The dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569 is frantically forming stars. New research shows that some dwarf galaxies, however, have had their star formation halted by the supermassive black hole in their center. (Credit: HST/NASA/ESA) Astronomers know that most galaxies house supermassive black holes in their centers, from the largest galaxies down to small dwarfs. They also know that when supermassive black holes are actively feeding, they can slow or even stop the formation of stars in their home ...read more

A plume of steam flows upward from Bogoslof volcano, a partially submerged volcano that created giant underwater bubbles when it erupted in 2017. (Credit: Dave Withrow, Alaska Volcano Observatory) (Inside Science) -- As a geophysicist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, John Lyons spends much of his days trying to decipher the music of volcanic eruptions. Sensitive microphones scattered across the Aleutian Arc -- a chain of over 80 volcanoes that sweeps westward from the Alaskan peninsula -- ...read more

(Credit: Y. Mitsuma's tracing of the photographs of H. Hayakawa) Astronomers have watched sunspots come and go on the sun’s surface for at least 400 years. But to learn about the history of the sun’s activity before the time of telescopes, they have to turn to historical references to phenomena linked to solar activity, like the northern lights. Now, a team of scientists have discovered what may be the oldest written records of auroras to date. These three Assyrian and Babylon ...read more

(Credit: Odua Images/Shutterstock) Scan the aisles of any grocery store, and you’ll find a plethora of infant formula options, all designed to meet the nutrient needs of growing infants, who nearly triple their body weight in the first year of life. And yet researchers and companies are busy testing new formulations all the time. That’s in part because much has changed in our understanding of breast milk’s complexities over the decades — from early knowledge of its ...read more

Food allergies, including those to seafood, are becoming more common. (Credit: Alexander Raths/Shutterstock) All your life, you’ve delighted in the subtle, sweet taste of fresh shrimp. Until one day, when you bite into it and find yourself beset by itching hives and a swollen throat. An unexpected food allergy seems to be a common experience for some adults in America, according to a recent study. Though the issue is often associated with children, researchers found that 1 in 10 grow ...read more

These two new spacesuits will help the space agency put astronauts back on the surface of the Moon, enhance their mobility, and keep them safe along the way. (Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) NASA revealed two new spacesuits this week that may be worn by astronauts on future missions to the Moon. The suits feature a number of improvements from the Apollo era spacesuits used on the last Moon missions 50 years ago. The two new suits were shown off by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine during a ...read more

Humpback whale populations have recovered since whaling was banned, some from near extinction. (Credit: Tomas Kotouc/Shutterstock) In the late 1950s, only 440 humpback whales — or 1.6 percent of their onetime numbers — were swimming around the western South Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to whaling restrictions, these school bus-sized aquatic mammals have started to come back. Now, a new paper estimates that the Western South Atlantic whales have recovered even better than scientists ...read more

Gas "waterfalls" down onto a forming planet in this artist's illustration. (Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello) Stars and their planetary systems are born from clouds of gas and dust that collapse into swirling disks. Astronomers can’t directly see planets forming in these disks because they're hidden in all the debris. But in the past few years, new kinds of telescopes have started to reveal gaps in disks around young stars where planets might be forming.  Now, astronomers have ...read more

Two common proteins begin to spread through the brains of those with Alzheimer's. Despite decades of study, scientists still don't understand why they become so dangerous. (Credit: SpeedKingz/Shutterstock) If you look at the brain of an Alzheimer's patient, you’ll see clear and undeniable damage. Clusters of dead nerve cells. Hard plaques cemented between cells and thick tangles of proteins twisted up inside the cells themselves. These are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's, and they ...read more

Nearly half a billion years ago, trilobites may have been capable of some kinds of collective behavior associated with modern animals. (Credit: Vannier et al 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51012-3) Chains of trilobite fossils unearthed in Morocco suggest that these early arthropods were capable of a collective behavior seen in many of today's species — only these trilobites had the conga line down about 480 million years ago. Modern vertebrates and invertebrates alike ...read more