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Our planet has a time problem – and it may be about to get weirder
Time could soon be moving quicker than you realize. Depositphotos – By Mike McRae Sep 2026 06 – Every second counts in a high-paced, high-tech world. Except when it shouldn’t. The 28th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in Versailles in October is expected …
Serious human illness transmitted by ticks has been identified
Scientists discover an entirely new tickborne virus. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Sep 06 – Scientists have uncovered a new pathogen transmitted to humans from ticks, reminding us that one of the biggest threats to our health is zoonotic disease. Researchers from Beijing’s State …
Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?
San Manuel, Calif., Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Tovar holds a young goat whose herd just spent a day eating brush and grass to reduce wildfire risk. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images – By Briana Swette, Social-Ecological Systems Scientist, Boise State University And by Kelly Hopping, …
Origins of Alzheimer’s protein challenges assumptions on disease
Tau proteins (red) in nerve cells have a surprising origin. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 03 – A protein thought to play a critical role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease may not originate where scientists thought, according to a …
Scientists use fungi to produce programmable ‘living textiles’
Lookin’ fungky – a dress that the researchers made from the fungal fabric. SIAT View 4 Images – By Maryna Holovnova 2026 Sep 03 – Fast fashion drastically changed the world by making clothes cheaper and more affordable than ever, but it came with …
In Colorado and elsewhere, sexual assault peaks on campuses at the beginning of the school year – here’s what students should know
Students starting college or university are often excited – but experts advise understanding risks and recognizing danger when necessary. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images – By Kaitlyn M. Sims, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies Published: 2026 Sep …
Our use of fire has strange ties to how we can talk
Telling tales by a fire could have helped us evolve speech in the first place. (Valerii Stoika/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 02 – Come, sit. Let me tell you a story. Listen closely now. – For hundreds of thousands of years, our …
Many space missions are searching for life beyond Earth – but are we prepared for the fallout if they succeed?
Several space missions are searching for extraterrestrial life, which could come in the form of microbes. ClaudioVentrella/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Margaret E. Kosal, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology And by Dayana Alagirova, Ph.D. Student in the Sam …
Particles from a joint replacement can enter your brain, study finds
Wear from joint replacements can send metal particles through the body. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 31 – New findings by a team of researchers from the US and Australia have complicated an ongoing debate over whether a total joint …
Alzheimer’s hope: Nanoparticles regenerate cells to restore memory
Astrocytes can change into new brain cells using new nanoparticle technology. (ktsimage/Getty Images/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 30 – A single injection of a nanoparticle treatment engineered to encourage the generation of new brain cells was enough to reverse cognitive decline in …
‘Male’ and ‘female’ plugs and connectors – gendered language for the ends of garden hoses, electrical cords and pipe fittings sparks debate
Male and female or plug and socket? artpartner-images/The Image Bank via Getty Images – By Jo Mackiewicz, Professor of Rhetoric and Professional Communication, Iowa State University And by Jordan Smith, Assistant Professor of English, University of Northern Colorado Published: 2026 Aug 25 – …
Yeast that makes food from plastic could solve two problems with one cookie
This cookie is made using waste plant materials and plastic and could feed humans everywhere, from submarines to spaceships. SIU Carbondale Communications – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 28 – A protein-rich cookie made from plastic and agricultural waste could help solve two serious …
‘Mad honey’ that can stop your heart is now being sold online worldwide
Honey hunters in Nepal scale incredible heights to harvest the honey of the Himalayan cliff bee. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images – By Prayan Pokharel, Research scientist, University of Hohenheim Published: 2026 Aug 27 – A few months ago, a friend of …
Men cope with loneliness in a strikingly different way to women
Loneliness increases men’s risk of drinking. (Andrew Patrick Photo/Pexels/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 27 – It’s Friday night. The weekend is here. Yet once again, nobody has called to ask you out. You have no plans. It’s just you, Netflix, and a …
Broccoli for women, beans for men? Study reveals sex split over healthy diets
Does your choice of vegetable depend on your sex? (Antonio_Díaz/Getty Images/Canva) – By Paul McClure 2026 Aug 23 – A new study has found that eating more legumes was associated with better cardiometabolic health in young men, while cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and …
Purple is the new white for ‘cool’ summer fashion
The MOF (ZIF-67) pigment in all of its purple glory. (Yang et al., Small, 2026) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 24 – As the kind of person who wears black in the height of an Aussie summer, I’m not one to give fashion …
FDA approves first Alzheimer’s blood test for Americans as young as 40
New biomarker test is based on technology developed by scientists at WashU Medicine. WashU Medicine – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Aug 23 – In a move that could help drastically slow the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) …
Plastic-free vegan leather sees production-scale breakthrough
