Mysterious ‘blue blobs’ reveal a new kind of star system
University of Arizona astronomers have identified five examples of a new class of stellar system. They’re not quite galaxies and only exist in isolation. The new stellar systems contain only young, blue stars, which are distributed in an irregular pattern and seem to exist in surprising isolation from any potential parent galaxy. The stellar systems […]
If You’re Going To Clean Out Your Ears Yourself, Here’s How To Do It Right
Our bodies produce all kinds of substances, and people have different tolerance levels for them. One that can be really bothersome is earwax. But believe it or not, this substance actually serves a purpose ― and you need to be careful when it comes to removing it. Below, experts break down what you need to […]
Astronomers find evidence for most powerful pulsar in distant galaxy
Astronomers analyzing data from the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) have discovered one of the youngest known neutron stars — the superdense remnant of a massive star that exploded as a supernova. Images from the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) indicate that bright radio emission powered by the spinning pulsar’s magnetic […]
Monkeypox Is Getting A New Name. Here’s Why.
If you’ve been seeing monkeypox in the news recently you might have seen pictures of the condition on darker skin. Though the virus is now evident in other parts of the world, monkeypox has become synonymous with African countries, which is why a new name is being considered for the condition. Advertisement The World Health […]
Fluorescence microscopy shows how living cells form vesicles to transport cargo like growth factors
Cells have a clever way to transport cargos like growth factors across the cell membrane and into the cell. It is called clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Molecules of the protein clathrin gather on the inside of the cell membrane, and they deform the membrane to make what looks like a pit as seen from the outside. After […]
Placebo Responses in Migraine Prevention Trials Tick Upward Over Time
Placebo responses in migraine prevention trials appear to have risen over time, a systematic review and meta-analysis showed. A significant increase in placebo response was seen by publication year in migraine prevention studies that involved oral placebo (rho 0.39, P=0.047) but not in studies with injectable placebo (rho -0.07, P=0.724), reported Stewart Tepper, MD, of […]
Growing ‘mortality gap’ detected between Democratic and Republican counties
A new study highlights how closely connected politics and health outcomes have grown over time. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined mortality rates and federal and state election data for all counties in the U.S. from 2001 to 2019. The team found what they call a “mortality gap” — a widening difference between age-adjusted […]
Lab earthquakes show how grains at fault boundaries lead to major quakes: Faults once thought to be ‘creeping’ yet stable may be at risk for big ruptures
By simulating earthquakes in a lab, Caltech engineers have provided strong experimental support for a form of earthquake propagation now thought responsible for the magnitude-9.0 earthquake that devastated the coast of Japan in 2011. Along some fault lines, which are the boundaries of tectonic plates, a fine-grained gravel is formed as the plates grind against […]
Intriguing connection between diet, eye health and lifespan uncovered
Researchers from the Buck Institute have demonstrated for the first time a link between diet, circadian rhythms, eye health and lifespan in Drosophila. Publishing in the June 7, 2022 issue of Nature Communications, they additionally and unexpectedly found that processes in the fly eye are actually driving the aging process. Previous studies have shown in […]
Warning labels could help customers identify hidden sugar in restaurant menus: Researchers find added-sugar menu labels are perceived as effective
Do you really want to order a soda with your burger? Just one soda can have more added sugar than the entire daily limit recommended for most adults. Seeing a warning icon on a restaurant menu may help consumers identify the high amounts of added sugar hidden in menu items — and it may even […]