https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/index.htm/ en-us Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:36:23 EDT Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:36:23 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/index.htm/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250701030209.htm Citizen scientists using the Kilonova Seekers platform spotted a stellar flash 2,500 times brighter than before, allowing astronomers to identify the exploding cataclysmic variable GOTO0650 within hours. Swift community follow-up captured X-ray, UV, and amateur telescope data, revealing the star’s rare “period-bouncer” stage. Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:24:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250701030209.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073445.htm Scientists have achieved an unprecedented look into how the human immune system attacks a transplanted pig kidney, using spatial molecular imaging to map immune activity down to the cellular level. They discovered early signs of rejection within 10 days and pinpointed key immune players—like macrophages—driving the response. Even more exciting: when targeted therapies were applied, the immune assault weakened. As U.S. clinical trials of pig kidney transplants begin, this breakthrough offers hope for overcoming the immune barrier that has long stood in the way of xenotransplantation. Tue, 01 Jul 2025 01:10:42 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073443.htm Scientists have discovered a stealthy mechanism that cytomegalovirus (CMV)—the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S.—uses to infiltrate blood vessel cells while evading immune detection. The virus forms a hidden protein complex that acts like a molecular “backdoor,” allowing it to bypass the immune system’s defenses. This newly identified pathway may explain why vaccine efforts have failed for decades and opens the door to targeted therapies that could finally prevent CMV-linked birth defects in newborns and protect vulnerable patients. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:40:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073443.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073442.htm Scientists have uncovered a surprising sugar-related mechanism inside brain cells that could transform how we fight Alzheimer’s and other dementias. It turns out neurons don’t just store sugar for fuel—they reroute it to power antioxidant defenses, but only if an enzyme called GlyP is active. When this sugar-clearing system is blocked, toxic tau protein builds up and accelerates brain degeneration. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 10:04:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073442.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073440.htm An AI system called iSeg is reshaping radiation oncology by automatically outlining lung tumors in 3D as they shift with each breath. Trained on scans from nine hospitals, the tool matched expert clinicians, flagged cancer zones some missed, and could speed up treatment planning while reducing deadly oversights. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:05:57 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073440.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073438.htm Leprosy’s tale stretches from 5,000-year-old skeletons in Eurasia to a startling 4,000-year-old case in Chile, revealing that the rare strain Mycobacterium lepromatosis haunted the Americas millennia before Europeans arrived. Armed with cutting-edge ancient-DNA sleuthing, scientists have pieced together remarkably well-preserved genomes that challenge the idea of leprosy as purely a colonial import and hint that the disease may have homegrown American roots awaiting confirmation by future finds. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:07:04 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250630073438.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033512.htm In a stellar nursery 460 light-years away, astronomers sharpened old ALMA data and spotted crisp rings and spirals swirling around 27 infant stars—evidence that planets start taking shape just a few hundred thousand years after their suns ignite, far earlier than anyone expected. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:19:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033512.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033506.htm Researchers at UT Arlington have discovered a key enzyme, IDO1, that when blocked, helps immune cells regain their ability to properly process cholesterol—something that breaks down during inflammation. This breakthrough could offer a powerful new way to fight heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. By "turning off" this enzyme, the team restored cholesterol absorption in macrophages, potentially stopping disease at the source. Even more promising, they found a second enzyme, NOS, that makes things worse—raising hopes that targeting both could pave the way for transformative treatments for millions suffering from inflammation-driven conditions. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:57:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033506.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033459.htm A research team has achieved the holy grail of quantum computing: an exponential speedup that’s unconditional. By using clever error correction and IBM’s powerful 127-qubit processors, they tackled a variation of Simon’s problem, showing quantum machines are now breaking free from classical limitations, for real. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 02:30:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033459.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033449.htm Smoke from wildfires and structural fires doesn t just irritate lungs it actually changes your immune system. Harvard scientists found that even healthy people exposed to smoke showed signs of immune system activation, genetic changes tied to allergies, and even toxic metals inside their immune cells. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:29:09 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033449.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033445.htm Wildfires are becoming more intense and dangerous, but a new Stanford-led study offers hope: prescribed burns—intentionally set, controlled fires—can significantly lessen their impact. By analyzing satellite data and smoke emissions, researchers found that areas treated with prescribed burns saw wildfire severity drop by 16% and smoke pollution fall by 14%. Even more striking, the smoke from prescribed burns was just a fraction of what wildfires would have produced in the same areas. