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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…
Researchers have shown that young rats fed a ketogenic diet — a diet with high fat and low carbohydrates — are protected from the lasting experience of pre-natal stress. This work, which needs to be confirmed in humans, is presented at the ECNP conference in Amsterdam An extensive body of…
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is currently the most widespread liver disorder globally, affecting roughly one in three adults. It occurs when excess fat builds up inside liver cells, leading to serious liver damage and a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have…
Once connected stretches of land, now hidden beneath the sea, may have given early humans a way to move between what is today Türkiye and Europe, according to groundbreaking new research in this little-studied region. The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, reveals the…
Food waste can be far more valuable than the pile of scraps left behind after a meal. Scientists are uncovering surprising ways to turn discarded materials — from dried beet pulp to coconut fibers processed by millipedes — into useful resources. In four new studies published in ACS journals, researchers…
Earth is lucky to have a magnetic field that shields the planet — and everything living on it — from dangerous cosmic radiation. Without this invisible barrier, Earth would be exposed to the same constant stream of charged particles that bombards other planets in our solar system, such as Mars,…
According to new research presented at the EPSC-DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki, the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way could be roughly 33,000 light years away. For such a civilization to exist at the same time as humanity, it would need to have lasted for at least 280,000 years…
Picture diving deep into the quantum realm, where unimaginably small particles can exist and interact in more than a trillion possible ways at the same time. It’s as complex as it sounds. To understand these mind-bending systems and their countless configurations, physicists usually turn to powerful supercomputers or artificial intelligence…
For many nature enthusiasts, few scenes are as distressing as finding a stranded whale or dolphin lying helpless on the beach. When these animals are still alive, marine biologists and volunteers rush to assist, shielding them from the sun and preventing their skin from drying out by pouring seawater over…
