WEIRD NATURE
Chronic wounds, like diabetic foot ulcers, can take ages to heal and risk getting infected. Towfiqu Barbhuiya / Pexels – By Abhimanyu Ghoshal 2026 Oct 07 – Researchers have found that vanillin, the compound found in vanilla pods, is not only an aromatic flavoring agent …
Some molecules have ‘mirror images,’ and while one form can be helpful, the other can be harmful. BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images – By Sajish Mathew, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore Published: 2026 Oct 07 – The effects a drug …
The IceCube observatory sits atop the South Pole’s 1.8-miles-thick pure, clear ice sheet. Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF – By Tyce DeYoung, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University Published: 2026 Oct 06 – Standing at the South Pole is the next-best thing to being …
With deepening drought, worsened by El Niño, Panama Canal authorities cut the number of ships allowed to transit. Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images – By Steven Paton, Research Biologist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Institution Published: 2026 Sep 10 – El Niño is here, …
Infecting female mosquitos with a common bacteria could stop them from reproducing. (Rollerblade/Canva) – By Emma Schneck 2026 Oct 01 – Earlier this summer, Google’s Debug program made headlines by applying to the EPA for permits to release droves of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes across …
DNA scaffolds could provide a novel way to run computers on low power. (Turgay Koca/berkay08/Canva) – By Mike McRae 2026 Sep 22 – Computing is a power-hungry resource in today’s world. By 2050, as much as 20% of the electricity consumed by the US …
Varicella zoster virus, also known as human herpesvirus 3, causes chickenpox and shingles. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images – By Andrew Bubak, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Published: 2026 Sep 14 – Shingles can cause pain that is notoriously …
The Aedis aegypti mosquito spreads dengue from person to person. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images – By Andrés Henao, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Disease, University of Colorado Anschutz Published: 2026 Sep 15 – The Tampa Bay Times reported the death of an elderly woman …
A microscope image shows how biopolymer fibers hold grains of the water-retaining “living sand” together. Khalifa University – By Maryna Holovnova 2026 Sep 13 – Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates is associated with a lot of challenges. Most of the country is desert, …
Inflammation is a massive problem – but so are some of the year’s biggest hype supplements that claim to combat it. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Sep 07 – From Korean cosmetic sperm injections to experimental peptides, the wellness industry has become one of …
