Magnesium is an important element for the body’s basic functioning. Its effects are broad and numerous, including helping with blood pressure control, bone growth, and heart rhythm regulation. The element is also key to blood sugar control and to the production of DNA and protein. It’s particularly important for those who struggle with poor sleep and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression because magnesium plays an important role in brain health. Here’s a closer look at why m ...read more

An ancient Peruvian temple discovered under a sand dune is rewriting what we know about civilizations that lived up to 3,500 years before the Inca.The temple reveals the early emergence of institutional religion — and possibly human sacrifice — in the Initial Period of Andean Civilization. This period goes from roughly 2000 B.C. to the rise of Chavín de Huántar and the Early Horizon period in roughly 900 B.C. Ceramic pottery and the spread of a number of temples characterized this period.� ...read more

There are more than 500 species of sharks in the world’s oceans, from the 7-inch dwarf lantern shark to whale sharks that can grow to over 35 feet long. They’re found from polar waters to the equator, at the water’s surface and miles deep, in the open ocean, along coasts, and even in some coastal rivers.With such diversity, it’s no surprise that sharks serve many ecological functions. For example, the largest individuals of some big predatory species, such as tiger and white sharks, can ...read more

In recent years, younger people have shared photos online of their older relatives from back in the day and questioned, did past generations age faster?Why did 19-year-olds at Woodstock in 1969, for example, look a decade older than most 19-year-olds today? Or why did couples heading to their senior prom in 1988 look old enough for their 10-year reunion?Plenty of answers have surfaced — people smoked more in the past, didn’t use sunblock, and sometimes chose hairstyles or clothing that seeme ...read more

An operations manager finds relief from her depression with the help of psilocybin, the primary psychoactive component of “magic mushrooms.” A veteran conquers his post-traumatic stress disorder through therapy using MDMA, a synthetic compound known on the street as “ecstasy” or “molly.” A stay-at-home mom tries LSD, otherwise known as acid, for her anxiety.Nearly every day, such stories appear about the healing potential of psychedelic drugs.These stories reflect a so-called “psyc ...read more

Examining old rocks with new technology reveals the source of the moon’s atmosphere: Meteorites bombarding the lunar surface over billions of years have kicked up dust that forms the satellite’s tenuous atmosphere, according to a report in Science Advances.Why Scientists are Studying Moon RocksA team of scientists analyzed moon rocks collected during the Apollo missions that ran from 1968 to 1972. Those samples had been examined earlier. “But the instruments weren’t very precise back the ...read more

Citizen science can be a time machine, with projects that transport you to the past through fragile photographs, ancient artifacts, and hand-written records. In some cases, these items tell stories, filling in missing pieces of our history. Sometimes they hold secrets that may prove to be vital to our future. Why not make some history with this selection of engrossing, time- tripping projects? Share Smithsonian treasuresUS Air Force WASP Pilots (L to R) Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, An ...read more

When wildfire smoke is in the air, doctors urge people to stay indoors to avoid breathing in harmful particles and gases. But what happens to trees and other plants that can’t escape from the smoke?They respond a bit like us, it turns out: Some trees essentially shut their windows and doors and hold their breath.As atmospheric and chemical scientists, we study the air quality and ecological effects of wildfire smoke and other pollutants. In a study that started quite by accident when smoke ove ...read more

In 1935, researchers discovered a mummy whose face was frozen in what appeared to be an eternal pain-filled rictus. Anthropologists have wondered for nearly a century why the mummy was buried with that frozen horrific expression. According to a report in Frontiers in Medicine, experts have now ruled out some possible causes.Investigating Screaming MummiesCo-author Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology at Kasr Al Ainy Hospital of Cairo University, became an accidental expert on screaming mummies ...read more

A new study from the National Institutes of Health shows a jump in both hospital-acquired infections and resistance to the antibiotics used to treat them. The findings are based on data gathered at 120 U.S. hospitals from January 2018 to December 2022, a five-year period that included the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Nasia Safdar, a professor of infectious medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses why infection rates have gone up and how you can protect yourself as a hospital patient ...read more