A daily journal of good news.
Breakthroughs, treatments, discoveries, and the slow, patient work of researchers and clinicians making the world healthier.
Two famously toxic plants—known also to treat pain, malaria, cancer, and pests—may have had those medicinal properties synthesized in a lab for the first time. The researchers behind the discovery believe “plants are the best chemists”—and their breakthrough demonstrates that next-generation drugs don’t need to come from chemists’ inventions. Centered on the plants wolfsbane and […] The post Used
With so many buzzy wellness techniques to choose from these days, one with “drainage” in its name may not seem especially appealing. But dive a little deeper into lymphatic…
Hemorrhoids, leg cramps, sciatica — oh my! Alongside the joy of pregnancy often comes a parade of physical discomfort. Alleviate and prevent common aches with these exercises.
A person’s teeth may hold a surprising clue to how long they survive after pancreatic cancer surgery. In a new study, patients with at least 21 natural teeth survived nearly two…
Habitual coffee consumption was associated with differences in body composition, metabolism, and sex hormones, but causation remains unproven. A daily coffee habit has repeatedly…
A painted panel deep in a Spanish cave may push the human relationship with mind-altering plants back thousands of years, earlier than anything previously known The post Is This…
The Swift space telescope is falling back to Earth. The LINK spacecraft is trying to save it. See both in orbit in a new video. The post Swift spacecraft, and a mission to save…
Sprawling, huge cracks on Venus have long puzzled scientists. A new study suggests the polygon shapes formed from drying mud on an ancient seafloor. The post Were these polygonal…
A deep partial lunar eclipse takes place of the full Sturgeon Moon on August 27-28, 2026, It's well placed for the Western Hemisphere. The post Deep partial lunar eclipse on…
Like you're watching a SciFi movie but can't turn it off
Exercise and healthy blood sugar levels in midlife may help slow cognitive decline decades later. Physical activity appeared especially beneficial for Mexican American adults,…
A simple walk together could help couples communicate better, feel closer, and handle disagreements more effectively. New research from Brigham Young University found that young…
Inside an unusual magnetic material, electrons are doing something physicists did not expect: slowing to a near crawl while moving together in quantum lockstep. A team at the…
Millions of people suffer from debilitating symptoms their doctors don’t quite believe. But advances in neuroscience and education may be changing the tides for treatment.
For caregivers of children living with chronic or rare lung diseases, monitoring their condition presents an uncomfortable tradeoff: Repeated scans can be valuable, but they can…
In fiction, photographic memories crack the case or save the day. But our brains can’t hold on to everything — and that’s a good thing.
How does a mini electric truck that’s barely longer than a Mini Cooper tow more than most modern-day pickup trucks twice its size? I’m talking about the Telo MT1, the compact…
Polyvinyl chloride is one of the world’s most widely used plastics, but it is also difficult to recycle responsibly. Discarded PVC from pipes, window frames, and even credit cards…
Laser surveys have revealed hundreds of earthworks in the Amazon. Researchers estimate the ancient Amazon civilization could have supported 3 million people. The post Ancient…
From the next big thing in AI to black hole stars, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
When the moon blocks out the sun, it creates something a lot like magic The post Awe-Inspiring Images from This Year’s Solar Eclipse appeared first on Nautilus .
One of California’s most famous surfers has four legs and a tail. They call her Rippin’ Rosie. She’s a lovable 5-year-old Labrador Retriever with golden fur and almost 340,000…
Gluons do more than hold protons together. They may also help define the proton’s identity through a quantum property called baryon number.
For all their astonishing diversity, dinosaurs seem to have hit one evolutionary limit: they almost never became truly tiny. Tiny animals are everywhere in modern ecosystems, from…
NASA’s CADRE mission will test a small team of autonomous rovers that can function without constant communication with Earth.
Another record falls as the world's largest all-electric airplane makes its maiden flight. On August 12, 2026, Heart Aerospace's 25,000-lb (11,340-kg) X1 demonstrator aircraft…
The exhibition opens at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University on August 27. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support…
A majestic cometary globule some 7,500 light-years away The post In Stunning Color, a Celestial “Treasure Chest” Full of Stars appeared first on Nautilus .
Live fast, die old The post Sprinting vs. Jogging: The Benefit Is in the Blood appeared first on Nautilus .
