Refractor - Science in Focus

GLP-1 drugs shown to fight arthritis independent of weight loss

Michael Franco — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:35:01 GMT

A new study has shown that the popular GLP-1 weight loss drug semaglutide has the power to halt, and to some extent restore, cartilage in people suffering from osteoarthritis (OA). The finding hints at a possible use of the drug beyond weight loss.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: GLP-1 receptor agonists, Ozempic, Arthritis, Weight Loss

Pig-boar hybrids in Fukushima evacuation zone rewrite wild genomes

Chelsea Haney — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:20:52 GMT

When escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. New findings show that maternally inherited rapid breeding accelerated genetic turnover, quickly diluting pig ancestry in the wild population. The result offers a novel lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Animals, Evolution, Japan

How living at high altitudes can protect against diabetes

Michael Franco — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 21:09:06 GMT

It's long been known that living at higher altitudes can affect physiology, including reducing the incidence of diabetes. The reason why has evaded scientists for decades. That has changed with a new discovery that was hiding in plain sight.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Oxygen, Red blood cells, Diabetes

Our chins appear to be an evolutionary side effect

Chelsea Haney — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:47:44 GMT

Male nipples. Whale pelvic bones. Vestigial hind limbs in snakes. Evolution is full of features that look purposeful. But upon closer inspection, science tells us that they are actually by-products of development and shifting gene expression. New research suggests the human chin may be one such evolutionary spandrel, a term biologists use for a trait that emerges as a consequence of other changes rather than as a direct adaptation.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Evolution, Human

Researchers gene-edit the bitterness out of grapefruit

Jay Kakade — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:10:37 GMT

In the late 1990s, molecular biologist Yoram Eyal, and colleagues at The Volcani Center in Israel, identified the key gene and enzymes responsible for producing the bitterness compounds in grapefruit. Now, using the genome editing technology CRISPR/Cas9, the team has inactivated the gene in a type of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) to eliminate that bitter taste.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: CRISPR, Food technology, Fruit

Newfound giant virus holds clues to how complex life evolved

Chelsea Haney — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:59:00 GMT

For more than two decades, giant viruses have unsettled one of biology’s most fundamental boundaries: the line between simple viruses and complex cells. With genomes rivaling some bacteria, and gene sets that resemble those of eukaryotes (cells with membrane-bound nuclei and other internal compartments), they have forced scientists to rethink how cellular complexity may have emerged. A newly discovered giant virus now sharpens that debate, offering fresh clues about how the defining feature of most complex life, the nucleus, may have evolved.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Virus, Evolution, Life, Cells

Intermittent fasting fails to live up to its weight-loss hype in new study

Michael Franco — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 18:03:00 GMT

News about intermittent fasting seems to change as frequently as the apps on your phone need upgrading. Yet another new study about the eating practice seeks to put doubts to rest after rounding up data from 22 randomized clinical trials.

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Diet, Fasting, Weight Loss, Nutrition, cochrane

Google says its upcoming data center will cool itself without water

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:33:00 GMT

Among the many problems posed by the rapid proliferation of data centers around the world is the strain on local water supplies. These facilities need plenty of water for cooling the vast arrays of servers and other computing equipment, which slow down when they run too hot.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Google, Data Center, Water, Cooling, Texas, Artificial Intelligence

Video: Fire tornado cleans up oil spills

Michael Franco — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:29:44 GMT

Oil spills in oceans can spell disaster for ecosystems, but options for mitigating them are limited and can come with their own environmental challenges. A new "fire tornado" from Texas A&M University might soon be able to come to the rescue.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Gulf Oil Spill, Oil, Smoke, Texas A&M Universty

Dream control makes the leap from sci-fi to science

Michael Franco — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:03:00 GMT

Researchers have shown they can achieve some control over what people are dreaming, bringing a theme that has been frequently explored in sci-fi and horror genres off the page and into the lab.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Dreams, Sleep, Mind Control, Northwestern University

The world’s oldest known vertebrates had two pairs of eyes

Jay Kakade — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:47:00 GMT

The earliest ancestors of all backboned animals, including humans, may have viewed the world with four eyes, not just two. The remnants of those extra eyes persist in the human brain today as the pineal organ, which is deep inside our brain, regulating our sleep cycle, but no longer forms images.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Evolution, Animals, Eye

Just a few daily cups of coffee or tea linked to lower dementia risk

Michael Franco — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:03:00 GMT

After an analysis of health data from over 131,000 people tracked for up to 43 years, researchers found that drinking coffee and tea daily seems to guard against the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Coffee, Tea, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Harvard, MIT, Mass General Brigham, Caffeine

Humans in space: Are astronauts obsolete?

