares research findings that are reshaping how scientists around the world understand and treat neuropsychiatric disorders. As the Robertson-Steele Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Program for…
The Sun’s polar regions remain one of the least explored areas in solar science. Space-based observatories and ground telescopes have given us extraordinary images of the Sun’s surface, atmosphere, and magnetic fields, but nearly all of those observations come from within the ecliptic plane — the narrow zone where Earth…
For more than a century and a half, astronomers have been captivated by the distant galaxy OJ 287, located about five billion light years from Earth. Its puzzling variations in brightness have long hinted that two enormous black holes may be orbiting and merging at its center. Now, an international…
In the early universe, a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, the first stars emerged from vast, untouched clouds of hydrogen and helium. Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that some of these early stars may have been unlike the familiar (nuclear fusion-powered) stars…
Engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed an artificial neuron whose electrical activity closely matches that of natural brain cells. The innovation builds on the team’s earlier research using protein nanowires made from electricity-producing bacteria. This new approach could pave the way for computers that run with the…
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for about 70% of head and neck cancers in the United States, making it the leading HPV-related cancer and one that continues to rise in frequency each year. Unlike cervical cancer, which can be detected through routine screening, there is currently no test that…
Nina Kumowski, MD, of the Department of Radiology and Center for Systems Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the lead author and Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, PhD of the Department of Radiology and Center for Systems Biology at MGH, is the senior author of a paper published in Science, “Resistin-like molecule…
A new analysis by a public health expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that finasteride, a widely used treatment for hair loss, has been associated with depression and suicide for more than twenty years. Despite these long-standing concerns, neither regulators nor the drug’s manufacturer took meaningful action.…
How likely you think something is to happen depends on what you already believe about the situation. This simple idea forms the basis of Bayes’ rule, a mathematical approach to calculating probabilities first introduced in 1763. Now, an international group of scientists has demonstrated how Bayes’ rule can also apply…
New research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting suggests that women who give birth by cesarean delivery (C-section) face a greater likelihood of experiencing intense pain that interferes with sleep and daily functioning, as well as a higher risk of developing sleep disorders. “Sleep is often overlooked in postpartum…
Scientists have found that people receiving treatment for mental health conditions who also have skin problems may face a higher risk of severe outcomes, including depression and suicidal thoughts. The research, which could help doctors better identify vulnerable patients and tailor psychiatric care, was presented at the ECNP meeting in…
Humanity is entering a “new reality,” as scientists warn that the planet has now crossed the first of several critical Earth system tipping points. Without immediate global action, these shifts could cause widespread and lasting damage, according to a major report released today (Oct 13) by the University of Exeter…
Most scientific data never reach their full potential to drive new discoveries. Out of every 100 datasets produced, about 80 stay within the lab, 20 are shared but seldom reused, fewer than two meet FAIR standards, and only one typically leads to new findings. The consequences are significant: slower progress…
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have shown that their nanoparticle-based vaccine can successfully prevent several aggressive cancers in mice, including melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer. Depending on the cancer type, up to 88% of vaccinated mice stayed tumor-free (depending on the cancer), and the vaccine also…
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have finally solved a long-standing puzzle about the earliest moments of photosynthesis — the vital process through which plants, algae, and certain bacteria capture sunlight to generate oxygen and energy-rich compounds. Their research reveals why…
New research has found that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is linked to higher levels of creativity, and that this creative advantage may stem from a stronger tendency for the mind to wander. The findings, presented at the ECNP congress in Amsterdam, mark the first study to explain how ADHD…
Fatal overdoses among adults 65 and older involving fentanyl mixed with stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamines have risen dramatically, climbing 9,000% in the past eight years. The rate now mirrors that seen in younger adults, according to findings presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting. This research is one…
Eating a Mediterranean-style diet with fewer calories, adding moderate physical activity, and receiving professional guidance for weight management can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 31%. That is the key finding of PREDIMED-Plus, a large clinical trial led in Spain by the University of Navarra together with…
During a warmer stretch of the Middle Pleistocene, early humans living in what is now Italy regularly butchered elephants for both food and usable materials, according to a study published October 8, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Beniamino Mecozzi of Sapienza University of Rome (Italy) and his…
Researchers from the Statewide California Earthquake Center at USC Dornsife are warning that extremely fast and powerful earthquakes could strike California and are calling for tougher building standards and improved fault monitoring. Most residents of the state are accustomed to the idea of earthquakes, but scientists say a particularly dangerous…
Scientists have long known that depression increases the risk of developing metabolic disorders. Now, new research reveals that specific forms of depression are tied to different cardiometabolic diseases. The findings were presented at the ECNP Congress in Amsterdam. Over a seven-year period, researchers followed 5,794 adults who participated in the…
When astronauts touch down near the moon’s south pole in the coming years as part of NASA’s Artemis program, they may discover a remarkable archive of clues about how the moon was born. That possibility comes from new research led by Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna, a planetary scientist at the University of…
Between October 1 and 7, ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars Express spacecraft turned their instruments toward interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passed near Mars. Of all ESA spacecraft, the two Mars orbiters had the best view of this rare visitor. During its closest approach to the Red…
