Compound in blueberries may help muscle cells burn excess fat
Scientists in Japan have identified a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, and other berries that may help muscle cells burn excess fat instead of storing it. The compound, pterostilbene, reduced abnormal fat buildup in cultured mouse muscle…
Life uses 4 DNA letters. Scientists just made 8 work
Researchers at UC San Diego have demonstrated that a key cellular enzyme can accurately read an eight-letter genetic alphabet, doubling the four letters used by all known life on Earth. Detailed imaging revealed that RNA polymerase handles synthetic DNA…
Scientists overturn a theory about this shark’s strange head
Scientists have overturned a leading explanation for why male and female bonnethead sharks have differently shaped heads. Instead of males developing a pointed snout at maturity, both sexes actually begin with more pointed heads that become rounder with…
Harvard scientists turn knitting into shape-shifting smart fabric
Harvard researchers have transformed ordinary knitting into a platform for creating fabrics that can snap between different shapes and perform useful functions. Using elastic yarns and industrial knitting techniques, the team engineered thick textiles…
Stanford scientists discover a seafood that can reverse signs of aging
A substance found in edible sea squirts appeared to reverse several signs of aging in older mice. Plasmalogen supplements improved memory and learning, strengthened connections between brain cells, reduced inflammation, and even helped the mice grow…
Extreme drought now covers 44% of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s normally rainy season has instead brought a severe and fast-growing drought. By August 25, three-quarters of the territory was in at least moderate drought, with extreme drought covering 44 percent and some areas receiving less than 20…
A longer exhale may push your brain toward bolder decisions
Slow breathing with a prolonged exhale made people more willing to take risks by changing heart activity and increasing the brain’s sensitivity to rewards. The findings suggest that something as simple as controlling your breath can directly influence…
Giant Greenland iceberg slams into Joe Island and survives
A giant iceberg measuring more than 76 square kilometers broke from Greenland’s Petermann Glacier in August 2026, marking the Arctic’s largest glacier calving event since 2020. The berg later slammed into Joe Island but survived without breaking apart,…
Dark matter detector finds a strange signal scientists can’t yet explain
The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment has detected a rare particle interaction that looks unusually difficult to explain as ordinary background noise and appeared where dark matter might be expected. Scientists are not claiming a discovery yet, but additional data…
Scientists reveal the hidden instructions that build the human brain
UCLA researchers have discovered two powerful influences that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Radial glia, stem cells responsible for producing much of the cerebral cortex, change their behavior depending on how they process glucose…