After burning for 24 days, the deadly Palisades Fire in the Los Angeles area finally was declared 100 percent contained on Jan. 31, 2025. Two days later, an analysis found last month to be the warmest January on record globally. Scientists believe climate change had raised wildfire risks in Southern California prior to the blaze. In the false-color satellite view above, scorched areas are depicted in tones of orange and red. (Credit: Modified Copernicus Sentinel data processed by Tom Yulsman)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsJanuary wasn't supposed to be a record-setter.Last month was expected to continue a fall out of record high global heating conditions that began last September. But that's not how things turned out. According to the first of several analyses coming in the next couple of weeks, last month was the warmest January on record. The first three weeks of the year saw particularly high global temperatures, according to climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, writing in his newsletter The Climate Brink. Then, with a few days left in the month, temperatures finally fell out of record territory. But by then the die was cast. January 2025 finished considerably warmer overall than January 2024, the previous record-holder. Back then, global temperatures seemed shockingly warm. But at least we could place some of the blame on El Nio, a climate phenomenon that tends to warm things up. Its influence also was in place during other record-setting Januaries: 2007, 2016 and 2020. But we don't have El Nio to kick around anymore. It actually dissipated months ago. Adding to the puzzle is the fact that we're in the midst of a La Nia, which typically cools things down. All things being equal, this should have resulted in lower global temperatures, says Hausfather, Senior Fellow at the Breakthrough Institute. But this past January, things apparently weren't equal. Why? That remains unclear."Global temperature over the past few months have exceeded, or been at the upper end, of what weve seen after any other El Nio event in the historical record," Hausfather writes.But Hold on, What About That Wicked Cold Snap?If you live in Canada or the lower 48 states of the United States, you might be wondering how this could possibly be true given the brutal Arctic blast that overtook most of North America on January 20 and 21. I shivered through it, and tens of millions of other people did as well. But If you live in Alaska, January's record warmth might make perfect sense given the unusually high temperatures there during the same period. In fact, most of the rest of the world was anomalously warm even as the blast of cold Arctic air descended on much of the U.S. and Canada. So please remember this: weather climate. Weather is about atmospheric conditions over the short run and at a specific time and place. And climate is about how weather adds up over a longer period and over broad geographical areas. What to expect moving forward? Weather models predict sharp cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the short term. This lowers the odds that February will also set a new monthly global heating record, according to Hausfather. "But an unexpected record to start things off may presage higher temperatures this year than many of us thought."

Weve all felt it that midday slump when your back aches, your shoulders are tight, and your focus starts to fade. The culprit? Hours of sitting at your desk. Although the demands of modern work often tether us to our chairs, staying active doesnt require you to abandon your workspace. By doing just a few simple stretches at your desk, you can loosen up stiff muscles, boost your energy, and improve your focus throughout the day. The Benefits of Stretching at Your DeskSitting for prolonged periods has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, back pain, poor circulation, and it seems to even be linked to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Regular stretching can help counteract these issues by improving blood flow, reducing muscle stiffness, and promoting better posture. Studies have also shown that stretching can enhance mood and concentration, helping to give you the extra boost needed to push through the day. Read More: Why Are Some People More Flexible than Others?Simple Stretches You Can Do at Your Desk1. Neck RollsGently tilt your head toward one shoulder, hold for about 5 seconds, and then slowly roll your chin across your collarbone to bring it toward your chest. Continue rolling your head to the other shoulder and repeat. This stretch helps relieve tension in the neck and shoulders, which are areas often strained from hunching over screens without moving our heads much.2. Seated Spinal TwistSit upright in your chair with your feet on the ground and place your right hand on the backrest or arm of the chair. Twist your torso to the right, using your left hand on your right leg for support. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat on the other side. This move is excellent for loosening up your spine and improving flexibility.3. Wrist StretchesExtend one arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing up. Use your other hand to gently pull your hand downward, stretching your fingers, wrist, forearm, and elbow for about 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat with your palm facing down, again pulling your hand downward. These stretches are especially helpful for anyone who spends long hours typing away at their computer.4. Shoulder ShrugsWith your feet flat on the ground, sit up straight and lift your shoulders up toward your ears while also slightly rolling your shoulders backward. Hold them there for a few seconds then release them back down. Repeat 10 to 15 times. This quick and easy stretch can do wonders to reduce tension in your upper back and shoulders.5. Seated Leg ExtensionsMake sure your thighs are parallel to the ground, then extend one leg straight out and hold it parallel to the floor for a few seconds before lowering it. Be sure to keep your back straight and your arms at your sides. Repeat with the other leg. This move strengthens your quadriceps while also improving circulation, which is often compromised when sitting for long periods of time.6. Seated Cat-Cow StretchWhile seated, place your hands on your knees. While you exhale, roll your shoulders forward and tuck your chin toward your chest to round your back (cat pose). Then, with your hands on your hips, open your chest by gently rolling your shoulders back and arching your back (cow pose). Repeat each pose 3 to 5 times to both help release back tension and improve mobility.7. Seated Side StretchWith your feet flat on the ground in front of you, raise your left arm overhead and lean toward your right side. Hold for about 10 seconds and then repeat the move on the other side. The seated side stretch helps reduce stiffness and tension in your obliques, spine, and torso.8. Hamstring StretchScoot to the edge of your chair and extend one leg straight out with your heel on the floor. Lean forward slightly, keeping your back straight, until you feel a gentle stretch along the back of your thigh. Hold for about 20 to 30 seconds, then repeat with the other leg. This stretch is great for loosening up tight hamstrings and relieving lower-back ache, which often occurs during extended periods of sitting.9. Eye Relaxation ExerciseWhile not a traditional stretch, giving your eyes a break can be just as crucial. Try following the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away, and focus on that object for at least 20 seconds. This helps reduce digital eye strain, a common problem in todays screen-heavy work environment.Tips for Desk Stretching SuccessSet a Reminder: Use a timer or app to remind you to stretch at least a few times a day. A couple of quick few-minute stretches can make a big difference if you do it regularly. Stay Hydrated: Drinking water throughout the day not only keeps you hydrated, but it also encourages you to get up for refills.Get Creative: While the stretches above are a great starting point, feel free to modify or add to them based on what works best for you. Read More: 6 Ways to Exercise Outdoors in WinterIncorporating Movement into Your WorkdayDesk stretches are just one part of staying healthy at work. Whenever possible, try to take brief breaks to stand up and walk around. You can do this by taking a quick stroll during a phone call or choosing to stand during a virtual meeting. These small adjustments can complement your stretching routine and promote overall health and well-being.Dont let your desk job take a toll on your body. Incorporating a few simple stretches isnt just about staying loose and easing tension its a way to refresh your mind and reclaim control over your workday. So, take a moment to stretch, breathe, and move. Your body (and productivity) will thank you for it.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:UCLA Health. Back Pain When SittingMayo Clinic. What are the risks of sitting too much?UCDavis Health. How to improve your stretching and flexibility for better healthCleveland Clinic. Try These Stretches if You Sit All Day at WorkTexas Health. Take a Break: Simple Office Stretches for a Happier SpineMayo Clinic. Adult healthCleveland Clinic. 6 Desk Exercises That Help You Get Stronger While Working