The scientists were able to produce mycelium sheets about 20 cm (8 in) wide and 8 meters (26 ft) long. Adapted from ACS Applied Bio Materials 2026, DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.6c00471 – By Maryna Holovnova 2026 Aug 22 – Scientists have been searching for ethical, high-quality …
Paving paradise: Dismantling the Roadless Rule threatens to disrupt wildlife, water and peace in the last quiet places in America
A sign on a dirt hiking trail in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska points to naturalist John Muir’s cabin. Wanderluster/iStock/Getty Images – By Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University And by Travis Belote, Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology, …
A ‘living GLP-1 drug’ could revolutionize diabetes treatment
The engineered E. coli responds to elevated glucose levels by releasing GLP-1. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 19 – Bacteria engineered to sense and reduce glucose levels could be the future of type 2 diabetes treatments, following pre-clinical trials on …
Landmark study upends how we think the brain responds to psychedelics
Order from psychedelic chaos depends on the setting. (agsandrew/Getty Images) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 19 – Psychedelics are inherently chaotic drugs, dissolving the boundary between self and surrounds by sowing discord in the brain. – Many describe the results as profoundly life-changing. …
Gruesome ingredient has kept these 2,000-year-old rock artworks alive
An image of pregnant women seen among the Huashan rock art. Wen et al., J. Archaeol. Sci, 2026 – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 17 – An extensive gallery of ancient rock art paintings in Southern China has long intrigued archaeologists by somehow surviving …
Your own personal poison-snooper as a wearable skin patch
The prototype device warns wearers of gaseous, aerosolized, and aqueous environmental toxins by vibrating against their skin. Baha Erim Uzunoğlu – By Malcolm Azania 2026 Aug 17 – An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, …
Insane 940-ft cliff elevator slashes commute time dramatically
This is how China gets kids to school. Yunnan Net – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Aug 16 – A breathtaking plunge in an elevator down the side of a canyon has opened, drastically increasing capacity and making what was once a six-hour round trip …
Small businesses at the gateways to America’s national parks face 4 big risks – including changing boundaries and extreme weather
Rafting on the Colorado River is one of the outdoor activities available at the Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab, Utah. George Rose/Getty Images – By Nancy Forster-Holt, Clinical Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Rhode Island Published: 2026 Aug 14 – …
First mRNA flu vaccine has been approved for US adults
This landmark decision comes as a surprise given the FDA’s earlier stance on mRNA influenza vaccine research. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Aug 06 – In a somewhat surprise announcement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first US influenza vaccine …
How American society shields perpetrators of child sexual abuse
Several pictures provided by the Department of Justice on 2026 Jan 30, as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images – By Sarah K Lischer, Associate Professor Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University Published: 2026 Aug 13 – Widespread …
A little‑remembered Gilded Age millionaire helped make milk safe for American kids through his ‘retail giving’
A girl picks up milk at one of the depots funded by Nathan Straus to provide pasteurized milk to low-income families. Library of Congress – By Leslie Lenkowsky, Professor Emeritus of Public affairs and Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University Published: 2026 Aug 11 – The …
Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over
Survivors of lightning strikes often struggle to find physicians who know how to treat them. Rakesh Bakshi/AFP via Getty Images – By Daile Zhang, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota Published: 2026 Aug 10 – Every year, an estimated 6,000 …
Flesh‑eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself
Vibrio vulnificus infections are spreading across the U.S. because of climate change. CDC/Colorized by James Gathany – By Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University Published: 2026 Aug 11 – Flesh-eating bacteria sounds like the premise of a bad horror movie, but …
Just weeks before devastating wildfires hit, Spokane practiced a mass evacuation – the drill paid off
Police create evacuation corridors to quickly move vehicles out of a neighborhood threatened by a wildfire on 2026 Aug 01. AP Photo/Young Kwak – By Ashley Bosa, Postdoctoral Researcher, The Resilience Institute at Boise State University, Boise State University Published: 2026 Aug 06 – …
Adding an AI tool to Google Earth shook our trust in maps that has been centuries in the making
An 1818 map of western Africa shows the continent bisected by the mythical ‘Mountains of Kong’, based on the explorations of Mungo Park. Image: John Pinkerton’s A Modern Atlas via Wikimedia Commons – By James Cheshire, Professor of Geographic Information and Cartography, Department …
Living healthier longer is easier and more affordable than you think
You don’t need Silicon Valley to add years to your life, according to Harvard medical researchers. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Aug 07 – Longevity has become a bit of a buzz word, and has become increasingly aligned with the tech industry. But …
DIY peptide injections are risky, and people may make serious mistakes when administering them
Gray-market peptides are not regulated by any health authority. Westend61/Getty Images By C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut Published: 2026 Aug 07 – DIY peptide injections, which promise to boost everything from weight loss and muscle-building to longevity and …
Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain
Figuring out a circuitous route between point A to point B can strengthen your brain. justhavealook/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Hatim Sharif, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio Published: 2026 Aug 06 – Taxi …
Boulder is opening homes to Sundance visitors through a new license – who stands to benefit?
