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Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers
The giant panda’s diet is almost 100% bamboo. Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images By Ellen Welti,Research Ecologist, Great Plains Science Program, Smithsonian Institution 2024 Dec 21 More than one-third of all animals on Earth, from beetles to cows to elephants, depend on plant-based diets. …
‘Fat tax’: 50% of heavier flyers would pay by their weight
Unsurprisingly, dictating plane tickets by body weight was more popular with passengers under 160 lb, compared to those over 160 lb Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Dec 20 – In an effort to reduce fuel costs, American Airlines was the first US carrier …
World’s most popular OTC painkiller not so safe for over-65s
Prolonged use of acetaminophen/paracetamol could be risky for over-65s Depositphotos By Paul McClure 2025 Dec 20 Taking acetaminophen, a.k.a. paracetamol, one of the most globally recognized, widely-used painkillers for a prolonged period, increases the risk of serious complications in older folks, …
Wooly rugged camper keeps you cozy in sub-zero temps
Whether you ski or shred, you’ve got a place on the Mammoth Overland WLY. Mammoth Overland – View 11 Images – By Joe Salas 2024 Dec 17 – Winter is coming for those in the Northern Hemisphere. For the hardcore winter camping and outdoor …
5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
Many patients face significant upfront costs to getting health care. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Monica S. Aswani, Assistant Professor of Health Services Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham and by Paul Shafer, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy …
Chronic pain lowered by better-quality diet, regardless of body weight
Increasing the quality of the food you eat can reduce chronic pain. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Dec 15 – A new study has found that eating a better-quality diet was directly associated with a reduction in chronic pain severity, regardless of body …
Anti-drone system infiltrates intruder’s electronics
The Ardronis Wi-Fi can infiltrate drone electronics. Rohde & Schwarz – By David Szondy 2024 Dec 13 – Technology group Rohde & Schwarz has upped the ante in countering the threat of commercial drones to civil and military aviation with its Ardronis Wi-Fi system …
Tetanus vaccine delivered by skin cream instead of needle
In the future, getting a vaccine could be as simple and painless as rubbing on some skin cream. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Dec 12 – If you were given a choice of vaccine delivery method, would you rather a needle or a …
“Micro-flowers” may one day deliver life-saving drugs within the body
A batch of the drug-delivery microparticles – these ones are made of zinc oxide, although other materials can be used. Dong Wook Kim / Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, colorization: ETH Zurich – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Dec 12 – Whether a medication …
The kooky critters in 2024’s Comedy Wildlife Awards photos are a riot
Milko Marchetti – Stuck Squirrel. Milko Marchetti View 18 Images – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2024 Dec 11 – It can take hours – and sometimes several days – in the wilderness to shoot the kinds of photographs that capture our imagination and reveal lesser-known …
Google’s weather tool gets it right 97% more times than best forecaster
Weather forecasting is about to get a whole lot more accurate thanks to Google DeepMind’s GenCast AI-powered prediction model. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2024 Dec 10 – GenCast, an AI-powered weather prediction tool, can crank out 15 days of highly accurate weather forecasts …
Breakthrough natural micropill targets obesity, diabetes and inflammation
InulinMCT promotes weight management while also bolstering gut health. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Dec 08 – An innovative combination of readily available natural products has shaped up to be an alternative to drugs like Ozempic to tackle obesity, type 2 diabetes, liver …
Geneticists have finally solved the mystery of Garfield’s orange coat
Jim Davis/CBS – By Lluís Montoliu, Investigador científico del CSIC, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB – CSIC) Published: 2024 Dec 04 – Garfield, star of the eponymous comic strip created by Jim Davis in 1978, is, like many of the cats that roam …
Dark chocolate reduces type 2 diabetes risk by 21% and won’t make you fat
Dark chocolate trumps milk chocolate (and no chocolate) in this new study. Depositphotos. – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Dec 07 – Dark chocolate has been extensively studied for its cardiometabolic health benefits, but findings have been inconsistent, spurring heated debates over whether this treat …
AR glasses put “cinematic spatial” visuals on your face, Bose in your ears
The new technologies in the One AR glasses boosts the display area by 20.7% compared to the company’s Air 2 models, while opting for the Pro version produces a display area that’s 63.6% larger. Xreal – View 4 Images – By Paul Ridden 2024 …
‘Breakthrough’ dementia drug looks to stop disease in its tracks
A novel dementia drug protects against the destruction of key brain cell structures. Original images via Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Dec 04 – Filamon Limited, an Australian biotech company focused on developing next-gen anti-inflammatory drugs, has announced its breakthrough dementia treatment. ALPHA-003 …
‘Self-assembling’ electronics: A wild new manufacturing process
A new manufacturing technique has successfully “self-assembled” transistors, diodes and wires at the nanoscale. Julia Chang/NC State University – View 5 Images – By Loz Blain 2024 Dec 03 – A remarkable proof-of-concept project has successfully manufactured nanoscale diodes and transistors using a fast, …