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:08:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033438.htm Footprints found in the ancient lakebeds of White Sands may prove that humans lived in North America 23,000 years ago — much earlier than previously believed. A new study using radiocarbon-dated mud bolsters earlier findings, making it the third line of evidence pointing to this revised timeline. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:43:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033438.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033429.htm India’s complex ancestry—intertwined with Iranian farmers, Steppe herders, and local hunter-gatherers—has now been decoded through genomic data from 2,762 people. The study uncovers surprising levels of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA, and how ancient migrations and community traditions have shaped today’s genetic diversity and disease risks. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:43:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033429.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033424.htm Deleting a gene called PTEN in certain brain cells disrupts the brain’s fear circuitry and triggers anxiety-like behavior in mice — key traits seen in autism. Researchers mapped how this genetic tweak throws off the brain's delicate balance of excitation and inhibition in the amygdala, offering deep insights into how one gene can drive specific ASD symptoms. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 05:06:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033424.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033415.htm Researchers are using an advanced brain imaging method called MEG to understand why Parkinson’s drug levodopa doesn’t work equally well for everyone. By mapping patients’ brain signals before and after taking the drug, they discovered that it sometimes activates the wrong brain regions, dampening its helpful effects. This breakthrough could pave the way for personalized treatment strategies, ensuring patients receive medications that target the right areas of their brain more effectively. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:35:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033415.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033408.htm USC researchers have found a promising new brain scan marker that could better detect Alzheimer’s risk — but only for some. The tau-based benchmark works in Hispanic and White populations when paired with another Alzheimer’s protein, amyloid, but falls short for Black participants, revealing critical gaps in current diagnostics. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:13:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033408.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033347.htm Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists spotted thin and thick disks in galaxies as far back as 10 billion years ago—something never seen before. These observations reveal that galaxies first formed thick, chaotic disks, and only later developed the calm, thin disks seen in modern spirals like the Milky Way. Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:43:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033347.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250628051357.htm A newly discovered radio halo, 10 billion light-years away, reveals that galaxy clusters in the early universe were already steeped in high-energy particles. The finding hints at ancient black hole activity or cosmic particle collisions fueling this energy. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:06:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250628051357.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234206.htm Teens are being misled by cannabis edibles dressed up like health foods. Bright colors, fruit imagery, and words like vegan make these products look fun, natural, and safe even when they re not. A WSU study warns that this could increase the risk of underage use and urges new packaging rules based on what actually appeals to teens. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 02:38:56 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234206.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234122.htm Parts of New Orleans are sinking at alarming rates — including some of the very floodwalls built to protect it. A new satellite-based study finds that some areas are losing nearly two inches of elevation per year, threatening the effectiveness of the city's storm defenses. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 23:52:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234122.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234119.htm Scientists have uncovered a surprising new way that urea—an essential building block for life—could have formed on the early Earth. Instead of requiring high temperatures or complex catalysts, this process occurs naturally on the surface of tiny water droplets like those in sea spray or fog. At this boundary between air and water, a unique chemical environment allows carbon dioxide and ammonia to combine and spontaneously produce urea, without any added energy. The finding offers a compelling clue in the mystery of life’s origins and hints that nature may have used simple, everyday phenomena to spark complex biological chemistry. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:56:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234119.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234116.htm A groundbreaking study from the University of Auckland and Chalmers University of Technology is offering new hope for spinal cord injury patients. Researchers have developed an ultra-thin implant that delivers gentle electric currents directly to the injured spinal cord. This device mimics natural developmental signals to stimulate nerve healing, and in animal trials, it restored movement and touch sensation in rats—without causing inflammation or damage. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 10:33:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234116.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234114.htm A team of researchers has turned ordinary yeast into tiny, glowing drug factories, creating and testing billions of peptide-based compounds in record time. This green-tech breakthrough could fast-track safer, more precise medicines and reshape the future of pharma. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 10:06:20 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234114.