Although many of us like to indulge from time to time, it turns out that a high-fat diet can alter the brain after just a few days, even in healthy adults.A study published in Immunity & Ageing reveals that eating a diet high in saturated fat for as short as three days can cause memory problems and brain inflammation in older adults. These results add to the already lengthy list of side effects of a fatty diet and suggest that it isn’t only overweight individuals who should be worried.The ...read more

If you’re 60 or over and suffer from insomnia, you might consider lifting weights before going to bed. A study analyzing the effects of different exercises on sleep suggested that weight or resistance training is the most effective exercise to help you nod off — but some other fitness activities are helpful, too, according to a report in the BMJ Family Medicine and Community Health.The metanalysis (meaning the study combined data from many other similar studies) examined how different kinds ...read more

Any fan of TV medical dramas knows the drill. A patient in the emergency room goes into cardiac arrest, and the resuscitation team springs into action. The compressor begins pumping on the patient’s chest, the airway manager initiates intubation, someone else readies the defibrillators, yells “clear,” and an electric shock jolts the patient.Tensions build. The drug manager gives a dose of epinephrine. The team leader shouts directions. And because it’s primetime television, a family memb ...read more

After a recent fossil discovery, we now have new insights into the behaviors of a group of prehistoric humans.A team of international researchers working with the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of Witwatersand have uncovered a major find about early human ancestors. In a study published in The Journal of Human Evolution, it is revealed that Paranthropus robustus, a species of prehistoric human, were bipedal and walked upright much like we do today. This finding helps scientist ...read more

The ozone layer over Antarctica, damaged by air pollution decades ago, has fortunately been recovering in recent years. Scientists have observed gradual ozone restoration since the 2000s, but now, one study all but confirms that this positive trend is a result of reduced ozone-depleting chemicals in the atmosphere. The study, recently published in Nature, reveals a bright spot in the current climate outlook. Testing simulations based on different climate factors, researchers seemingly confirmed ...read more

The affects of a meteorite’s impact should not be underestimated. The discovery of the world’s oldest known crater caused by a meteorite could change how we think about the origins of life on Earth as well as how the planet was shaped.A team of Curtin University researchers found the crater while investigating rock layers in the North Pole Dome in western Australia. There they found signs that a major meteorite impact affected the area 3.5 billion years ago, the team reported in the journal ...read more

If you’re a dog lover and owner, you probably share a lot with your dog. You may share your thoughts about the day, share in the pleasure of a good, long walk, or even share a bed. Along with that, you may also share an obesity gene if you own a lab. A new study published in Science found that British Labrador retrievers have multiple genes related to canine obesity, of which are also associated with human obesity. Obesity Genes and Brain PathwaysResearchers from the University of Cambridge ...read more

Ice may lie an inch or so below the Moon’s surface in many more regions than previously thought — which has major implications for longer-term lunar exploration or even habitation.An India-led project found that differences in the Moon’s surface temperature vary widely, depending on location (poles versus equator), orientation (facing the Sun or not), and angle (diagonal crater walls versus flat surfaces). The lunar surface measurements were taken in 2023 by the Indian Chandrayaan-3 missio ...read more

Every day, around 29 million people in the U.S. take a low dose of aspirin as a blood thinner to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. Aspirin prevents blood clots by stopping thrombocytes, also called platelets, from clumping together. Current research suggests aspirin may have another pharmacological benefit — the prevention of cancer progression.Previous studies have shown that people taking low-dose aspirin had lower chances of metastasis in breast, ...read more

We all get old. It’s a given. And the longer we live, the more likely we are to experience the decline and deficits of aging. But is there a way to slow down the aging process? Scientists think there may be, and they’ve taken some promising steps in that direction. The Complexities of Aging Sounds like a simple question, right? But like a lot of questions, it’s more complex than you might think. Aging is a complex process that scientists are just beginning to understand, explains Kenneth ...read more