They wiggle, though they dont do much else. Thats what weve long thought about the auricular muscles the useless ear muscles that once helped our ancient ancestors hear. But recent research in Frontiers in Neuroscience reveals that these muscles are still trying hard to help us, activating during difficult listening situations.There are three large muscles [that] connect the auricle [the outer ear] to the skull and scalp, said Andreas Schrer, a study author and a neuroscientist at Saarland University in Germany, in a press release. These muscles, particularly the superior auricular muscle, exhibit increased activity during effortful listening tasks.Made For More Than WigglingIn modern humans, auricular muscles arent all that useful. We use them to wiggle our ears (or, some of us do), and thats about all. (Wiggling, as it turns out, isnt a universal skill.) But millions of years ago, our distant ancestors employed these muscles to move their ears around, twisting and turning them towards sound.The exact reason these became vestigial is difficult to tell, as our ancestors lost this ability about 25 million years ago, Schrer said in the release. One possible explanation could be that the evolutionary pressure to move the ears ceased because we became much more proficient with our visual and vocal systems. While we cant contort our ears in the same way today, some of us sure can wiggle them, suggesting that these muscles are still active. Testing their abilities in 2020, Schrer and a team of researchers demonstrated that these muscles activated during listening tasks that featured sounds from different directions. But what about during difficult listening, when several sounds occur at once? To determine whether the activity of these muscles depends on the difficulty of the task, Schrer and a team turned to electromyography, a method that uses electrodes to monitor the electrical activity in muscle tissues. Their results revealed that the more difficult the task, the more active the muscles, at least for the superior auricular muscles.This suggests that these muscles are engaged not merely as a reflex but potentially as part of an attentional effort mechanism, Schrer said in the release, especially in challenging auditory environments.Read More: How Similar Are Humans and Monkeys? When Hearing Is HardTo arrive at their results, the researchers enlisted the help of 20 hearing participants. Applying electrodes to their auricular muscles, the team measured their muscle activity as they listened to an audiobook and a podcast at the same time. The audio played from separate speakers, placed in front of the participants or behind, and each participant listened to 12 trials, separated into three different levels of difficulty. The audiobook was a lot louder than the podcast in the easy trials, and the speakers voices were distinct. But in the moderate and difficult trials, the audiobook was only a little louder than the podcast, and the speakers voices were similar.As the difficulty level of the task increased, so, too did the activity of the superior auricular muscles. Though they remained relatively inactive during the easy and medium trials, the difficult trials saw a surge in their activity. According to the researchers, their activation also correlated with the participants self-assessments and comprehension scores. When the participants were asked to assess the amount of listening effort that they expended in the trials, they reported their effort increased with trial difficulty. And when they were asked to take tests on the audiobooks content, their scores declined in step with the incline in the difficulty of the task.Effort in ListeningFurther research is required to confirm the teams results, and to conclude whether the activity is tied to any actual improvements in listening (though Schrer says that it probably isnt). The ear movements that could be generated by the signals we have recorded are so minuscule that there is probably no perceivable benefit, said Schrer in the press release. Our auriculomotor system probably tries its best after being vestigial for 25 million years, but does not achieve much. Though it isnt likely that this activity helps hearing, it could help hearing research, as the superior auricular muscles could serve, the team says, as an indicator for increased levels of effort in listening.Investigating the possible effects of muscle strain itself or the ears miniscule movements on the transmission of sound is something we want to do in the future, Schrer said in the release. The effect of these factors in people with hearing impairments would also be interesting to investigate.Read More: How Did Humans Evolve?Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Frontiers in Neuroscience. Electromyographic Correlates of Effortful Listening in the Vestigial Auriculomotor SystemSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Its customary to wish people a Happy New Year on January 1. But after the confetti clears and the noisemakers are thrown away, it is becoming increasingly common for people to celebrate Divorce Day. The first Monday of January has traditionally seen a spike in people either consulting lawyers or looking up web information for a way to end their marriages. In fact, some lawyers label all of January as Divorce Month.Many New Year's resolutions entail self-improvement, including fitness, weight loss and sometimes getting out of a marriage," Lawyer Rebecca Palmer wrote in a commentary on Law.com.A Question of TimingThe timing for these decisions of dissolution is no accident, according to Palmer. That post-holiday period represents both a chance for change and the end of the rope for some partners patience."The stress of holidays and associated perhaps long-simmering family squabbles have been shown to boil over in the new year, Palmer continued. Financial pressures associated with holiday celebrations and various family obligations can also take their toll particularly when one of the married partners doesn't really understand the realities of how much it costs to provide the family with a spirited and memorable holiday season."Read More: Do Relationships Affect Our Physical Health?Divorce DataThe January spike in the divorce curious is backed up by more than just lawyers anecdotes, though. In the state of Washington, divorce filings from 2001 to 2015 increased in January as opposed to December, according to a 2016 University of Washington study.Julie Brines, a sociologist at the University of Washington agrees with Palmer that the confluence of holiday stress and New Years resolutions create a perfect storm for initiating divorce. People tend to face the holidays with rising expectations, despite what disappointments they might have had in years past, Brines said in a press release. They represent periods in the year when theres the anticipation or the opportunity for a new beginning, a new start, something different, a transition into a new period of life. Its like an optimism cycle, in a sense.Web data also bears out this trend. In January 2019, Relate, a U.K. relationship support organization, reported a significant increase in the number of people visiting its website over the holiday season. During the first three working days of the year, the site tallied 84 percent more visits to its website in comparison to the year before.If you start thinking about ending your marriage in January, you're not alone: divorce is in the air.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:University of Washington. Sociologist Julie BrinesBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Pain relief without addiction has been a pharmaceutical goal long before the opioid crisis. A newly approved medicine appears to have achieved that.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Journavx to treat short-term pain. The drug, which was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston and tested as a pain treatment following surgeries, targets the nerves near an injury site instead of in the brain.It works in a way that is different than previous medications, says Paul Negulescu, senior vice president at Vertex.Blocking a Different Pain PathwaySuch alternatives are sorely needed. About 40 million U.S. adults are prescribed an opioid every year, with about 85,000 developing an addiction within the first year of use. Opioid prescriptions peaked in 2010 and decreased each year through 2015, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. However, they are still prescribed much more heavily than in 1999. And people turned to stronger, illicit drugs like fentanyl after doctors started prescribing fewer opioids. Read More: The Opioid Crisis Is Not OverTargeting Pain at its SourceThe basic science discovery that prompted Journavxs development started with a finding in 1997 that predated the opioid epidemic. Researchers discovered that a category of proteins named Nav were expressed in the peripheral nervous system, but not the brain.It seemed like that would be a good target to treat pain, says Negulescu. Work on the human genome later solidified that protein as a potential target. Since then, with the advent of gene sequencing, we discovered there is mutations in this protein that increase sensitivity to pain.Scientists eventually discovered a total of 9 nav proteins. Vertex researchers explored them all to see which would be the most effective in treating pain. If you study one Nav, you have to study them all, says Negulescu.They settled on Nav 1.8, because it appeared to be the strongest potential pain blocker. Decades of research and testing followed, to see what parts of that protein would be the most effective spot for a medicine to bind to, and thus inhibit pain sensations.Avoiding AddictionThe approach is promising, says Michael Schuh, a pharmacist and pain medicine expert at the Mayo Clinic, who was not involved in the research. The problem we have with opioids is that they attach to certain places in your brain that makes people feel good about taking them, says Schuh. Then people have a tendency to get a tolerance so they don't get that same feeling, so they have to take more and more and more of it.Journavx will be available in tablet form. It was tested for pain relief treatment for up to 14 days. The new drug will cost $15.50 per pill. Comparable opioids retail as generics for $1 a pill or less. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Changes in Opioid Prescribing in the United States, 20062015Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Humans are social creatures. Many of us enjoy spending time with friends and family doing social activities, like going out to dinner, attending sporting events, and participating in book clubs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being social offers a myriad of health benefits, including emotional regulation, reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep, and a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.And now, thanks to a new study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, we also know that social interactions can help delay dementia by about five years.This study is a follow-up on previous papers from our group showing that social activity is related to less cognitive decline in older adults, said Bryan James, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine at Rush, in a press release.Gathering Data on DementiaThe study surveyed 1,923 older adults without dementia, with an average age of 80, who are part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. During the survey period, 545 participants developed dementia, while 695 developed other mild cognitive impairments.Researchers used a questionnaire to measure the participant's social activity. Questions included how often in the last few years they had participated in certain social activities, such as playing Bingo, going on overnight trips, visiting friends and family, going to sporting events, and going to restaurants.At the start of the study, none of the participants showed signs of cognitive decline; however, after five years, the results showed that the participants with more social interactions had reduced rates of dementia.With this information, the study suggests that an increase in social activities could lower the risk of dementia by 38 percent and could lower the risk of other mild cognitive impairments by about 21 percent compared to those who partake in fewer social activities.A five-year delay in dementia development could reduce the financial cost of dementia care by 40 percent per person who may develop it and add three years to their lifespan.Understanding the ResultsAccording to the researchers, social activities can help strengthen neural circuits in the brain, giving them a boost against the pathology buildup that occurs as we age. Social gatherings can stimulate the same parts of the brain associated with memory and thinking.Social activity challenges older adults to participate in complex interpersonal exchanges, which could promote or maintain efficient neural networks in a case of use it or lose it, James said in a press release.The study authors say that more research is needed to determine how well social activities can help with cognitive decline, but until then, theres no time like the present to gather with your loved ones and play a game or two of Bingo. Who knows, it might boost your luck. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Late-life social activity and subsequent risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairmentCDC. Social ConnectionA graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

(Credit: Anatolii Stoiko/Shutterstock) NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsOne of the unsung foundations of modern civilization is the ability to detect oscillating fields, be they radio waves, visible light, x-rays, magnetic fields, gravitational waves among the countless varieties. It is no exaggeration to say that our 21st century lives depend on this ability. So it should come as no surprise that physicists would like to do this with ever increasing accuracy and sensitivity. In recent years, they have learned how to use the strange properties of quantum particles to make measurements limited only by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This places important limits on the precision with which certain quantum properties can be known. But by using tricks like quantum entanglement and quantum error correction, they can squeeze this limit further, making it possible to sense oscillating fields, such as gravitational waves, that are so weak they would be impossible to measure by other means. But physicists would dearly love to do better.Computational SensingNow Richard Allen at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and colleagues say exactly this is possible by combining the power of quantum sensing with another bizarre property of the quantum world its ability to perform powerful calculations via quantum computation.Their findings not only improve existing sensing techniques but establish a new fundamental limit that defines the ultimate precision with which an oscillating field with an unknown strength and frequency can be detected. In this way, they say, it is possible to significantly beat the currently accepted limits on sensing. We present a quantum computing enhanced sensing protocol that outperforms all existing approaches, say Allen and co.The traditional way to detect an unknown oscillating field is to sample its strength at regular intervals at a known frequency, then at another known frequency and so on. Scanning through the frequencies in this way should eventually find a match with the unknown signal. But Allen and co realized that quantum computing allows an entirely different type of search using a quantum approach known as Grovers algorithm. This uses the quantum phenomenon of superposition to search many frequencies at once. Physicists have long known that a search through a list of N objects takes a time proportional to the order of N. Grovers algorithm does it much faster, in a time of the order of the square root of N. Allen and cos breakthrough is to realize that Grovers algorithm is a game changer because quantum sensing is a search through a number of frequencies. By combining quantum computing with quantum search, the team have established a new bound on how precise quantum search can become. They call this the Grover-Heisenberg limit.The team also show how to implement their approach. One quantum system that is particularly sensitive to external fields is nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. These use the quantum properties of electrons to measure changes in an external magnetic field. And because nitrogen-vacancy centers can be built into quantum computers, this information can also be processed easily. The result is a solid-state machine in which quantum sensors and quantum processors are integrated. They go on to simulate how such an experiment would work and that it would significantly outperform existing techniques. We have shown that by augmenting quantum sensors with a quantum computer, significant metrological gains are achievable, they say. Proof-Of-PrincipleThats interesting work that can be put to good use immediately using current technology. Whats needed now is for somebody to try it. That, presumably, will not take long.But perhaps more significant is that the technique paves the way for a new approach to sensing: By co-designing metrological codes with novel sensing protocols, the resulting logical quantum sensors could robustly interface with the physical world at the hardware level, opening new possibilities in quantum sensing, they conclude.That means were likely to see computational sensors in areas as diverse as magnetic resonance imaging for biological imaging, for dark matter searches and for the detection of gravitational wavesto name just a few. And were likely to see it soon!Ref: Quantum Computing Enhanced Sensing: arxiv.org/abs/2501.07625computing1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

Researchers have discovered mysterious new microbes that colonize the microscopic world inside our mouths and digestive tracts.These obelisks, as they've been named, are minuscule bits of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that serve an unknown function, even though their presence could be widespread in the microbiome, according to a recent study published recently in Cell. Obelisks and ViroidsIts unclear exactly what obelisks are even the researchers who discovered them still know very little. Ivan Zheludev, a biochemist at Stanford University and the first author of the paper, and his colleagues, classify these obelisks as viroid-like RNAs. Viroids themselves are only found in plants, so far.Viroids are a group of noncoding sub viral RNAs that infect plant hosts, wrote the authors of a study published in PLOS Pathogens.They have circular RNA genomes and replicate autonomously without the help of a virus. Originally considered pathogenic, other viroid infections were found to be symptomless or latent.Outside of plants, the only other thing that even slightly resembles these obelisks are delta viruses such as the agents that cause Hepatitis D. In this disease, the microbes are considered a satellite sub virus because they require a helper virus to infect cells. Obelisks are somewhat like these because they are made of RNA.The Gut, Mouth, and StoolIn the recent study, Zheludev and his colleagues examined previously published raw data taken from humans around the world. They found these obelisks in the gut, mouths, and even in human stool, from people on different continents.Many of these obelisks only loosely resembled each other, so there are likely different types of obelisks.The research team examined one type of obelisk that had colonized bacteria found on human tooth enamel: Streptococcus sanguinis. Many, but not all the S. sanguinis bacteria contained RNA that was part of these obelisks.But just because the team found obelisks in S. sanguinis doesnt mean they are found in all bacteria, or that they are only found in bacteria.Indeed, there may be numerous biological niches (bacterial or otherwise) that could harbor obelisks, says Zheludev.What Does This do to the Human Body?Since researchers know so little about obelisks, its difficult to say whether they play any role in disease, or even beneficial roles in our microbiomes. In the case of the obelisks that colonize bacteria found on our tooth enamel, it may even be protective, though the researchers cant say for certain.Dedicated and detailed study will be needed to examine if any correlations between obelisks and human attributes can be identified, says Zheludev.In the paper, Zheludev and his colleagues still pose several open questions with regards to human health or fitness: How do obelisks affect their host, and are they largely a deleterious or beneficial element to harbor? And what impact, if any, does harboring an obelisk have on meta-host physiology, and is obelisk positivity predictive of human health states?More to ResearchEssentially, researchers have only just discovered that obelisks exist. What ecological function they play, the extent of where they are found, and even how they get around is largely unknown. As far as the latter question is concerned, its possible that they self-replicate, or that like the subviral satellite that causes Hepatitis D, obelisks may need a helper virus to get around.Zheludev notes that the researchers dont know how these things are related to each other, because they dont seem to fit into typical biological categories. Despite inferring phylogenetic estimations for the large obelisk family, we do not confidently know how obelisks are interrelated, he says. This is in part due to how obelisk genome topology violates the site independence assumption of typical phylogenetic tools.One thing that is clear is learning more about these obelisks could reveal more about the building blocks of life itself.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Joshua Rapp Learn is an award-winning D.C.-based science writer. An expat Albertan, he contributes to a number of science publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, Hakai, and others.

