Science & Technology
Specific brain responses to traumatic stress linked to PTSD risk
Results from the largest prospective study of its kind indicate that in the initial days and weeks after experiencing trauma, individuals facing potentially threatening situations who had less activity in their hippocampus developed more severe posttra…
Demystifying DNA hybridization kinetics
Researchers identify physical factors that determine how quickly two DNA strands can come together, resolving a decades-old conundrum.
Human lung proteins can advance or thwart SARS-CoV-2 infections
In a new study, researchers used CRISPR technology to test the impact of every human gene on SARS-CoV-2 infections in human lung cells. Their findings revealed new pathways that the virus relies on to infect cells, as well as the antiviral pathways tha…
Reef fish evolution driven by biting
Coral reefs are home to a spectacular variety of fish. A new study shows that much of this diversity is driven by a relatively recent innovation among bony fish — feeding by biting prey from surfaces.
Anti-butterfly effect enables new benchmarking of quantum-computer performance
Research drawing on the quantum ‘anti-butterfly effect’ solves a longstanding experimental problem in physics and establishes a method for benchmarking the performance of quantum computers.
Scientists discover places on the moon where it’s always ‘sweater weather’
A team led by planetary scientists has discovered shady locations within pits on the moon that always hover around a comfortable 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The pits, and caves to which they may lead, would make safer, more thermally stable base camps for l…
Engineering roboticists discover alternative physics
A new AI program observed physical phenomena and uncovered relevant variables — a necessary precursor to any physics theory. But the variables it discovered were unexpected.
Researchers find why bat cells do not get infected by SARS-CoV-2
Bat cells have specific molecular barriers to deal with SARS-CoV-2 replication, according to a new study.
Green tea extract promotes gut health, lowers blood sugar
New research in people with a cluster of heart disease risk factors has shown that consuming green tea extract for four weeks can reduce blood sugar levels and improve gut health by lowering inflammation and decreasing ‘leaky gut.’
Cocoa shown to reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness in real-life study
Cocoa only reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness when elevated, a new study finds.
Smoking, vaping linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death
People who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than their counterparts who did not smoke or vape to experience severe complications, including death, from the SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a new …
Hot on the trail of the causes of rapid ice sheet instabilities in climate history
Extreme cooling events during the last glacial, known as Heinrich Events in the North Atlantic, are a good example of how local processes change the global climate. While the impacts of Heinrich Events on the global glacial environment are well-documen…
Mathematical modeling to explain immunotherapy responses
Researchers demonstrate how mathematical modeling can be used to analyze the impact of different cancer treatments on tumor and immune cell dynamics and help predict outcomes to therapy and personalize cancer treatment.