David Szondy — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:03:00 GMT

The Artemis II mission, which will return US astronauts to lunar space, has run into problems that have critics demanding NASA remove the crew from the flight for safety reasons. The bigger question is, why do we have astronauts at all?

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Mars, Moon, Orion Spacecraft, artemis, International Space Station, Apollo, Features, xxShowcase

Oral bacteria may signal metabolic health and even contribute to obesity

Chelsea Haney — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:03:00 GMT

It turns out your mouth may know more about your metabolism than your bathroom scale. New research shows that people with obesity host a distinct oral microbiome compared to individuals at a healthy weight. Rather than zeroing in on the gut microbiome, the study turns our attention to the mouth as a potential biological signal of metabolic health. It’s a shift that could challenge long-held assumptions about where obesity-related biomarkers can be measured.

Category: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Obesity, metabolism, Oral bacteria, Insulin

Flame-treated sunscreen keeps the zinc but cuts the smeary white look

Michael Franco — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:03:00 GMT

Zinc oxide remains one of the best forms of sun protection thanks to its ability to block both UVB and UVA rays. However, few really appreciate its thick white look – except, maybe, lifeguards in the '80s. UCLA researchers believe they have a solution.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Sunscreen, Sunlight, UCLA, Zinc

AI-boosted stethoscope excels at listening to our hearts

Michael Franco — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:03:00 GMT

While AI certainly has its issues – such as rotting your brain and making you stupid – there is little doubt that it excels in medical diagnostics. The technology repeatedly proves itself when it comes to looking at – and into – the human body and predicting disease risk. Some examples of AI's diagnostic prowess include looking at chest X-rays , staring deeply into our eyes to detect diseases, reading MRIs to spot fat around our hearts, and even examining our tongues to detect conditions including asthma and anemia. Now, apparently, it can improve upon the humble stethoscope as well, according to a new study in the journal, Digital Health.

Category: Heart Disease, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Medical conditions, Cardiac, Artificial Intelligence, Diagnostic devices

Forests glow under UV light, and deer can see it

Jay Kakade — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 02:03:00 GMT

When a predator like a lion walks through the grasslands, it makes its presence known by roaring, which can be heard miles away. Since the lion is at the top of the food chain, it doesn’t particularly require privacy. But for animals like deer, making loud sounds isn’t exactly the safest way to communicate. So, to get noticed, deer mark areas with rubs and scrapes, known as signposts. Now, a new study in Ecology and Evolution reports that these signposts hold a hidden glow, and other deer can see it.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Bioluminescence, Deer, Forest, Communications

New technique targets 'sweet spot' to destroy bacteria

Michael Franco — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:03:00 GMT

In the front lines of combat between scientists and bacteria, there's a notorious group of bugs that belong to a nefarious organization known as ESKAPE. These bacteria are particularly good at evading the effects of antibiotics, making them a major cause of hard-to-treat infections, often transmitted during hospital stays. The acronym that classifies them consists of the first letters of the six bacteria that belong to the group: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Bacteria, Infections, Immunotherapy, University of Melbourne

Common eye bug adds to growing links between infection and dementia

Bronwyn Thompson — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:03:00 GMT

Scientists have uncovered an intriguing link between infection and brain health, finding that a common bacterium in the eye appears to be linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. It's the newest evidence suggesting bacteria and infections play a significant and poorly understood role in destroying the brain as we age.