Romantic breakups really can go right to ones head more specifically, to ones hippocampus.That part of the brain, which helps control memory and regulate emotion, tends to be smaller in people whove both experienced childhood trauma, then lived through the end of a long-term relationship once they are older, according to a study in the European Journal of Neuroscience.How Trauma Impacts the BrainA smaller hippocampus is a hallmark of many mental disorders. Although childhood mistreatment is a known risk factor for later psychological problems, a solid link between that and hippocampus size has never been solidified.To better understand the link between long ago trauma and more recent emotional crisis, researchers studied a group of 196 young adults. They completed surveys both about childhood trauma as well as more recent emotionally challenging experiences, including breakups. Then they performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the hippocampus size.They found smaller hippocampus sizes in people who had both a troubled childhood and experienced a tough breakup. Childhood trauma alone seemed to have little to no effect on the adult hippocampus sizes. Other studies have also linked adult trauma to a smaller hippocampus.More Stressors, More ProblemsStudy author Henriette Acosta of the Philipps University of Marburg and University of Turku was interested in pursuing two lines of research at once. Some studies show that children experiencing abuse often develop coping strategies. But Acosta wanted to know if those strategies carried on into adulthood.Not only did the post-questionnaire MRIs show a link between childhood trauma, adult breakup and hippocampus size, it revealed a dose-response effect." In other words, study participants who rated themselves as experiencing a higher degree of childhood trauma and a later breakup had even smaller hippocampuses than those who reported a smaller level of trauma, as well as a breakup.Interestingly, participants who had reported childhood trauma but no breakup did not appear to have their hippocampuses affected much, if at all. The researchers speculate that may be a sign of resilience in some people.Although the study points out a possible link between trauma and hippocampus size, it doesnt firmly establish cause and effect. Also, asking subjects to report and rate childhood trauma can be subjective. Future studies that follow a larger group of people over a longer time period could better cement that link.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:European Journal of Neuroscience. The association between childhood adversity and hippocampal volumes is moderated by romantic relationship experiencesBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Theres a lot in our lives today that traces back to ancient Greece and the other cultures of the Aegean: our politics and philosophy, our art and architecture, and, apparently, our lead pollution. Thats according to a study of sediment cores from in and around the Aegean Sea, which found the earliest-known evidence of human-caused contamination from lead, and tied it to the areas inhabitants around 5,200 years ago. Published in Communications Earth & Environment, the study also identified an increase in lead contamination around 2,150 years ago. This coincided with a significant socioeconomic shift in the Aegean, as the ancient Greeks came under the control of the Romans and increased their output of silver as a result.Because lead was released during the production of silver, [] proof of increasing lead concentrations in the environment is [] an important indicator of socioeconomic change, said Andreas Koutsodendris, a study author and a researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University, according to a press release. Increased Production, Increased PollutionThe Aegean fostered some of Europes earliest civilizations, fueling cultures like the Minoans, the Myceneans, and the ancient Greeks. Setting out to study how these cultures treated their Aegean environments in turn, a team of researchers sampled a series of sediment cores from the seas coasts and seafloor.Analyzing 14 separate sediment cores (several taken from aboard the METEOR and AEGAEO research vessels), the team found that humans had caused lead contamination a lot earlier than previously thought approximately 1,200 years earlier, around 5,200 years ago. Their analysis also revealed that human-caused concentrations of lead surged in the Aegean around 2,150 years ago.The changes coincide with the conquest of Hellenistic Greece by the Romans, who subsequently claimed for themselves the regions wealth of resources, said Joseph Maran, a study author and an archaeologist at Heidelberg University, in the release.Indeed, the Greeks increased their production of silver, and thus their pollution of their environment, after they fell to the Romans in 146 B.C.E., a change that likely caused the increased traces of lead in the sediments of the Aegean coast and seafloor.Lead, Pollen, and Land The team says that the earlier traces of human-caused contamination were found in coastal sediments. In fact, the earliest evidence came from a core from a peat bog. But the later traces were found in seafloor sediments, too, with the surge some 2,150 years ago representing the earliest evidence of human-caused contamination in the ocean.Preserving traces of pollen alongside traces of lead, the cores even allowed researchers to track Aegean land management over time, including the removal of forests and the clearing of agricultural fields that occurred in the area after Roman conquest.Ultimately, their results reveal how the world of the Aegean was transformed socially, economically, and environmentally from 5,200 years ago to 2,150 years ago. The combined data on lead contamination and vegetation development show when the transition from agricultural to monetary societies took place and how that impacted the environment, said Jrg Pross, a study author and a professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University, in the release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Communications Earth & Environment. Societal Changes in Ancient Greece Impacted Terrestrial and Marine EnvironmentsBritannica. Aegean CivilizationsBritannica. Greeks, Romans, & BarbariansSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Fish caught by methods that can also entangle whales, dolphins, and seals will be banned from U.S. import, starting Jan. 1, 2026, according to a recent agreement.Conservation groups earlier this month made a deal with the U.S. government to stop importing seafood that doesnt meet marine mammal protection standards. U.S. fishers must also follow similar standards in domestic waters.The agreement is intended to minimize bycatch the accidental entanglement of mammals fishers werent intending to haul aboard. While many fishers have changed their techniques to avoid catching mammals, there is still work to do.Unintentional CatchesAn estimated 650,000 whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals are unintentionally caught every year. Many of those animals are tossed overboard, and either drown, or die from injuries.Entanglement is a huge threat to these animals survival, Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a news release. The United States has the power to use its enormous seafood market to help the worlds oceans, and its about time we started. The U.S. imports about $25.5 billion worth of seafood products every year. Those imports come from more than 130 nations and include shrimp, tuna, and other finfish. Around 80 percent of seafood eaten in the U.S. is imported. Time for Enforcement?Although the 1972 U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibited the U.S. from allowing seafood to enter the country unless exporting nations meet the same standards applied to U.S. fishers, in practice the provision was rarely enforced. In 2016, the government began the process to establish which fisheries to ban, but has delayed putting that policy into place.The deal should ensure some relief for threatened marine mammals suffering from bycatch, level the playing field for fishermen working hard to protect marine mammals, and give consumers more confidence that the seafood they consume does not needlessly kill the whales and dolphins they love, Zak Smith, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said in a news release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Center for Biological Diversity. U.S. Government Agrees to Halt Seafood Imports Tied to Deadly Bycatch of Whales, Dolphins, Other Marine MammalsBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

In southern Mexico, remote sensing technology has recently provided a snapshot of a 15th century archaeological site in its heyday, revealing a bustling city built by the pre-Columbian Zapotec culture. The site, known as Guiengola, was initially thought to be a fortress occupied by soldiers, but one researcher has found that it was actually an entire city complete with a network of internal roads and amenities like temples and ballcourts.The updated perspective of Guiengola, featured in a November study published in the journal Ancient Mesoamerica, illustrates the political and social workings of the Zapotec civilization, which met its end at the hands of Spanish conquistadors in the early 16th century. The findings come from Pedro Guillermo Ramn Celis, a postdoctoral researcher at Montreal-based McGill University who revealed the original layouts of several remaining structures.Mapping an Abandoned CityGuiengola, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, was once a lively city with an organized urban layout, Ramn Celis research found. Thought to have been built sometime during the Post-Classic Mesoamerican period (1350 to 1521), the city stood as a bastion of Zapotec culture, which first emerged in the late 6th century B.C. and flourished until the Spanish commenced their conquest of Central America.Ramn Celis brought the abandoned city to life with a remote sensing tool called lidar (light detection and ranging), which uses pulsing laser beams to provide three-dimensional topographic information about the surface of the Earth.Although you could reach the site using a footpath, it was covered by a canopy of trees. Until very recently, there would have been no way for anyone to discover the full extent of the site without spending years on the ground walking and searching. We were able to do it within two hours by using remote sensing equipment and scanning from a plane, said Ramn Celis in a statement.A Communal SocietyThis reconstruction revealed that Guiengola covered 360 hectares, included over 1,100 buildings and four kilometers of walls. Communal spaces like temples and ballcourts were used as well, likely by the elites of the city.An intriguing aspect of Guiengola was its social structure, shown by separation between elite and commoner neighborhoods. The neighborhoods consisted of kin-based dwellings that contained patios surrounded by rooms and would expand as extended families grew.The study showed that the organization of the city suggested a distinctly communal atmosphere in which commoners and elite political decision-makers worked to expand and improve the city. Since the city was surrounded by mountains, inhabitants would incorporate geographic features like slopes and drainages into urban design.What Happened to the Zapotec Civilization?Ramn Celis believes the analysis of Guiengola could be a stepping stone to better understand the Zapotecs social and political organization, as well as how they interacted with Spanish forces. Evidence from the study indicated that the city was likely abandoned right before the Spanish arrived at the Oaxaca Valley in 1521 (afterward, it may have functioned as a fortress at times). The people of Guiengola subsequently moved to Tehuantepec, a small city just 20 kilometers away thats still inhabited to this day.Before this, in the late 15th century, the Aztec Empire had begun to expand into the Oaxaca Valley, but its rise to power would not last long. Soon after, conquistador Hernn Corts arrived in Central America and began the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1519, which ended in 1521 with the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital.When the Zapotecs received news of this, they supposedly sent delegations to negotiate and seek an alliance with the Spaniards. However, Spanish soldiers would continue to spread through the Oaxaca Valley and impose their rule, all while spreading diseases that would devastate indigenous populations. Zapotec culture began to diminish due to forced cultural assimilation, but it didn't disappear entirely today over 300,000 Zapotec people live in the state of Oaxaca, many still speaking the Zapotec languages and practicing cultural traditions.Although Guiengola is no longer standing, its remnants offer ample evidence of what it may have been like to live in this society. The structures, in particular, demonstrate just how advanced the lost city was.Because the city is only between 500 and 600 years old, it is amazingly well preserved, so you can walk there in the jungle, and you find that houses are still standing [] you can see the doors [] the hallways [] the fences that split it from other houses. So, it is easy to identify a residential lot. It's like a city frozen in time, before any of the deep cultural transformations brought by the Spanish arrival had taken place, said Ramn Celis.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:The National Museum of Language. Language of the Month: ZapotecJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Researchers have identified a new form of zombie fungus that is infecting spiders in Irish caves.According to the study published in Fungal Systematics and Evolution, the spider species were found in different ecological niches within the caves.While filming a BBC nature program Winterwatch the crew came across a spider infected with a fungus. The white fungus looked like frost or coral had grown from the spiders body. Now, after further study, researchers have identified it as a possible zombie fungus and have named it after long-time presenter and nature advocate Sir David Attenborough.A New Zombie FungusA zombie fungus sounds like something straight out of science fiction; however, a fungus like this isnt new to science. Another fungus species, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infects ants in the Amazon rainforest and takes control of their bodies. However, the fungus leaves the brain untouched. Instead, it controls the ants limbs and forces it to typically climb foliage above the ant nest and uses the ant to create spores that then sprinkle on the other ants below.Its rather terrifying stuff. Cordyceps fungi are even used in the video game and TV show, The Last of Us, where the fungus infects human hosts and creates the end of the world. Luckily, cordyceps cant infect a human host in reality.When it comes to this new fungus, it looks like something out of a horror film, especially since its controlling spiders. Researchers identified the novel fungus on two types of spiders inside of a cave system in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.The spiders are known as orb-weaving cave spiders, Metellina merianae (Tetragnathidae: Araneae), a species found in parts of Europe and West Asia, and Meta menardi, a species found around Europe.Read More: How a Zombie-Ant Fungus Can Infect a HostInfecting SpidersResearchers first noticed that the spiders were on the caves ceiling, which was unusual since these spiders have been typically reclusive and tended to stay in their webs. The fact that they were all found in exposed positions indicates that the fungus may have possessed them to move. According to the study, all the spiders were found dead, likely due to exposure on cave ceilings or by a rocky lake shore in Wales.The findings lead researchers to believe that the fungus infected the spiders, similar to the way O. unilateralis infected the ants in Brazil. The fungus likely propelled the spiders to leave their webs and crawl to a point where the fungal spores could easily fall and spread. The researchers even say that the position in the cave could expose the spores to air currents and help them spread further.More research is needed on how this fungus could impact the population of these spiders. Spiders play a key role in the ecosystem, and losing them could cause untold ecological shifts.Whats in a NameResearchers have named this fungus Gibellula attenboroughii. It is named after the broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough, a pioneer of BBC natural history programs, who in his role as controller of BBC 2 helped to develop the Natural History Unit, leading, indirectly, to the present nature series during which the new species was first discovered," said Harry Evans an Emeritus fellow at CAB International and lead author of the study in a press release.With this study, researchers have also identified a hidden diversity within the genus Gibellula in the British Isles, according to a press release. Understanding how this fungus infects its host is key to understanding its impact on spider populations. Read More: Frogs Kick Back Against Lethal FungusArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

