As early humans spread from lush African forests into grasslands, their need for ready sources of energy led them to develop a taste for grassy plants, especially grains and the starchy plant tissue hidden underground. But a new Dartmouth-led study shows that hominins began feasting on these carbohydrate-rich foods before they had the ideal teeth…
The earliest warning signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) may emerge more than a decade before the first classical neurological symptoms occur, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. Published on August 1 in JAMA Network Openthe study analyzed the health records of more than 12,000 people in British Columbia and found that those…
Climate interventions are accelerating to save our oceans – but without responsible governance, they could do more harm than good, according to new research. Coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats – they are unfolding now, with profound consequences for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them….
A research team from Kumamoto University has made a groundbreaking discovery that reveals how the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) silently persists in the body, potentially laying the foundation for new therapeutic approaches. Their findings, published on May 13, 2025, in Nature Microbiologyidentify a previously unknown genetic “silencer” element that keeps the virus…
Terrestrial plants drove an increase in global photosynthesis between 2003 and 2021, a trend partially offset by a weak decline in photosynthesis — the process of using sunlight to make food — among marine algae, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change on August 1. The findings could inform planetary health assessments,…
The solar atmosphere, or corona, is far hotter than the Sun’s surface, a paradox that has puzzled scientists for decades. Furthermore, the constant outflow of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun, known as the solar wind, is accelerated to incredible speeds. Turbulent dissipation – the process by which mechanical energy is converted into heat…
It was a single lightning flash that streaked across the Great Plains for 515 miles, from eastern Texas nearly all the way to Kansas City, setting a new world record. “We call it megaflash lightning and we’re just now figuring out the mechanics of how and why it occurs,” said Randy Cerveny, an Arizona State…
If scientists are to better understand whether the genes that let us safely welcome the weekend with a cold beer or enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner began with apes eating fermented fruit, then the habit needs a name, according to a new study. “Scrumping” is the name coined in a paper led by…
