Your brain has a hidden beat — and smarter minds sync to it

When the brain is under pressure, certain neural signals begin to move in sync – much like a well-rehearsed orchestra. A new study from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is the first to show how flexibly this neural synchrony adjusts to different situations and that this dynamic coordination is closely…

Scientists discover llama antibodies that shut down COVID — and its future variants

Scientists have discovered a unique class of small antibodies that are strongly protective against a wide range of SARS coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1 and numerous early and recent SARS-CoV-2 variants. The unique antibodies target an essential highly conserved site at the base of the virus’s spike protein, effectively clamping it shut…

Single psilocybin trip delivers two years of depression relief for cancer patients

New results from a clinical trial reveal that a single dose of psilocybin — a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms — can provide sustained reductions in depression and anxiety in individuals with cancer suffering from major depressive disorder. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a…

Tiny wasp’s shocking reproductive trick may transform global agriculture

Scientists have shed new light on the evolution of an important species of wasp – and believe that the findings could help improve the effectiveness of natural pest control. Dr Rebecca Boulton, from the University of Stirling, has shown, for the first time, that Lysiphlebus fabarum – a tiny species…

83% of Earth’s climate-critical fungi are still unknown

Mycorrhizal fungi help regulate Earth’s climate and ecosystems by forming underground networks that provide plants with essential nutrients, while drawing carbon deep into soils. Scientists and conservationists have been racing to find ways to protect these underground fungi, but they keep finding dark taxa – species that are known only…

Impossible signal from deep beneath Antarctic ice baffles physicists

A cosmic particle detector in Antarctica has emitted a series of bizarre signals that defy the current understanding of particle physics, according to an international research group that includes scientists from Penn State. The unusual radio pulses were detected by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment, a range of…

Scientists reveal the hidden trigger behind massive floods

Atmospheric rivers are responsible for most flooding on the West Coast of the U.S., but also bring much needed moisture to the region. The size of these storms doesn’t always translate to flood risk, however, as other factors on the ground play important roles. Now, a new study helps untangle…

Koalas on the brink: Precision DNA test offers a lifeline to Australia’s icons

A University of Queensland-led project has developed a tool to standardize genetic testing of koala populations, providing a significant boost to conservation and recovery efforts. Dr Lyndal Hulse from UQ’s School of the Environment said the standardized koala genetic marker panel provides a consistent method for researchers nationwide to capture…

AI Reveals Milky Way’s Black Hole Spins Near Top Speed

An international team of astronomers has trained a neural network with millions of synthetic simulations and artificial intelligence (AI) to tease out new cosmic curiosities about black holes, revealing the one at the center of our Milky Way is spinning at nearly top speed. These large ensembles of simulations were…

Fruit-eating mastodons? Ancient fossils confirm a long-lost ecological alliance

Ten thousand years ago, mastodons vanished from South America. With them, an ecologically vital function also disappeared: the dispersal of seeds from large-fruited plants. A new study led by the University of O’Higgins, Chile, with key contributions from IPHES-CERCA, demonstrates for the first time — based on direct fossil evidence…

Passive cooling breakthrough could slash data center energy use

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cooling technology that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers and high-powered electronics. The technology features a specially engineered fiber membrane that passively removes heat through evaporation. It offers a promising alternative to traditional cooling systems…

Why giant planets might form faster than we thought

An international team of astronomers including researchers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has unveiled groundbreaking findings about the disks of gas and dust surrounding nearby young stars, using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA. The findings, published in 12 papers in a focus issue…

CRISPR-edited stem cells reveal hidden causes of autism

To allow studying the genetic causes of autism spectrum disorder, a Kobe University research team created a bank of 63 mouse embryonic stem cell lines containing the mutations most strongly associated with the disorder. The achievement was made possible by developing a new and more efficient method for changing the…

This quantum sensor tracks 3D movement without GPS

In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used a cloud of atoms chilled down to incredibly cold temperatures to simultaneously measure acceleration in three dimensions — a feat that many scientists didn’t think was possible. The device, a new type of atom “interferometer,” could one…

Brain food fight: Rutgers maps the hidden switch that turns cravings on and off

Scientists know the stomach talks to the brain, but two new studies from Rutgers Health researchers suggest the conversation is really a tug-of-war, with one side urging another bite, the other signaling “enough.” Together, the papers in Nature Metabolism and Nature Communications trace the first complementary wiring diagram of hunger…

Scientists just solved a 40-year-old mystery about quasicrystals

A rare and bewildering intermediate between crystal and glass can be the most stable arrangement for some combinations of atoms, according to a study from the University of Michigan. The findings come from the first quantum-mechanical simulations of quasicrystals — a type of solid that scientists once thought couldn’t exist.…

Webb space telescope reveals starburst galaxies that lit up the early universe

Astronomers using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified dozens of small galaxies that played a starring role in a cosmic makeover that transformed the early universe into the one we know today. “When it comes to producing ultraviolet light, these small galaxies punch well above their weight,”…

Toxic tides: Centuries-old mercury is flooding the arctic food chain

Despite global reductions in mercury emissions, mercury concentrations in Arctic wildlife continue to rise. A new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen reveals that ocean currents may be transporting legacy mercury pollution to the Arctic — posing a long-term threat to…

Sugar shield restored: The breakthrough reversing brain aging and memory loss

In a compelling Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Sophia Shi, PhD, unveils her pioneering research that fundamentally changes our understanding of brain aging and opens revolutionary therapeutic pathways for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative conditions. Uncovering the Brain’s Hidden Shield Dr. Shi’s groundbreaking work focuses on the…

Invisible ID: How a single breath could reveal your health—and your identity

Your breath is one of a kind. A study published June 12 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology demonstrated that scientists can identify individuals based solely on their breathing patterns with 96.8% accuracy. These nasal respiratory “fingerprints” also offer insights into physical and mental health. The research stemmed from…

The 10,000-mile march through fire that made dinosaurs possible

The forerunners of dinosaurs and crocodiles in the Triassic period were able to migrate across areas of the ancient world deemed completely inhospitable to life, new research suggests. In a paper published in Nature Ecology and Evolution on June 11, researchers from the University of Birmingham and University of Bristol have used…

Sleep-in science: How 2 extra weekend hours can calm teen anxiety

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that teens who get moderate — but not excessive — catch-up sleep on weekends have fewer symptoms of anxiety. Results show that teens who got up to two more hours of sleep on weekends than on weekdays…

Johns Hopkins blood test detects tumor dna three years early

Genetic material shed by tumors can be detected in the bloodstream three years prior to cancer diagnosis, according to a study led by investigators at the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of…

Running rewires your brain cells—igniting memory-saving genes against alzheimer’s

Using advanced single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and a widely used preclinical model for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at SUNY Upstate Medical University have identified specific brain cell types that responded most to exercise. These findings, which were validated in samples from people, shed light on…

New MIT study reveals how biofilms help stop microplastic build-up

The accumulation of microplastics in the environment, and within our bodies, is an increasingly worrisome issue. But predicting where these ubiquitous particles will accumulate, and therefore where remediation efforts should be focused, has been difficult because of the many factors that contribute to their dispersal and deposition. New research from…

Rivers are exhaling ancient carbon — and climate math just changed

A new study has revealed for the first time that ancient carbon, stored in landscapes for thousands of years or more, can find its way back to the atmosphere as CO2 released from the surfaces of rivers. The findings, led by scientists at the University of Bristol and the cover…