This image is a battle reenactment from the Medieval times and not the Roman Period, but represents a warrior battle. (Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsCenturies of votive offerings cast into a lake in Denmark and other archaeological discoveries have revealed that barbarian warriors may have indulged in psychotropic drugs to stimulate themselves during battle against the Romans and other enemies.These warriors may have used small spoons dozens of which have been discovered attached to Barbarian belts to ingest or measure magic mushrooms, an organic precursor for LSD or other substances.The lack of fatigue or inhibition, and the mobilization before a battle were desirable, says Anna Jarosz-Wilkoazka, a biologist at the Maria Curie-Skodowska University in Poland. Therefore, products natural at that time were sought which had this effect on the warriors body.Barbarian Drug Spoons Researchers have been discovering small spoons, roughly about as long as a house key, for decades, but they never knew what they were used for. They have been found on the end of belts, which led many people to believe that they might have buckled the belt together.But Andrzej Kokowski, an archaeologist at the Maria Curie-Skodowska University, wasnt convinced. Why then a spoon at the end? he wonders, while also dismissing cosmetic use as they were too small.This is the only logical explanation we can find no other use, Kokowski says.In a study published in the journal Praehistorische Zeitschrift, Kokowski, Jarosz-Wilkoazka, and Anna Rysiak, another biologist at the Maria Curie-Skodowska University, identified 241 spoon-like objects found at 116 sites in Scandinavia, Poland, and Germany that dated to the Roman era.Many of the belts with these spoons attached to the ends were found in a marsh in Denmark called Illerup dal, along with thousands of other weapons and pieces of military equipment. Around two millennia ago, this area was a lake where warriors would throw these items, likely as votive offerings, after battle.Today its just a marsh, and archaeologists have excavated about 150 belts, half of those with spoons, the authors of the study wrote. Others were found in grave sites, also in the context of weapons and military gear.Read More: Just How Dark Were the Dark Ages?Ancient Drug UseThe researchers havent yet found any traces of substances on these special spoons. But traces have been found in earthenware pots dating to this period. The team also surveyed the types of stimulants that would have grown locally or through trade in dried form.They found a wide variety that barbarians could have accessed, including hallucinogenic mushrooms, cannabis, opium poppies, and ergot a type of fungus that contains lysergic acid, a natural precursor to LSD.What was the Purpose?Some of these drugs may have reduced fatigue for warriors, improving their performance in battle. Other drugs may have reduced the fear or stress of going into battle, or reduced pain from injuries.It cannot be ruled out that they were occasionally used for fun, but this is a weak assumption, says Jarosz-Wilkoazka. It should be remembered that they were found in the belts of warriors for whom courage, resistance to pain, or lack of inhibition during an attack were very important.Whatever the reason, barbarians likely used the spoons either to snort powdered substances, or to measure out a quantity to place into drinks like beer, or into pipes to be smoked.The spoons described are probably dosage tools for the raw material, according to the study authors.The fact that so many of these spoons were discovered reveals that there was likely a whole industry involved in the collecting, processing, and trading of various drugs at the time, Jarosz-Wilkoazka says.These were not cartels on the scale of Medellin, but small cartels that responded efficiently to the needs of their armies, she says. We dare say that, along with the quality of weapons and food supplies, stimulants were the third essential element for war success during the barbarian German's time.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Praehistorische Zeitschrift. In a narcotic trance, or stimulants in Germanic communities of the Roman periodJoshua Rapp Learn is an award-winning D.C.-based science writer. An expat Albertan, he contributes to a number of science publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, Hakai, and others.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

Most of us hope well be healthy into our late 80s or early 90s and then die peacefully in our sleep, preferably after a wonderful evening with loved ones. But thats rarely the way it works out. All too often, our later years are plagued with ill health.Life expectancy has been steadily increasing throughout the world since 1900, but those gains have not been matched by equivalent gains in health, says Armin Garmany, a researcher who studies regenerative medicine at the Mayo Clinic.People outlive their good health by an average of 9.6 years 12 years for those who live in the U.S. according to research by Garmany and Andre Terzig, a pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine, also at Mayo.Garmany and Terzig were the first to quantify the gap, but the idea has been around for decades. In a paper published in Science in 1987, John Rowe and Robert Kahn introduced the term health span, a measure not of how long we live but of how long we live without significant health problems. Since then, scientists have increasingly embraced the concept and are working to close the gap.Addressing Shorter Health SpansRecent advances in medicine, both surgical and pharmaceutical, have made aging much easier, dramatically improving the quality of life of older people. Joint replacements, stents, and medicines for controlling cholesterol blood pressure, and maintaining heart function are just a few examples.But these therapies do not eliminate illnesses; they just make them easier to live with. And they come with a cost, says Kenneth Boockvar, geriatrics director at the Integrative Center for Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The trade-off is that we face a life of taking medicines, getting injections, and interacting with the healthcare system. We may be maintaining our health, he says, but it is taking some work.Garmany and Terzig think we can do better. In a 2021 paper, they describe several new approaches that would go much further toward eliminating illness. For example, as more patient data becomes available, scientists can use artificial intelligence to analyze that data and identify people at risk for developing disease, enabling physicians to intervene before people become ill, or as Terzig puts it, extinguish the fire before the fire even starts.Another approach involves targeting aging cells and preserving healthy cells, something called anti-senescence. And then theres regenerative medicine, therapies that aim to restore the form and function of diseased or aging organs using stem cells or other methods. Advances in these areas open the possibility of not only mitigating the symptoms of disease but ultimately finding cures, says Garmany.Preventing the GapHowever, closing the health span/lifespan gap is not just about cutting-edge technologies. Prevention plays a huge role, too. We can reduce the chances of getting those illnesses that so often plague our later years by eating well, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding behaviors that put us at risk, such as smoking and excessive alcohol use, says Boockvar.The consequences may come late, but prevention starts early and is often a matter of public health. Terzig points out that the foundation of a healthy life begins with programs that get children off to a healthy start, as well as education, both at school and at home, about healthy living.Maximizing Good HealthThe steady increase in lifespan over the past two centuries is partly due to factors such as better nutrition, sanitation, neonatal healthcare, vaccines, antibiotics, reductions in poverty, and an emphasis on disease prevention. Maximizing the years of good health will also require extending these improvements in public health to more of society.We have a healthcare I hesitate to say system because it doesnt feel like a system to me that is largely commercial, and insurance is not available to everyone, says Boockvar. People often defer healthcare because of the cost or because they dont have access to care. A federal campaign to provide basic healthcare to everybody could narrow the disparities.If we are to narrow the gap between lifespan and health span, well need to focus on all these approaches new technologies, improved public health, greater access to care, timely interventions, and better prevention.The impact of medicine, even during my career, has advanced more than I would have expected, says Boockvar. Hes hopeful that this progress will continue until were able to enjoy robust health until the moment we die.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Our World in Data. Life ExpectancyAvery Hurt is a freelance science journalist. In addition to writing for Discover, she writes regularly for a variety of outlets, both print and online, including National Geographic, Science News Explores, Medscape, and WebMD. Shes the author of Bullet With Your Name on It: What You Will Probably Die From and What You Can Do About It, Clerisy Press 2007, as well as several books for young readers. Avery got her start in journalism while attending university, writing for the school newspaper and editing the student non-fiction magazine. Though she writes about all areas of science, she is particularly interested in neuroscience, the science of consciousness, and AIinterests she developed while earning a degree in philosophy.

