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‘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, …
Bacterial ‘sat nav’ tracks where you’ve been with surprising accuracy
Using location-unique bacterial samples, an AI tool can pinpoint where you’ve been. DALL-E – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 10 – We naturally pick up microorganisms as we move about the world. Now, researchers have developed an AI tool that accurately links you to …
Teardrop micro-camper is a 3D-printed space capsule for three people
A teardrop camper quite unlike the average. Vasyl Gonar View 9 Images – By Adam Williams 2024 Nov 07 – We’ve seen 3D printers used for everything from tiny houses to US marine barracks and now we can add teardrop trailer to the list …
Social media use found to have little to no impact on mental health
Spending a long time on social media has little to no effect on mental health. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 08 – Using social media platforms for long periods has little to no association with mental health indicators like depression, anxiety and …
‘Yellowstone’ highlights Montana’s long-forgotten connection to the Confederacy
During and after the Civil War, thousands of Confederate soldiers resettled in the Big Sky State. Donovan Reese/Photodisc via Getty Images By Randi Lynn Tanglen, Professor of English and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of North Dakota Published: 2024 Nov 07 – …
Svalbard Global Seed Vault evokes epic imagery and controversy because of the symbolic value of seeds
The entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Martin Zwick/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images – By Adriana Craciun, Professor of English and Emma MacLachlan Metcalf Chair of Humanities, Boston University Published: 2024 Nov 04 – Two-thirds of the world’s food comes today …
Doctors are preoccupied with threats of criminal charges in states with abortion bans, putting patients’ lives at risk
The study took place in Tennessee, a state that has had a near-total ban on abortions since 2022. Anchiy/E+ via Getty Images – By Sophie Bjork-James, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University and by Anna-Grace Lilly, Medical Student, University of Toledo and by Isabelle Perry Newman, …
Immunotherapy prevents heart attacks progressing to heart failure
A new immunotherapy could help prevent scar tissue forming after a heart attack, reducing the risk of heart failure. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Nov 04 – Scarring of heart tissue can be slowed but not stopped, and can lead to heart failure. …
Nanoplastics can weaken antibiotics and foster resistant bacteria
A handful of antibiotics and plastics, not at all what the doctor ordered, in this rendering. – By Joe Salas 2024 Nov 03 – A recent study has shown that nanoplastics – plastic particles smaller than 0.001 millimeters – affect the body’s ability to …
Tweak to common cell protein gene extends healthy lifespan by 30%
Actin filaments (pink) are affected by aging, but can be switched off via genes Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Nov 02 – Not only have researchers identified how a common cellular protein affects aging, but they’ve tweaked the genes that produce it in …
Why we kiss: A fascinating new theory that predates human life on Earth
Could kissing stem from primate bonding? A new study makes the case for it. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Nov 01 – Most of us do it, be it romantic, familial, friendly or formal, but kissing among humans and where and how it …
Inflatable tent and zip-in inflatable mattress are made for each other
The AirNEST system is presently on Kickstarter. Rise Outdoor View 5 Images – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Oct 31 – Inflatable tents are easy to set up, and inflatable camp mattresses are nice n’ comfy, so why not combine the two? That’s just what …
Plant-animal hybrid cells make solar-powered tissues, organs or meat
Fluorescent microscope image of the animal cells with embedded chloroplasts (magenta) R. Aoki, Y. Inui, Y. Okabe et al. 2024 / Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B – By Michael Irving 2024 Oct 30 – Scientists in Japan have created hybrid plant-animal cells, …
Gallery: Our favorite shots from the 2024 Close Up Photographer of the Year shortlist
Minghui Yuan – Cleaners in the Rainforest. Minghui Yuan / CUPOTY View 19 Images – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2024 Oct 29 – It’s that time of the year again. We’ve got our hands on the shortlisted pictures from the 2024 Close-up Photographer of the …
Unique sugar in stingless bee honey good for teeth, weight and blood sugar
The sugar found in stingless bee honey has a raft of health benefits. DianitaKartika/Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 – By Paul McClure 2024 Oct 27 – Honey from stingless bees contains large amounts of a unique sugar that’s not a major component of any …
Ironclad link between red meat and cancer identified
The ‘how’ behind the link between red meat consumption and cancer has been identified. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Oct 24 – Researchers have discovered the mechanism linking the over-consumption of red meat with colorectal cancer, as well as identifying a means of …
Animals that are all black or all white have reputations based on superstition − biases that have real effects
Black is beautiful. Akeem Ranmal/500px via Getty Images – By Elizabeth Carlen, Living Earth Collaborative Postdoctoral Fellow, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and by Tyus Williams, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley Published: 2024 …
‘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 …