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Learn how Viagra trapped cholesterol inside cancer cells and why statins may strengthen the effect.A man might take Viagra for erectile dysfunction and a statin for high cholesterol, treating two problems that seem to have nothing to do with cancer. But if he is later diagnosed with cancer, he may already be taking two medications linked to a lower risk of dying within five years. In a study published in Cancer Research, researchers found that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, trapped cholesterol inside cancer cells and reduced lung metastases in several mouse models. Men who filled at least three...

Explanation: There are more than half a million galaxies in the central panel of this image from the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. This is the COSMOS field, a patch of sky several times larger than the full moon, first observed by Hubble. It has also been observed by Webb and other telescopes because it contains comparatively few bright stars from our own galaxy, offering a relatively unimpeded view of other galaxies outside the Milky Way. The outer panels, numbered 1-10, show zoomed-in views of the corresponding small regions highlighted in the central panel. The variety of galaxy...

Born during the Roman Empire's consolidation, Titus Flavius Domitianus was the youngest son of Emperor Vespasian and brother to Titus. As The People Profiles explores, their career included notable military campaigns and a dramatic rise to power during the turbulent Year of the Four Emperors. Emperor Domitian - Rome's Tragic Tyrant Documentary | 55:45 The People Profiles | 1.66M subscribers | 185,137 views | April 10, 2024

Tracing the rise of the Flavian dynasty, this documentary explores the political climate of a transforming Rome. It examines the military career of a future emperor during the tumultuous Jewish Revolt. Titus - The Good Emperor Documentary | 1:10:49 The People Profiles | 1.66M subscribers | 643,007 views | June 14, 2023

Tracing a journey from a minor equestrian family to the pinnacle of Roman power, this documentary explores the career of the future Emperor Vespasian. Follow the path through early military service in Britain and political challenges during the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Vespasian - The General Who Became Emperor Documentary | 1:06:04 The People Profiles | 1.66M subscribers | 275,077 views | April 21, 2023

Scientists from the Beijing Institute of Technology have revealed a colloidal quantum dot (CQD)-based infrared-to-visible upconverter that transforms the infrared spectrum into full color, allowing people to ‘see’ the infrared in the visible light spectrum. The research team behind the novel invention said their upconverter can be used in eyeglasses to improve human vision and for augmented reality (AR) applications. They also reported a successful implantation of an upconverter in mice, opening the possibility of an implantable photoreceptor to repair or improve vision in human eyes. Attempts to Convert Infrared to Full Color Face Limitations In a published study detailing...

This week's topic: Silly Science

Viagra Plus Statins Tied to Better Cancer Survival Odds, Study Suggests In A Nutshell * Viagra’s active ingredient, sildenafil, appears to trap cholesterol inside cancer cells, potentially limiting their ability to spread. * In mice, sildenafil reduced metastasis across breast, lung, and colon cancer models. * Health records from more than 40,000 male cancer patients linked combined sildenafil and statin use to a 31% lower risk of death within five years, compared to using neither drug. * The findings are observational and come from lab and animal studies, so clinical trials are needed before doctors could prescribe the combination for...

Explanation: Don’t get spooked by Saturn’s ghostly spokes! Today we feature a nearly two-hour timelapse of Saturn and its rings looping forwards and backwards. A day on Saturn is only 10 hours long, so two hours of observation covers quite a bit of its rotation. If you look closely, a ghoulish shadow appears and disappears as Saturn’s B ring rotates. Decades of observation with Voyager 2, Cassini, and Hubble show the appearance of Saturn’s spokes varies with the planet’s seasons. Like Earth, Saturn’s spin axis is tilted compared to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. During Saturn’s equinox,...

Photons traveling through a cloud of atoms can emerge so early that they appear to have spent a negative amount of time inside. Researchers tested whether this was merely a misleading feature of the light pulse by making extremely weak measurements of the atoms. Surprisingly, the atoms confirmed the same negative dwell time. The finding does not break standard physics, but it reveals that one of quantum mechanics’ strangest effects is physically measurable. ... Our experiment used photons – quantum particles of light – and the against-the-odds journey they must undertake to pass straight through a cloud of rubidium atoms....

The brother of American Olympic legend Alysa Liu is a transgender athlete dominating California high school girls’ athletic events, reports say. Jaylin Liu was formerly named Joshua before transitioning and identifying as female, according to Reduxx. He now competes in track and field girls’ varsity basketball and ultimate frisbee for both Albany High School and El Cerrito High School in California. He’s reportedly made his biggest impact in track and field, taking home every first-place finish in 200-meter and 400-meter girls’ races that Albany High School has entered this year. Jaylin recently took home the top spot at the Tri-County...

