Ancient fern savannahs may have transformed parts of Europe into a wildfire-prone inferno during the end-Triassic mass extinction. New fossil evidence suggests the ferns repeatedly regrew after fires, creating fresh fuel that helped prolong the devastation.

Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, and cases in younger adults continue to rise. Warning signs can include persistent bowel changes, recurring rectal bleeding, dark or narrow stools, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. These symptoms often have harmless causes, but they should not be dismissed, especially when they are new or ongoing. Early detection can greatly improve treatment outcomes.

Miniature brain models grown from patients’ cells revealed striking differences in how Alzheimer’s-related tissue responds to an antidepressant. The organoids and the particles they release could eventually guide more personalized treatments and provide new clues for diagnosing the disease.

Researchers discovered a proton-assisted mechanism that greatly improves how triplet energy moves between quantum dots and nearby molecules. The proton briefly shifts position, helps coordinate electron movement, and then returns to where it started. This quantum-driven shuttle could offer a powerful new way to tune solar cells, lasers, and catalytic reactions.

MIT engineers have found a way to give chip-based lidar a wider, clearer view without relying on moving parts. Their design uses differently shaped antennas that can sit close together without scrambling one another’s signals. In tests, the system sharply reduced interference while steering a single precise beam across a broad field of view.

Scientists have found a way to revive vancomycin, a powerful antibiotic that some dangerous bacteria have learned to resist. Instead of creating an entirely new drug, researchers paired vancomycin with a small molecule called pghi-4, which blocks a bacterial enzyme linked to resistance. The combination restored the antibiotic’s ability to kill drug-resistant E. faecium, raising hopes that similar chemical helpers could rescue other failing medicines.

Researchers are applying evolutionary theory to cancer by changing treatments before tumors have time to develop resistance. Mathematical models suggest that rapid, carefully timed switches between multiple therapies could improve cure rates.

A single dose of psilocybin produced measurable changes in brain activity and possible changes in brain structure that lasted for up to a month. Participants who experienced the greatest increase in flexible, varied brain activity also reported more personal insight and later improvements in well-being. The findings suggest that the psychedelic experience itself may help people break free from entrenched patterns of thinking.

Scientists have created a programmable optical chip that can slow light on demand, giving engineers far greater control over how optical signals propagate through a circuit. The technology could provide the delays, synchronization, and buffering functions needed to make light-based computing more practical. A single chip could eventually perform several tasks that currently require separate devices, potentially reducing energy use, cost, and complexity in AI servers and data centers.

For most adults, a daily caffeine habit may be safer for the heart than many people assume. A new American Heart Association review found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, roughly three to five cups of regular black coffee, is generally safe and may even be linked to lower risks of heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and Type 2 diabetes. But the source matters: highly concentrated energy drinks and shots can sharply raise blood pressure and trigger irregular heart rhythms.

Watching television very often in midlife may be linked to troubling brain changes decades later. In a study of about 1,700 adults, frequent TV viewers later showed smaller brain regions involved in memory, decision-making, and visual processing, along with more signs of damage in the brain’s white matter. Surprisingly, sitting itself did not appear to be the main issue, since people who spent long hours seated at mentally engaging jobs often showed healthier brain patterns.

Ancient sediment reveals that some of K’gari’s deepest lakes vanished around 7,500 years ago, despite unusually heavy rainfall. The surprising discovery suggests changing winds and future climate shifts could threaten the sacred lakes known as the Eyes of K’gari.

China’s Chang’e-6 samples have uncovered a surprising difference between the Moon’s two hemispheres. Solar wind particles penetrated deeper into the far-side soil because Earth’s magnetosphere slows the particles that reach the near side. Noble gases locked inside the lunar regolith preserved evidence of this uneven bombardment. These gases may even help scientists reconstruct the ancient history of Earth’s magnetic shield.

Astronomers have found the first confirmed atmosphere around a rocky planet in another star’s habitable zone. The planet, LHS 1140 b, revealed its atmosphere through helium slowly leaking into space. Located 48 light-years away, the world may have preserved its atmosphere for billions of years, making it a promising target in the search for potentially habitable planets.

Ancient DNA from China’s vast 4,000-year-old Shimao settlement is revealing how one of East Asia’s earliest complex societies was organized. Researchers found that its people were largely descended from local Yellow River farming communities, but also had genetic ties to distant southern and steppe populations, pointing to extensive prehistoric contact.

A newly discovered turning point in the Sun’s 11-year cycle could allow scientists to predict future solar activity years earlier than before. At this “switch-off” point, the most violent space weather abruptly ends, and the remaining number of sunspots offers clues about the next cycle’s strength. Early projections suggest Solar Cycle 26 may be moderate, but a clearer forecast is expected in about two years.

Scientists studying decades of pygmy sperm whale strandings have uncovered three previously unknown types of Helicobacter bacteria hiding in the animals’ stomachs. All four infected whales showed serious digestive damage, including inflammation, ulcers, scarring, and parasite infestations, although the bacteria were not confirmed as the cause of death.

Scientists uncovered how influenza A commandeers human cells, including a surprising strategy that dissolves tiny structures in the nucleus and releases proteins the virus may use to reproduce. The detailed molecular map could reveal new drug targets and help researchers study dangerous flu strains such as H5N1.

A naturally occurring compound found in foods such as wheat germ, mushrooms, and aged cheese may help older adults build stronger protection after vaccination. In a small pilot trial, researchers gave spermidine supplements to adults over 65 following their third COVID-19 vaccine dose. The biggest improvements appeared among people whose immune systems initially responded poorly, with higher antibody levels and stronger activity against several variants.

Dying Sun-like stars may not fade away quietly. As blobs of gas erupt unevenly from their swollen surfaces, each burst gives the star a tiny push in the opposite direction. Thousands of these random kicks could eventually break apart distant stellar pairs or, in rare cases, drive two stars into a violent collision.