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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 …
ADHD and Parkinson’s disease linked to gene-driven brain volume
Weighing in: Brain volume in specific regions may increase the risk of neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Oct 25 – Spanning nearly 100 laboratories in 45 countries, landmark research has, for the first time, shown an association between genetic …
Halloween candy binges can overload your gut microbiome – a gut doctor explains how to minimize spooking your helpful bacteria
It’s probably best to enjoy your Halloween spoils in moderation. Jupiterimages/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Christopher Damman, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington Published: 2024 Oct 23 – Each October, as the days shorten and the …
Scurvy makes a comeback – and it’s predicted to become more common
A modern-day nutrient deficiency has led to an uptick in scurvy cases. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2024 Oct 22 – A condition that killed millions of sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries has resurfaced, and looks set to become more prevalent in …
Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease − in part because doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account
Rates of heart disease and cardiac events in women are often underestimated. eternalcreative/iStock via Getty Images – By Amy Huebschmann, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and by Judith Regensteiner, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Published: 2024 …
Protective protein discovery paves way for healthier aging
A protein discovery could lead to healthier aging. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Oct 21 – New research has revealed that a class of proteins possesses a previously unknown cell-protecting function that could be harnessed for healthier aging and as a treatment for …
The ride of our lives: why the horse is crucial to human history
Family gathering: A herd grazing on the Mongolian Steppe. Photograph: Perou – The Observer – Horses – Interview Mike Power – Humans and horses have been entwined throughout history, one could not have thrived without the other, according to a new book that …
Curving science center takes low-tech approach to keeping cool
Zaha Hadid Architects’ upcoming Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Center features a curving form inspired by traditional Central Asian and Middle Eastern architecture. ZHA – By Adam Williams 2024 Oct 18 – With its upcoming scientific research center in Uzbekistan, Zaha Hadid Architects has …
Kentucky man declared brain dead wakes up during organ harvesting
Officials in the US’s organ-procurement system insist there are safeguards in place to prevent such episodes. Photograph: Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images – Case of Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II is under investigation by state and federal government officials – Ramón Antonio Vargas 2024 Oct …
Explosive flower blasts beaks to dislodge rival pollen
A Hypenea macrantha flower catapults its pollen onto a hummingbird’s peak. Bruce Anderson and Vinicius Brito – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Oct 17 – If you were a flowering plant, wouldn’t you want your pollen to be received by a plant of your own …
At-home heart attack detector gives results in minutes, not hours
This tiny chip can diagnose a heart attack in minutes. Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University – By Paul McClure 2024 Oct 16 – A tiny chip with a unique surface can accurately detect the blood biomarkers of a heart attack within minutes, a fraction of …
Rain may have helped form the first cells, kick-starting life as we know it
How did early cells keep themselves distinct while allowing for some amount of exchange? UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering/Peter Allen, Second Bay Studios, CC BY-ND – By Aman Agrawal, Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical Engineering, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Published: …
Nanoparticle infusion therapy breaks down plaques in arteries
Infusions of nanoparticles that selectively target certain immune cells show promise in animal tests for clearing out arterial plaques. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Oct 14 – Sticky plaques building up on the walls of your blood vessels can lead to heart attacks …
Magnets used to turn specific brain circuits off and on at will
A new gene therapy uses magnetic fields to switch brain circuits on and off. Depositphotos – By Paul McClure 2024 Oct 13 – Researchers have developed a gene therapy technology that uses magnetic fields to switch groups of neurons on and off, controlling brain …
Spanish steppes: an epic hike across the wild plains of Extremadura
The rearing granite bulk of the fortress village of Galisteo appears on the horizon at the end of the author’s walk. Photograph: Hemis/Alamy – Spain holidays The Via de la Plata is one of Spain’s toughest pilgrim routes, weaving through a landscape of …
Accept our king, our god − or else: The senseless ‘requirement’ Spanish colonizers used to justify their bloodshed in the Americas