Total solar eclipse August 12! Whether you saw it or not from your location, you can experience it! See the best images from our community here. The post Total solar eclipse…
Spiders produce silk from a specialized gland and use it to build incredible web structures. Scientists are figuring out how to replicate this biological feat.
Black hole sun, now it’s come The post First Ever “Black Hole Star” Discovered at the Dawn of Time appeared first on Nautilus .
It doesn’t take much on a dog’s part to elicit a smile from their owner — or from passersby on the street, many of whom often begin cooing at the pup before even taking stock of…
New research offers rare insight into our extinct cousins who lived in Asia and who may have towered over petite "Homo erectus"
Kate Mangino's “Noticing Time” chore transformed her household. The post A Harvard study explains why kids don’t ‘see’ mess. A real-life mom shares her 20-minute solution.…
Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows that antiviral and antibacterial chewing gums reduce the levels of three microbes known to be associated with oral cancer,…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Cervical spine surgeon K. Daniel Riew at Och Spine at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has started seeing patients in their…
Growth rings on a fossil bone suggest at least one mammal ancestor gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs 236 million years ago.
Short for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD affects how people think, learn and process information.
A 2023 study found that catching up with friends was good for your mental health. A new poll three years later set out to calculate the length of the perfect “hang out.”
Three massive black holes have been found in a galaxy that existed during the earliest times of the universe
If you’ve ever tried 3D-printing anything, you know just how flimsy the results can be. In fact, simply removing them from the build plate can make you sweat, since at any moment…
We all know what to do when we sprain an ankle or strain a calf muscle: rest it, ice it, compress it, and elevate it, right? Wrong, actually. That protocol, known as the RICE…
The shape-shifting transformation of Euplotes gigatrox may reveal how early life learned to act in complex ways.
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Electric aircraft startups have been promising a lot for a long time. Two of them are now close enough to matter. Battery-electric and hybrid…
The approach is being called a “revolutionary” non-invasive conservation method.
Scientists have identified the edge of galaxy IC 1101 and crowned it with the title of largest known galaxy.
Fluorescent visions of the guts of living sacred plants from all over the Americas The post “We Wanted to Create An Experience of Microscopic Awe”: A Radical New View of Sacred…
180 years ago today, the Smithsonian Institution was first chartered, and named after the British scientist, James Smithson, who bequeathed $500,000 to create a great museum in…
Here are some great tips to watch a solar eclipse safely in a variety of ways, using filters, pinhole cameras and other viewing methods. The post How to watch a solar eclipse…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM You probably already know the feeling, even if you’ve never had a name for it. The way your shoulders drop and relax the moment you step under…
Scientists studying one of the world’s most serious inherited muscle diseases have found encouraging evidence that treating children much earlier—potentially before obvious…
Grief, neuroscientist Mary-Frances O'Connor explains in *The Grieving Brain*, is not a wound the mind eventually closes over but a remapping - the brain's slow, painful work of…
Following almost eight years of construction, the Gordie Howe International Bridge has finally opened for business. Providing an additional connection between the USA and Canada,…
From grade school to college, extracurriculars help ... scholarships and financial aid resources for questions about student loans and other available ...
School device use links with lower test scores and distractions abound. But reversing the entrenched pandemic pivot to screens will be hard.
A simple scaling law brings order to the chaos of flowing water, rock, and sediment. New findings have extended the law even further. The post Why Are Rivers So Mathematical?…
The past, present, and future of this brilliant display The post Why the Perseids are the Most Famous Meteor Shower appeared first on Nautilus .
A group of six Ohio teens spent some of their summer break this year overseas, but they weren’t on vacation — they were delivering free, 3D-printed prosthetics to pediatric…
Satellites designed to provide internet service are now serving an unexpected second purpose: helping scientists map the nearly invisible atmosphere at the edge of space.…
A University of Toronto study is offering new evidence in support of full-fat dairy consumption. The findings from a 12-week study demonstrate that three daily servings of…
I'm more intrigued by the premise behind this wild robotics project than the technology itself: "What if digital music could control a real instrument and become physical sound…
Researchers observed a hidden state triggered by light forming within 30 femtoseconds. A pulse of light sent a metal-organic framework into a hidden electronic state in just 30…
This story has been co-published by Reasons to be Cheerful and the Outrider Foundation. If you line up to get coffee at one of Aarhus University’s many cafeterias, you won’t see a…
The puffiest planets known in our galaxy orbit a sunlike star more than 1,000 light-years from Earth.
