Blocking an enzyme’s production restored brain growth and healthy behaviors in mice engineered to develop Angelman syndrome, pointing to a possible treatment target. Children with Angelman syndrome begin to show difficulties with thinking and movement at around 6 months of age. The rare condition occurs in approximately one in 20,000 births and is caused by […]
Just Two Days on a Vegan Diet Triggered Unexpected Changes in the Liver
Switching from a vegetarian to a vegan diet altered liver metabolism in mice within just two days, making glucose production and toxic waste removal less efficient. Millions of people follow a vegan diet, excluding all animal-derived products. Plant-based eating is recommended in part for its environmental benefits, but the health consequences of getting all dietary […]
Earth’s Magnetic Shield Is Rippling Unevenly – Scientists Have Uncovered the Cause
The solar wind can weaken the very waves it creates along Earth’s magnetic shield, simulations show, helping explain why some regions are more active than others. Earth’s magnetic shield protects the planet, yet particles and energy from the Sun can still find their way through. Along its outer edge, a constant stream of solar material […]
Earth’s Magnetic Shield Is Rippling Unevenly – Scientists Have Uncovered the Cause
The solar wind can weaken the very waves it creates along Earth’s magnetic shield, simulations show, helping explain why some regions are more active than others. Earth’s magnetic shield protects the planet, yet particles and energy from the Sun can still find their way through. Along its outer edge, a constant stream of solar material […]
Earth’s Ice Ages May Have Started With a Planet-Wide Ocean Domino Effect
New research suggests that cooling in the Northern Hemisphere may have triggered far-reaching ocean changes that helped drive Earth’s past ice ages. Growing ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere may have helped push Earth into past ice ages by triggering changes in ocean circulation thousands of miles away, near Antarctica. New research from the University […]
Antarctica’s “Doomsday Glacier” Could Raise Sea Levels Twice As Much as Scientists Feared
Even without further warming, Thwaites Glacier could contribute twice as much to sea level rise by 2100 as previously estimated, according to a revised ice sheet model. Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica has been retreating and thinning rapidly, while satellites show substantial acceleration in its ice flow. Traditional ice sheet models have depicted slower movement, […]
Mysterious Brain Signal Linked to Several Schizophrenia Symptoms
A weakened brain signal may offer new clues about schizophrenia and its earliest warning signs. Schizophrenia affects how people perceive their surroundings, organize their thoughts, and communicate with others. Although these symptoms are often studied separately, new research suggests they may be connected to a common disruption in brain activity. In a study published in […]
Scientists Discover That Ovaries May Be Doing Something Unexpected Decades After Menopause
Ovaries often dismissed as inactive after menopause may still shape how women age, with human tissue revealing inflammatory changes and molecular similarities to ovarian cancer. Ovaries continue to change for decades after menopause, long after their role in reproduction has ended. In a study of ovarian tissue from 28 women ages 50 to 75, scientists […]
Snakebites Are Far Deadlier Than We Thought, New Study Reveals
Even fatal snakebites can go uncounted, and a model estimating up to 513,000 deaths annually could help direct lifesaving antivenom to communities that health records miss. Not every snakebite injects venom. When venom enters the body, however, it can cause snake envenoming. This is a potentially fatal condition, and it mostly affects poor rural communities […]
Scientists Studied 865 Humpback Whales and Found They Grow Faster Than Expected
Despite decades of environmental change and population recovery, eastern Australian humpback whales appear to have maintained their historical adult size. Eastern Australian humpback whales grow at an extraordinary pace, reaching approximately 10.9 meters (35.8 feet) in length by age five. By six or seven years old, they have already attained about 90 percent of their […]