A mosaic image of asteroid Bennu, composed of 12 PolyCam images collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft from a range of 24 kilometers. (Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsAn asteroid carrying some of the basic building blocks of life has been reported in the journal Nature Astronomy. This finding opens the possibility that life on Earth could have been seeded by chemicals in the cosmos billions of years ago.Asteroids provide a time capsule into our home planets history, and Bennus samples are pivotal in our understanding of what ingredients in our solar system existed before life started on Earth, Nicky Fox, a NASA official, said in a news release. NASAs OSIRIS-REx mission already is rewriting the textbook on what we understand about the beginnings of our solar system.Searching for Signs of Life on an AsteroidAlthough meteorites, from which asteroids break off from, have been theorized as potential vehicles for life-seeding chemical passengers, analyzing them for its signs has been tricky. Because meteorites pass through the atmosphere, they could pick up moisture, which could then contaminate any sample.To circumvent that issue, NASAs OSIRIS-REx mission brought 121.6 grams of sample from asteroid Bennu in September 2023. An international team of scientists analyzed the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth and reported that it held organic matter containing ammonia and nitrogen. Those chemicals are key to building both DNA and RNA, the compounds that give rise to all living things on Earth. The sample also contained evidence of a salty, briny broth where the chemicals could interact and combine.While the findings do not show, in and of themselves, life on other planets or elsewhere in the universe, it does show that the chemical components were kicking around in space well before life took hold on earth.Seeds for Life in Space?To avoid contamination, the Bennu samples from NASA were handled under nitrogen. Scientists at Kyushu University in Japan analyzed them with high resolution mass spectrometry a technique used to identify molecules based on their weight and charge. They were especially interested in finding ring-shaped molecules that hold carbon and nitrogen.In doing so, they struck organic chemistry gold: the sample contained all five nitrogenous bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil required for building DNA and RNA. They also found xanthine, hypoxanthine, and nicotinic acid (vitamin B3).In an earlier study of a different asteroid named Ryugu, scientists only detected uracil and nicotinic acid. The other four nucleobases were missing. This could be because the two asteroids picked up different chemical hitchhikers, based on their path and location. The difference in abundance and complexity of N-heterocycles between Bennu and Ryugu could reflect the differences in the environment to which these asteroids have been exposed in space, Toshiki Koga, a researcher with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, said in a press release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:NASA. OSIRIS-RExBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

According to a recent study published in Science Advances, a greasy hair day keeps the ice away for polar bears, that is.After examining polar bear fur, an international research team identified what helped keep polar bears ice-free, even in sub-zero temperatures. It all comes down to their greasy fur.This work not only represents the first study of the composition of polar bear fur sebum, but it also resolves the question of why polar bears dont suffer from ice accumulation, said Richard Hobbs, an assistant professor and Royal Society-Science Foundation Ireland University Research Fellow in Trinitys School of Chemistry and the AMBER Research Ireland Centre, and senior author of the study, in a press release.Greasy-Haired Polar BearsPolar bear fur is a marvel. Its double-insulated to help keep the bears warm in the arctic conditions, and the hair itself is hollow. While polar bears have black skin, their fur is actually translucent, which makes the fur appear white to humans. Along with all of these fascinating features, it also prevents ice from sticking to it. This ability has stumped researchers in the past, but they now know that it has to do with the sebum on the bear's fur.Sebum is the main ingredient in the oil that the body naturally produces to help keep skin moisturized. Its made up of cholesterol, triglycerides, and fatty acids. An excessive amount can build up on the body, leading to acne. It can also build up in hair which gives it that greasy, dirty look.On polar bears, their sebum is made up of diacylglycerols, cholesterol, and fatty acids, which prevent ice from sticking to their fur.With these findings, researchers have a better understanding of polar bear biology, and could also use this information to make more adaptive cold weather gear, such as skiing or snowboarding equipment.Studying Polar Bear SebumResearchers collected hair samples from six polar bears and did a series of different tests on them. From the results, the team pinpointed the sebum as what was preventing ice from adhering to the polar bear fur.We measured ice adhesion strength, which is a useful measure of how well ice sticks to fur, said Julian Carolan, Ph.D. candidate from Trinity College Dublins School of Chemistry and the AMBER Research Ireland Centre and lead author of the study, in a press release.The sebum quickly jumped out as being the key component giving this anti-icing effect as we discovered the adhesion strength was greatly impacted when the hair was washed. Unwashed, greasy hair made it much harder for ice to stick, he added, in the press release.Why Polar Bear Sebum Is DifferentPolar bears are far from the only animals to have sebum in their fur. But why is it that ice will stick to greasy human hair and other animal fur and not a polar bears? After identifying that sebum had anti-ice properties, researchers did a deeper analysis of the oil.It turns out that while most sebum is made of cholesterol, diacylglycerols, and fatty acids, including a polar bears, they were missing one component squalene, an active part of sebum found on humans and other aquatic mammals, such as otters.Despite having thick layers of insulating blubber and fur and spending extensive periods in water at sub-zero temperatures, it seems that the fur grease provides a natural route for polar bears to easily shed ice when it forms due to the low ice adhesion on their fur, said Hobbs in the release.These findings could lead to new and safe ways of creating an anti-stick coating on certain products.We expect that these natural lipid coatings produced by the bear will help us to develop new more sustainable anti-icing coatings that may replace problematic forever chemicals like PFAS that have been used as anti-icing coatings, Hobbs concluded in a press release.Read More: 5 Things You Never Knew About Polar BearsArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Science Advances. Anti-icing properties of polar bear furLibrary of Congress. Is a polar bears fur transparent?A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

Although Mars is known for being a dry and desolate desert, its landscape hasnt always been so hostile. Rivers and lakes were once present on the Red Planet before it began to dry up somewhere around 3 billion years ago. The latest research has explored evidence from this distant chapter of Mars past, revealing ancient sources of water in the Gale crater region that evaporated and left behind wave ripples.Researchers have investigated these geological clues in a recent study published in the journal Science Advances. They concluded that the presence of wave ripples formed 3.7 billion years ago indicates that Mars climate was warm and dense enough to maintain bodies of water not covered by ice, and therefore open to the Martian air."The discovery of wave ripples is an important advance for Mars paleoclimate science," said John Grotzinger, geology professor at Caltech and a principal investigator of the study, in a statement. "We have been searching for these features since the Opportunity and Spirit landers began their missions in 2004."Discovering the RipplesThe ripples were first discovered in 2022 as NASAs Curiosity traversed through Mars Gale crater, an 96-mile-wide (154 km) impact basin that had been filled with lakes and streams billions of years ago.Researchers found one set of ripples in an area called the Prow outcrop, which used to contain wind-blown dunes; another set of ripples was found in the nearby Amapari Marker Band (AMB), a layer of rock likely tied to a 2-meter-deep ancient lake that previously existed. The AMB ripples occurred slightly later in Mars history than the Prow outcrop ripples, suggesting that the atmospheric conditions for both ripple formations occurred at multiple points in time.Evidence of a Shallow LakeIn the new study, the ripples were analyzed in computer models to determine the size of the lake and where they originated. The ripples themselves were only 6 millimeters high and spaced 4 centimeters to 5 centimeters apart, conveying that the movement of small waves formed them. This led the researchers to deduce that the lake was shallow, at less than about 2 meters deep.The researchers assert that the ripples represent wind blowing on open water. Some studies in the past have advanced the possibility of ice-covered lakes on Mars, but the AMB and Prow outcrop ripples distinctly show evidence of ice-free bodies of water."Earlier missions, beginning with Opportunity in 2004, discovered ripples formed by water flowing across the surface of ancient Mars, but it was uncertain if that water ever pooled to form lakes or shallow seas. The Curiosity rover discovered evidence for long-lived ancient lakes in 2014, and now 10 years later Curiosity has discovered ancient lakes that were free of ice, offering an important insight into the planet's early climate," said Grotzinger.Why Did Mars Dry Up?The study of the AMB and Prow outcrop ripples has helped to fill in a murky part of Mars history going back billions of years. Scientists arent certain, however, about the exact details surrounding the transition of the planets climate from wet to dry. Billions of years ago, Mars was also warmer than it is now the median surface temperature of Mars today is around negative 85 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 65 degrees Celsius).The climate of ancient Mars struck a balance that allowed water to exist; in particular, the late Noachian period (about 4.1 billion years to 3.5 billion years ago) is thought to have been a time when Mars was potentially habitable, even having rainfall that caused erosion.The most common interpretation for Mars transition to a dry climate is that intense solar wind stripped a significant amount of carbon dioxide (which also kept the planet warm) from the atmosphere, making it much thinner. A 2024 study in Nature Geoscience also claimed that the drying period was not one single transformation, but seven fluctuating climate transitions that may have even allowed water to exist periodically after 3 billion years ago.Although a consensus on the climatic mysteries of Mars hasnt yet been solidified, scientists are still hard at work trying to find any signs of life that may have once existed on the planet.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Science Advances. Wave ripples formed in ancient, ice-free lakes in Gale crater, MarsJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Tropical lowlands that flood during the rainy season and scorch during the sunny season dont exactly sound ideal for agriculture. But the people who lived in what is now Bolivia between 500 A.D. and 1400 A.D. turned those conditions to their advantage by engineering a system of canals to divert excess water and ponds to save it for later. By building a sophisticated irrigation network, the pre-Hispanic Casarabe society of the Llanos de Moxos produced maize year-round ushering in a Neolithic Revolution based on a single grain, according to a report in Nature. This finding contradicts earlier theories that a monoculture was not part of that areas lifestyle.Watering an Agricultural RevolutionAlthough archeological evidence supports maize farming at least 6,800 years ago in Amazonia and 4,000 years back in Mesoamerica, investigation of the Bolivian site provides the first solid evidence of one society relying primarily on a single crop. The societys ability to both divert and store excess water allowed them to harvest at least two maize crops a year. That meant a reliable year-round food source that could support a relatively large society."This intensive agricultural strategy indicates that maize was not only cultivated but was likely the staple crop of the Casarabe culture," Umberto Lombardo, an archaeologist at the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona and an author of the paper, said in a press release.Early Signs of SustainabilityAlso unusual for the time, archeologists investigating the site found no evidence of slash and burn techniques that other societies used to first clear forests, then fertilize the new fields with ashes. Instead, the Casarabe people likely tapped into the preserved forests for firewood and medicinal plants.The team conducted extensive analysis of the site to reconstruct the complex system of canals and storage ponds. They analyzed 178 plant microfossils to confirm that maize indeed dominated farming there. "The data shows the absence of other types of crops," according to Lombardo.Neolithic Food StabilityLombardo asserts that this innovative piece of engineering allowed for the transformation of a challenging environment into a productive system that ensured food stability and supported the development of a growing population."We can document that this is the first grain-based agrarian economy in the Amazon, where until now it was believed that agriculture was based on agroforestry polyculture and not on large-scale monocultures. Now we know that this was not the case in Llanos de Moxos," says Lombardo.A reliable food source likely allowed the region to both grow and prosper. Collectively, our findings show how the Casarabe culture managed the savannah landscape for intensive year-round maize monoculture that probably sustained its relatively large population, according to the paper. Our results have implications for how we conceive agricultural systems in Amazonia, and show an example of a Neolithic-like, grain-based agrarian economy in the Amazon.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Climate change is wreaking havoc across the globe, upending weather patterns and the Earths hydrological cycle with often dramatic effects on some of the largest water bodies. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and there are concerns that these pressures on the Earths water system are likely to increase as the climate crisis continues.One classic example is the Aral Sea. Once one of the largest lakes in the world, it has shrunk to only a fraction of its size. In 2016, this lake was less than 10 percent of its previous extent in 1960, says Fangfang Yao, a climate scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder. Climate change is one factor that has driven that loss, along with diversion for irrigation and agriculture.Bodies of Water Across the GlobeThe Aral Sea is far from alone. The Caspian Sea, the worlds largest inland water body, is shrinking as temperatures rise and rainfall drops. Studies suggest that by the year 2100, water levels might plummet by as much as 30 meters. Lake Chad is another prominent example. In the past, it was one of Earths largest freshwater bodies. Between 1963 and 1990, however, it shrunk by an enormous 90 percent, partly due to reduced rainfall in the surrounding region.In Bolivia, Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater body in South America, has also faced climate change impacts. A prolonged drought between 2022 and 2023 devastated the lake, heavily affecting local communities and indigenous peoples who rely upon it for daily life. At its worst point, the enormous lakes water level dropped by around 19 inches. Greenhouse Gases Lakes and other water bodies are affected in many other ways by climate change. Researchers such as Yao also note that in colder climates, some lakes face fewer ice-covered days which can further enhance water loss. Climate change-induced extreme heat combined with pollution can also trigger problems like toxic algal blooms. Extreme weather also means many lakes are facing drastic fluctuations in their water levels, year after year. The drying out of some bodies of water can become a source of climate change-fueling greenhouse gas emissions. A study published in 2024 found that Utahs Great Salt Lake which has lost around 70 percent of its water mass released an estimated 4.1 million tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gases from dried out portions of the lakebed.Past research suggested that climate change is only partly responsible for around 10 percent of of the Great Salt Lakes decline, with water use and extraction from the rivers that feed it a primary culprit. But a recent paper suggests that increasing temperatures driving evaporation may be responsible for as much as one third of the lakes recent decline in volume.Read More: Is the Euphrates River Drying Up?How Can We Manage the Water Decline?These lakes and water bodies are just a few high-profile examples of a much wider problem, says Yao. His team published a study in 2023 that analyzed satellite data and found that more than 50 percent of the worlds large natural lakes and reservoirs have dried up, having shrunk in size since 1990. Thats due to a confluence of climate change, human use, including withdrawals for freshwater, agriculture, and industrial uses. Together, these water bodies are losing an estimated 22 gigatons of water every year, his study found. We were kind of surprised that about one quarter of the global population live in a basin with a large drying lake, says Yao. We find three major factors, that is warming climate, human over consumption and sedimentation are largely responsible for the observed total losses across the globe.When people think about lake water decline, they maybe think the Aral Sea or Great Salt Lake, but we found that more than half of the largest water bodies in the world were drying based on nearly 30 years of satellite observations, says Yao, adding that a different approach of water management is needed as well as efforts to tackle climate change.Integrated water management and including lakes is key to ensuring sustainability. If we think about the water supply as a system, from the river flow to lakes to groundwater, it could be a sustainable way to maintain healthy water levels, he says.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:NASA Earth Observatory. The Caspian Seas Shrinking CoastlineNature Reviews. Global lake responses to climate changeBangor University. Lakes in hot water, climate change creating a cauldron of issuesSean Mowbray is a freelance writer based in Scotland. He covers the environment, archaeology, and general science topics. His work has also appeared in outlets such as Mongabay, New Scientist, Hakai Magazine, Ancient History Magazine, and others.

