Sheet happens during pillow talk. There’s a slew of bizarre behaviors during sleep, and while sleep talking may be the least unusual, it’s possibly one of the most common, with studies suggesting around 2 in 3 people exhibit the behavior. Researchers decided to take a closer look at what sleep talkers are yapping about, including … Read more
Your doctor can’t write you a prescription for this sweet relief for your clogged nose—and you certainly won’t find it on pharmacy shelves. A new study reveals that the best congestion remedy is tangled in your bed sheets. Scientists have long-found that mild to moderate physical exercise can temporarily relieve nasal congestion. Push-ups, for example, … Read more
A rare fungus found around the world kills up to 70% of the people it infects by liquifying the brain. Now, the CDC is sounding the alarm that cases of this infection have jumped four-fold in just two years. They warn there’s no federal tracking and surveillance of the disease. Experts are also unsure of … Read more
The choices humanity makes in the next 75 years could determine the fate of billions of lives — and whether our species makes it past the 21st century. In an extraordinary report from dozens of scientists, researchers compiled 17 of the most urgent health threats humanity will face before 2100. They estimated amenable disability-adjusted life … Read more
There’s nothing seedy about this superfood. A silent yet deadly epidemic is sweeping the nation, with the number of Americans living with heart failure expected to nearly double from 6.7 million in 2024 to 11.4 million by 2050. While widely known for its antioxidant properties, one popular fruit could also hold the key to improving … Read more
You might not turn into a pumpkin, but at midnight, your brain could be undergoing a dramatic transformation. Some researchers call it “Mind After Midnight.” They believe that not getting to bed has effects long before you’re drowsy at work the next day. In the dark of night, your brain changes to become more impulsive, … Read more
A routine construction job in Southern California has dug up something considerably older than plumbing. Hard-hat crews working on an Oceanside infrastructure project unearthed the fossilized remains of a rhino-like creature that roamed the Golden State some 45 million years ago — and scientists say it could be a brontothere, better known as the “thunder … Read more
Children who blink more, think more. Researchers found that spontaneous and rapid eye-blinking is a sign of higher performance on cognitive flexibility tasks in children aged 3-6. The association is linked to brain activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dIPFC), which controls executive functioning for planning and focus. Blinking is directly related to brain … Read more
Suicide is notoriously difficult to predict. Warning signs may be subtle, fleeting or easy to mistake for ordinary changes in mood or behavior. For Americans aged 10 to 34, suicide is the second-leading cause of death, and it’s the fourth-leading cause among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44. To intervene early and save … Read more
Earth cooked to its hottest month on record in August, blowing far past a key climate threshold, due to the dangerous double whammy of human-caused climate change and a supersized El Nino, according to the European climate service Copernicus. August’s sizzle also helped push the globe and the United States to swelter through the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer … Read more
It’s about time. With as many advances as we’ve seen recently in women’s health — from endometriosis being able to be diagnosed without surgery, to completely rethinking and renaming PCOS, now more accurately, PMOS — we still have a long way to go in terms of understanding how medications affect the sexes differently. It’s often … Read more
No beef with these results. One of the leading causes of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease affects your heart and blood vessels, and the risk increases with factors like cholesterol and diet — including hamburgers, a summer staple. The next time you’re at a barbecue, though, feel free to add a patty or two to your … Read more
As humans continue their attempts to mitigate Mother Nature with storm prep, marine animals are following their own extreme-weather protocols. A recent study explores the behavioral responses of juvenile great white sharks to an encroaching storm. In 2023, scientists from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Shark Lab at California State University, … Read more
A tiny, creepy species of spider known as the happy-face spider has recently been discovered in India. Known for its iconic array of color patterns, the happy-face spider gets its name from patterns that resemble a smiling face. The new species, Theridion Himalayana, which belongs to the spider family Theridiidae, is just one of 577 others; … Read more
Chew on this news. Scientists may have developed an easy way to stop one of the most aggressive and common forms of head and neck cancer that often starts in the mouth and throat. And all it would take is popping a piece of bioengineered bean gum. Reducing one of the most aggressive and common … Read more
Researchers used artificial intelligence to create 16 new viruses capable of being reproduced in a lab to fight antibiotic resistant infections — but experts warn that the computer-made pathogens pose “urgent” safety risks, including fears it could be used to create bioweapons. The Stanford University experiment used an AI model known as Evo1 and Evo2, … Read more
Born thin? Slim chance. While some people agonize over tracking every calorie to maintain their figures, others seem to have won the genetic lottery with a naturally speedy metabolism — and all the health benefits that come with it. Now, scientists have found a specific “skinny gene” mutation that’s keeping about one in 7,000 people … Read more
A healthier version of the classic sausage roll could eventually become a reality as Scottish researchers develop a plant-based alternative to traditional pastry fats. Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently reached a new milestone toward making a healthier sausage roll without sacrificing flaky pastry by moving their experiment from the lab to their … Read more
LA’s one-of-a-kind landmark may be focused on the Ice Age, but the prehistoric relic needs an update. La Brea Tar Pits, an active paleontological research site in Hancock Park, Los Angeles where discoveries are made daily, is undergoing a two-year transformation. The Ice Age Fossil Site digs fossils in the heart of L.A. for visitors … Read more
Could a single protein hold the key to a new generation of obesity treatments? Mitch, please! That’s what scientists are saying and hoping after discovering the surprising role of MTCH2 — a protein they’ve nicknamed Mitch — that appears to have a major influence on how cells manage energy and store fat. In a new … Read more