When we say something is a “chip off the old block,” that generally means the new thing shares basic characteristics of the object from which it originated. In pebbles, that literally means the smaller stone’s mineral composition matches that of the larger rock from which it broke. For people, that means personality traits, DNA, resemblance to a parent.But for young planets, that appears not to be the case. Using a relatively new, highly sensitive imaging technique, astrophysicists examini ...read more

In the United States, around 22 percent of older people have cognitive impairment, while around 10 percent have dementia. A new study suggests that antibiotics aren’t associated with the two conditions. Published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the study shows that antibiotics are not connected with a raised risk of cognitive impairment or dementia in the short term.“Older adults are more frequently prescribed antibiotics and are also at higher risk for cognit ...read more

We all want healthier teeth, but what does the science say about fluoride, an additive that’s used in the U.S. and around the world to help support strong, healthy teeth? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fluoride is a safe and healthy solution. In small amounts, it helps to strengthen the teeth and to hinder the acids that harm them. Here’s how fluoride works, and why it’s important. Fluoridated Water AccessFluoride is a mineral that’s naturally found in ...read more

Right now, a giant black hole that was born in the early years of the universe is doing something shockingly relatable: taking an extended nap after overeating. In a new study, researchers observed the black hole in a dormant state, having fallen asleep after consuming matter and undergoing a whirlwind period of growth. Its slumber, although uneventful, may deliver answers on the birth and growth of black holes.An updated perspective on black holes drives the recently published Nature study, fea ...read more

In June 2024, an Asian elephant in central Thailand gave birth to a set of twins. The event was considered a miracle, since elephant twins are a fleetingly rare occurrence.Jamjuree, a 36-year-old elephant, birthed two calves — a girl and a boy. It’s the first official record of elephant twins of different genders born in Thailand. According to a statement, the shock of birthing a second calf sent the mother into a panicked frenzy. Rare Elephant TwinsElephants have the longest gestation perio ...read more

X-rays pass easily through biological materials to provide unprecedented insight into the internal structure of everything from biological structures in living cells to broken bones in damaged bodies. But biologists face something of a dilemma in making these images. The ionizing nature of X-rays can break chemical bonds, damage living cells and distort the biological structures under investigation. So biological imaging experiments must balance the need for clear images against the inevitable d ...read more

Hearing the name Tiffany in a historical film or reading it in a historical book may distract the audience from the story momentarily since, surely, people were not named Tiffany centuries ago. It's a modern name, right? But the name Tiffany indeed came from the historical name Theophania, which originated in the 12th century.The Tiffany Effect, or the Tiffany Problem, refers to terms that seem modern but, in fact, have much older roots. The name Tiffany inspired the term because most people thi ...read more

For the first time, researchers have spotted a binary star — a system of two stars that orbit each other — near the Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Binary stars have been observed elsewhere in the universe as a common occurrence, but never in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole. The pair of stars, dubbed D9, was revealed from data collected by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Presented in a new Natu ...read more

The oldest known saber-toothed predator, dating back over 270 million years ago, appears to have been an animal caught in the evolutionary middle, according to a report in Nature Communications.The gorgonopsian excavated in Mallorca laid eggs, unlike most mammals. But it was warm-blooded, unlike reptiles. Its leg shape and position were halfway between mammal and reptile. And its saber teeth were more commonly associated with mammals like Smilodon, which emerged in North America about 2.5 millio ...read more

NASA is still arguably the biggest player in space, but they don’t accomplish this alone. The agency makes use of various rockets built by companies like Northrop Grumman, the United Launch Alliance, SpaceX and Rocket Lab.Here is a breakdown of the aerospace launch vehicles NASA currently uses — not including retired rockets such as Saturn V.1. Atlas VAtlas V rockets currently come in two series — the 400 and 500. These rockets were developed by the United Launch Alliance — a spacecraft ...read more