Science and discoveries
Fascinating facts, innovations, and the latest discoveries in simple language.
AI supercomputer Dawn shuts down due to heat: A blow to British science
One of the most powerful AI supercomputers in the UK, Dawn, has been shut down following a heatwave in June. This threatens important research into climate change and cancer.
The first fully synthetic cell "SpudCell" – a step towards creating life in the laboratory
Scientists from the University of Minnesota have created "SpudCell" – a cell assembled entirely from non-living chemical components that can "eat," grow, replicate its genome, and divide. The result is described as a major breakthrough, but it still has serious limitations and is awaiting peer review.
The first functional nuclear clocks: two teams turn theory into reality
Two independent groups – from Vienna and Tsinghua – have created the first functional nuclear clocks based on thorium-229, stabilizing a laser in the vacuum ultraviolet and paving the way for more stable and compact time standards.
"Innate turn to the left": new research shows that humans instinctively veer left when walking
A study finds that people naturally prefer to move "counter-clockwise" when walking, regardless of culture, gender, or handedness, with possible explanations sought in the biomechanics of the human body.
AstraZeneca's weight loss pill enters phase three after nearly 12% weight loss
AstraZeneca's oral drug "elecoglipron" shows an average weight reduction of up to 11.8% and significant improvement in glycemic control, paving the way for large-scale phase III trials in a highly competitive market.
NYU scientists discover a brain "switch" that keeps old memories while forming new ones
A team at NYU Langone Health has discovered a small group of neurons in the hippocampus that act as a biological "memory switch," allowing for the creation of new memories without erasing old ones, with potential implications for treating dementias and developing AI.
A white dwarf 'devouring' a companion star reveals the source of mysterious radio signals
Astronomers have identified a long-period radio transient as a binary system containing an accreting white dwarf and a red dwarf, confirming the role of such systems as a source of some of the mysterious radio signals in the Galaxy.
Lilly's one-time gene therapy lowers "bad" cholesterol by up to 62%
Eli Lilly's one-time infusion VERVE-102 reduces LDL cholesterol by up to 62% and the PCSK9 protein by up to 88% with good tolerability, according to interim data from the phase 1b Heart-2 trial.
SickKids scientists discover brain signal for lapses in attention and a way to restore focus in children
A team at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto has identified a brain "signature" that predicts lapses in attention milliseconds before they occur and showed that precisely targeted stimulation at that moment can restore focus – a potential breakthrough for ADHD and pediatric neuroscience.
Blood analysis can predict dementia risk years before the first symptoms
A British study shows that "biological aging clocks" in the blood can predict the risk of dementia and vascular dementia years in advance, especially in people with a high genetic risk.
Genetic material extracted from Homo erectus for the first time reveals a connection to Denisovans
Scientists analyzed 400,000-year-old Homo erectus teeth from China, extracted protein markers from the enamel, and discovered evidence of interbreeding with Denisovans, whose genetic variants reach modern humans.
Blood test maps tumor microenvironment and predicts immunotherapy response
Stanford and Mayo Clinic scientists have created the first non-invasive blood test that "sees" the tumor's cellular microenvironment and predicts response to immunotherapy better than existing biomarkers.
4basebio launches new ssDNA platform for genome editing
Cambridge-based 4basebio is launching an enzymatic single-stranded DNA platform that promises to overcome key manufacturing and functional limitations for CRISPR and nucleic acid-based therapies.
Seoul scientists create CRISPR "emergency key" that stops bacteria without cutting DNA
A team from Seoul National University has developed a new CRISPR-based "biocontrol switch" that irreversibly shuts down GMO bacteria through base editing without damaging the DNA helix.
Chinese scientists created a "predatory" material that itself pursues uranium in water
An international team in China has developed light-powered MOF micromotors that swim on their own, capture uranium ions and convert them into a stable mineralized form. The technology could change the extraction of nuclear fuel from seawater and the cleaning of radioactive contamination, but is still in its early stages.