Health & Science

Inside the brain is a dense network of neurons that receive, process, and relay information. The synapse, where neurons meet, is the epicenter of this communication. Neurons that send information, called presynaptic neurons, hold tiny packages of neurotransmitters—waiting for a chemical signal from the brain to be released. How this system is regulated by the brain during periods of learning has, until now, been out of reach.

With dementia cases expected to nearly triple worldwide by 2050, researchers are increasingly focused on identifying ways to prevent or delay the disease. While lifestyle and health-related factors, such as blood pressure control and physical activity, influence dementia risk, genetics also play a major role. Currently, it is unclear whether maintaining a favorable lifestyle reduces dementia risk equally across different genetic backgrounds.

Many repetitive regions of the genome have been considered "junk DNA" because the available technologies did not allow them to be studied at sufficient resolution. This is the case for the SST1/NBL2 macrosatellites, considered irrelevant and, until now, virtually invisible, which may have a more complex and decisive biological role than previously thought in nuclear organization, genome regulation, chromosomal instability and even cancer.

The enamel on our teeth is the hardest tissue on the human body. A new study looks at the nanoscale structure of enamel from teeth dating as far back as 18 million years ago to see how it's changed.

Scientists have uncovered unexpected quantum complexity inside cobalt, a metal long thought to be fully understood. Advanced measurements revealed a dense network of topological electronic states that remain robust at room temperature. These states enable extremely fast electron behavior and can be switched or controlled using magnetism. The discovery could open new paths toward next-generation computing and spin-based devices.

New studies suggest consciousness can't be judged solely by behavior, whether it's a chatbot discussing philosophy or a bee searching for nectar. Researchers are increasingly focusing on the internal mechanisms of brains and computers, concluding that today's AI is likely not conscious while leaving open the possibility for both conscious insects and future machines.

A major review of nearly 8,000 participants found that collagen supplements can improve skin health and ease osteoarthritis symptoms, especially when taken consistently over longer periods. Researchers also found modest benefits for muscle and tendon health. But the results challenge claims that collagen enhances sports performance, as it showed little effect on recovery or post-workout soreness.

AI is already boosting positive outcomes in health care and holds promise for delivering many more. It is important, however, that deployment of AI tools—especially in a life-or-death health care setting—proceeds at a thoughtful and measured pace, cautions Shengpu Tang, assistant professor of computer science at Emory University.

Creatine, the organic acid that is popularly taken as a supplement by athletes and bodybuilders, supercharges a critical class of immune cells that activate and prepare the body's key cancer-fighters, according to new UCLA research.

Researchers at Bradley Hospital found that a virtual reality (VR) training program can help therapists feel more confident using exposure therapy and reduce their negative beliefs about it—even more than traditional classroom-style training alone. The study, published in the journal JMIR Medical Education, is one of the first to test how the level of immersion in VR affects therapist training, and it uses a clear framework aimed at addressing a major reason exposure therapy is underused.

Infections by hantaviruses are rare but dangerous, killing 30–40% of infected people. When cases occur, public health officials need rapid, detailed information about the virus to identify the strain and its origin, so they can stop others from being exposed to the disease. Whole genome sequencing is an integral part of this work, though the genomes of these viruses are difficult to sequence using existing approaches.

U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing federal government access to most Americans' medical records, in a quest to research a link between vaccines and autism—a connection the medical establishment studied for decades and flatly rejects.

How we sleep may have lasting impacts on our brain health as we age. A new University of Arizona study has found that several common sleep behaviors may be linked to signs of brain aging.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Hepcludex (bulevirtide‐gmod) injection to treat chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in adults without cirrhosis or compensated cirrhosis. Approval of Hepcludex was granted to Gilead Sciences.

A suburban Chicago woman who feared she might never have another child is now celebrating a growing family after brain surgery at Northwestern Medicine.

Most folks know intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, usually by limiting your daily eating window or cutting calories a couple of times a week. But does your age change how well this works for you—and might there be some hidden dangers?

A group of eating behavior and metabolism experts from across Europe have published a Perspective article in the journal Science examining the limitations of current evidence on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs).

Non-invasive eye scans allow doctors a zoomed-in, three-dimensional look beneath the eye's surface without causing discomfort or pain to the patient. Used routinely in clinics worldwide, the scans produce detailed views of individual layers of the eye's interior to help diagnose conditions that threaten vision. But with that level of precision comes a flood of data—hundreds of images per scan that physicians have to review manually, a time-consuming process that is vulnerable to human error.

"Every time you drink heavily, even if you do so infrequently, it can affect your role as a parent," says doctoral research fellow Barbara Carvalho. She led a comprehensive systematic review conducted by researchers at the University of Agder, in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising force that may help explain how binary star systems form so quickly. New supercomputer simulations show that magnetic fields surrounding newborn stars can act like a cosmic brake, stripping away angular momentum and allowing two still-forming protostars to spiral closer together instead of drifting apart.