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234111.htm A surprising discovery from a tiny grain of asteroid Ryugu has rocked scientists' understanding of how our Solar System evolved. Researchers found djerfisherite—a mineral typically born in scorching, chemically reduced conditions and never before seen in Ryugu-like meteorites—inside a sample returned by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. Its presence suggests either Ryugu once experienced unexpectedly high temperatures or that exotic materials from other parts of the solar system somehow made their way into its formation. Like discovering a palm tree fossil in Arctic ice, this rare find challenges everything we thought we knew about primitive asteroids and the early mixing of planetary ingredients. Sat, 28 Jun 2025 02:28:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627234111.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095035.htm Beneath the Afar region in Ethiopia, scientists have discovered pulsing waves of molten rock rising from deep within the Earth — a geological heartbeat that could eventually split Africa in two. These rhythmic surges of mantle material are helping to stretch and thin the continent’s crust, setting the stage for a new ocean to form in millions of years. The pulses aren’t random: they follow patterns shaped by the tectonic plates above, behaving differently depending on how thick the plates are and how fast they’re spreading. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:55:57 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095035.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095032.htm Biological drugs have been a game-changer for people with severe asthma, helping them breathe easier and live more comfortably. But researchers at Karolinska Institutet have uncovered a surprising twist: while these treatments ease symptoms, they may not fully eliminate the immune cells that drive inflammation. In fact, some of these cells actually increase during treatment, suggesting the medication is managing symptoms without targeting the root cause. This could explain why asthma often returns when the drugs are stopped, raising questions about how long-term these treatments should be and whether we're truly solving the underlying problem. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:42:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095032.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095029.htm The LSST camera at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has released its jaw-dropping first images, each capturing 45 times the area of the full moon in one shot. Over the next ten years, this cosmic giant will scan the southern sky in ultra-HD, helping scientists uncover everything from asteroids to the secrets of dark energy. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 11:22:08 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095029.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095024.htm For over half a billion years, Earth’s magnetic field has risen and fallen in sync with oxygen levels in the atmosphere, and scientists are finally uncovering why. A NASA-led study reveals a striking link between deep-Earth processes and life at the surface, suggesting that the planet’s churning molten interior could be subtly shaping the conditions for life. By comparing ancient magnetic records with atmospheric data, researchers found that these two seemingly unrelated phenomena have danced together since the Cambrian explosion, when complex life first bloomed. This tantalizing connection hints at a single, hidden mechanism — perhaps even continental drift — orchestrating both magnetic strength and the air we breathe. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:55:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095024.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095022.htm Remove the top male spotty fish and, within minutes, the next-in-line female morphs into the tank s new tyrant charging and nipping rivals while her body quietly begins a weeks-long transition to male. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:36:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627095022.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021857.htm A groundbreaking study suggests that the famous Cambrian explosion—the dramatic burst of diverse animal life—might have actually started millions of years earlier than we thought. By analyzing ancient trace fossils, researchers uncovered evidence of complex, mobile organisms thriving 545 million years ago, well before the traditionally accepted timeline. These early creatures likely had segmented bodies, muscle systems, and even directional movement, signaling a surprising level of biological sophistication. Their behavior and mobility, preserved in fossil trails, offer new insight into how complex life evolved, potentially rewriting one of the most important chapters in Earth’s evolutionary history. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:40:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021857.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021853.htm At current emission rates, we re just over three years away from blowing through the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5 C. This new international study paints a stark picture: the pace of climate change is accelerating, seas are rising faster than ever, and the Earth is absorbing more heat with devastating consequences from hotter oceans to intensified weather extremes. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:46:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021853.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021851.htm Zooplankton like copepods aren’t just fish food—they’re carbon-hauling powerhouses. By diving deep into the ocean each winter, they’re secretly stashing 65 million tonnes of carbon far below the surface, helping fight climate change in a way scientists are only just starting to understand. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:51:43 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021851.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021847.htm Misbehaving T cells light up long before Parkinson’s symptoms show, zeroing in on vulnerable brain proteins. Their early surge could double as an alarm bell and a target for stop-it-early treatments. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 05:49:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021847.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021845.htm Researchers in Japan created an AI that can detect fatty liver disease from ordinary chest X-rays—an unexpected and low-cost method that could transform early diagnosis. The model proved highly accurate and may offer a fast, affordable way to flag this silent but serious condition. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 05:16:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250627021845.