Cardiovascular health in midlife may influence mental function later in life. A person’s activity level and blood sugar in middle age may help shape how quickly thinking skills…
Find the best place to watch the sunset tonight. Interactive map with quality scores for every viewpoint across Europe. Free, no signup.
Compact sensor-packed probes, propelled by laser- or Sun-powered sails, could be humanity's first scouts to another star system.
In 1997, scientists set out to find a cave believed to have sheltered man-eating lions
Deep underground, bacteria may be capable of doing something remarkable: trapping toxic uranium before it spreads. When researchers fed microbes in uranium-contaminated mine water…
Analysis of living vertebrates shows that changes in brain evolution helped drive major shifts in reproduction across dinosaurs and birds. A bird egg can look surprisingly…
It will be visible in parts of the U.S. on Wednesday.
The Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the highest-resolution images of the sun's surface yet. They show instabilities that may help explain the hot surface. The post…
Toronto, Canada-based Beachman makes highly desirable vintage-style electric café racers that we've covered on here before. It's now expanding its shop to convert classic cars and…
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found that a signaling mechanism in the cells’ ‘antennae’ may help explain why some fetuses develop disease in both the heart and other…
Reaching 90 without dementia may feel like clearing the final hurdle. But the risk does not necessarily end there. Dementia risk does not disappear after age 90. Even among people…
The protein boom may be pushing many people to consume far more than their bodies need, and new research suggests that excess could come at a hidden cost. Protein has become one…
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is off to a fantastic start The post New Observatory Captures More Than Half a Million Galaxies in a Single Image appeared first on Nautilus .
Scientists using Earth’s most powerful solar telescope have snapped a picture of the Sun’s surface that helped explain—for the first time—foundational physics about our dear star.…
Researchers used quartz from fossilized wood to trace how Europe developed. A polished piece of fossilized wood may look like little more than a decorative stone, yet the quartz…
And statins can help The post Viagra May Slow the Spread of Cancer appeared first on Nautilus .
The memory center of the brain show signs of decreasing volume The post Depression Linked to Shrinking Brain Region in Older Adults appeared first on Nautilus .
The light our eyes can detect is only a sliver of the light out there. The electromagnetic spectrum describes all the wavelengths of light, seen and unseen. The post The…
From gene-edited puppies to AI-designed viruses, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
Now, researchers finally solved a decades-long mystery about our vision.
Stars jostling around the galaxy aren’t quite like a cosmic game of pool. But they do have occasional near misses as they speed past each other. Back when
A sweet tooth for sugars from fruits and honey may have helped fuel brain growth in our primate cousins and early human ancestors, a new study suggests.
A nearly complete fossil shows that one early dog combined climbing ability with a body unlike those of modern running canids. For more than 30 years, a fossil roughly 30 million…
When a man who loves things that go ‘boom’ met a men who loves things that go ‘bloom,’ they realized there was much to gain from an alliance. Hence, Ryukoku University professor…
In a somewhat surprise announcement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first US influenza vaccine built on Moderna's mRNA technology that gave us one of the…
When Kosmera's 1,876-hp Nebula 1 hypercar debuted earlier this year, it made a major splash. Apparently, that output wasn't enough for the brand's standards. Kosmera has unveiled…
The aim isn’t to get rid of difficult feelings, but to find ways of managing them effectively.
Working with and living in spatially complex environments may help delay cognitive decline, though more research is needed.
Neuroscientist Ishmail Abdus-Saboor discusses efforts to understand how skin contact can be painful or pleasurable, and what touch-obsessed naked mole rats might teach us about…
Neanderthals and Denisovans interbred with the ancestors of modern humans, leaving recognizable traces in our DNA. Evidence now suggests that modern humans also interbred with two…
The falls contain saltwater rich with iron, which oxidizes and turns red when exposed to air. A new study provides further evidence that the brine probably comes from ocean water…
Are you hoping to get some great pics of the August 12 total solar eclipse? Here are 5 tips from NASA to help you capture some memories of this precious event. The post Solar…
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and Spain. And western Europe will see a partial eclipse. The post Total solar…
“Remove the plank from your own eye before pointing out the speck in another’s,” goes the popular biblical proverb. For millions of people with geographic atrophy, the speck in…
These super high-tech timepieces use the chemical element thorium to keep time. And as the clocks improve, they could help solve some mysteries in physics.
