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Conceptual image depicting end of the universe by generative AI (© The 2R Artificiality - stock.adobe.com) In a nutshell * Scientists discovered that neutron stars and white dwarfs are slowly evaporating, shortening the universe’s expected lifespan from 10^1100 years to 10^78 years. * All massive objects lose energy through a process similar to how black holes evaporate, with denser objects deteriorating faster. Despite this “earlier” end, the universe’s death is still inconceivably far in the future—neutron stars will last 10^68 years and white dwarfs about 10^78 years. ================================================================================ NIJMEGEN, Netherlands — Scientists have just calculated that our universe will end...

A surprising discovery in hair follicle biology has scientists rethinking everything we know about baldness. A single overlooked protein appears to control whether hair grows—or vanishes for good. ***************************************************************** A newly published study in Nature Communications has identified a critical protein that helps sustain hair follicle stem cells, potentially opening the door to new treatment options for baldness. The research was led by an international team from Australia, Singapore, and China, and offers new insight into the biology of hair regeneration. A Protein With Protective Power Hair follicles go through repeated cycles of growth, rest, and shedding. At the heart...

Scientists invent a new chewing gum that may help prevent viral transmission. (New Africa/Shutterstock) In a nutshell * A plant-based chewing gum made from lablab beans can trap and neutralize flu and herpes viruses in the lab, offering a potential new way to reduce transmission directly in the mouth, where these viruses often spread. * The antiviral protein in the gum (FRIL) stays stable for over two years at room temperature, making it a promising option for global use without the need for refrigeration or injections. * Though results so far are limited to lab tests, the gum has passed...

Academics from UCL propose a national polypill program for everyone over 50 in the UK, combining a statin and three blood pressure drugs, to prevent thousands of heart attacks and strokes annually. They argue this simple, cost-effective strategy would outperform the current NHS Health Check, requiring only 8% uptake to achieve greater health benefits. ****************************************************************************** A proposed NHS polypill program for everyone over 50 could significantly reduce heart attacks and strokes, offering a simple, cost-effective alternative to the current NHS Health Check. The NHS could significantly reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes each year by providing a single...

This Futuristic Fusion Rocket Could Slash Interplanetary Travel Time—And It’s Almost Ready | The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel ============================================================================ A secretive UK-based startup has just pulled back the curtain on a futuristic space propulsion project that sounds like something straight out of science fiction. Pulsar Fusion, a company working quietly behind the scenes for over a decade, has unveiled plans for Sunbird, a nuclear fusion-powered rocket that could slash travel times across the solar system—and fundamentally change how we explore space. Revealed publicly for the first time in March 2025, the rocket’s design is bold, its claims even bolder,...

Scientists have recreated foie gras without force-feeding by using natural enzymes found in ducks. The process mimics what happens inside the bird’s body, resulting in the same texture and taste. It’s a delicious step toward cruelty-free indulgence A team of researchers has developed a groundbreaking new way to make foie gras that eliminates the need for force-feeding, traditionally used to achieve the delicacy’s rich texture. By using the duck’s own fat-digesting enzymes and a simplified, additive-free recipe, they recreated the signature mouthfeel and flavor of foie gras. The result? An ethical, scientifically innovative twist on a centuries-old luxury – and...

As the push for renewable energy intensifies, the demand for effective electricity storage solutions becomes increasingly critical. Current lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in electric vehicles and portable electronics, are hitting their limits. According to Xiaolei Wang, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Alberta, these batteries are not well-suited for large-scale energy storage required for the electrical grid. Survives 380,000 charging cycles Wang and his research team are focusing on an innovative approach to battery technology: grid-level aqueous batteries that utilize seawater as an electrolyte. Collaborating with the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, this approach could...

n a quest to understand complex speech, scientists inserted what's been dubbed a human “language gene” into mice. Remarkably, the genetic tweak had a profound impact on the little rodents' ability to squeak, revealing astonishing clues about the evolution of vocal communication. Mouse pups that had the human version of the language gene showed different vocalization patterns from their buddies with the usual version mice have. When calling for their mother, their squeaks were higher pitched and featured a different selection of sounds than usual. “All baby mice make ultrasonic squeaks to their moms, and language researchers categorize the varying...

Dark energy, a mysterious force that scientists believe is behind the accelerated expansion of the universe, is weakening — which could result in the universe over the course of billions of years collapsing on itself, according to new research. An international group of more than 900 researchers studying the expansion of the universe presented their findings on Wednesday during the American Physical Society's Global Physics Summit in Anaheim, Calif. The scientists, who are collaborating on something called the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) are studying the history of the universe's expansion out to 11 billion years in the past. They...

Samples drilled from deep beneath the sea have revealed just how much global sea levels changed following the last ice age. Melting ice caps in North America, Antarctica and Europe caused sea levels to rise quickly as temperatures warmed after the last ice age. But researchers have lacked robust geological data from this period, so how much sea levels climbed was unknown. Now, new geological data show that sea levels rose about 125 feet (38 meters) between 11,000 and 3,000 years ago, according to a study published March 19 in the journal Nature. The findings could help scientists and policymakers...

