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Leopard tooth marks were found on this Homo habilis jawbone. Image credit: Vegara-Riquelme et al., Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2025) Around 2 million years ago, prehistoric humans in East Africa turned the tables on the carnivores that had previously terrorized them, learning not only to fend off these predators but also steal their kills, thus replacing them at the very top of the food chain. Generally, the ancient species Homo habilis is credited with making this trophic leap, yet new research suggests that this extinct hominin was actually hunted by leopards and may therefore have been...

Beginning Sept. 1, the European Union has banned an ingredient commonly found in gel nail polish. The banned substance, TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide), gives nails a super glossy sheen and a quick dry time under UV or LED light. However, it has been deemed toxic in the EU after several studies have shown that it can cause fertility issues and adversely affect reproductive health. Gel nail polish, which has gained popularity since the 2000s, is cured under UV or LED light, resulting in a hard, durable manicure.

The annual clock of the seasons – winter, spring, summer, autumn – is often taken as a given. But our new study in Nature, using a new approach for observing seasonal growth cycles from satellites, shows that this notion is far too simple. We present an unprecedented and intimate portrait of the seasonal cycles of Earth's land-based ecosystems. This reveals "hotspots" of seasonal asynchrony around the world – regions where the timing of seasonal cycles can be out of sync between nearby locations. .....

Scribble & Clue can solve math by barking! Image credit: Gutmann & Neuhaus 2025, CC BY 4.0/A. Carpineti, IFLScience/Valentin Drull/Shutterstock.com In one of the most hilarious papers we have read this year, two scientists challenged some famous quantum factorization records, pointing out how these approaches are only possible using very specific numbers or by changing the problem into an altogether easier-to-solve one. The team calls it sleight of hand, and are calling it out using old computers, an abacus, and even a dog! You most likely learned factorization in elementary school. You take a number and, using some known rules...

MSU researchers discovered that microbes begin shaping the brain while still in the womb, influencing neurons in a region critical for stress and social behavior. Their findings suggest modern birth practices that alter the microbiome may have hidden impacts on brain development.

Research has previously suggested people who drink at least one sugary drink a day are at higher risk of suffering male pattern hair loss. One study by Chinese researchers in 2023 found that younger men who consumed sweet drinks seven times a week had more than triple the chance of having hair loss than men who didn't consume them. In the fresh research, scientists found that across the studies analysed sugary drinks impacted hair density, growth, thickness, shine, and hair loss. In one study in particular, those drinking more than 3500ml per week—roughly 11 cans—were more likely to suffer the...

A technology company in southern China is developing a humanoid robot equipped with an artificial womb, designed to carry and give birth to human children. The project, announced by Kaiwa Technology and expected to debut by 2026, marks a significant step in artificial gestation. As China develops a pregnancy robot capable of full-term human reproduction, experts are closely watching the ethical and scientific implications. Guangzhou-based Kaiwa Technology revealed that the robot will be capable of carrying a fetus through a ten-month gestation cycle and assisting in childbirth. The company says it plans to sell the product for under 100,000 yuan,...

Humans are one step closer to traveling at faster-than-light speeds. Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: * A research paper proposes a fully physically realized model for warp drive. * This builds on an existing model that requires negative energy—an impossibility. * The new model is exciting, but warp speed is still probably decades or centuries away. ============================================================= In a surprising paper, scientists say they’ve nailed down a physical model for a warp drive, which flies in the face of what we’ve long thought about the crazy concept of warp speed travel: that it requires exotic, negative...

In A Nutshell * A single high-fat meal impaired both blood vessel function and brain blood flow regulation in healthy men within just 4 hours. * Older adults showed more pronounced declines, suggesting age-related vulnerability. *Triglyceride levels more than doubled after the meal, and brain vessels became stiffer. * These short-term changes may elevate stroke and cardiovascular risk, even in physically fit individuals. ======================================================================== CARDIFF, Wales — You’ve probably heard that greasy meals aren’t great for your heart, but new research suggests they might be just as bad for your brain, and the effects show up fast. Just four hours...

The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic may have left a significant mark on our brains, even if we didn't get sick. Fatal cases of COVID-19 look scarily like old age in the brain, and now, new research suggests that the mental, social, and financial stresses of the pandemic may have aged our brains as well. A team led by researchers at the University of Nottingham trained an AI model to recognize healthy aging in the brain, using the data of more than 15,000 adults in the UK Biobank. The algorithm was then used to analyze the brain ages of two...

