A study of nearly 200,000 people links late-night eating to up to 30% higher liver disease risk, suggesting that your last meal of the day could matter more than you think. Eating late at night may have consequences beyond weight gain and poor sleep. A major study led by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) […]
Scientists Discover a Potential Early Warning Sign of Alzheimer’s in Adults As Young as 45
Researchers have identified a potential early warning sign of Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged adults experiencing subtle concerns about their memory and thinking. Adults as young as 45 who expressed concerns about their memory or thinking had elevated levels of a blood biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease, even though brain scans showed no detectable structural changes. […]
75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Skeleton Reveals a Mysterious Spear Wound Aimed at the Heart
A Neanderthal’s fatal wound points to a possible spear attack aimed at the heart, offering a rare glimpse of prehistoric violence. A small, round hole in a Neanderthal’s shoulder blade suggests a wooden spear pierced the chest about 75,000 years ago. The remains, found in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, may preserve the earliest known […]
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Is Sharper Than Anyone Expected
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has achieved nearly 30% better optical performance than required, promising stunningly sharp views of the universe and its greatest mysteries. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is performing even better than scientists anticipated after engineers completed an extensive series of tests and precision adjustments. The work has sharpened the observatory’s focus […]
40 Years of Superconductor Science Just Got Turned Upside Down by a Stunning Discovery
A material that carries electricity without resistance may be held back by its own structure, challenging 40 years of assumptions about copper-based superconductors. A crystal that scientists thought had the same structure throughout is actually a patchwork of two subtly different arrangements of atoms. The boundaries between those regions are hundreds of times wider than […]
Study Uncovers a Surprising New Way Deadly Brain Cancer Spreads
Scientists have uncovered evidence that glioblastoma cells can retain a lasting mechanical memory of their surroundings. Glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, spreads by sending tumor cells into surrounding healthy tissue. Along the way, those cells encounter an unusual physical challenge: fluid at the tumor’s invasive edge can be about eight times […]
Scientists May Have Solved a Billion-Year-Old Mystery About DNA’s Evolution
On an early Earth exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation, the evolution of DNA may have depended on an unexpected molecular advantage. Early life on Earth faced intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun without the protection of an ozone layer. Yet DNA came to rely on thymine, a chemical building block that is more prone […]
Scientists Discover a Hidden Electrical Signal in the Heart That Could Predict Sudden Death
Researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized electrical signal in the heart that could help predict sudden cardiac death before it strikes. Sudden cardiac death can strike without warning, killing people who appear healthy and have no known history of heart problems. For decades, doctors have struggled to identify who is most vulnerable, even though a […]
A 50-Year-Old Mystery: Scientists Discover What May Have Killed Brazil’s Frogs
Museum specimens are helping scientists trace a deadly fungus linked to mysterious frog disappearances in Brazil nearly half a century ago. Frog species that escaped a wave of population declines in Brazil carried widespread infections with a deadly fungus. Yet museum specimens from the species that suffered the steepest losses showed no detectable infection. These […]
Scientists Solve a 30-Year Biological Mystery and the Discovery Could Change How We Treat Inflammation
Scientists have solved a decades-old biological mystery, revealing an unexpected dual role for a key inflammatory signaling pathway. Scientists have uncovered a surprising function of a molecule that controls inflammation: It not only recruits immune cells to fight infections but also helps protect healthy tissue from damage. The discovery, published October 7 in Nature, solves […]