Refurbished heart pacemakers work like new

“Old” pacemakers may still work for years, so doctors are refurbishing used devices and donating them to patients in low- and middle-income countries.

Published: 2024-11-22 21:30:00

Ancient Central Americans built a massive fish-trapping system

Earthen channels directed fish into ponds that formed seasonally, providing a dietary bounty for Maya civilizations starting around 4,000 years ago.

Published: 2024-11-22 19:00:00

Satellite space junk might wreak havoc on the stratosphere

Hundreds of defunct satellites plunge toward Earth every year. Scientists are studying how the chemical stew left in their wake impacts the atmosphere.

Published: 2024-11-22 14:00:00

Scientists identify a long-sought by-product of some drinking water treatments

Chlorine-based water treatments create many by-products, but one has been elusive. Its identification sets the stage for studying its health effects.

Published: 2024-11-21 19:00:00

For adult chimps, playing may be more important than previously thought

A multiyear study of dozens of wild, adult chimps suggests that play helps reduce tension and boost cooperation among individuals.

Published: 2024-11-21 16:00:00

This is the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxy

The first-ever close-up of an extragalactic star looks different than expected and might give a view of what stars look like at the end of their lives.

Published: 2024-11-21 13:00:00

Mars’ potato-shaped moons could be the remains of a shredded asteroid

Phobos and Deimos could have formed from asteroid debris, a new study suggests. An upcoming sample return mission will help test the idea.

Published: 2024-11-20 18:33:51

Here’s why turning to AI to train future AIs may be a bad idea

If future AI models are trained on AI-generated content, they could end up producing more bias and nonsense, researchers caution.

Published: 2024-11-20 14:00:00

Climate change has amped up hurricane wind speeds by 29 kph on average

Every single Atlantic hurricane in 2024 had wind speeds supercharged by warming seas. One even jumped two categories of intensity.

Published: 2024-11-20 11:00:00

Einstein’s gravity endures despite a dark energy puzzle

The DESI project previously reported that dark energy — long thought to be constant — changes over time. A new analysis reaffirms that claim.

Published: 2024-11-20 01:00:00

Vaccines, fluoride, raw milk: How RFK Jr.’s views may shape public health

If confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy could influence U.S. policy on vaccines, drugs and food safety.

Published: 2024-11-19 18:00:00

Nature’s first fiber optics could light the way to internet innovation

Mineral crystals in heart cockles’ shells protect symbiotic algae from ultraviolet rays and could lead to innovations in internet infrastructure.

Published: 2024-11-19 16:00:00

Youth tobacco use has gone down, but the work isn’t over

In 2024, tobacco use among middle and high school students reached a record low, but new vapes and other products with nicotine keep coming.

Published: 2024-11-19 14:00:00

Keeping weight off may be stymied by fat cells’ ‘memory’ of obesity

Some genetic changes in fat cells don’t go away after weight loss, a study in mice and human cells suggests.

Published: 2024-11-18 16:00:00

Some people don’t have a mind’s eye. Scientists want to know why

The senses of sight and sound are usually mingled in the brain, but not for people with aphantasia.

Published: 2024-11-18 14:00:00

Readers ask about self-correcting quantum computers, oobleck’s experimental value

Readers wondered if mayo qualifies as a non-Newtonian fluid, and X user @Lightning456243 asked how a quantum computer can identify its own errors.

Published: 2024-11-16 12:00:00

50 years on, Lucy still sparks our curiosity

Editor in chief Nancy Shute recounts the 50-year anniversary of the hominid's discovery, which upended the study of human evolution.

Published: 2024-11-16 12:00:00

The world’s largest coral was discovered in the South Pacific

The behemoth coral, discovered in October in the Solomon Islands, is longer than a blue whale and older than the United States.

Published: 2024-11-15 16:00:00

50 years ago, U.S. drinking water sparked health and safety concerns

The discovery of potential cancer-causing agents in tap water led to the Safe Drinking Water Act — a law that continues protecting public health.

Published: 2024-11-15 14:00:00

A first look at rocks from the lunar farside create a volcanic mystery

Rocks returned by China’s Chang’e-6 mission suggest volcanic activity just 2.8 billion years ago but lack telltale heat-generating elements.

Published: 2024-11-15 10:00:00

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