Reporting world updates to you
A multinational team of researchers, co-led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, has developed and tested a new AI tool to better characterize the diversity of individual cells within tumors, opening doors for more targeted therapies for patients. Findings on the development and use of the AI tool, called…
From the bright lights of cities that don’t sleep — where people hustle and bustle through the night to keep subways, servers, and supply chains alive — to the whisper-dark understory of tropical forests where ants hum in syncopated lines, the planet’s most intricate societies hinge on round-the-clock cooperation and…
It’s no secret that women often become less interested in sex with age. However, orgasm and satisfaction have been shown to not decline significantly with age. A new study suggests regular sexual activity may limit vulvar pain, irritation, and dryness, which are all common reasons women have less sex as…
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have found that semaglutide, a popular diabetes and weight-loss drug, may lower the risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Dementia, a condition that slowly makes it harder for people to remember things and think clearly, occurs when…
Quantum computers can solve extraordinarily complex problems, unlocking new possibilities in fields such as drug development, encryption, AI, and logistics. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a highly efficient amplifier that activates only when reading information from qubits. Thanks to its smart design, it consumes…
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identifies a possible way to slow or block progression of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over age 50. The WashU Medicine researchers and their international collaborators implicated problems with cholesterol metabolism in this…
The question of whether Earth is alone in harboring life has captivated humanity for millennia. In recent years, scientists have turned to Earth-like planets in other solar systems that may show the most promise, but many revolve around stars that emit much stronger solar radiation than our own. Now, a…
Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. A new study, published on June 23 in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed water quality in more than 500 watersheds across the Western…
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health condition that negatively affects the mood of a person and causes a loss of interest in activities that were previously associated with happiness. In addition to cognitive impairments and forgetfulness, MDD can significantly affect social and occupational areas of functioning. Studies investigating…
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease that could help protect the brain from damage and preserve cognitive function. Unlike existing treatments for Alzheimer’s that target unhealthy protein deposits in the brain, the new approach could help address the…
New research from the University of California, Davis, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Texas A&M University reveals that massive emissions, or burps, of carbon dioxide from natural earth systems led to significant decreases in ocean oxygen concentrations some 300 million years ago. Combining geochemical analyses of sediment cores and…
A new study reveals that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein can spread from infected to uninfected cells, triggering an immune response that mistakenly targets healthy cells. The research identifies how this viral protein binds to cell surfaces and shows that enoxaparin, a common anticoagulant, can block this harmful interaction, pointing to…
Primates, birds, and elephants are all known to make tools, but examples of tool use among marine animals are much more limited. Reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 23, a team of whale experts has found widespread tool manufacture and usage in an endangered population of…
New analysis of the remains of two ‘puppies’ dating back more than 14,000 years ago has shown that they are most likely wolves, and not related to domestic dogs, as previously suggested. The genetic analysis also proved that the cubs were sisters at the age of around two months, and…
Deep-sea mining in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean could harm ocean life including whales and dolphins, new research shows. The Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Eastern Pacific is a vast area of deep ocean and seamounts. A Canadian firm – The Metals Company – is planning to…
Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that severely impacts quality of life, often leading to reliance on opioid medications with their severe side effects and addiction risks. According to the U.S. Pain Foundation, 51.6 million Americans live with chronic pain. For over 17 million sufferers, their chronic pain is high-impact…
New research has cast doubts over suggestions an incestuous social elite ruled over the ancient people of Ireland more than 5,000 years ago. Researchers examined the evidence from burials of individuals at the Newgrange prehistoric monument in Ireland — a large circular mound containing a chamber where cremated and unburnt…
Mass General Brigham researchers have developed a new AI tool in collaboration with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to probe through previously collected CT scans and identify individuals with high coronary artery calcium (CAC) levels that place them at a greater risk for cardiovascular events. Their research,…
Coastal planners take heed: Newly uncovered evidence from fossil corals found on an island chain in the Indian Ocean suggests that sea levels could rise even more steeply in our warming world than previously thought. “This is not good news for us as we head into the future,” says Andrea…
A single pellet of recycled plastic can contain over 80 different chemicals. A new study with researchers from University of Gothenburg and Leipzig shows that recycled polyethylene plastic can leach chemicals into water causing impacts in the hormone systems and lipid metabolism of zebrafish larvae. The plastic pollution crisis has…
The chemical reaction to produce hydrogen from water is several times more effective when using a combination of new materials in three layers, according to researchers at Linköping University in Sweden. Hydrogen produced from water is a promising renewable energy source – especially if the hydrogen is produced using sunlight.…
As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces worldwide, a new study provides early evidence suggesting AI exposure has not, thus far, caused widespread harm to workers’ mental health or job satisfaction. In fact, the data reveals that AI may even be linked to modest improvements in worker physical health, particularly among employees…
Penn-led researchers have turned a deadly fungus into a potent cancer-fighting compound. After isolating a new class of molecules from Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs, the researchers modified the chemicals and tested them against leukemia cells. The result? A promising…
Randomness is incredibly useful. People often draw straws, throw dice or flip coins to make fair choices. Random numbers can enable auditors to make completely unbiased selections. Randomness is also key in security; if a password or code is an unguessable string of numbers, it’s harder to crack. Many of…
How do you intuitively know that you can walk on a footpath and swim in a lake? Researchers from the University of Amsterdam have discovered unique brain activations that reflect how we can move our bodies through an environment. The study not only sheds new light on how the human…
Insulin resistance detected by routine triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index can flag people with early Alzheimer’s who are four times more likely to present rapid cognitive decline, according to new research presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025.1 Neurologists at the University of Brescia reviewed records for 315 non-diabetic…
Resistance to colistin, a potent antibiotic, is on the rise. In 2016, researchers discovered that colistin resistance could be transferred laterally among microbes. Researchers have isolated genes that confer colistin resistance from imported seafood purchased from markets in Atlanta, Ga. The findings suggest imported seafood could promote the spread of…
A team of researchers at Rice University have discovered a surprisingly simple method for vastly improving the stability of electrochemical devices that convert carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals, and it involves nothing more than sending the CO2 through an acid bubbler. Their study, published in Science, addresses a…
Understanding how the universe transitioned from darkness to light with the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key turning point in the universe’s development, known as the Cosmic Dawn. However, even with the most powerful telescopes, we can’t directly observe these earliest stars, so determining their properties…
Physicists Prof. Dr. Ingo Rehberg from the University of Bayreuth and Dr. Peter Blümler from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have developed and experimentally validated an innovative approach for generating homogeneous magnetic fields using permanent magnets. Their method outperforms the classical Halbach arrangement — which is optimal only for infinitely long…