Astronomy meets 19th-century art The post This Image from the Dark Energy Camera Is a Bit Van Gogh, No? appeared first on Nautilus .
The introduction of agriculture, around 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind. For decades, the image of the prehistoric hunter-gatherer has been…
A combination treatment exposed hidden pancreatic cancer cells to the immune system, reduced their spread, and helped mice live longer. Researchers at the University of Minnesota…
We've covered a bunch of anti-distraction phones on here, and they largely focus on stripping down your device's functionality to the basics. The Sidephone, meanwhile, takes a…
A black hole caught feeding on a nearby star kept spitting matter into space even after its outburst nearly faded away. Astronomers led by the University of Warwick have uncovered…
A new Houston Methodist-led study published in Clinical Cancer Research reports a breakthrough in understanding why some patients with metastatic breast cancer fail to respond to…
In what must rank as one of the rarer fossil assemblages ever discovered, an incredible moment where the whole top-third of the Cretaceous era marine food chain was being sorted…
A new study suggests that Neptune's inner moons formed when Neptune captured its largest moon Triton, and a family of original small icy moons was destroyed. The post Were…
Simulations reveal some of the strongest accelerations ever produced on Earth, opening new avenues for QCD research. When atomic nuclei smash together at almost the speed of…
Here’s how to sift through complicated studies without getting overwhelmed.
A major, early-stage advancement in vision technology comes to us now from South Korea, where researchers created a contact lens that repairs scratches automatically when exposed…
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a sensing electronic skin that functions underwater, detects nearby objects, senses physical contact,…
In a story that shows how it’s never too late to learn, a man in the UK has graduated from nursing school at 64. His education actually saw the Nigerian immigrant, who is a father…
A paleontological leap thanks to the unusual fossilization in crude oil The post A New Toad Species Emerges from the La Brea Tar Pits appeared first on Nautilus .
A new study tests the scent of fathers and newborns recognition of dad's smell
The patient's genetic disorder causes frequent seizures and developmental delays. His progress, along with that of another boy who received a similar personalized treatment,…
Specialized health care for brain-related issues can be lacking in rural areas, but collaborative, community-based approaches can help address these inequities.
A speech-language pathologist on how complex swallowing is – and how small changes from gravity can complicate the process.
Another major technological initiative to break cover at the recent Farnborough International Airshow was the upcoming flight-test phase of Airbus’s Wing of Tomorrow program. The…
Turns out, changing the way atoms and molecules are arranged in a substance can give it new and fascinating properties.
Adult finches make “heat calls” to their eggs when temps rise. Exposure to those songs trigger chicks' developing brains to change in ways that better handle heat.
A meteorite that blasted through a New Jersey roof carried a startling secret: evidence of ancient salty fluids and complex organic chemistry inside a primitive asteroid. A space…
Euclid’s expanding quasar census is revealing how enormous black holes emerged during the Universe’s infancy. More than 13 billion years ago, two brilliant objects blazed from…
Sitting upright can influence your mind The post Better Posture Linked to Better Decision Making and Mood appeared first on Nautilus .
A dog owner says her pooch saved her life, by repeatedly pawing at her armpit, which eventually alerted her to breast cancer. The 61-year-old says her chihuahua Flag started the…
Portable fans are a great way to beat the heat that's bearing down on us in more places around the world lately. This upcoming model packs an extra feature that could help cool…
If you're someone who likes to fall asleep listening to sound, be it a podcast, music or a rainy soundscape, your options have been limited if you want to avoid next-day ear pain…
A culturally tailored lifestyle program with ongoing support produced greater cognitive improvement than flexible health guidance alone. Across 11 Latin American countries, older…
Multilingual experience may help preserve youthful patterns of brain connectivity, although further research is needed to establish why. Switching between languages can demand…
The newly developed compounds mimic the function of photoreceptor cells, which deteriorate in blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis…
A single-cell study reveals major changes in immune cells, genome organization, and gene regulation within the aging human hippocampus, offering important insights into brain…
The August birthstone can be crystalline green peridot, colorful spinel, or banded sardonyx. Take your pick of these colorful gemstones, August babies! The post August birthstone:…
Nature, Published online: 03 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01850-9Struggling to stay focused in the lab? Attention researchers offer some advice.
A guide to ethical ignorance.
