Air traffic controllers now have something new to worry about: space junk. A report warns the risk of parts left over from a launch rocket or other debris plummeting into global flight paths is now 26 percent a year, according to a report in the journal Nature.While the chance of debris hitting an aircraft is low, its presence in flight paths could still pose a big enough risk that routes will need to be altered — inconveniencing passengers. Such disruptions are not unheard of. In 2022, a 20-t ...read more

Once again, the microbiome proves to be a key player in human health. The diverse microbial community we inherit at birth serves multiple functions, from aiding digestion and nutrient production to training our immune system and even influencing brain chemistry. A recent study, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, builds on the exploration of the gut-brain connection by linking anxiety regulation to microbial metabolites.Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the National Neuroscience Ins ...read more

Every winter, public health departments report a rise in illnesses. Most of these infections are expected during the colder months, and the data features the usual lineup of suspects — acute bronchitis, influenza, pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).This year has also seen a surge in norovirus, a highly contagious stomach bug. Starting November 2024, the percentage of positive tests for norovirus began to increase, which is to be expected in the colder months when people begin to ...read more

The story of Homo sapiens is written largely in artifacts. Countless tools, potsherds, and other relics line museum shelves, illuminating the world of our ancestors. But most of the time, this historical picture, though richly strewn with inanimate objects, lacks what would most bring it to life — the people themselves.To fill that void, Swedish archaeologist Oscar Nilsson has spent 30 years reconstructing the faces of the dead. With an artist's touch and 150 years of anatomical data at his di ...read more

A 2,000-year-old Roman scroll, scorched beyond repair, has miraculously been unfurled with the help of X-ray scanning and artificial intelligence. The scroll, named PHerc. 172, is one piece to a larger puzzle — for years, researchers have pursued restoration of the Herculaneum papyri, a series of over 1,800 scrolls burned and carbonized during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. PHerc. 172 is the latest remnant of the extensive papyri collection to be digitally opened, reviving lost his ...read more

Rat infestations are increasing all around the world, and scientists suggest that climate change may be to blame. Publishing their results in a recent Science Advances article, a team of researchers analyzed rat populations in 16 cities from around the world, including New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Their analysis — one of the first to assess rat populations at such scale — revealed that the cities that saw bigger bumps in temperatures were also the cities that saw bigger bumps in ra ...read more

From jumping kangaroos to sleepy koalas to sturdy wombats, Australia is full of a variety of marsupials — animals that carry their premature young in a skin pouch until they are fully developed. However, just because many marsupials live in Australia doesn’t mean they’re always thriving. A research team led by the University of Queensland in Australia has successfully produced the first kangaroo embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to the team, this could be a big leap ...read more

When it comes to pressing environmental issues, air pollution is a common concern. The effects of air pollution on human health, specifically cardiovascular and respiratory systems, are well known. But have you ever wondered what it might be doing to your brain?A research team from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester asked this exact question and discovered that even short-term exposure to air pollution can have surprising and long-lasting effects on our ability to perform daily activi ...read more

Deep beneath the streets of Rome near the Vatican, overlooking the banks of the Tiber River, Italian archaeologists have uncovered a hidden gem of Roman history — Caligula’s secret garden. This 2,000-year-old marvel, buried for centuries, offers a rare glimpse into one of Rome's most infamous rulers. Known for his excesses and controversial reign, the discovery of Caligula’s Garden not only illuminates his world but also sheds light on the opulence of ancient Roman life.Read More: 5 of the ...read more

Earthquakes, tornadoes, air strikes — all around the world, countless lives are lost not just to the direct impacts of disasters, but those that are trapped in the resulting wreckage. Search and rescue efforts, both professional and amateur, are dangerous in themselves, as digging through rubble creates risk for secondary collapse and exposure to hazardous materials. Meanwhile time is short, and the larger the affected area, the harder it is to search efficiently and effectively. Dogs can snif ...read more