New findings indicate that finerenone may help protect kidney function and reduce major health risks in people with chronic kidney disease who do not have diabetes. Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 800 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of kidney failure, cardiovascular complications, and premature death. Yet for many patients [...]

Brain scans have uncovered two biologically distinct forms of autism hidden within the spectrum. An international team of researchers has identified at least two biologically distinct forms of autism by examining how different regions of the brain communicate with one another. The findings could help advance more precise and personalized approaches to autism care and [...]

Researchers have uncovered a previously underappreciated mechanism involved in Alzheimer’s disease and developed a compound that interrupts it. For decades, Alzheimer’s research has largely focused on amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the protein abnormalities that accumulate in the brain as the disease progresses. Yet despite billions of dollars in research and numerous drug development efforts, [...]

A quantum metasurface breakthrough boosts terahertz detection by 20 times, bringing practical THz technology a step closer. Detecting light and radiation is essential across the electromagnetic spectrum, but some regions remain difficult to work with. One of the biggest challenges involves terahertz (THz) radiation, which sits between microwaves and infrared light. Existing detectors for these [...]

New mathematical research suggests dark energy may not be needed to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe, challenging the foundations of the standard cosmological model. Mathematicians are questioning whether dark energy is actually responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. In a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, researchers at the [...]

Scientists believe an unusual LIGO detection may be evidence of a primordial black hole, potentially linking these long-theorized objects to the mystery of dark matter. Scientists at the University of Miami believe they may be closing in on evidence for one of the most elusive objects in the universe: primordial black holes. While definitive proof [...]

The discovery of Typhlichthys styx shows that cave-adapted species can continue evolving and splitting into new species, with underground aquifers playing a crucial role in that process. Researchers at Yale have identified a previously unknown species of eyeless cavefish, a finding that challenges the long-standing view that caves and other underground habitats are evolutionary dead [...]

A multidisciplinary study has uncovered new details about a centuries-old burial in northern Finland, revealing genetic links to Sámi populations and evidence of a remarkably mobile life. A new study by the University of Turku and its partners has revealed new details about a man buried near Lake Kitka in Kuusamo, Finland, around the turn [...]

Researchers have created a smart wound dressing that can sense when harmful bacteria are present and respond by releasing antibiotics only when needed. Biomedical engineers at Brown University have created a wound dressing that releases antibiotics only when harmful bacteria are detected. In a new study, the team found that the material may quickly eliminate [...]

Tea choice significantly changes kombucha’s chemistry, flavor, and antioxidant potential, with green and oolong teas showing the strongest biological activity. Kombucha has surged in popularity worldwide in recent years, but researchers are looking beyond its flavor to better understand its chemistry and possible health-related properties. A team from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life [...]

Unusually tall red auroras over Japan may be revealing that some solar storms are stronger than scientists realize. A study published in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate reports that red auroras observed over Japan extended to altitudes of roughly 500-800 kilometers above Earth. The discovery was made by researchers from Hokkaido University [...]

A new study has uncovered an unexpected vulnerability in some of the deadliest cancers. Researchers at UCLA have identified a previously hidden weakness in some of the most aggressive cancers, pointing to a possible new way to attack tumors that have remained difficult to treat. Small cell neuroendocrine cancers can develop in the lungs, prostate, [...]

Oak trees fight caterpillars by delaying spring just long enough to leave them hungry. In spring, forests usually burst to life right as insects hatch. Caterpillars, in particular, emerge when fresh leaves are young, soft, and packed with nutrients. This timing provides them with an immediate food supply and allows them to begin feeding right [...]

A hidden wave of fungal disease and lung parasites is putting wild rattlesnakes and other native snakes at risk. Snake populations around the world are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, disease, and other environmental challenges. Among the diseases drawing the most concern is ophidiomycosis, commonly known as snake fungal disease, which is caused by [...]

Two humpback whales crossed entire oceans between Australia and Brazil, setting migration records and surprising scientists. Scientists have documented an extraordinary feat of long-distance travel by humpback whales, confirming for the first time that individual animals have moved between breeding areas off eastern Australia and Brazil. The discovery reveals ocean crossings of more than 14,000 [...]

Scientists have finally packed a laboratory-class ultrafast laser onto a tiny photonic chip. Ultrafast lasers generate bursts of light that last only a few hundred femtoseconds, each one just a quadrillionth of a second long. These extremely short pulses are used in a wide range of technologies, including precision manufacturing, eye surgery, and optical frequency [...]

By recreating a nuclear fireball, scientists uncovered unexpected chemistry that could change how radioactive fallout is understood. In the first fraction of a second after a nuclear explosion or a major reactor accident, an immense surge of energy superheats the surrounding environment. Nearby materials and air are instantly vaporized, creating a rapidly expanding fireball made [...]

Researchers may have unlocked the future of computing by turning flat silicon chips into densely stacked 3D architectures. For decades, the semiconductor industry has boosted computing power by making transistors smaller and fitting more of them onto a single chip. That strategy has fueled remarkable advances in electronics, but it is now approaching fundamental physical [...]

Tiny particles from the gut may be carrying aging signals throughout the body, offering a surprising new clue to chronic disease. Researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine have uncovered new evidence that microscopic particles produced in the gut may contribute to the inflammation and chronic diseases often associated with aging. [...]

Cancer’s most notorious growth protein may also be helping tumors survive chemotherapy. A protein already known for fueling cancer growth may have another troubling ability: helping damaged tumor cells repair their DNA and survive treatments designed to destroy them. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) report that MYC, a protein that is overactive [...]