Reference Terms
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Sunscreen
Sunscreen (also known as sunblock) is a lotion, spray or other topical product that helps protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and which reduces sunburn and other skin damage, ultimately leading to a lower risk of skin cancer.
The best sunscreens protect against both UVB (ultraviolet radiation with wavelength between 290 and 320 nanometres), which can cause sunburn, and UVA (between 320 and 400 nanometres), which damages the skin with more long-term effects, such as premature skin aging. Most sunscreens work by containing either an organic chemical compound that absorbs ultraviolet light (such as oxybenzone) or an opaque material that reflects light (such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide), or a combination of both. Typically, absorptive materials are referred to as chemical blocks, whereas opaque materials are mineral or physical blocks.
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Health & Medicine News
August 13, 2025
Aug. 13, 2025 — A vigorous workout can spark anti-cancer proteins, cut cancer cell growth, and help survivors fight recurrence by reducing inflammation and improving body ...
Aug. 13, 2025 — Cambridge scientists have cracked the mystery of why cuff-based blood pressure monitors often give inaccurate readings, missing up to 30% of high blood pressure cases. By building a physical model that replicates real artery behavior, they ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — THC levels in cannabis have soared in recent years, raising the risk of psychosis—especially in young, frequent users. Studies reveal a strong connection between cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, making early cessation and treatment ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — Scientists have found protein fragments from the COVID-19 virus hidden inside tiny cellular packages in the blood of long COVID patients, offering the first potential measurable biomarker for the ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — A study finds that people are more open to plant-based eggs when they’re part of familiar foods, like pancakes, rather than served plain. While taste and appearance still favor regular eggs, vegan eggs score higher on environmental and ethical ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — A six-month randomized trial challenges the idea that eating more sweet foods increases a person’s preference for sweetness. Participants on diets with high, low, or mixed sweetness levels showed no changes in their sweet taste preferences, energy ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — Researchers have discovered that parts of the human brain age more slowly than previously thought—particularly in the region that processes touch. By using ultra-high-resolution brain scans, they found that while some layers of the cerebral cortex ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a direct cause-and-effect link between faulty mitochondria and the memory loss seen in neurodegenerative diseases. By creating a novel tool to boost mitochondrial activity in mouse models, researchers restored memory ...
Aug. 12, 2025 — Scientists have discovered a parasite that can sneak into your skin without you feeling a thing. The worm, Schistosoma mansoni, has evolved a way to switch off the body’s pain and itch signals, letting it invade undetected. By blocking certain ...
Aug. 11, 2025 — French fries may be more than just a guilty pleasure—they could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20% if eaten three times a week, while the same amount of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes doesn’t appear to have the same ...
Aug. 10, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered a way to promote weight loss and improve blood sugar control without the unpleasant side effects of current GLP-1 drugs. By shifting focus from neurons to brain support cells that produce appetite-suppressing molecules, ...
Aug. 10, 2025 — Many foods we consume today are ultraprocessed, packed with unhealthy ingredients, and linked to major health risks. As consumption of these foods rises, so do chronic health issues, especially among lower-income groups. Experts are calling for ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Aug. 11, 2025 — NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, a mission designed to create high-resolution maps of water on the Moon, ended after losing contact with the spacecraft just one day after its February 26 launch. Despite ...
Aug. 10, 2025 — Ozempic’s weight loss benefits might come at the cost of muscle strength, even if muscle size remains relatively stable. This raises significant ...
Aug. 10, 2025 — Sunniva Kwapeng struggled with lipoedema, a painful condition causing disproportionate fat accumulation, until finally being diagnosed in her 40s. An ...
Aug. 10, 2025 — Researchers at the Salk Institute have used CRISPR to uncover hidden microproteins that control fat cell growth and lipid storage, identifying one confirmed target, Adipocyte-smORF-1183. This ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — Stopping prescription weight loss drugs often leads to significant weight regain, according to a large-scale analysis of 11 global studies. ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — High-fat diets and obesity reshape astrocytes—star-shaped brain cells in the striatum that help regulate pleasure from eating. French researchers discovered that tweaking these cells in mice not ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — Cutting calories doesn’t just slim you down—it also reduces cysteine, an amino acid that flips fat cells from storage mode to fat-burning mode. ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — Scientists have discovered how harmful clumps inside brain cells—linked to diseases like ALS and Huntington’s—form, and found a way to break them apart. These sticky tangles of RNA develop ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — Neuroscientist Dr. Randy J. Nelson explores how artificial light at night disrupts our bodies, from immune health to mood. His work bridges lab research, clinical trials, and everyday solutions while ...
Aug. 8, 2025 — Researchers at Scripps have created T7-ORACLE, a powerful new tool that speeds up evolution, allowing scientists to design and improve proteins thousands of times faster than nature. Using engineered ...