Fossil footprints reveal two hominin species crossed paths on same day
A 1.5-million-year-old fossil site in Kenya reveals footprints of multiple hominin species co-existing. Kevin Hatala/Chatham University – By Michael Irving 2024 Dec 02 – There’s plenty of evidence that ancient hominin species crossed paths on many occasions – but it’s never been quite as …
Cinnamon, spice and ‘everything nice’ – why lead-tainted cinnamon products have turned up on shelves, and what questions consumers should ask
It’s important to buy cinnamon from reputable dealers. Anjelika Gretskaia/Moment via Getty Images – By Katarzyna Kordas, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo Published: 2024 Nov 27 – Spices bring up feelings of comfort, cultural belonging and holidays. They can …
Singularity alert: AIs are already designing their own chips
AI not only assists and accelerates chip design – it’s also essential to building the processors we use today. Synopsys View 6 Images – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2024 Nov 30 – Human intelligence and our collective wisdom are already becoming limiting factors in the …
Fox nuts are now a hit superfood – yes, you read that right
Fox nuts have been a superfood and traditional medicine staple in Asia for thousands of years. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 28 – If you’ve never heard of fox nuts, you’d be forgiven for assuming that they don’t sound particularly palatable. But …
Gut-brain link: Restoring gut health improves long-term stroke recovery
Making the gut healthy after a stroke reduces long-term effects on the brain DALL-E. – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 27 – Injecting a natural hormone directly into the gut reduces the cognitive impairment that accompanies a stroke in the long term, according to …
Regular nut consumption after this age wards off dementia and disease
Nuts notch up another win with a new study showing their power to keep people healthy after the age of 70. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2024 Nov 21 – Adding another plus in the “nuts are good for you” column, new research shows …
Tiny laboratories that fit in your hand can rapidly identify pathogens using electricity
Microfluidics makes use of tiny channels to speed up analyses of biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. Thom Leach/Science Photo Library via Getty Images – By Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology Published: 2024 Nov 26 – When you …
Squirting cucumber’s “explosion” of seeds is a natural masterpiece
Footage of the explosion, slowed down 400 times. Thorogood, C. et al/CC By 4.0 – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 25 – “Ballistic seed dispersal” is not something you see often in plants – and for good reason, perhaps, when you see just what …
Injectable anti-obesity drugs shown to benefit heart health
Injectable weight loss drugs can improve heart health. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 24 – A collection of studies presented at a recent American Heart Association (AHA) conference has confirmed the heart health benefits provided by the new anti-obesity drugs, semaglutide and …
Liquid crystal glasses filter out epileptic-seizure-triggering light
Scientists have developed new prototype glasses that can block seizure-causing wavelengths of light. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Nov 23 – People with photosensitive epilepsy could soon be able to watch TV without worry. Scientists in the UK have created glasses that can …
Binge drinking as a young adult causes permanent brain damage decades on
While it may be too late to prevent binge drinking for many of us, this discovery can inform treatments to ideally reverse the damage. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 22 – Binge drinking in early adult years fundamentally changes how the brain’s …
Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including significant drops in IQ scores
Research shows that even mild COVID-19 can lead to the equivalent of seven years of brain aging. Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library via Getty Images – By Ziyad Al-Aly, Chief of Research and Development, VA St. Louis Health Care System. Clinical Epidemiologist, Washington …
“Phantom chemical” identified in drinking water is new to science
Scientists have identified a mysterious “phantom chemical” that’s long been suspected to exist in treated drinking water in some regions. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Nov 21 – Plumbed drinking water in developed countries is pretty clean, but invisible contaminants can still lurk. …
Muscle-powered mechanism desalinates up to 8 liters of seawater per hour
The QuenchSea 3.0 is presently on Kickstarter. QuenchSea – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Nov 19 – It’s ironic that even when surrounded by water, sailors who are lost at sea can still die of thirst. The QuenchSea 3.0 portable desalinator is designed to keep …
As the Taurid meteor shower passes by Earth, pseudoscience rains down – and obscures a potential real threat from space
This image of a Taurid fireball was taken in 2014 by NASA’s All Sky Fireball Network in Tullahoma, Tenn. NASA – By Mark Boslough, Research Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico Published: 2024 Nov 15 – With the Taurid …
‘Hacked’ brain hormone targets gut pain – in totally new class of oral drugs
Abdominal pain affects millions, but there are still limited ways to treat it. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 18 – A peptide hormone produced in the brain that triggers physiological reproductive responses has been ‘hacked’ by scientists to form an effective, safe …