Part of ‘The Baptism of Ixtlilxóchitl of Texcoco,’ painted by José Vivar y Valderrama in the 18th century. Museo Nacional de Historia via Wikimedia Commons – By Diego Javier Luís, Assistant Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University Published: 2024 Oct 02 – Across the …
Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners go full-on animalistic
Entitled “The Demolition Squad,” this striking image by Germany’s Ingo Arndt shows a red wood ant doing its part to help dismember a blue ground beetle. Ingo Arndt Photography View 13 Images – By Michael Franco 2024 Oct 10 – For the 60th year …
Portable device spots drought-stressed crops before it’s too late
The handheld gadget spots drought stress before crops become visibly wilted, like these parched pumpkin plants. Depositphotos – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Oct 09 – It’s always best if farmers can detect drought stress before crop plants become wilted, weakened and lower-yielding. An experimental …
Curiosity rover sheds new light on how Mars became uninhabitable
Rendering of what a watery Mars may have looked like. NASA – By David Szondy 2024 Oct 08 – Data from NASA’s Curiosity rover collected on Mars is shedding new light on how the Red Planet became uninhabitable in the distant past due to …
Pangolin-inspired robot poops tree seeds into holes it digs
The hole-digging, seed-bomb-depositing, Plantolin pangolin-inspired robot. University of Surrey – By Ben Coxworth 2024 Oct 05 – Foraging pangolins already dig in the dirt, so why not get them planting trees while they’re at it? Well, training them would be pretty hard, which is …
Red, white or yellow? What your tongue says about your health
The shape, color and texture of your tongue can offer valuable insights into your wellbeing, experts say. Generally speaking, a tongue’s color will fall somewhere between a pale pink and dark red, with a thin, white-ish layer of keratin on top. Photograph: 4FR/Getty …
Gallery: Stunning Sun shot headlines Astrophotography Prize winners
Astro Landscape Runner-Up: Troy Casswell – “Bald Rock Panorama.” Casswell’s innovative use of UV light brought out the rock formations and Milky Way in an impressive blend of technique and creativity. Troy Casswell View 12 Images – By Michael Irving 2024 Oct 05 – …
Storm clouds generate strange gamma radiation
An artist’s impression of the NASA research plane flying over thunderstorm systems to detect gamma ray emissions. NASA/ALOFT team – By Michael Irving 2024 Oct 03 – Thor and the Hulk may be more closely related than we thought. Thunderstorms are known to produce …
Centuries ago, the Maya storm god Huracán taught that when we damage nature, we damage ourselves
An illustration of K’awiil, the Maya god of storm, on pottery. K2970 from the Justin Kerr Maya archive, Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C., CC BY-SA – By James L. Fitzsimmons, Professor of Anthropology, Middlebury Published: 2024 Oct 03 – The ancient …
Data breach incarnate: Meta glasses extract personal info in real time
This shows how the I-Xray software works, from capturing the image to aggregating the data. AnhPhu Nguyen – By Joe Salas 2024 Oct 02 – In what might be described as a real-life Black Mirror episode, a Harvard student uses facial recognition with $379 …
Rising electricity demand could bring Three Mile Island and other prematurely shuttered nuclear plants back to life
Steam billows from two cooling towers serving Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in 2005. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster – By Todd Allen, Professor of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan Published: 2024 Sep 27 – Constellation, an energy …
“Functional cure” for diabetes restores insulin production with stem cells
A patient has been functionally cured of type 1 diabetes with a new stem cell therapy. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2024 Sep 30 – A patient with type 1 diabetes has been functionally cured of the disease, requiring no insulin doses for over …
AI begins its ominous split away from human thinking
Today’s AI models, pictured here using generative tools, are infants – and their understanding of truth is being held back by the human thinking and language they’re trained on. – By Loz Blain 2024 Sep 29 – AIs have a big problem with truth and …
Prenatal supplements fall woefully short in providing crucial nutrition during pregnancy – and most women don’t even know it
Prenatal supplements are not the insurance plan that many doctors believe them to be. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images – By Mary Scourboutakos, Family Medicine Resident and Nutrition Expert, Eastern Virginia Medical School Published: 2024 Jun 03, Updated: 2024 Jun 04 – If …
Diet-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the US – yet many doctors receive little to no nutrition education in med school
Nearly 60% of respondents to one medical school survey said they received no nutritional education at all. Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Nathaniel Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Dakota and by Madeline Comeau, Medical …
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 …