A radically new concept in VTOL aircraft design has made its debut with the first flight of Sikorsky's Nomad 100 rotor-blown wing prototype. Announced during the Farnborough…
A protein once thought to mainly protect chromosome ends may also be essential for keeping muscle stem cells ready to repair injuries. Researchers found that TRF2 helps these…
Electronics nerds and indie hackers are going to love this. The Pocketbyte is an upcoming portable computer you can endlessly customize to serve as a music player, gaming…
While everyone needs technology of one sort or another, certain people shrink from any stigma associated with it. In fact, those people may be less likely to let others see them…
As NASA’s Curiosity rover ascended the Martian valley named Valle Grande back in June, it sent back images of a landscape covered in honeycomb-like textures. “We’ve seen a lot of…
A 1.4-million-year-old trail of footprints reveals that a powerful human relative grew nearly as large as us and may have traveled in all-male groups. Eight individuals walked…
A single neuron may help the brain recognize what it sees, track what the body is doing, and guide a decision, all at the same time. Most neurons may be far more versatile than…
The dreaming brain surges with energy, yet its neurons may consume it faster than they can replenish it. A new mouse study from Tohoku University has uncovered a surprising energy…
Meet seven of the most fascinating alien worlds identified by modern observatories, from JWST to the European Southern Observatory.
The Moon’s far side is overturning a long-held theory, revealing that the early Solar System’s asteroid assault may have faded slowly instead of exploding in one catastrophic…
Both the natural setting and the birdsong helped independently, and the benefits were largest when combined.
A protein and signaling pathway may help overcome the developmental block that keeps some leukemia cells immature. Inside the bone marrow, immature blood cells normally pass…
Getting outside despite your 9‑to‑5 job can improve your mental health. Here are some expert-backed tips to spend more time in nature.
A giant planet spent more than a decade concealed inside one of astronomy’s most closely watched star systems. Astronomers have discovered a planet named Beta Pictoris d orbiting…
A new technique reveals human evolution was rife with interbreeding The post You’re Carrying “Ghost DNA” From Extinct Hominins appeared first on Nautilus .
EarthSky's visible planets and night sky guide. Watch now for morning planets Mercury, Mars and Saturn. Mercury appears farthest from the sun tomorrow morning. The post Visible…
A daily avocado may help lower heart disease risk in adults with obesity by reducing the number of LDL particles circulating in the blood. After six months, participants who ate…
From the rise of million-dollar companies with one employee to a dead end for SpaceX, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
Free electrons offer chemists a new way to control reactions that conventional electron transfer rules would normally prevent. Inside a reaction flask, an electron can determine…
It’s not the first time the robot has found interesting patterns on the red planet The post Curiosity Rover Finds “Sea of Polygons” on Martian Surface appeared first on Nautilus .
Get our top tips for planet-observing, from the innermost and elusive Mercury out to faint blue Neptune and everything in between. Top tips here! The post Planet-observing tips:…
Dietary arginine reduces tumor formation and viral load in mice by boosting key immune proteins.
Almost all of these tiny organisms vanished way back in the early Cretaceous period The post Microfossils Help Crack Mystery More Than 100 Million Years in the Making appeared…
LymeAlert will hit the market in August. The latest tool against the tick-borne illness could become a medicine cabinet staple
The fossil record has a habit of reshaping ideas that once seemed settled. In the Late Cretaceous, long before the extinction of the dinosaurs, small mammals occupied a world…
FDA will now allow the use of bemotrizinol in U.S. sunscreens. This long-lasting chemical protects against the solar radiation that ages and damages skin.
An international team led by researchers from the University of Oxford has discovered two of the lowest-density giant planets on record. Continue Reading Category: Astronomy ,…
Two annual meteor showers are reaching their peak this week. It will be harder to see them this year due to the moon - but an astronomer shared tips with us on how to still view…
Rather than avoiding fresh produce, adopting a few sensible food safety practices can help cut your risk of infection. ➕ Includes video 🎥
A sulfur-containing compound may shield one of the body’s most important muscle repair signals from the chemical damage that drives age-related decline. Aging muscles may not lose…
Astronomers have spotted a wandering black hole shredding a star. This supermassive black hole is not at the center of a galaxy ... It's roaming the outskirts. The post Wandering…
Red and green don't look like particularly close colors at a glance, but the way your eye treats them is surprisingly similar. A new study in Science, led by biochemists at Nagoya…
Playing improv music activates the reward system of the brain.