White button mushroom extract shrinks tumors and delays their growth
The humble white button mushroom has anticancer properties. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 17 – The unassuming yet popular white button mushroom has cancer-fighting abilities, according to the results of a human clinical trial on the use of food as medicine. Not …
Get chronic UTIs? Future treatments may add more bacteria to your bladder to beat back harmful microbes
Certain strains of E. coli can outcompete disease-causing microbes for resources. NIAID/Flickr, CC BY-SA – By Sarguru Subash, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University Published: 2024 Nov 15 – Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world suffer from …
Microscopic photo competition celebrates beauty of the tiny world
Honorable Mention: Crystalline pattern, like the big cotton padded jacket pattern handed down during the Chinese Spring Festival. Ji Yuan View 16 Images – By Michael Irving 2024 Nov 15 – An annual photography competition, celebrating scientific microscopic images, has unveiled this year’s winners. …
AI model identifies overlooked brain tumors in just 10 seconds
Residual tumors can cause a wide range of post-procedure complications, and impact patients’ quality of life. Milad Fakurian / Unsplash – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2024 Nov 14 – In another triumph for AI in healthcare, researchers have developed a model that can spot bits …
Primal micro-camper chases 4x4s as a tightly packed survival pod
Built For Extreme lives up to its name with an ultra-rugged, all-steel camping trailer. Built For Extreme. View 21 Images – By C.C. Weiss 2024 Nov 13 – A compact tagalong designed to explode into a fully equipped hunting camp, the new Built For …
Omega-3 and omega-6 supplements reduce risk of 19 types of cancer
Higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were associated with a decreased cancer risk. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 09 – New research has linked higher plasma levels of the healthy fats omega-3 and omega-6 to a reduced risk of developing …
$35 lens turns any smartphone into a powerful microscope
This little gadget gives you instant, inexpensive access to the microscopic world. Kickstarter View 14 Images – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 11 – Six years on from the first iMicro smartphone microscope, the team has unveiled its latest: the iMicro Q3p, a fingertip-sized, …
Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers
The giant panda’s diet is almost 100% bamboo. Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images By Ellen Welti,Research Ecologist, Great Plains Science Program, Smithsonian Institution 2024 Dec 21 More than one-third of all animals on Earth, from beetles to cows to elephants, depend on plant-based diets. …
‘Fat tax’: 50% of heavier flyers would pay by their weight
Unsurprisingly, dictating plane tickets by body weight was more popular with passengers under 160 lb, compared to those over 160 lb Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Dec 20 – In an effort to reduce fuel costs, American Airlines was the first US carrier …
World’s most popular OTC painkiller not so safe for over-65s
Prolonged use of acetaminophen/paracetamol could be risky for over-65s Depositphotos By Paul McClure 2025 Dec 20 Taking acetaminophen, a.k.a. paracetamol, one of the most globally recognized, widely-used painkillers for a prolonged period, increases the risk of serious complications in older folks, …
Wooly rugged camper keeps you cozy in sub-zero temps
Whether you ski or shred, you’ve got a place on the Mammoth Overland WLY. Mammoth Overland – View 11 Images – By Joe Salas 2024 Dec 17 – Winter is coming for those in the Northern Hemisphere. For the hardcore winter camping and outdoor …
5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
Many patients face significant upfront costs to getting health care. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Monica S. Aswani, Assistant Professor of Health Services Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham and by Paul Shafer, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy …
Chronic pain lowered by better-quality diet, regardless of body weight
Increasing the quality of the food you eat can reduce chronic pain. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Dec 15 – A new study has found that eating a better-quality diet was directly associated with a reduction in chronic pain severity, regardless of body …
Anti-drone system infiltrates intruder’s electronics
The Ardronis Wi-Fi can infiltrate drone electronics. Rohde & Schwarz – By David Szondy 2024 Dec 13 – Technology group Rohde & Schwarz has upped the ante in countering the threat of commercial drones to civil and military aviation with its Ardronis Wi-Fi system …
Tetanus vaccine delivered by skin cream instead of needle
In the future, getting a vaccine could be as simple and painless as rubbing on some skin cream. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Dec 12 – If you were given a choice of vaccine delivery method, would you rather a needle or a …
“Micro-flowers” may one day deliver life-saving drugs within the body
A batch of the drug-delivery microparticles – these ones are made of zinc oxide, although other materials can be used. Dong Wook Kim / Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, colorization: ETH Zurich – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Dec 12 – Whether a medication …
The kooky critters in 2024’s Comedy Wildlife Awards photos are a riot
Milko Marchetti – Stuck Squirrel. Milko Marchetti View 18 Images – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2024 Dec 11 – It can take hours – and sometimes several days – in the wilderness to shoot the kinds of photographs that capture our imagination and reveal lesser-known …