Category: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Cedars-Sinai, Brain, Inflammation, Cognitive functioning, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease

8,000-year-old pottery suggests math predates writing

Jay Kakade — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:03:00 GMT

We generally associate the origins of mathematical thinking with the emergence of writing, about five to six thousand years ago. However, a new study challenges this assumption looking at floral designs found on the painted pottery sherds from the Halafian sites across northern Mesopotamia, dating back 8000 years.

Category: Archaeology, Science

Tags: Mathematics, Archeology, Evolution, Art

Plants that touch each other are more resilient to stress

Jay Kakade — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:03:00 GMT

New research has found when plant leaves physically touch each other, they seem to form a biological signalling network to warn each other about the upcoming stress. This can boost their resilience to withstand intense light, which is a common environmental challenge.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Plants, Stress, Communications, Evolution

What if multiple sclerosis isn't just one disease?

Chelsea Haney — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 15:46:05 GMT

For decades, multiple sclerosis (MS) has been defined primarily by its symptoms, rather than its underlying biology. Now, a new study aims to challenge that approach, presenting evidence that MS may actually follow two distinct biological pathways. It’s a shift that could reshape how clinicians think about diagnoses, disease progression and treatment strategy.

Category: Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Multiple Sclerosis, Brain, Neurodegenerative conditions, Health, Disease, Diagnose

The US now has the first dual-action eye drop for age-related vision loss

Bronwyn Thompson — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:38:17 GMT

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a landmark eye drop that uses a combined dose of medication to restore age-related near-sightedness, without the need for surgery, for a longer duration than anything else on the market – and with fewer side effects.

Category: Aging Well, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: clinical trials, Eye glasses, Sight, Age-Related, Restorative medicine, xxViral or high CTR

Microneedle patch uses bubbles to fight stubborn acne

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 02:16:36 GMT

The future of acne treatment might look a whole lot different than the range of oral and topical medications currently on pharmacy shelves.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Skin, Antibacterial, Microneedles

Wood polymer gives thermal paper an eco-friendly makeover

Maryna Holovnova — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:03:00 GMT

Scientists have already learned how to make helmets, batteries, and even sports cars from wood, so applying it to something like thermal paper might not sound that exciting. Yet it could actually affect our lives far more than we realize.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: EPFL, Paper, Wood

No more ultrasound goop with new gel pad

Michael Franco — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:03:00 GMT

If you've ever had a sonogram you know that, even though the test isn't too hard to endure, the cold glob of gel that goes on your skin before you get "wanded" is pretty unpleasant. Japanese researchers have now come up with an alternative.

Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: Ultrasound, sonogram, Medical Imaging, kindai university

CERN supercollider gets sustainable side hustle heating local homes

David Szondy — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Okay, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) might have uncovered the Higgs boson and helped redefine our concept of physical reality, but what has it done for us lately? How about a side hustle heating several thousand homes in the neighborhood?

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: CERN, Particle accelerator, Heating, Sustainability

Chip stress-tests blood cells to see if donated blood is still good enough

Maryna Holovnova — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:11:07 GMT

Millions of people donate blood each year, saving countless lives. After a donation, plasma and white blood cells are separated from red blood cells, which are the most commonly transfused blood product. In most countries, red blood cells can be stored under refrigeration – as a liquid solution – for up to 42 days.

Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: University of Colorado, Red blood cells, Acoustics

Surprising way cancer cells clear problematic proteins in the brain

Bronwyn Thompson — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:41:57 GMT

For some time, we've known that it's rare to see people with both cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Now, scientists believe they may have found why, discovering a molecule in cancer cells that clears problem proteins from the brain.

Category: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: University of Toronto, Cognitive functioning, Cancer, Blood-brain barrier, Protein, Amyloid-beta protein, Tau protein, Alzheimer's disease

Radio capsule lets doctors know when patients miss their meds

Malcolm Azania — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Your parents, your doctor, your spouse, or even your adult children constantly nag you: “Did you take your medicine? Did you take it on time? For crying out loud, did you take it all?"

Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: MIT, RFID, Medication

New system turns smartphones into radiation detectors

Michael Franco — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:07:29 GMT

Researchers at Hiroshima University (HU) in Japan have developed a way to leverage the cameras on smartphones to provide accurate radiation readings. The system they created costs less than US$70 and could be a big help in disaster situations.

Category: Science

Tags: Radiation, smartphones, Nuclear, Hiroshima University

Vibrations activate electric charge in tooth-whitening powder

Michael Franco — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:42:52 GMT

Forget strips, gels, and pastes. Your next tooth-whitening and repairing substance might well be a new powder developed by Shanghai researchers. You'll want to use it with an electric toothbrush though, because that's what makes it spark.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Dental, Teeth, Piezoelectric

Radical 'procumbent' exercise bike says sayonara to the seat

Ben Coxworth — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:00:00 GMT

If you want a really good workout, you shouldn't just be sitting around. That's at least part of the thinking behind the Martoni Cardio Speeder, a seatless exercise bike that puts the user in what its creator calls a "procumbent" riding position.

Category: Fitness & Exercise, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Exercise Bikes, Kickstarter, Fitness

Gene editing takes a major step toward ending daily cholesterol pills

Bronwyn Thompson — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 04:03:00 GMT

A new CRISPR-based one-off procedure that lowers "bad" cholesterol is expected to enter Phase I human trial in 2026. If successful, it could be the first approved genetic-silencing method on the market, replacing the need for long-term medication and slashing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Category: Heart Disease, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Biotechnology, CRISPR, clinical trials, gene therapy, Genetic engineering, Genome

Swingers and long-game players: The wild sex lives of beluga whales

Bronwyn Thompson — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 11:02:00 GMT

For the first time, we know more than we ever expected to know about the sex lives of the majestic beluga whale. It's complicated, to say the least, but it also shows just how strategic nature is at keeping an isolated group of animals alive.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Florida Atlantic University, Whale, Marine Biology, Animal science, Evolution, Reproduction, Conservation

Jellyfish sleep just like us, and even take midday naps

Jay Kakade — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:34:00 GMT

Turns out jellyfish and sea anemones – among the ancient creatures with a nervous system instead of a brain – have a very similar sleeping routine to our own. A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that these animals not only sleep but do so for the same portion of their day as humans, spending about one-third of the day sleeping. The findings also suggest that sleep evolved long before the brain to help maintain cells under stress.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: jellyfish, Evolution, Sleep, Ocean

Low vitamin D means high hospitalization rate for lung infections

Michael Franco — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:57:00 GMT

Not getting enough vitamin D can weaken bones, teeth, and muscles by interfering with calcium absorption. Lack of the vitamin has also been implicated in dementia and an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Now there's another reason to avoid a serious D deficiency: it can make respiratory tract infections much worse, according to a new study.

Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Lung, Pneumonia, Respiratory health, University of Surrey, University of Oxford, University of Reading, Vitamins and minerals

You can now make fish-free omega-3s from whisky waste

Shirl Leigh — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:26:00 GMT

Omega-3 fatty acids sourced from wild-caught fish stocks are valued for their studied health benefits such as healthy skin, joints, heart and brain function along with enhanced immunity, but this has resulted in a reduction in fish stocks globally. A Scottish firm is working on a solution, in the form of omega-3s made from whisky waste.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Omega Garden Technology, Fish, Whisky, Conservation, Algae

Heartburn meds might not cause cancer after all

Michael Franco — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:57:00 GMT

While heartburn medication can be a lifesaver for those suffering from gastric reflux, several studies over the years have indicated that the drugs could increase stomach cancer risks more than threefold. A new meta analysis says that's likely not the case.

Category: Cancer, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Gastric cancer, heartburn, GERD, Cancer, Medication

Undersea earthquakes are supercharging the Southern Ocean

Chelsea Haney — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:27:00 GMT

Each year, vast blooms of phytoplankton spread across the Southern Ocean, drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fueling Antarctica’s marine food web. For decades, scientists have attributed these pulses of life to familiar forces – sunlight, winds, and ocean circulation. But new research suggests another, far less visible driver may be at work: earthquakes beneath the seafloor, whose activity may be influencing ocean surface conditions.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Ocean, Earthquake, Geology, Minerals, Marine Biology

Super-agers aren’t just growing old well – they’re doing it differently

Bronwyn Thompson — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Using the largest sample of super-agers to date, scientists have found convincing evidence that supports what many of us have suspected: Longevity isn’t just about healthy lifestyle choices, but also a good draw in the genetic lottery.