In the Late Carboniferous Period, predatory amphibians and giant arthropods ruled the swamps. But ancient seed plants and amniotes were evolving adaptations to drier climates.…
Ever since that first daguerreotype on a light-sensitive metal plate, eclipse observations have continued to unveil the star's corona and bring people together to experience the…
A two-year treatment targeting proteins produced by disease-causing mutations dramatically reduced seizures and led to developmental gains, including helping one teenager walk…
A nearly full moon may obscure the fireballs falling from the remains of two comets that passed through Earth's orbit
Newly discovered figurines point to skills that might have helped shape early humans’ expansion across Europe.
New work explains how avocado trees coordinate a complex reproductive strategy, switching every day between male and female
A sustainable, plant-based wound dressing that delivers antibiotics before infection spreads could offer a greener and more efficient alternative to conventional wound care.…
Spoiler alert: The men ate more meat The post Pre-Roman Necropolis Reveals Secrets of Iron Age Mediterranean Diets appeared first on Nautilus .
Technology is not always about getting more controlled, more digital and more logical. And a mad new music program that's just launched is a brilliant demonstration of that… and…
The crest of the July full moon, or Buck Moon, falls at 14:36 UTC on July 29. But it will also appear full when it rises in the evening on July 28 and 29. The post The July full…
Blueberries are perfect little morsels of sweet, tart, fruity goodness in baked goods and desserts, but they're even better paired with coriander.
133 years ago today, the Vizcaya Bridge, Spain’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site of industrial heritage was completed. Spanning the two banks situated at the mouth of the Nervion…
American scooter. That’s an oxymoron right there. And an American electric scooter? That’s a far cry. While Americans are still slowly adopting electric bicycles and even…
Researchers have created an open-access interface that turns present-day locations into ancient coordinates with near-desktop-level accuracy. A fossil’s modern coordinates reveal…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Holding in a sneeze carries more risk than most people assume. The injuries it can cause include ruptured eardrums, damage to the tissue…
A century of hints has suggested the famed red supergiant had a star pal but seeing it amid Betelgeuse’s brightness has been hard — until now.
Paranthropus boisei footprints offer clues to their size and social dynamics The post Mysterious Human Relative Was Bigger Than Previously Thought appeared first on Nautilus .
Sun news July 28, 2026: Flares stayed low, but the sun blasted a dramatic double eruption, a filament and a far-side prominence, almost in perfect sync. The post Sun news: A…
Earth’s oldest eukaryotic fossils may illuminate both the rise of complex life and the search for life elsewhere. Searching for life on Mars or the icy moons Europa and Enceladus…
It takes an entire team of electricity, calcium, energy and proteins all working together to move your muscles.
Singapore now leads the world in both lifespan and healthy lifespan, but its remarkable longevity gains reveal a growing divide between years lived and years lived well.…
Climate change is reshaping weather patterns around the world, bringing heavier rainfall and more extreme weather to places that have rarely experienced them before. Floods are…
A small molecule restored vancomycin’s activity against resistant bacteria by blocking a key bacterial enzyme. A trusted antibiotic can lose its power when bacteria evolve ways to…
Remains pulled from the La Brea Tar Pits revealed deformed vertebrae and rare tumors, possible signs of inbreeding among now-extinct saber-toothed cats.
Experts can now get a better look under the surface of vast glaciers The post Why an Icy Hummingbird Has Emerged in Antarctica appeared first on Nautilus .
When someone says "Milky Way," do you think of the starry pathway across our sky, or of the great pinwheel-shaped galaxy in space? Both are correct! The post What is the Milky…
Submitted By Jeff G. Rottman About 80 miles east of San Angelo, Texas, a young astrophotographer named Bray Falls is running one of the largest ‘telescope ranches’ on Earth.…
Polyphenol-rich foods may support healthy brain aging, but no single food or diet has been shown to prevent dementia. A cup of tea, a handful of berries, or a drizzle of extra…
Though it’s traditionally meant “last in a progression or series,” as Merriam-Webster puts it, the word ultimate has been more often used in recent decades to mean “the best or…
Ancient DNA is reshaping interpretations of family, childhood, and burial customs in medieval Scandinavia. In a medieval grave, an adult and a child lie side by side. For…
The Earth revolves in a cosmic system which is surrounded by billions of asteroids often referred to as ‘fossils’ of our solar system. While these rocks are rich in resources,…
Discover the science behind one of nature's most extraordinary phenomena and experience a total solar eclipse with the European Space Agency (ESA), the City of León and the…
Should the far side of the moon be reserved for science? What we decide now could shape the future of the entire solar system. The post Should the far side of the moon be reserved…
A songbird species previously thought to occur across two Indonesian islands has turned out to be two distinct species, according to a recent study. For more than 120 years, many…
It’s not as far as we thought, though The post Australia’s Greater Gliders Fly Majestically From Tree to Tree—And Now We Know Exactly How Far appeared first on Nautilus .