The Bayeux Tapestry showing King Harold riding to Bosham, where he attends church and feasts in a hall, before departing for France. (Credit: The Society of Antiquaries of London)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsResearchers in the U.K. have announced the discovery of a lost residential site belonging to Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. This site can be seen on the famous Bayeux Tapestry and has avoided researchers for years. However, a the team believes theyve identified the building, which may be thanks to a toilet.Their findings are published in The Antiquaries Journal.King Harold Sails for FranceHoly Trinity Church, Bosham, looking east. (Credit: Newcastle University)Harold Goodwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon English king who famously died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His death resulted in William the Conquer ascending the throne, bringing England under Norman rule. The events leading up to Harolds death are documented on the Bayeux Tapestry.On the tapestry, Harold is shown visiting the town of Bosham, in West Sussex, twice. In Bosham, Harold is depicted visiting a church and then going to a lavish hall to enjoy an extravagant meal before sailing off to France. The same is shown as Harold returns from France.Researchers have never been able to locate this building depicted on the tapestry, though they were able to locate the church, which still stands today. Many believe that a private residence has been built on the site. However, after an archaeology team from Newcastle University and the University of Exeter reexamined evidence from a 2006 excavation, they believe the residence has been located. An Extravagant HallPart of the garden ruin at Bosham was confirmed as a medieval building by recent research. (Credit: Newcastle University)Using a variety of methods, including geophysical surveys, review of records and maps, and overall, looking back at evidence from a West Sussex Archaeology excavation in 2006, the research team could pinpoint two previously unidentified buildings from that time. One of them was built into the current private residence that sits atop it, while the other was in the garden.Researchers noted that the 2006 excavation identified a timber structure with a latrine inside. Within the past decade, researchers have noticed that in wealthy 10th-century English houses, the owners added toilets. The uncovered latrine indicated to the research team that this building was originally owned by someone wealthy, and therefore, it was likely King Harolds hall.The hall was part of a larger complex, according to the study, and likely contained the nearby church.The realization that the 2006 excavations had found, in effect, an Anglo-Saxon en-suite confirmed to us that this house sits on the site of an elite residence pre-dating the Norman Conquest, said Duncan Wright, senior lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at Newcastle University and lead author of the study in a press release.Looking at this vital clue, alongside all our other evidence, it is beyond all reasonable doubt that we have here the location of Harold Godwinsons private power center, the one famously depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, he concluded in a press release.Importance of This FindThe Bayeux Tapestry is over 200 feet long and depicts the events leading to the Norman Conquest of England. With wool and linen, a turbulent part of English and French history has been preserved. Unfortunately, that cant be said for many historic dwellings.After William the Conquerors victory at the Battle of Hastings, there were major shifts across the English aristocracy. A finding like this helps researchers gain a better understanding of what life was like pre-Norman invasion.The Norman Conquest saw a new ruling class supplant an English aristocracy that has left little in the way of physical remains, which makes the discovery at Bosham hugely significant we have found an Anglo-Saxon show-home, said Oliver Creighton of the University of Exeter, and co-author of the study in a press release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:The Antiquaries Journal. Where Power Lies: Lordly Power Centres in the English Landscape c. 8001200Bayeux Museum. What is the Bayeux Tapestry about?A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

A feeling of relaxation. An altered sense of time and space. A slowed reaction time. These effects are all associated with cannabis, but what else do we understand about the drugs effects on the brain? Investigating the impacts of the drug, recent research in JAMA Network Open has revealed that heavy cannabis use is associated with reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. Representing the largest of any such study so far, the research indicates that the negative outcomes that are linked with heavy cannabis use are not as inconsequential as commonly thought. As cannabis use continues to grow globally, studying its effects on human health has become increasingly important, said Joshua Gowin, a study author and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, according to a press release. By doing so, we can provide a well-rounded understanding of both the benefits and risks of cannabis use, empowering people to make informed decisions and fully comprehend the potential consequences.Read More: Weed Might Not Make You Creative After AllTies Between Cannabis and Brain ActivityAccording to the study, cannabis use is rising, as more and more states and countries allow its production and sale. But as the drugs prevalence increases, so, too, does the perception that cannabis is innocuous, whether used recreationally or medically.To address this perception, and to examine the cognitive effects of cannabis, Gowin and a team of researchers turned to the brains of around 1,000 young adults. Monitoring their brain activity with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they revealed that around 63 percent of heavy cannabis users demonstrated reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. They also revealed that their reduced brain activity during those tasks was associated with poor performance. Defined as the minds short-term storage system, the working memory allows people to manage and manipulate information temporarily. Though the research cannot reveal whether cannabis caused the reduced brain activity and poor working memory performance, the researchers say their results call out the negative outcomes that are associated with heavy cannabis use.People need to be aware of their relationship with cannabis, Gowin said in the release. Heavy users may need to be more cautious.Testing the TiesAccording to the researchers, the associations between cannabis use and brain activity during working memory tasks were statistically significant in heavy cannabis users. While these users were defined as those who had used cannabis over 1,000 times throughout their lives, moderate users had used the drug 10 to 999 times and non-users had used the drug fewer than 10 times. The researchers also studied the associations between cannabis use and brain activity during other tasks, including motor tasks, language tasks, and emotion and reward tasks, though the ties were not statistically significant.Not only that; the researchers tested the associations between cannabis use and brain activity in recent cannabis users, too. These users were identified through drug testing, though the links between their cannabis use and brain activity during working memory and motor tasks did not survive a statistical analysis meant to minimize false positives. "We applied the highest standards to our research, setting rigorous thresholds for statistical significance, Gowin said in the release. While some of the other tasks indicated potential cognitive impairment, only the working memory task showed a statistically significant impact.Demonstrating reduced brain activity during working memory tasks in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior insula, heavy cannabis users saw activity diminish in the areas of the brain that are associated with memory, decision-making, and attention.There are a lot of questions we still need answers to regarding how cannabis impacts the brain, Gowin said in the release. Large, long-term studies are needed next to understand whether cannabis use directly changes brain function.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:JAMA Network Open. Brain Function Outcomes of Recent and Lifetime Cannabis UseSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