Former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci has hit back at Aaron Rodgers after the quarterback launched a scathing verbal assault on him on-air. Rodgers, who has long been a vaccine skeptic and was extremely outspoken about the Covid-19 pandemic, didn't hold back as he eviscerated Fauci in the wake of his decision to continuously plead the fifth amendment in a hostile senate hearing. Appearing on ESPN on Monday, Rodgers attacked Fauci in a 13-minute monologue, labeling the 85-year-old an 'absolute criminal' and an 'absolute coward'. On Tuesday, Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, responded to Rodgers delivering a swift...

Iran and Oman are close to an agreement to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic that would see both countries collect a so-called “service fee” to cover environmental and security costs. The New York Times reported late Monday, citing Iranian and US officials familiar with the developing accord, that ships entering the strait from the Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Oman would be required to take a route through Iranian territorial waters. Vessels exiting the strait from the Persian Gulf would take a route near Oman’s coast along the south side of the strait. Iran’s Foreign...

Explanation: What causes unusual knots of gas and dust in planetary nebulas? Seen also in the Ring Nebula, the Dumbbell Nebula and NGC 2392, the knots' existence was not initially predicted, and their origins are still not well understood. Pictured here is a fascinating image of part of the Helix Nebula by the James Webb Space Telescope showing tremendous detail in infrared light. The cometary knots have masses similar to the Earth but have sizes typically several times the orbit of Pluto. One hypothesis for the fragmentation and evolution of the knots includes existing gas being driven out by a...

Thanks to fossilized evidence from Richmond, Queensland, researchers found a marine reptile had eaten a flying reptile shortly before becoming a meal for a larger predator. This is some of the first fossilized evidence of its kind, according to a study in the journal Gondwana Research, and helps us better understand what happened beneath ancient waves over 100 million years ago...Inside the fossilized belly of a 19- to 22-foot ichthyosaur -- a prehistoric dolphin-like marine reptile -- researchers uncovered something they'd never seen before. Thanks to advanced 3D imaging, the research team found pieces of a pterosaur, a flying reptile,...

At a time when melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer on record, the Federal Drug Administration was still slow-walking its decision-making over a new drug, Replimune (RP1). The staff members used inappropriate criteria to make their decision about rejecting the drug, and at a time when one of the most lethal cancers is not responding to other treatments, they were showing poor judgment: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with as many as 3 million people being diagnosed with skin cancer every year, according to the American Cancer Society. The most dangerous form...

New Yorkers, hold onto your wallets and brace yourselves for financial chaos. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s minions in the Democratic Socialists of America are preparing to radicalize the state Legislature in January, when they take their newly won seats in Albany. A warning sign of their coming craziness appeared Friday, when Mamdani-endorsed Assembly candidate Brian Romero put up a GoFundMe page with an unusual request. He begged for handouts to cover his own rent and groceries for the rest of this year, until he’s sworn in to represent East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Astoria and other parts of Queens. Romero won the...

Aaron Rodgers unleashed at 'coward' and 'criminal' Anthony Fauci in a no-holds-barred appearance on Pat McAfee's ESPN show on Monday. Rodgers, who has long been a vaccine skeptic and was extremely outspoken about the Covid-19 pandemic, didn't hold back as he eviscerated Fauci in the wake of his decision to continuously plead the fifth amendment in a hostile senate hearing. As he arrived on set, Rodgers appeared to ask how long the broadcast had left on ESPN, with McAfee responding that they had 'a hard out' after just eight minutes. That, seemingly, was all the fuel Rodgers needed as he...

Explanation: What's happening to this meteor? This bright meteor streak appeared and disappeared quickly during a long exposure of the Great Lacerta Nebula, seen faintly in red toward the center of the image. The meteoroid, likely a small pebble, creates its glow partly by heating and exciting surrounding air in Earth's atmosphere, but itself vaporizes and leaves wind-blown gas and dust with colors that give clues to its composition. The featured image was captured last month from Death Valley Observatories in Nevada, USA. This month, though, is particularly good for seeing meteors. Presently there are three meteor showers ongoing, although...

The news this past week has been filled by Rand Paul’s Senate hearings exposing the extent of the scientific fraud perpetrated by ex-NIAID Director Anthony Fauci in the matter of Covid-19. First Paul released Fauci’s “diaries,” otherwise known as personal musings recorded in various places on the government’s servers. Then Fauci was compelled to testify, whereupon he invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege more than 100 times and never provided a word of substantive testimony. However, the diaries on their face revealed numerous instances where Fauci’s public statements were blatant deceptions. As just one example, on January 20, 2020, Fauci wrote...