Scientists trudging through Nicaragua’s rainforest have identified a “hotbed” of avocado species diversity. The fruit was first transported hundreds of miles to Central America…
The newly discovered tombs’ hieroglyphic inscriptions provide unusually detailed information about the individuals who were buried within them
Traveling to Mexico for routine healthcare can be convenient and affordable – but the cues patients rely on to judge quality of care may differ in important ways.
A new snake’s unique head anatomy suggests early snakes were even more diverse than thought. This one was a rare burrower.
These cold-loving yeasts may be thousands of years old. They also suggest the mummy’s remains may not be completely frozen in time.
Inside a chip no wider than a fingernail, a quantum computer is storing information as tiny vibrations, a breakthrough that could reshape how these machines are built. A quantum…
Some brains seem to defy Alzheimer's. Even when the disease's telltale plaques and tangles are present, certain individuals remain mentally sharp well into old age. This…
A bill now being considered in the Senate would make daylight saving time permanent, but research suggests moving to standard time would bring more benefits.
Individual human neurons may be far more powerful computing units than previously understood. Inside the human cortex, a single neuron may be doing far more than simply deciding…
Two giant planets lighter than cotton candy are giving astronomers a rare new window into the origins of some of the galaxy’s strangest worlds. Astronomers have identified two of…
The Asian house shrew stowed away on routes of human commerce for millennia The post Record of Human Migration Hiding in the DNA of a Musky Rodent appeared first on Nautilus .
A Falcon 9 rocket will hit the moon at 1:35 a.m. CDT on August 5, 2026. Who can see it? And what might you see? Answers here. The post A rocket will hit the moon on August 5:…
NASA released a composite image of Mars lit like a crescent as the Psyche mission flew by for a gravity assist. Watch a stunning time lapse of the whole flyby. The post Another…
An amateur astronomer has discovered a 390-million-year-old meteorite crater on Google Maps.
A coral reef long presumed dead has been rediscovered “teeming with life” off the coast of West Africa. Surveys conducted in the 1960s that were focused on identifying promising…
New research suggests that the ancient animal Spriggina floundersi tended to bend to the right, making it the oldest known example of lateralized behavior. More than 550 million…
Ancient bones and DNA reveal that dog diversity and their close relationship with migrating humans developed thousands of years ago. Place a village dog beside a toy poodle and a…
The cemetery, which was found under the historic Garofalo pasta factory in Gragnano, near Naples, dates to the Archaic period (8th-6th centuries BCE).
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is requiring service members to screen for low testosterone levels. Ironically, the military lifestyle itself is more likely to lower T levels.
Hosted by actor Tom Hiddleston, Pompeii: Out of Time mixes facts and fiction to bring three real ancient Romans to life.
Humidity governs the daily rhythms of some insects, raising the question of whether it affects humans too. Inside a tightly controlled chamber, kissing bugs, fruit flies,…
A clinical psychologist shares effective strategies to quickly de-escalate stress and anxiety. That includes dunking your head into a bowl of ice water to trigger your mammalian…
After months of training, the patient can now move his arms and hands and feel the sensation of touch
A cobalt aluminum nanolaminate has shattered the usual tradeoff between strength and flexibility, emerging up to 10 times stronger than structural steel without becoming…
If AI can someday make scientific breakthroughs, what would be left for the brightest human minds to discover?
Inspired by olden days ice houses, this underground fridge uses the earth’s stable temperature to keep food cool The post The underground fridge that keeps food cool – even in a…
They say necessity is the mother of invention, but sometimes it takes a thoughtful observer to notice and address a particular need. For rising high school senior Jay Jung, a…
Like consciousness, like music, like love, life itself didn’t have to exist — nothing in the fundamental laws demands it. The universe could have gone on lapping at itself as a…
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a team of researchers discovered a new species of monkey and formed deep friendship along the way.
History has shown that when manufacturers skimp on sterile filtration of drugs, the consequences can amount to the loss of hundreds of lives and millions of dollars.