A prehistoric “factory” discovered in Tanzania could push bone tool-making back by more than a million years, indicating unexpected abstract reasoning capabilities human ancestors displayed in the remote past. According to researchers at University College London (UCL) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), about 1.5 million years ago, hominin hands fashioned the 27 ancient bone tools now preserved as fossils. The find represents the earliest significant bone tool collection ever found, particularly notable for the systematic, factory-style production methods they display. Previous evidence indicates that hominins produced stone tools for over a million years, although archaeologists had previously never...

Researchers discovered a tiny droplet of acid could do the job of large amounts of harmful chemicals usually used for turning aluminum transparent. (fotaro100/Shutterstock) =================================================================== In a nutshell * Scientists have developed a technique to transform aluminum into transparent aluminum oxide using just a droplet of acid and low voltage (2V), dramatically reducing chemical waste compared to traditional methods that require full immersion in acid baths. * The transparent material allows more than 70% of visible light to pass through while blocking some near-infrared light, making it potentially valuable for applications in electronics, solar panels, optical sensors, and energy-efficient windows....

There is something unique about the color purple: Our brain makes it up. So you might just call purple a pigment of our imagination. It’s also a fascinating example of how the brain creates something beautiful when faced with a systems error. To understand where purple comes from, we need to know how our eyes and brain work together to perceive color. And that all begins with light. Light is another term for electromagnetic radiation. Most comes from the sun and travels to Earth in waves. There are many different types of light, which scientists group based on the lengths...

Have you ever looked at a bath and thought “Nah, not today!”? Well, you are not alone, as bathing has been a very up-and-down trend across history and from culture to culture. Ancient Rome’s public baths could be a grand affair, with all classes of Roman society taking frequent hot soaks. This contrasts with people in early-modern Europe who avoided clean water altogether for fear that it caused illnesses. Then there are more recent times, when having baths and showers in the house is basically considered essential. These different trends raise the important question: what happens when humans decide not...

In a nutshell * Scientists have developed a plant-based cheese using a specific pea protein and oil blend (25% coconut oil, 75% sunflower oil) that matches the texture and melting properties of dairy cheese while containing less saturated fat. * The breakthrough challenges the common belief that high saturated fat content is necessary for proper cheese texture, as the new formulation achieved similar firmness (80 Newtons) to versions made with 100% coconut oil. * The research demonstrates that carefully selected plant proteins can create healthier cheese alternatives without sacrificing the stretchy, melty qualities consumers expect, potentially revolutionizing the plant-based dairy...

UC Davis graduate student Jeffrey Groh has discovered how walnut trees are able to produce flowers of different sexes at different times in the same season. The genetic mechanism is similar to sex determination in many animals. Pictured, Groh with a California black walnut tree on the UC Davis campus. Credit: Sasha Bakhter, College of Biological Sciences ============================================================================ Biologists at UC Davis have uncovered a fascinating genetic mechanism in walnut trees, allowing them to alternate between male and female flowers each season—a trait stable for 40 million years. This discovery not only sheds light on plant reproduction but also parallels...

TFAs, harmful fats linked to heart disease, can form during home cooking with sulfur-rich vegetables like garlic and onions at high temperatures. A Japanese study found this effect is minor under normal conditions but emphasized awareness of TFA risks. A new study reveals that garlic and onions contain compounds that can convert into trans fats when exposed to high cooking temperatures. Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are a significant contributor to cardiovascular diseases. These harmful fats can build up on the walls of arteries, narrowing them and increasing the risk of heart attacks. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that TFAs are...

What if a centuries-old Amazonian brew held the key to better mental health and well-being? Ayahuasca, a psychoactive tea traditionally used in spiritual ceremonies, is once again making headlines after the most extensive study of its kind reveals promising associations between its use and improved mental health outcomes. “Ayahuasca has been used for centuries by Indigenous communities for healing and spiritual purposes, but despite its growing global popularity, its effects on mental health in contemporary settings are not well understood,” study co-author and adjunct associate professor at Swinburne University in Australia, Daniel Perkins, told PsyPost. “With more people around the...

Remember, 100° in the USA means you're hot; 100° anywhere else means it's the apocalypse. Image credit: Tomas Ragina/Shutterstock.com Oh, America. You do so confuse the rest of the world, with your “pounds per square inch” and “cups”, instead of sensible measurements like Pascals and liters. And part and parcel of that is your stubborn refusal to drop Fahrenheit in favor of Celsius. Of course, we admit that Fahrenheit does have some advantages. But are they really enough to justify its use in the 21st century? Let’s find out. The case for Fahrenheit We’ll say it: Fahrenheit gets a bad...

The distant galaxy has all the structure of a modern spiral galaxy (the object next to it is another galaxy in the foreground). Image credit: Xiao et al., arXiv 2024 (CC BY 4.0) It has been just over three years since JWST was launched into space and in that time, the telescope has dramatically expanded our understanding of the distant universe. Among the important findings is the discovery of very young galaxies that already looked like their more senior counterparts in the local universe, and a recent study has shown a spiral galaxy that already had everything modern ones do...