A yearlong study of 46 children suggests that brain responses to tempting food images may partly explain the link between ultra-processed diets and increasing body fat. Ultra-processed foods account for about 67% of the daily calories consumed by children in the United States. Although these products have been linked to weight gain and other health […]
Hubble Finds a Stunning Twist in How the Universe Emerged From Darkness
Hubble observations of nearby starburst galaxies challenge the idea that supernova winds helped reionize the early universe, suggesting young stars may have enabled radiation to escape before those winds formed. Powerful winds from exploding stars were thought to clear paths for ultraviolet radiation to escape early galaxies. A new study of nearby galaxies suggests those […]
This Giant Planet Orbits Its Star Every Two Days – but Something Is Very Wrong
Astronomers have discovered an unusual planet with an extremely hot host star and a highly eccentric orbit that challenges expectations for its class. A giant planet racing around an unusually hot star has caught astronomers’ attention because of its highly elongated orbit. Known as TOI-1355 b, the planet completes one revolution in roughly two Earth […]
This Alien Planet Should Have Lost Its Atmosphere Billions of Years Ago
James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest that exotic mineral clouds may be shielding a distant lava planet from its star. A rocky planet exposed to extreme heat from its star appears to reflect nearly three-quarters of the starlight that reaches it. Astronomers suspect silicate-mineral clouds could act as a protective sunscreen, helping the planet maintain […]
Beyond Bad Cholesterol: Scientists Uncover a Hidden Driver of Heart Disease
Protein patterns linked to TRL and Lp(a), two types of fat-carrying particles, suggest shared inflammatory pathways that could offer new targets for heart disease prevention. Lowering “bad” cholesterol substantially reduces the risk of a heart attack, yet some people still develop coronary heart disease after treatment brings their LDL cholesterol down to a recommended level. […]
Drinking Tea May Lower Your Risk of Vascular Disease – but There’s a Catch
Not all tea-drinking habits were associated with the same health benefits. Researchers found that tea type, strength, and temperature were linked to notable differences in vascular disease risk. People who regularly drank tea had a lower risk of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels in a large study in China. However, the pattern varied […]
A Routine Blood Test Could Predict Dementia Risk 15 Years in Advance
A large study tracking more than 316,000 adults for up to 15 years suggests that a routine blood test may reveal important clues about future dementia risk. A standard blood test taken during a routine health check could offer clues about dementia risk more than a decade later. In a study of more than 316,000 […]
A New Chemistry Breakthrough Could Change How Scientists Build Quantum Computers
By modeling diamond defects as molecules, scientists can predict their behavior faster and identify promising building blocks for quantum computers and sensors. Most materials being considered for quantum technology can hold a stable quantum state only when chilled to extreme temperatures. Diamond-based materials can work at room temperature, but their usefulness depends on defects in […]
The Ocean’s Mysterious “Snow” Could Be Hiding a Powerful Climate Secret
A new imaging technique reveals how bacteria interact with the microscopic structure of marine snow. A surprising property of the tiny particles sinking through the ocean could help determine how much carbon is stored in the deep sea. Scientists have discovered that the stickiness of marine snow affects how easily bacteria can break it down, […]
Aging’s “Zombie Cell” Problem May Have a Solution, Scientists Discover
“Zombie cells” become harder to clear with age, and a new study reveals why the immune system struggles to remove them. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have identified a breakdown in protein recycling that helps explain why senescent cells, often called “zombie cells,” accumulate in aging tissues. In experiments involving older mice, restoring […]