The Boulder Theater is one of many locations that will host screenings for the Sundance Film Festival in January 2027. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images – By Tim Komarek, Associate Professor of Economics, Colorado State University Published: 2026 Aug 05 – …
How hackers attack municipal water systems – and why the utilities are so vulnerable
A July 2026 cyberattack targeted more than 30 water systems in Minnesota municipalities, including Plymouth. AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt – By William Akoto, Assistant Professor of Global Security, American University School of International Service Published: 2026 Aug 04 – Hackers tried to break into at …
Why the Spokane wildfires became so catastrophic
Andrew Rowley watches a wildfire burning from a distance after evacuating his home in Spokane, Wash., on 2026 Aug 01. AP Photo/Young Kwak – By Mojtaba Sadegh, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Boise State University; United Nations University And by John Abatzoglou, Professor of …
Bird droppings were a foundation of modern agriculture and American empire
An advertisement for guano to be used as fertilizer depicts not only seabirds but also a guano island. Bradley Fertilizer Company via Garden History – By Edward D. Melillo, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Amherst College Published: 2026 Jul …
Wildfires can generate tornadoes, lightning and other extreme weather, sometimes miles from the flames
A fire whirl, or fire tornado, rises from flames near Wofford Heights, Calif., in August 2021. David McNew/Getty Images – By Yunyao Li, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington Published: 2026 Jul 30 – We often think …
Our planet has a time problem – and it may be about to get weirder
Time could soon be moving quicker than you realize. Depositphotos – By Mike McRae Sep 2026 06 – Every second counts in a high-paced, high-tech world. Except when it shouldn’t. The 28th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) in Versailles in October is expected …
Serious human illness transmitted by ticks has been identified
Scientists discover an entirely new tickborne virus. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Sep 06 – Scientists have uncovered a new pathogen transmitted to humans from ticks, reminding us that one of the biggest threats to our health is zoonotic disease. Researchers from Beijing’s State …
Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?
San Manuel, Calif., Assistant Fire Chief Ralph Tovar holds a young goat whose herd just spent a day eating brush and grass to reduce wildfire risk. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images – By Briana Swette, Social-Ecological Systems Scientist, Boise State University And by Kelly Hopping, …
Origins of Alzheimer’s protein challenges assumptions on disease
Tau proteins (red) in nerve cells have a surprising origin. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 03 – A protein thought to play a critical role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease may not originate where scientists thought, according to a …
Scientists use fungi to produce programmable ‘living textiles’
Lookin’ fungky – a dress that the researchers made from the fungal fabric. SIAT View 4 Images – By Maryna Holovnova 2026 Sep 03 – Fast fashion drastically changed the world by making clothes cheaper and more affordable than ever, but it came with …
In Colorado and elsewhere, sexual assault peaks on campuses at the beginning of the school year – here’s what students should know
Students starting college or university are often excited – but experts advise understanding risks and recognizing danger when necessary. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images – By Kaitlyn M. Sims, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies Published: 2026 Sep …
Our use of fire has strange ties to how we can talk
Telling tales by a fire could have helped us evolve speech in the first place. (Valerii Stoika/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 02 – Come, sit. Let me tell you a story. Listen closely now. – For hundreds of thousands of years, our …
Many space missions are searching for life beyond Earth – but are we prepared for the fallout if they succeed?
Several space missions are searching for extraterrestrial life, which could come in the form of microbes. ClaudioVentrella/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Margaret E. Kosal, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology And by Dayana Alagirova, Ph.D. Student in the Sam …
Particles from a joint replacement can enter your brain, study finds
Wear from joint replacements can send metal particles through the body. (Science Photo Library/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 31 – New findings by a team of researchers from the US and Australia have complicated an ongoing debate over whether a total joint …
Alzheimer’s hope: Nanoparticles regenerate cells to restore memory
Astrocytes can change into new brain cells using new nanoparticle technology. (ktsimage/Getty Images/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Aug 30 – A single injection of a nanoparticle treatment engineered to encourage the generation of new brain cells was enough to reverse cognitive decline in …