1,000 feet below the North Sea, blast after blast brings Norwegian engineers closer and closer to completion of the longest undersea road tunnel on Earth. No one better to do it…
Extremophiles that thrive in the most unforgiving environments aren’t just biological curiosities. Understanding their resilience has many implications for us. The post The…
Dark energy revived Einstein’s discarded cosmological constant and reshaped the leading model of the universe. In 1917, Albert Einstein had recently completed his general theory…
Exercise may not drive major weight loss, but it can help maintain results and improve health. Burning more calories than you consume should lead to weight loss, at least in…
A classic 200-year-old light experiment has given scientists a simple new way to create exotic light structures that could help shape the future of computing and photonics.…
An unprecedented rescue mission is underway to save a valuable space observatory before it burns up in Earth's atmosphere.
Astronomers for the first time have spotted an Earth-like exoplanet with an atmosphere capable of supporting life.
To grasp the sheer absurdity into which modern science has fallen, one must go back to the time when Einstein proposed the idea that "time…Continue reading on Medium »
Scientists have recreated a famous black hole phenomenon in the lab using synthetic rotation, bringing a 50-year-old theory closer to real-world technology. More than 50 years…
A drug, that has previously been shown to be safe and tolerated by humans, reduces multiple disease-linked features of Alzheimer’s in a lab model of the disease, say…
Just because you live in a small place doesn't mean it has to look or feel cramped. Interior designers share creative strategies to create the illusion of space that work for…
If you've ever noticed that a hardened dad seems to melt the moment he has a little girl, science suggests you're not imagining it.
"What JWST is revealing is that black holes may be the ultimate cosmic recyclers."
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the history of unethical practices in research on human remains and the progress toward more ethical standards.
Scientists have identified a brain protein that may help Alzheimer’s spread, revealing a potential new target for slowing the disease’s progression. Alzheimer’s disease is closely…
Homegrown catnip plants have proven to be as effective as DEET for repelling mosquitoes in rural Uganda. Presented at an international science conference in Florence, Italy, a…
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Clams and snails rule today’s shores because their ancient ancestors survived a catastrophe that erased nearly all ocean life. The shells scattered along modern beaches are clues…
Parasite-induced cases of explosive diarrhea are sweeping the United States. Containing the outbreak won’t be easy.
Even moderate amounts of walking may help protect brain function and slow changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. New research reveals a modest amount of daily movement may help…
Cylinder seals were far more than ancient signatures. They fused art, power, and belief into objects that revealed exactly who their owners were. The earliest form of the…
... Psychology, drawing on responses from 75 countries and 43 languages. When people were asked how they could tell someone was lying, one answer ...
If you've ever been around an electrical short, you may have noticed a sharp metallic smell, but is that the electricity itself, or something else?
Biological defenses make losing weight and keeping it off unusually difficult. Better treatments, healthier environments, and sustainable habits may support long-term health more…
In a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of 41 authors from around the globe argue that virtual reality has the potential to do the…
Scientists say some of the traits that define modern humans may have evolved only after long-standing biological and cultural barriers were broken. Human evolution is often…
A dog’s nose is a gateway to a richer world, and scent-filled walks, games, and food hunts can transform boredom and stress into excitement, focus, and discovery. While we are…
A gum disease bacterium may contribute to aortic valve calcification through inflammation, according to preliminary human tissue and mouse research. A bacterium best known for…
One of the largest obstacles limiting the next generation of computer chips may finally have a solution. The shrinking of computer chips has exposed a stubborn problem: even when…
Sometimes the most consequential innovations are fueled by frustration. When she was in her early thirties, Ridhi Tariyal asked her gynecologist for a fertility test. Her doctor…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In 2025, researchers publishing in Nature Medicine found microplastics in human brain tissue at concentrations considerably higher than in the…
A Maya calendar formula bears the name Sak Tahn Waax, the first known Classic Maya mathematician-astronomer directly credited for such work.
Researchers found that smelling chocolate before and during resistance exercise may subtly change how the brain responds to effort and appetite. Halfway through a difficult leg…
A natural supplement strengthened lasting anticancer immune responses in obese mice. Weight loss can improve many aspects of health, but the immune system may not recover as…
It predates rise of modern humans and could have formed a platform
Analysis of six mummies from ancient Egypt challenges the idea that the bows and daggers buried with some royal women were merely ceremonial.
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