A sleeping giant of a volcano is stirring in its underwater bed.The volcano, tucked underneath a submerged peak called Axial Seamount, is the most active volcano in the Pacific Northwest. Seismic activity, including hundreds of small earthquakes a day, indicate an eruption may be forthcoming perhaps by the end of 2025, according to a blog kept by Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist whos been closely monitoring activity associated with Axial Seamount, for years.Volcano Wake-up TimeThat seismic activity is a harbinger. An eruption does not seem imminent, but it can't do this forever," Chadwick and his colleague, University of North Carolina geophysicist Scott Nooner, wrote in an Oregon State University blog post.The volcano, about 300 miles off the coast of Oregon and a mile beneath the oceans surface, is among the most monitored in the world and has been under observation since 1997. When the volcano erupts, it likely wont be cataclysmic or even apparent to anyone above water. Since Axial Seamount is shaped from thin layers of lava, an eruption will likely crack open at the surface. Magma will then likely ooze out, rather than explode into the air. It is unlikely its eruption will produce a tsunami.Observers use a variety of geophysical, chemical, and biological sensors, as well as a still and video cameras to watch for signs of magma flow. That instrumentation on Axial Calderas summit makes it the the most advanced underwater volcanic observatory in the world.Predictions Based on the PastResearchers who have monitored this underwater volcano since 1997 can base their predictions on some precedents: Axial Seamount erupted in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Observers say they see the same signs of swelling at its base that preceded the previous eruptions. That swelling is a result of rising magma pressing beneath the mountains thin surface.A study from 2024 documented the volcanos plumbing. The researchers noted multiple reservoirs of magma sitting asymmetrically beneath the Earths crust. They also traced the molten rocks passage into the mountain via a seafloor crack.Although monitoring Axial Seamount wont save any lives (because it wont endanger any), doing so will better help predict eruptions in other areas. Carefully observing and recording every tremor beneath it will give scientists a better understanding of the factors leading up to a volcanos eruption.In doing so, this sleeping giant will help generate important wake-up calls near other volcanoes.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Oregon State University. Blog to chronicle eruption forecasts at Axial SeamountRegional Cabled Array. Axial CalderaNOAA. Axial VolcanoBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Almost 30 years after the first planet outside our solar system was discovered, more than 7,000 other exoplanets have been identified. Now, its time to add another to the list.A team of researchers have confirmed an Earth-like planet named HD 20794 d, they report in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. The exoplanet is especially interesting to astronomers because at a mere 19.7 light-years away, its practically a neighbor. HD 20794 d, the star around which the newly identified planet rotates is not an ordinary star, Xavier Dumusque, an astronomer at the University of Geneva and co-author of the study, said in a press release. Its luminosity and proximity makes it an ideal candidate for future telescopes whose mission will be to observe the atmospheres of exoplanets directly.The Promise of WaterThe position of the planet in relation to that star also provides the possibility that it could hold water. So astronauts searching for signs of life beyond Earth are especially interested in it.HD 20794 d orbits its host star in 647 days. Although thats almost twice as long as an Earth year, its only 40 days less than Mars needs to circle our Sun. Unlike Earth and Mars, HD 20794 ds orbit is more elliptical than circular. That orbital pattern is especially interesting to astronomers, because if the planet contains water, it would likely be liquid during its closest passages to the sun, and ice when its farthest away.The Search for LifeFinding this particular exoplanet was no easy task; it required more work than just pointing one telescope to the sky and noticing the novel celestial body. Instead, it required analyzing more than 20 years of data from several instruments, then using an algorithm to filter out waves coming from other sources.We analyzed the data for years, carefully eliminating sources of contamination," Michael Cretignier, a research fellow at Oxford University and a co-author of the paper, said in a press release. The exoplanets size, proximity to Earth, and potential to hold water makes it a prime candidate to search for life, as well as testing hypothesis about conditions that could support it. New instruments, like the European Southern Observatorys Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), will hasten that search when they come online. Until then, the search for more exoplanets will continue. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Astronomy and Astrophysics. Revisiting the multi-planetary system of the nearby star HD 20794Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Deep in the Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway, the Borealis Mud Volcano has been spewing methane for centuries and supporting a flourishing community of seafloor creatures. Researchers have now recognized the underwater structure as a pillar of marine life in the benthic zone, the lowest ecological region of a body of water, where species are specially equipped to survive extreme living conditions.The distinctive environment has been detailed in a new study published in Nature Communications. The international research team involved with the study put a particular focus on the importance of the mud volcanos methane emissions; normally methane is associated with greenhouse gas and climate impacts, but it also plays an important role in forming complex, biodiverse ecosystems like the one surrounding Borealis.Living On the CrustsFirst discovered in 2023, the Borealis Mud Volcano is distinguished by a cluster of craters within a depression around 1,600 feet to 2,000 feet in diameter and an active gryphon, which is a steep cone that expels mud and other fluids, gasses, and oils. Borealis is only the second mud volcano to be observed in Norwegian waters, the first being the Hkon Mosby Mud Volcano discovered during a 1987 expedition.The mud volcano is considered a cold seep environment, a location where fluids containing methane, hydrogen sulfide, or other hydrocarbons seep up from below the seafloor (cold refers to the fact that it is not as warm as the conditions around hydrothermal vents).While some sections of the crater floor are inhospitable, the researchers found several species living on the volcanos carbonate crusts. These structures are created in part by a type of chemosynthesis, the biological process by which deep-sea microorganisms use energy to produce sugars (food) since sunlight generally does not reach the benthic zone; the particular type of chemosynthesis in this case is called anaerobic oxidation of methane, which increases local alkalinity and leads to the accumulation of carbonate deposits.The extent of carbonate deposits at Borealis indicate that the mud volcano has likely been producing methane for thousands of years, the researchers say.A Seafloor RefugeExploring the carbonate crusts with a remotely operated vehicle, the researchers spotted species of anemones, serpulids, demosponges, and octocoral colonies. Also present at the jagged carbonate formations were schools of fish, including saithe (or pollock), wolffish, cod, four-bearded rockling, and several species of Sebastes (many known as redfish).Researchers consider the Borealis mud volcano an oasis that provides shelter and feeding opportunities for thriving species, almost like a reef habitat. It acts as a refuge for species that are becoming increasingly endangered, including redfish species, many of which have been placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. The Borealis Mud Volcano is a unique geological and ecological phenomenon that provides a rare insight into the complex interactions between geological processes and marine ecosystems. It is important to preserve these unique habitats, which play a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity, said Giuliana Panieri, a geology professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and lead author of the study, in a statement.The immediate surroundings of the mud volcano, researchers found, were warmed to 11.5 degrees Celsius (52.7 degrees Fahrenheit), whereas the seabed usually has a colder temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition, they came across sediments that contained extinct, microscopic marine organisms from up to 2.5 million years ago.The Future of the Deep SeaThe new insight on Borealis is relevant as the Arctic seabed could soon become a center for deep-sea mining, posing a major threat to seafloor environments. Researchers say there is also a need to study the methane emissions of the mud volcano on a deeper level. Although the impact of underwater methane emissions on carbon in the atmosphere is thought to be relatively minor, we still need to know how the emissions will fully affect the planet as it warms. Seafloor conservation in Norway, meanwhile, has promised progress. The nation has pledged to reach the 30 by 30 target, which entails protecting 30 percent of land and sea by 2030. A significant portion of this involves conservation measures for marine ecosystems, including those in the deep sea. By protecting the seafloor, scientists suggest that more cold seep environments could start to see the growth of biodiversity. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:NOAA Ocean Exploration. What is the difference between cold seeps and hydrothermal vents?Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Life at Vents & SeepsJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

According to one survey, only around 9 percent of people achieve their New Years resolutions, even though around a third of us attempt them. Most of our resolutions revolve around improving physical and mental health, which are important life changes that can have a positive impact on the lives we live.So this year, instead of just giving up on the important changes that might improve the quality of your life, why not tweak them according to science to make them more achievable?Why We Can Fail at New Years ResolutionsPart of the reason that we fail to keep our resolutions is because they arent that well thought out. We tend to choose drastic, rigid goals that dont have enough flexibility and would be difficult to add into our daily lives, says Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist and author of the book Joy From Fear: Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your Friend. She adds that we also tend to fear failure, which makes us even more rigid.When we have even one slip up as were rewiring our brains to create new habits, we feel like failures and tend to give up, says Manly. One way to make healthier, more sustainable resolutions is to realize that were all imperfect and that we will make mistakes, but the goal is to transition into healthier habits. Choose resolutions that are more realistic and reachable because small steps are always better than no steps.Read More: How to Improve Your Mental HealthCreating More Achievable ResolutionsWere more likely to achieve goals that add in something rather than take something away, according to a December 2020 article published in the journal PLOS One.One of the main findings in our study was that among participants with approach-oriented goals, there was a statistically significant higher ratio of successful resolvers compared to those with avoidance-oriented goals, says Martin Oscarsson, lead study author and a PhD Student at Stockholm University.Approach-oriented goals allow us to do more of something, for example, adding in yoga or running, rather than avoidance-oriented goals, which involve avoiding an activity like drinking less, stopping smoking, or avoiding fried foods.Goal StrategiesAnother strategy is to use an approach-oriented goal to achieve an avoidance-oriented goal. For example, if you want to drink less, add in a yoga class during your happy hour, or if you want to eat healthier meals during the day, add meal planning to your Sunday routine so that you have healthy meals at the ready when youre busy during the work week.If you want to stress less, consider what you would do more of if you were less stressed, says Oscarsson. Maybe you would spend more time with your family, read more, or choose another hobby to reduce stress.Or if you want to quit smoking, youre not just missing the nicotine, youre missing the breaks that you took during the workday or the social aspect of smoking. This means that when youre planning on achieving a goal, you need to look for ways to replace whats missing from your life, like taking a walk during your smoke break or calling a friend to replace those missed social interactions.If youre going to stop something, you have to have something to replace it with, which means spending more time planning and thinking about the New Years resolutions you hope to achieve.While Oscarsson says that Americans are the most likely to make resolutions, its a global phenomenon that largely revolves around health goals. Millions of people resolve to make positive changes at the beginning of each year, and Oscarsson says, Finding ways to increase their likelihood of success is a good thing.Article Sources:Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Ohio State University. Why Most New Year's Resolutions FailPew Research Center. New Years resolutions: Who makes them and whyCarla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist and author of Joy From Fear: Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your FriendMartin Oscarsson, lead study author and a PhD Student at Stockholm UniversitySara Novak is a science journalist based in South Carolina. In addition to writing for Discover, her work appears in Scientific American, Popular Science, New Scientist, Sierra Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and many more. She graduated with a bachelors degree in Journalism from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. She's also a candidate for a masters degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, (expected graduation 2023).

New mothers and fathers tend to obsess over the smallest nuances of child-rearing, for the simple reason that they want to be good parents. So does every other animal, as it turns out, and over millions of years theyve developed a surprising range of strategies for keeping their offspring safe and healthy.At some level they and we all have the same goal. Karen Bales, a professor at University of California Davis who studies social bonding, explains the two (hopefully obvious) fundamentals of good parenting: Number 1 is that the baby survives, she says. Number 2, that the parent is responsive to the babys needs.But behind those core tenets youll find crocodiles swimming around with hatchlings inside their lethal jaws, cuckoos surreptitiously pawning their eggs off on other birds, and meerkats who teach their young to hunt by bringing them disabled scorpions. In other words, youll find as many ways of parenting as there are animals in the world. (Credit: Tukio/Shutterstock)Good Parenting Can be No ParentingTo put things into perspective, parenting behavior that we would consider good from a human standpoint is relatively rare in nature. In fact, Kumi O. Kuroda, who studies social behavior at Japans RIKEN Center for Brain Science, writes in a recent review that in the majority of animals, parents do not care for the offspring.Only 30 percent of fish, 25 percent of amphibians, and 10 percent of reptiles do anything to set their children up for success. These are major taxonomic groups and theyve been getting along fine for hundreds of millions of years so maybe they are doing something right? Nevertheless, if its role models you want, you could do better.Maternal Care: A Mothers LovePerhaps the best place to look for parenting best practices in nature is the closest to home: other mammals. Their babies cant survive without nursing, which means 100 percent of parents (or at least mothers) must act like parents. And oh, do they in many species, adults will feed and protect their young for years, all while preparing them to tackle life on their own.With elephants, this process can take almost as long as it does for humans. Males stay with their natal herd until they reach maturity, between 10 and 14 years old, while females stay for their entire lives, up to 80 years. Herds are matriarchal, and all the females chip in to raise the calves communally.The only species that rivals this bond is the orangutan. Mothers often carry their children until age 5, nurse them until age 8, and continue to teach them well beyond that. Even after theyve become independent, females in particular keep coming back to visit Mom into their mid-teens. One rationale for this prolonged relationship is that theres just so much to learn what to eat, where to find it, and of course how to build one of those cozy treehouse nests. Paternal Care: Sticking AroundUnfortunately, the mammalian need for milk means that Mom is indispensable, whereas Dad can often get off the hook without threatening the survival of his offspring. As a result, only 10 percent of males stick around to see the project through. Thats not to say all mammal fathers are like this. Some, like the titi monkey, are paragons of parenting. Bales says these tiny South American primates are the only species I've ever worked with where I would actually say the mothers dont like their infants. Mother and child only interact during nursing; afterward, the little one crawls right back to father.Speaking of wonder-dads, they can even be found farther afield in the animal kingdom. Take the African bullfrog, females of which lay their eggs in small, seasonal pools that eventually disappear. If a male sees the pool evaporating too quickly, he strenuously digs a channel to another one, diverting water to make sure his babies dont dry up.Read More: Were Dinosaurs Good Parents to Their Offspring?Monogamy: Joining ForcesMonogamy isnt common in animals, but it has big perks. With two parents instead of one, Bales explains, you increase the fitness of the baby because youre giving it extra care. More food and a second bodyguard makes survival that much more likely.This is where our feathered friends shine: Whereas 90 percent of mammal species separate after reproduction, 90 percent of bird species stay together. That cooperation creates new possibilities. Emperor penguin parents famously take turns incubating their egg while the other goes out to feed; hornbill mothers seal themselves up securely in a tree with their hatchlings, leaving a hole just large enough for the father to slip grub through; and bald eagle mates work together to construct the largest nests in the world, up to 4 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. (Credit: Bartosz Budrewicz/Shutterstock)Alloparenting: It Takes a VillageFor some animals, child-rearing is even more of an all-hands-on-deck affair. Prairie voles like humans engage in alloparenting, where siblings, other relatives and even non-relatives help take care of the young. According to Bales, many prairie voles choose not to venture out of their burrows and reproduce, likely because they make a terribly easy snack (theyve been called the popcorn of the prairie).Its dangerous to leave, she says, and therefore youre better off staying home and helping. After all, siblings share 50 percent of their genome, meaning they have as much genetic stake in their brothers and sisters as in their own offspring. All this awe-inspiring animal parenting demands an explanation: Why go to the trouble? To some moms and dads, the answer is surely self-evident. To Bales who observes adorable younglings for a living and still doesnt want any of her own it remains something of a mystery.I get how cute they are and everything, she says. But boy, they need to be cute. They are a lot of work.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:National Library of Medicine. Egg laying behavior of common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus): Data based on field video-recordingsThe New York Academy of Sciences. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parentingBritannica. Reproduction and life cycleOrangutan Foundation International. Social OrganizationCornell Lab. Bald EagleNational Library of Medicine. Maternal Motivation: Exploring the Roles of Prolactin and Pup StimuliCody Cottier is a contributing writer at Discover who loves exploring big questions about the universe and our home planet, the nature of consciousness, the ethical implications of science and more. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and media production from Washington State University.

