Billions of years ago, Earth’s atmosphere was hostile, with barely any oxygen and toxic conditions for life. Researchers from the Earth-Life Science Institute studied Japan’s iron-rich hot springs, which mimic the ancient oceans, to uncover how early microbes survived. They discovered communities of bacteria that thrived on iron and tiny amounts of oxygen, forming ecosystems …

Japan’s hot springs hold clues to the origins of life on Earth Read More »

Flu detection could soon be as simple as chewing gum. Scientists have created a molecular sensor that releases a thyme-like flavor when it encounters influenza, offering a low-tech, taste-based alternative to nasal swabs. Unlike current tests that are slow, costly, or miss early infections, this method could catch the flu before symptoms appear. ​Flu detection …

A flu test you can chew Read More »

A strange Jurassic lizard discovered on Scotland’s Isle of Skye is shaking up what we know about snake evolution. Named Breugnathair elgolensis, the “false snake of Elgol” combined hook-like, python-style teeth and jaws with the short body and limbs of a lizard. Researchers spent nearly a decade studying the 167-million-year-old fossil, revealing that it belonged …

Scientists uncover a mysterious Jurassic lizard with snake-like jaws Read More »

Ohio State researchers have discovered that exhausted T cells collapse under the weight of misfolded proteins, activating a destructive stress response called TexPSR. Unlike normal stress systems, TexPSR accelerates protein production, flooding the cells with toxic buildup. Blocking it restored T-cell function and improved cancer immunotherapy. ​Ohio State researchers have discovered that exhausted T cells …

Scientists just cracked the mystery of why cancer immunotherapy fails Read More »

New research from Houston Methodist reveals how obesity may directly drive Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists discovered that tiny messengers released by fat tissue, called extracellular vesicles, can carry harmful signals that accelerate the buildup of amyloid-β plaques in the brain. These vesicles even cross the blood–brain barrier, making them powerful but dangerous connectors between body fat …

Fat may secretly fuel Alzheimer’s, new research finds Read More »

Astronomers have uncovered a runaway feeding frenzy in a rogue planet drifting freely through space, devouring six billion tonnes of gas and dust every second. Located 620 light-years away in the Chamaeleon constellation, the object, Cha 1107-7626, is growing at the fastest rate ever seen in any planet. The dramatic surge in mass revealed evidence …

Rogue planet spotted devouring 6 billion tons every second Read More »

Researchers have designed a new type of gravitational wave detector that operates in the milli-Hertz range, a region untouched by current observatories. Built with optical resonators and atomic clocks, the compact detectors can fit on a lab table yet probe signals from exotic binaries and ancient cosmic events. Unlike LIGO, they’re relatively immune to seismic …

A tiny detector could unveil gravitational waves we’ve never seen before Read More »

A Scandinavian clinical trial has revealed that low-dose aspirin can halve the risk of colon and rectal cancer recurrence in patients with specific genetic mutations. The research, involving over 3,500 patients, is the first randomized study to confirm aspirin’s powerful effect in this context. The findings suggest aspirin could become a widely available, inexpensive precision …

Doctors stunned by a cheap drug’s power against colon cancer Read More »

The matador bug’s flamboyant leg-waving puzzled scientists for years, with early guesses pointing to courtship. But experiments revealed the waving is a defense tactic against predators. Related species also share the behavior, possibly signaling toxicity or creating visual confusion. The discovery raises fresh questions about insect evolution and survival strategies. ​The matador bug’s flamboyant leg-waving …

What looks like dancing is actually a bug’s survival trick Read More »

Scientists at OIST have, for the first time, directly tracked the elusive “dark excitons” inside atomically thin materials. These quantum particles could revolutionize information technology, as they are more stable and resistant to environmental interference than current qubits. ​Scientists at OIST have, for the first time, directly tracked the elusive “dark excitons” inside atomically thin …

Scientists finally found the “dark matter” of electronics Read More »