Category: Alzheimer's & Dementia, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Forestry-waste pine bark could be used to pull antibiotics out of wastewater

Ben Coxworth — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:00:00 GMT

It's a sad fact that antibiotics are constantly entering the environment through the wastewater stream, boosting the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. There could soon be a cheap new way of removing those antibiotics from the water, however, using plentiful pine bark.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Wastewater, University of Oulu, Wood

Battlefield wound spray stops bleeding in just one second

Michael Franco — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:08:05 GMT

Researchers have developed a spray-on powder that turns into a wound-conforming gel when it comes in contact with blood. The breakthrough has the possibility of dramatically improving wound care in combat and other life-threatening situations.

Category: Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: Blood, bleeding, Combat, Warfare, wound-healing, First Aid, KAIST

FDA-approved ADHD brain device fails to outperform placebo

Bronwyn Thompson — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:50:14 GMT

The first-of-a-kind brain-stimulation device approved to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the US has had its efficacy questioned, with scientists believing that its Food and Drug Administration (US) approval was based on too small a study.

Category: ADHD & Autism, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: King's College London, ADHD, Developmental conditions, Brain stimulation, Nerves, clinical trials, University of Southampton

World’s fastest-growing plant is also a surprising superfood

Bronwyn Thompson — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:00:02 GMT

You might be more familiar with it as a versatile fibrous material or the staple food of giant pandas, but bamboo has now entered the health-food realm thanks to the first review into its dietary benefits. Those include aiding blood sugar regulation, fighting inflammation and improving gut health.

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Bamboo, Anglia Ruskin University, Plants, Plant-based diet, Anti-inflammatory, Fiber, Antioxidant, blood-glucose

Humans stopped producing our own Vitamin C to fight parasitic infections

Jay Kakade — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:09:00 GMT

Most mammals produce their own vitamin C using an enzyme called GULO. Around 60 million years ago, humans lost this ability, which scientists long viewed as evolutionarily neutral since vitamin C from diet compensated for the loss. But new research suggests that the deprivation of this essential molecule was not an innocuous evolutionary shift but actually a clever defense against parasitic infections.

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Vitamins and minerals

The unusual way to boost vaccine effectiveness

Michael Franco — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:01:00 GMT

Instead of focusing on your sore arm after your next vaccine, you might want to think good thoughts. A new study that trained people in the power of positive thinking showed that the practice can significantly boost antibodies created by the jab.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Vaccines, antibodies, placebo, Tel Aviv University, The Immune System

Exercise rewinds muscle aging by restoring repair and growth power

Bronwyn Thompson — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 20:36:00 GMT

Working out doesn't just build muscle but, in later life, helps maintain a powerful cellular machine that repairs damaged tissue with efficiency. Scientists have now not only discovered how this system works but found a way to keep it balanced in older muscles.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Duke-NUS Medical School, Duke University, Exercise, Muscle, gene therapy, Age-Related, anti-aging, Mobility

What everyday sunlight does for your brain's focus, speed and alertness

Bronwyn Thompson — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:37:00 GMT

In the first study of its kind, neuroscientists have shown the real-world benefits that sunlight gives the brain, beyond laboratory experiments, linking brighter and more regular daytime light to better alertness and faster attention in everyday life.

Category: Learning & Memory, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: University of Manchester, Cognitive functioning, Brain, Eye, Sunlight, Circadian Rhythms, Sleep

Longevity boost from exercise possible in minutes – not marathons

Michael Franco — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 08:33:00 GMT

Two new large studies have confirmed that it doesn't take Olympic-level efforts to harness the life-extending power of exercise. In fact, say the researchers, even just five minutes a day can have a profound impact on your health and longevity.

