A major study found that common dementia risks may have a much stronger impact on women’s brains than previously recognized. Women may not only experience some dementia risk factors more often than men, but those risk factors may also have a stronger effect on their cognitive health, according to new research from the University of [...]

The aging brain may be far more capable of growth and improvement than scientists once believed. A large three-year study from researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for BrainHealth (CBH) is challenging a long-standing assumption about aging. The findings suggest that mental sharpness is not destined to decline over time and that [...]

Semaglutide was linked to greater weight loss and a 15% lower fracture risk in people with type 2 diabetes, raising the possibility of an unexpected bone health benefit. People with type 2 diabetes who took semaglutide experienced greater weight loss and a lower risk of bone fractures than those using several other weight-loss medications, according [...]

Remote Scottish islands turned tiny wrens into giant birds that may be evolving into new species. Tiny wrens living on remote Scottish islands are providing scientists with a rare look at how evolution can reshape animals in isolated environments. A new study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham found that several island populations [...]

Scientists found that chronic wasting disease may spread silently between species, revealing a hidden challenge in the fight against the fatal wildlife disease. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is best known as a disease affecting deer, elk, and other cervid (hooved, plant-eating) animals. Now, researchers at the University of Calgary and their international collaborators have taken [...]

The first global map of underground fungal networks reveals a hidden 68 quadrillion-mile superhighway that helps sustain life on Earth and store carbon in the soil. Beneath forests, grasslands, wetlands, and even many agricultural fields lies a vast underground fungal network that supports plant life and plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. [...]

An experimental vaccine could help stop fentanyl and future designer-drug variants before they can trigger a deadly overdose. Fentanyl has become one of the deadliest drugs in the United States, with fentanyl and related synthetic opioid variants now claiming more lives each year than car crashes and gun violence combined. When taken in excessive amounts, [...]

People taking popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound may be shedding pounds, but a new study suggests they are also moving less. People with obesity who lost weight while taking popular medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and similar drugs became significantly less physically active, according to research presented at ENDO [...]

Scientists say aging may expose decades of hidden damage, helping trigger diseases that seem to appear out of nowhere in later life. A recent review published in Aging-US explores a fresh way of understanding why aging is so closely linked to chronic disease. In the paper, “Aging as a multifactorial disorder with two stages,” researchers [...]

A new study suggests that the collapse of a massive star could spark the creation of a tiny expanding universe rather than a black hole. The resulting object, called a gravastar, would avoid the singularity and event horizon that make black holes so puzzling. Massive stars produce light and heat through nuclear fusion in their [...]

A new study reveals that oak trees can keep photosynthesizing for months after growth ends, challenging assumptions about how effectively forests convert absorbed carbon into long-term storage. A tree can look busy long after it has stopped building itself. Its leaves may still be absorbing sunlight and pulling carbon dioxide from the air, but deep [...]

After finding a host and shedding its wings for good, a blood-feeding fly appears to sacrifice some of its vision to better support its parasitic lifestyle. Researchers from Aberystwyth University and the University of Florence have discovered that this major shift in behavior is accompanied by a significant change in the insects’ sensory systems. Deer [...]

Researchers have captured the first atomic-level views of human SMUG1, a key enzyme involved in repairing damaged DNA. Every cell in your body is constantly battling damage to its DNA. Now, scientists have captured the first atomic level images of a key human repair enzyme in action, revealing how cells identify and remove some of [...]

A surprising backup pathway allows cells to make a crucial amino acid when their primary machinery fails. For decades, biologists believed cells had only one way to access a molecule they cannot live without. New research suggests they were wrong. Scientists at Montana State University have uncovered a previously unknown cellular survival pathway that allows [...]

A naturally occurring anti-inflammatory protein fragment is showing promise in early Parkinson’s disease research. Parkinson’s disease affects millions of people worldwide, yet current treatments mainly address symptoms rather than the underlying damage occurring in the brain. Now, researchers in Brazil have identified a promising new approach that targets a different aspect of the disease: inflammation. [...]

A copper-based drug helped the brain flush out Alzheimer’s toxins, cutting plaque buildup and improving memory in a promising new study. Scientists at Monash University have identified a promising new approach to tackling Alzheimer’s disease. In laboratory studies, a copper-delivering drug significantly lowered levels of toxic proteins linked to the disease while also improving long-term [...]

Semaglutide delivered dramatic weight loss and health benefits in adults over 65, offering new hope for healthier aging. A new analysis of data from the STEP clinical trial program suggests that semaglutide remains both effective and generally safe for older adults living with obesity. The research, conducted by Prof. Luca Busetto of the University of [...]

Researchers in Sweden have developed a machine-learning approach that embeds the laws of physics directly into neural networks. A new study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden shows that machine learning can become far more efficient when it starts with a built-in understanding of the laws of physics. Researchers found that giving an AI [...]

Bird flocks, bacterial swarms, and even crowds move according to interaction rules that appear to break one of physics’ most fundamental principles: Newton’s law of action and reaction. Birds can see much of what is happening around them, but when flying in a flock, they respond only to birds beside them or ahead of them. [...]

Scientists have found a way to make GPS remarkably accurate in city “urban canyons,” where navigation has long gone wrong. Most of us trust that the location shown by our GPS is accurate. But anyone who has tried navigating an unfamiliar city knows that is not always the case. You may be walking steadily down [...]