Most people picture icebergs like big floating boulders in the ocean. Maybe they might be as large as a house. The famous iceberg was big enough to sink the Titanic in 1912. However, most people don't really consider icebergs too deeply, beyond some memes about having more beneath the water than above it. Yet, icebergs, especially in the southern oceans, are becoming an increasing threat as the Antarctic ice sheets break apart thanks to climate change.The Biggest BergRight now, iceberg A23a is floating about 180 miles (~290 kilometers) off the coast of South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It turns out, A23a is the largest iceberg in the Earth's oceans today and has been at sea since 1986 when it broke off from the Filchner Ice Sheet. It measures almost 50 miles (80 kilometers) from west to east and has an area of almost 1,300 square miles. That's bigger than Rhode Island! Ships that have passed near A23a have estimated the iceberg to be ~1,300 feet (400 meters) thick. If the average amount of an iceberg above water is one-eight its total thickness, it sticks over 160 feet (50 meters) out of the ocean and holds ~320 cubic miles of water!This animated GIF shows the slow northward motion (and rotation) of Iceberg A23a in the South Atlantic Ocean over January 2025. Credit: NASA.A23a had been stuck in a current above a seamount north of Antarctica, but recently it broke free and is now drifting slowly northward, melting and breaking apart some as it goes towards South Georgia Island. Not many people live on South Georgia with a seasonal population of almost 30 (yes, 30) people who are mostly part of the British Antarctic Survey. It is likely most famous for being the island that Ernest Shackleton and his companions landed with the James Caird in 1916 after the loss of the Endeavor. The island itself is roughly the same size as New York's Long Island, but instead of people it is covered in glaciers and mountains.Ice in the WayAlthough South Georgia Island doesn't host many people, it does host abundant wildlife. Penguins, albatross, whales, seals and more frequent the island and the surrounding waters. The area was designated a wildlife protected area by the British government to help manage ecotourism to South Georgia Island to preserve this unique location into the future.Undated image of iceberg A23a taken by Landsat 9. Credit: US National Ice Center.However, if A23a continues northward, all that ice might disrupt life for all these animals on or near the island. The possibility exists for the iceberg to collide with the island, but a more likely scenario is A23a will break apart as it reaches warmer air and water. Yet, it could still inundate South Georgia Island with a massive volume of ice that could run aground on the shallow seabed around the island disrupting feeding grounds for birds, seals and other Antarctic wildlife as well as fishing grounds.This isn't the first time an iceberg has been on a collision course with the island. Back in 2020, another huge iceberg called A-68A was headed towards the island and got as close as 30 miles before it broke apart into smaller icebergs. A-68A was even bigger than A23a, reaching 100 miles across at its widest. Prior to A-68A, another large iceberg (A-43B) headed towards South Georgia Island in 2004, but it, too, broke apart and drifted around the island. Even if it does break apart, the influx of that much fresh water into the seas around the island could affect plankton and other microorganisms.Shrinking Ice CoverThe extent of Antarctica ice from 2023-2025 with a 10 year average, showing how the extent of ice is shrinking. Credit: US National Ice Center.With the increasing temperature on the planet, we should expect more large icebergs in the oceans as ice sheets at both poles break apart. Although it is tempting to think that the icebergs will harmlessly melt away, they can have very profound impacts on seaways. The US Coast Guard keeps track of the locations of icebergs in the northern oceans to keep ocean-going vessels safe from the fate of the Titanic. Moreover, as with South Georgia Island, the potential danger to ecosystems will increase as more of these monstrous chunks of ice break free. We'll just have to wait and see what A23a will do as it continues its northward journey.

Few natural sights are revered as much as the aurora borealis, and scientists at NASA are hoping that two new rocket missions will help illuminate the processes that lead to such a magnificent light display. The two missions, with launch windows that opened January 21, 2025, are aiming for the Alaskan night sky, where auroras shine regularly during the winter.Auroras are byproducts of the interaction between solar wind and the Earths magnetosphere, containing its magnetic field. Following a solar flare or a coronal mass ejection, plasma from the Sun is propelled through space. When this burst of energy reaches the Earths magnetic field, electrons start colliding with gasses like oxygen and nitrogen, causing them to give off a vibrant glow that generates auroras. With the new missions, NASA scientists want to know exactly why these collisions happen in the first place. The missions are part of NASAs Sounding Rockets program, which launches small rockets containing scientific instruments into space. These rockets usually spend a brief period of time in space (5 to 20 minutes) and travel at lower speeds, making them suitable for some experiments that satellites can't conduct.The Role of Electron AccelerationOne mission, codenamed GIRAFF (Ground Imaging to Rocket investigation of Auroral Fast Features), will send two rockets. Each one will fly into a different type of aurora: one is intended for fast-pulsating auroras, which flash on and off a few times a second, and the other for flickering auroras, which flash up to 15 times a second.The variation between fast-pulsating and flickering auroras may lie in the different ways electrons accelerate. To better understand this concept, both rockets will measure key factors in the electron acceleration process, including the energy, quantity, and relative arrival times of electron populations that form the auroras.Pursuing Black AurorasThe other mission, Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor, will study black auroras, also known as anti-auroras. These contradictory-sounding phenomena appear to lack light in certain regions, leaving gaps of dark space in an otherwise colorful aurora.The European Space Agencys Cluster mission, featuring four satellites examining the Earths magnetosphere, has previously observed black auroras. Astronomers believe their creation involves a process that deviates from the normal trajectory taken by electrons that arrive from solar storms; rather than proceed further into the Earths ionosphere (the ionized upper atmosphere where charged particles reside), the electrons likely reverse direction and slip back into space.The rocket for this mission will head for black aurora regions to survey electron populations, which researchers hope will provide insight on the reason behind the reversal of electrons.A Busy Year For AurorasThe aurora borealis moves in a somewhat unpredictable manner, making it tricky to target them precisely. To prepare, NASA researchers will track the auroras with ground-based cameras, looking to determine the right path that the rockets should take. They plan to aim the rockets not at the exact location of the auroras, but where they predict the auroras could appear. These missions come at a time when the sun is very active, leading to higher frequency and intensity of solar storms. Last year, the Sun reached its solar maximum as its magnetic field flipped, representing the peak of activity during its 11-year solar cycle. The effects of the solar maximum will continue to be visible here on Earth for much of 2025, explaining why this year's auroras are expected to put on a strong show.Read More: The Dazzling Sun of 2024Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Center for Science Education. Auroras: The Northern and Southern Lights NASA. Sounding RocketsThe European Space Agency. Black Auroras Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Theres no limit to the number of health headlines that youll find as you scroll through the news, announcing new threats, novel treatments, and amazing tips and tricks that will surely help your diet, your digestion, and your overall wellbeing. If youre lucky, youll find insights that could help you take control of your health. But if you arent, its possible youll find information that could lead you astray, pointing you in unproductive, damaging, or dangerous directions.If youve ever wondered whether to believe the health information that you see, well, this ones for you. Heres what to remember about the science that supports the headlines, with some recommendations for sifting through the news.Cutting Through ConfusionIt shouldnt come as a surprise that the strongest health information is rooted in scientific research, which is revised and refined over time. While some results are reversed, others are amended as researchers attempt to replicate their previous findings. And thats all part of the process, though it can leave us feeling confused when we stumble across a result that hasnt been found before. By considering the results of studies over time, rather than the results of a single study, you can overcome the confusion of novel findings. While a single study can produce promising conclusions, you cant always rely on them until theyve been backed by additional research. As such, avoid making dramatic decisions about your health based on a single study or a single-study news story, and avoid making dramatic decisions on your own. Watch out for additional research, and be ready to discuss the results with your doctor once more studies are available. Tips For Finding Credible InformationAlmost as tricky as navigating new research is identifying health news and information that are trustworthy. For a long time, federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were the standard for health information in the United States. But other sources have historically shared trustworthy information on disease and day-to-day wellness, too. State institutions, research universities, and research hospitals are typically credible sources (think Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic), as are reputable international health institutions. So, too, are nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association and the Alzheimers Association. Depending on the type of information youre looking for, sources from other countries are also reliable for news consumers in the U.S., such as the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Health Service of the United Kingdom.Ultimately, whatever source you choose, you should always consider the credibility of the news and information you consume, asking yourself the following questions.1. Who published the story, and what was the purpose of publishing it? Was the news published by a reliable source, such as a respected science institution or a reputable science publication, or was it published by a blogger or social media user without a science background? Similarly, was the story written and published to inform, or was its purpose to sell something or to promote some sort of agenda? The best health information is always meant to inform, and it comes from sources with a strong scientific reputation. 2. What was the scientific support for the story? Did the story cite specific studies to bolster its claims? Did it cite specific scientists? Health information that references real research tends to be more reliable than health information that doesnt. 3. Who wrote the scientific studies, and who published and reviewed them? Were the cited scientific studies written by reliable scientists, and were they published in reputable journals? Were they peer-reviewed?4. What were the study types and sizes? Were the study participants human, and how many were there? The findings from animal research arent typically as important for human health as findings from human research, while the results tend to be more meaningful when they come from larger studies.5. When were the studies published, and were they the first to report their findings? Its best to consult health information that isnt too old or tentative.6. Does the news story sound believable? Does the story summarize the research in a balanced and accurate way? Look at the tone of the advice, and be wary of any statements that sound too bizarre or too wonderful to be true.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:MedlinePlus. Understanding Medical ResearchMedlinePlus. Evaluating Health InformationSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.