NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has uncovered hidden order in space turbulence, a finding that could help scientists understand magnetic storms on Earth. Smoke rising from an incense stick can begin as a thin, steady stream before curling and spreading unpredictably. The smoke makes turbulence in the air visible. Turbulence also occurs in space, where the […]
NASA’s Voyager 1 Is About to Become the First Spacecraft One Light-Day From Earth
Voyager 1 is nearing a distance from Earth that light takes a full day to cross, while NASA engineers stretch its dwindling power to keep it exploring. NASA’s Voyager 1, humanity’s most distant spacecraft, was about 16 billion miles (25.75 billion kilometers) from Earth when its radio signal disappeared in October. NASA’s Deep Space Network, […]
A Woman Who Lived 30,000 Years Ago Is Changing What We Know About Ice Age Europe
DNA preserved in ancient cave sediments reveals how some Ice Age Europeans endured extreme cold, while genetic evidence from France uncovers unexpected connections across the continent. A woman who lived in southwestern France around 30,000 years ago carried a genetic history that stretched far beyond her corner of Ice Age Europe. Most of her ancestry […]
33 Out of 34 Lupus Patients Shared an Immune Cell Abnormality
New research challenges a longstanding explanation for why the immune system attacks healthy tissues in lupus. Scientists investigating lupus have discovered that errors in immune cells may cause the body to attack some of its own defenses. In a study of 34 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 33 had neutrophils containing widespread abnormalities in […]
Common Nutritional Supplement Shows Surprising Promise Against Psoriasis
A common nutritional supplement has shown unexpected promise in treating psoriasis. A widely available nutritional supplement may help reduce the immune system activity responsible for psoriasis, according to new research from China. Scientists found that pantethine, a derivative of vitamin B5 commonly used to lower cholesterol, can interfere with metabolic processes that drive inflammation. The […]
Trapped in Amber for 99 Million Years, a Lizard’s Tail Reveals an Ancient Survival Secret
A clean break in 99-million-year-old amber offers rare direct evidence that ancient lizards shed their tails using a defensive mechanism still common today. A lizard can escape a predator by leaving its tail behind, sometimes with the detached piece still wriggling as the animal makes its getaway. It’s a remarkable defense, but scientists have struggled […]
120 Million Years Ago, Something Extraordinary Was Happening in Earth’s Oceans
Colombia’s ancient seas supported an extraordinary diversity of top predators, offering clues to how life may undergo major evolutionary changes without a mass extinction. Mass extinctions have reshaped life on Earth, but they may not be the only way ecosystems undergo dramatic evolutionary change. Roughly 120 million years ago, the seas covering what is now […]
Comets Probably Didn’t Bring Life’s Ingredients to Earth After All, New Study Reveals
New research suggests Mars may have been better suited than Earth to receive life’s chemical ingredients from comets, although the chances remain surprisingly slim. Comets have long been considered possible sources of the chemical ingredients that helped life emerge on Earth. But new research suggests these icy visitors were extremely unlikely to deliver those molecules […]
The Mystery of Hair Growth Patterns May Finally Have a Simple Explanation
A new study reveals how subtle interactions between cells and chemical signals may shape the intricate patterns of mammalian hair. The precise arrangement of hair follicles across an animal’s skin may arise from a surprisingly simple process. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have developed a mathematical model showing how cells responding to chemical […]
Human-Elephant Conflict Could Explode Across Southern Africa As Scientists Warn of a Growing Crisis
Human-elephant conflict could intensify across Southern Africa as expanding farmland and increasingly dry conditions reshape the landscape. By 2085, the area of Southern Africa facing a high risk of elephant crop raids could expand by 33% to 100%, according to a new study. Researchers predict that growing human populations, expanding farmland, and increasingly dry conditions […]