While the study is intriguing, additional observations will be essential to verify or challenge its findings. Astudy analyzing JWST observations of the early universe has uncovered an intriguing mystery: most galaxies appear to be rotating in the same direction. This unexpected pattern, which defies current cosmological models, has led the study's authors to propose a bold possibility: that our universe might exist inside a black hole. The JWST has allowed astronomers to peer back further into the past than any other infrared or optical telescope, seeing infrared light that was emitted by distant galaxies just 300 million years after the...

The company claims it has cracked a scalable method to make stable gold from mercury. Ever since the discovery of alchemy, or since humans thought gold was a precious object, a worldwide quest to turn common elements into the yellow metal has been ongoing. Folklore and fables sing praises of humans who went on this quest and those who received such blessings. No such claims have yet stood the test of science, and this could change quite soon. An engineering firm from the United States – Marathon Fusion – has claimed that making gold from mercury is possible, and they...

Neptune, too, might have a new companion around. Uranus can pull and push minor bodies around. Image credit: NASA Between the orbits of Saturn and Neptune, there is a population of minor space bodies known as the Centaurs. There could be up to 10 million of them, but they tend to have unstable orbits due to the gravitational influences of the giant planets. Occasionally, some enter a temporary stable orbit, joining one of the planets in a resonance. This is what is believed to have happened between Centaur 2015 OU194 and the planet Uranus, the first ever report of this...

A mouse study has found the sugar 2-deoxy-D-ribose stimulates hair regrowth. Put down the rosemary oil and pause the red light therapy, research suggests the secret to curing male pattern baldness could lie in a sugar that occurs naturally in our bodies. In a mouse model of testosterone-driven hair loss, the sugar, called 2-deoxy-D-ribose, stimulated hair regrowth just as effectively as existing treatment minoxidil – the active ingredient in Rogaine. Though commonly referred to as male pattern baldness, the condition, also known as hereditary-patterned baldness or androgenetic alopecia, affects women too. In fact, up to 40 percent of people experience...

A groundbreaking new collaboration is working to resurrect one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic lost species, the South Island Giant Moa. Blending ancient knowledge with cutting-edge science, the cooperative initiative has been launched between the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre in collaboration with U.S.-based biotech firm Colossal Biosciences and filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson. The initiative seeks to place indigenous values and ecological restoration at the forefront of de-extinction science, representing a historic development in conservation biology. The collaboration marks the first time that an indigenous-led research team will direct a de-extinction initiative of this scale. Based at the University of Canterbury,...

France’s food safety agency found that glass-bottled drinks, such as iced tea, lemonade, and beer, exhibited some of the highest contamination levels.-A French food safety agency study found that drinks in glass bottles contained more microplastic particles per liter than those in plastic bottles or cans. -The researchers traced the microplastics to the exterior paint on plastic-sealed caps, which released particles into the drink. -Despite being bottled in glass, both water and wine showed fewer microplastics, although the researchers couldn’t determine exactly why. The evidence showing the harmful effects of microplastics is building up. Study after study shows that microplastics...

A study found that a diet rich in turmeric, garlic, green tea, and similar foods reduced biological age by an average of two years, with some losing up to nine. The eight-week plan included exercise, sleep, and meditation, and excluded alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy to support gut health and methylation. Researchers believe the diet works by enhancing DNA methylation, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and possibly preserving telomeres. New research suggests that certain foods not only have the power to help you live healthier years, but they could also help turn back your body's internal clock. In April, researchers...

Synopsis A comprehensive analysis of global dietary studies reveals that even minimal consumption of processed meat elevates the risk of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease. Researchers found no safe threshold for processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats. Experts advocate for a balanced approach, emphasizing moderation and increased intake of beneficial foods for long-term health. ================================================================== A new analysis of global dietary studies has found compelling evidence that even small amounts of processed meat may raise the risk of serious chronic diseases. According to researchers, there is no "safe amount" of processed meat consumption when it...

...Futurists have long debated the arrival of the singularity, when human and artificial intelligence will merge, a concept borrowed from the world of quantum physics.... /

In a nutshell Researchers successfully restored hearing in 10 deaf participants aged 18 months to 24 years using gene therapy, proving the treatment works beyond early childhood All patients showed hearing improvements within one month, with some achieving nearly normal hearing and ability to have conversations without hearing aids The therapy proved safe with only mild side effects, opening doors for treating other genetic forms of deafness in the future ======================================================================== NANJING, China — A groundbreaking clinical trial has achieved what many thought impossible: restoring meaningful hearing in people born profoundly deaf, including teenagers and young adults who were previously...