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081540.htm At Flinders University, scientists have cracked a cleaner and greener way to extract gold—not just from ore, but also from our mounting piles of e-waste. By using a compound normally found in pool disinfectants and a novel polymer that can be reused, the method avoids toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide. It even works on trace gold in scientific waste. Tested on everything from circuit boards to mixed-metal ores, the approach offers a promising solution to both the global gold rush and the growing e-waste crisis. The technique could be a game-changer for artisanal miners and recyclers, helping recover valuable metals while protecting people and the planet. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:02:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081540.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081539.htm Researchers have achieved a major breakthrough by generating quantum spin currents in graphene—without relying on bulky magnetic fields. By pairing graphene with a magnetic material, they unlocked a powerful quantum effect that allows electrons to carry information through their spins alone. This discovery could spark a new era of faster, more energy-efficient spin-based technologies. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:49:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081539.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081537.htm Imagine detecting a single trillionth of a gram of a molecule—like an amino acid—using just electricity and a chip smaller than your fingernail. That’s the power of a new quantum-enabled biosensor developed at EPFL. Ditching bulky lasers, it taps into the strange world of quantum tunneling, where electrons sneak through barriers and release light in the process. This self-illuminating sensor uses a gold nanostructure to both generate and sense light, making it incredibly compact, ultra-sensitive, and perfect for rapid diagnostics or environmental testing. With its cutting-edge design, it might just revolutionize how and where we detect disease, pollutants, and more. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:33:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081537.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081535.htm Scientists have developed a groundbreaking technique called RAVEN that can capture the full complexity of an ultra-intense laser pulse in a single shot—something previously thought nearly impossible. These pulses, capable of accelerating particles to near light speed, were once too fast and chaotic to measure precisely in real time. With RAVEN, researchers can now instantly “photograph” the pulse’s shape, timing, and polarization, revealing subtle distortions that could make or break high-energy experiments. This innovation has huge implications—from perfecting particle acceleration to inching closer to controlled fusion energy and probing new physics. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:42:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081535.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081533.htm Cats overwhelmingly choose to sleep on their left side, a habit researchers say could be tied to survival. This sleep position activates the brain’s right hemisphere upon waking, perfect for detecting danger and reacting swiftly. Left-side snoozing may be more than a preference; it might be evolution’s secret trick. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 14:51:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081533.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081532.htm Swap steaks for spinach and you might watch the scale plummet. In a 16-week crossover study, overweight adults who ditched animal products for a low-fat vegan menu saw their bodies become less acidic and dropped an average of 13 pounds—while the Mediterranean diet left weight unchanged. Researchers link the shift to lower “dietary acid load,” a hidden inflammation trigger driven by meat, eggs, and cheese. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:15:35 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081530.htm South Australia’s tiny pygmy bluetongue skink is baking in a warming, drying homeland, so Flinders University scientists have tried a bold fix—move it. Three separate populations were shifted from the parched north to cooler, greener sites farther south. At first the lizards reacted differently—nervous northerners diving for cover, laid-back southerners basking in damp burrows—but after two years most are settling in, suggesting they can ultimately thrive. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:43:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081530.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081526.htm Urban wildlife is evolving right under our noses — and scientists have the skulls to prove it. By examining over a century’s worth of chipmunk and vole specimens from Chicago, researchers discovered subtle yet significant evolutionary changes in these rodents’ skulls, seemingly in response to city life. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:28:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250626081526.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232208.htm Hot tubs don't just feel great, they may actually outperform saunas when it comes to health perks. A study found that soaking in hot water raises core body temperature more than dry or infrared saunas, triggering stronger heart, blood vessel, and immune responses. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:25:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232208.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232204.htm Experiments and simulations show Paleolithic paddlers could outwit the powerful Kuroshio Current by launching dugout canoes from northern Taiwan and steering southeast toward Okinawa. A modern crew proved it, carving a Stone-Age-style canoe, then paddling 225 km in 45 hours guided only by celestial cues—demonstrating our ancestors’ daring and mastery of the sea. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:07:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232204.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232202.htm Farming didn t emerge in the Andes due to crisis or scarcity it was a savvy and resilient evolution. Ancient diets remained stable for millennia, blending wild and domesticated foods while cultural innovations like trade and ceramics helped smooth the transition. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 06:55:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232202.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232033.htm Poachers are using a sneaky loophole to bypass the international ivory trade ban—by passing off illegal elephant ivory as legal mammoth ivory. Since the two types look deceptively similar, law enforcement struggles to tell them apart, especially when tusks are carved or polished. But scientists may have found a powerful new tool: stable isotope analysis. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 07:32:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232033.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625111542.htm New research reveals why early human attempts to leave Africa repeatedly failed—until one group succeeded spectacularly around 50,000 years ago. Scientists discovered that before this successful migration, humans began using a much broader range of environments across Africa, from dense forests to harsh deserts. This ecological flexibility, developed over thousands of years, gave them the adaptive edge needed to survive the more difficult exit routes into Eurasia. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 08:12:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625111542.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075024.htm Caffeine appears to do more than perk you up—it activates AMPK, a key cellular fuel sensor that helps cells cope with stress and energy shortages. This could explain why coffee is linked to better health and longer life. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 22:29:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075024.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075022.htm Imagine printing your Martian home from dust, sunlight, and a bit of biology. A new synthetic lichen system uses fungi and bacteria to grow building materials directly from Martian soil, completely autonomously and without human help. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 11:13:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075022.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075020.htm Two newly discovered viruses lurking in bats are dangerously similar to Nipah and Hendra, both of which have caused deadly outbreaks in humans. Found in fruit bats near villages, these viruses may spread through urine-contaminated fruit, raising serious concerns. And that’s just the start—scientists found 20 other unknown viruses hiding in bat kidneys. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:47:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075020.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075018.htm The shift from lizard-like sprawl to upright walking in mammals wasn’t a smooth climb up the evolutionary ladder. Instead, it was a messy saga full of unexpected detours. Using new bone-mapping tech, researchers discovered that early mammal ancestors explored wildly different postures before modern upright walking finally emerged—much later than once believed. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:14:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075018.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075016.htm Our brains may work best when teetering on the edge of chaos. A new theory suggests that criticality a sweet spot between order and randomness is the secret to learning, memory, and adaptability. When brains drift from this state, diseases like Alzheimer s can take hold. Detecting and restoring criticality could transform diagnosis and treatment. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 09:41:09 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075016.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075013.htm Japanese researchers have found that vitamin C can thicken skin by switching on genes that boost skin cell growth, helping reverse age-related thinning. It works by reactivating DNA through a process that lets cells regenerate more effectively—potentially a game-changer for aging skin. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:22:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075013.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012445.htm A new AI tool, AAnet, has discovered five distinct cell types within tumors, offering a deeper look into cancer's inner diversity. This insight could transform how we treat cancer, enabling more personalized therapies that tackle every type of cell in a tumor. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:39:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012445.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012443.htm Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn defenders into nurses or gardeners into leaf harvesters. These same molecular signals echo in naked mole-rats, revealing a deep evolutionary link in how complex societies function, even across species. The study also teases out a possible connection to insulin and longevity, hinting at new frontiers in understanding human behavior and lifespan. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 06:32:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012443.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012440.htm A blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug might be doing more than controlling blood sugar—it could also be protecting the brain. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that people with type 2 diabetes who took semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. The benefit was especially strong in women and older adults. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 03:37:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625012440.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625011635.htm Keeping sex on the schedule may be its own menopause medicine: among 900 women aged 40-79, those active in the last three months reported far less dryness, pain, and irritation, while orgasm and overall satisfaction stayed rock-solid despite dips in desire and lubrication. The results hint that intimacy itself can curb genitourinary syndrome of menopause, a cluster of estrogen-related symptoms that erode quality of life. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:33:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625011635.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625011632.htm Chalmers engineers built a pulse-driven qubit amplifier that’s ten times more efficient, stays cool, and safeguards quantum states—key for bigger, better quantum machines. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 01:58:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625011632.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625001724.htm Washington University researchers found that raising a molecule called ApoM helps eye cells sweep away harmful cholesterol deposits linked to age-related macular degeneration, potentially preventing vision loss, and the same trick might aid failing hearts too. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:39:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625001724.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250624224813.htm Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays. Tue, 24 Jun 2025 22:58:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250624224813.htm