Category: Fitness & Exercise, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Exercise, Longevity, Mortality

Light successfully retunes the brain’s faulty wiring

Chelsea Haney — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 23:03:00 GMT

Optogenetics has long been a powerful experimental tool, but a growing body of research suggests it may now be approaching a point where it could reshape how neurological disorders are treated. Initial studies indicate that neural circuits can be adjusted with a level of precision that could be clinically meaningful for conditions such as chronic pain and epilepsy.

Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: Optogenetics, Pain, Genetics, Neuroscience, Epilepsy, Neurological, Light

Could glowing green skin be an alternative to blood sampling?

Ben Coxworth — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:47:44 GMT

Blood sampling is painful and invasive, plus it only tells you what's going on in the patient's body right when the sample is taken. So, how about this? Permanent skin grafts that glow green when specific biomarker chemicals are present in the bloodstream.

Category: Science

Tags: Skin, University of Tokyo, Stem Cells

Portable device detects food allergens on the spot

Shirl Leigh — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:27:01 GMT

Allergen Alert, from French food safety diagnostics company bioMerieux, is a “pocket-sized laboratory” instrument capable of identifying food allergens. It was recently unveiled at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Allergies, Food technology

Don't like ice ages? Blame Mars

David Szondy — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:33:00 GMT

Why did the ice ages occur? If you need a scapegoat, a new study by Stephen Kane of UC Riverside suggests pointing the finger at Mars. According to computer models, the pull of the Red Planet may have altered the Earth's orbit until things got nippy.

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Climate, Mars, UC Riverside, Weather, Ice, Astronomy

'Quit smoking' apps may triple your odds of breaking the habit

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 23:31:00 GMT

There are many approaches you can take to stop smoking, from nicotine replacement therapy to behavioral support to good ol' quitting cold turkey. None of these are easy, but it turns out that using a mobile smoking cessation app can greatly increase your chances of breaking the habit.

Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Apps, Smoking, quit-smoking, Assistive Technologies, Health

This animal's armor has upended a key law of evolution

Bronwyn Thompson — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:03:00 GMT

For more than a century, biologists assumed that the bony plates embedded in the skin of lizards – like natural chain mail – were an ancient feature that some lineages inherited and others later lost. But new evidence suggests this is completely wrong.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Museum, Evolution, Bones, Australia, Animal science, Animals, Environment

Laughing gas a promising treatment for depression

Jay Kakade — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:03:00 GMT

Nitrous oxide, informally known as laughing gas, has shown rapid antidepressant effects in people with depression in a series of small clinical trials, with symptoms easing within hours of inhaling it. The treatment involves breathing in a mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen for up to an hour.

Category: Mental Health, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Depression, mental health, Gas, University of Birmingham, Brain, Drug development, Neuroscience

When smell is lost, our sense of touch may replace it

Chelsea Haney — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:03:00 GMT

For millions of people, losing their sense of smell quietly reshapes daily life. Meals lose nuance, familiar places feel strangely distant, and critical warning signals like smoke, gas or spoiled food become harder to register. Smell’s deep links to memory and emotion make its absence especially disorienting, and once damaged, the system is notoriously difficult to restore. That challenge has led some researchers to stop asking how to fix smell, and start asking whether its information might reach the brain another way.

Category: Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: Smell, Touch, Sensory, Brain

Eye tracker for hands-free VR is powered by blinking

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:12:39 GMT

A team of researchers in China has developed a remarkable device to allow people with limited mobility to use computers and experience VR content by moving their eyeballs – and to power the gadget simply by blinking.

Category: Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: VR, Paralysis, Eye-tracking, Accessibility

A single inflammatory switch may help repair the liver

Pranjal Malewar — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Chronic liver disease gets worse when the liver's immune system stays overactive, resulting in ongoing inflammation and scarring. Signals from the gut make the situation worse by encouraging immune cells to release harmful molecules. Macrophages and monocytes are central players, intensifying injury and shifting the body's defenses toward a more aggressive state. Among them, liver macrophages are essential and are now being explored as therapeutic targets.

Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Liver disease, Inflammation, The Immune System, xxViral or high CTR