Ancient peoples didn't have the luxury of air-tight containers to keep insects out of food, screens to keep insects out of the house, or a local pest control specialist that could help keep your home pest-free. These menacing pests could cause much more than an inconvenience. They could spoil food stores or ruin crops. However, archeologists have found that ancient people had their own ways of coping with bugs, rodents, and other annoyances. Ancient people weren't about to let these pests ruin ...read more

One would expect a mummy to smell moldy, musty, and mildewy. But the first study to systematically sniff the wrapped human remains report much more pleasant scents, describing whiffs as "woody," "spicy," and "sweet," according to a report in in Journal of the American Chemical Society.“The smell of mummified bodies has for years attracted significant interest from experts and the general public, but no combined chemical and perceptual scientific study has been conducted until now,” lead auth ...read more

Space missions take a toll on astronauts’ bodies, especially when it comes to bone and joint health, but jumping exercises may mitigate damage and even improve physical conditioning. A recent study showed that knee cartilage was strengthened in mice that engaged in jumping workouts, a benefit that scientists think could possibly extend to humans. This type of training could become a crucial preventative measure for astronauts, who often experience weakening of cartilage due to low gravity in s ...read more

Lake Mead and Lake Powell could be in for another record year for low water levels as a snow drought persists throughout the Western U.S. With minimal snowfall in the last two months, the Colorado snowpack will likely not provide an abundant water supply to the lakes. And the snow drought could impact crucial drinking water sources.Why are Lake Mead and Lake Powell Important Lake Mead and Lake Powell are crucial reservoirs that provide water to several states, including California, Nevada, Ari ...read more

While lung cancer continues to be the deadliest form of cancer globally, people who have never smoked are making up a growing proportion of those who are battling the disease. In 2022, about 2.5 million people were diagnosed with it.Fewer smokers in many countries — including the U.S. — may account for some of that shift in cancer causation. But air pollution may also be playing a growing role, according to a World Health Organization study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journa ...read more

We’ve all been there: You’ve just eaten a big dinner, but you find yourself craving a little sweet treat. Is there a biological explanation for why we always want to leave room for dessert?A team from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research says yes, there is actually science behind the “dessert stomach,” and it all starts in the brain.Sugar on the BrainIn their initial study, researchers used mice to investigate the brain’s reaction to sugar. More specifically, they focused o ...read more

Our planet offers many sources of information on how past climates influenced the environment, such as glaciers, sediments, tree rings, and pollen. But to reconstruct past climate events, researchers in the field of historical climatology go beyond these natural indicators to examine those of society: the records and everyday-life reports of people who lived in those times. Together, these insights from the past help to make more accurate predictions about how climate change will impact our envi ...read more

Early in the Ozempic explosion, many users reported drastic loss of food cravings — ranging from specific vegetables to junk foods and desserts. Some even said they lost their taste for beer and wine.A group of scientists jumped on those anti-alcohol anecdotes and decided to see if the weight loss drug could also serve as a treatment for alcohol addiction. They reported promising findings in JAMA Psychiatry. The study reported that a small weekly dose of the drug, compared to a placebo, cut do ...read more

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of American adults take at least one type of supplement. Supplement usage typically increases as people age, with almost a quarter of people over 60 taking four or more supplements. However, supplements can have side effects, can be costly, and can interact negatively with medications. For some people, diet and lifestyle modifications can be a way to achieve positive health benefits instead of relying on supplement ...read more

As global temperatures climb higher year after year, the Earth heads toward a new era marked by a prospective breach of the Paris Agreement. Signed in 2016, the international climate treaty set a limit to keep global surface temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius (C) (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, but two new studies warn that the world may be on its way to failing this critical test. Recent temperature data reflect a turn for the worse, as 2024 became the first year in whi ...read more