Pure Science

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Researchers are closing in on a breakthrough that could one day change one of dentistry’s most common practices: fillings. Building off work published late last year in ACS Macro Letters, a team at King’s College London is developing...

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For some tastebuds, sauerkraut is the perfect compliment to a hot dog on a hot summer day. For others, it’s a sour stomach-churning mess. Whether you like to eat it or not, this tangy fermented cabbage might help protect the gut, support...

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Somewhere between 9,500 and 9,900 years ago, three Scandinavian teenagers were hanging out, chewing gum after a meal. Specifically, they were chewing pitch or tar made from the bark of birch trees. Many millennia removed, archaeologists...

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Amazon has angled to become a major player in the healthcare industry for years, but the company may try extending its reach into daily life even further. According to recently revealed internal documents, Amazon conducted smallscale tests...

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Psychological trauma can unfortunately linger for years. However, according to recent research, it may even remain in the bodies of medically healthy people. The study, believed to be the first of its kind, was published in Prehospital and...

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After surviving a likely gunshot wound in July, a bald eagle in Missouri is showing an important sign of recovery–keratin growth on his severely injured beak. According to World Bird Sanctuary, a nonprofit that treats and houses injured...

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the recently appointed secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), has long promoted unfounded conspiracy theories regarding community water fluoridation. Now that he’s settled into his new role in President...

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Urinals aren’t a new concept. In fact, some of the earliest known examples can be traced back to around 1000 CE, when Sri Lankan monasteries began installing elaborately carved stone receptacles. European versions began taking hold in the...

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Before germs were first spied under a microscope by Robert Koch, a doctor from East Prussia, catching colds was blamed on evil spirits, foul weather, and medical enigmas such as blood impurities. Koch’s findings ignited the medical...

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Chances are, you or someone you know has used a cosmetic product that was tested on animals. Though once a common practice, it has faced fierce backlash from animal welfare organizations, who argue that animal testing is unnecessarily...

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Most of us will never have to speak in public for 25 hours and 5 minutes straight the way that Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) did from March 31 into April 1. During his recording-breaking speech, the Garden State’s senior senator was not...

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Researchers have developed a new method for intercepting neural signals from the brain of a person with paralysis and translating them into audible speech—all in near real-time. The result is a brain-computer interface (BCI) system similar...

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If you get food poisoning after eating eggs, there’s a good chance that it will take awhile before you can even handle the thought of eating a nice savory omelet again. That food aversion can be really strong. Now, a team of...

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A dissolvable pacemaker that’s smaller than a grain of rice and powered by light could become an invaluable tool for saving the lives of newborn infants., The device can be implanted noninvasively via syringe, and may also be useful for...

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Finding the right pair of sunglasses isn’t just about style—especially for seniors. As we age, our eyes become increasingly susceptible to UV damage, glare, and other vision challenges. According to Dr. William McLaughlin, an optometrist...

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Alzheimer’s disease’s impact is growing as our population ages, but much of the disease’s pathophysiology remains unclear. A study published last year in the journal Nature revealed a significant new finding about Alzheimer’s disease–it...

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Bad news for people hoping to solve their workday procrastination by leaving their phone in a desk drawer: new research indicates you’ll probably still find something to distract you. According to researchers at the London School of...

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A unique set of risks and challenges await the first astronauts on Mars. Deadly solar radiation, nighttime temperatures regularly dropping lower than -100 degrees Fahrenheit, and an unbreathable atmosphere are just a few of the hurdles...

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Anyone who has spent time around a young child knows how quickly loose change can become a serious hazard. Coins—especially the embattled penny—make up roughly 61 percent of the foreign objects ingested by children under the age of five....

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Researchers have found yet another potential contributor to the increasing amount of microplastics found in our bodies: gum. According to a pilot study presented during the American Chemical Society’s spring meeting, a single piece of...

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For years, the so-called blue zones—regions where people reportedly live longer, healthier lives—have intrigued scientists and the public alike. In places like Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), Ogliastra (Sardinia) and Nicoya (Costa Rica),...

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What’s the earliest memory you can recall? While many people’s recollections of the past may stretch back into childhood, research shows that the trip down memory lane generally hits a wall once you reach infancy. In some ways, this...

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Sex comprises an intricate tangle of impulses and interactions between partners. All the while, the brain hosts an even more complex tangle of chemicals. Neuroscientists have learned a great deal about the neural mechanisms underlying sex,...

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A friend recently sent me a video about getting Red Dead Redemption 2 running on an old CRT television by YouTuber Any Austin, which I obviously watched because I love gimmicky tech videos involving obsolete things. I was expecting to...

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It looks like it’s straight out of a comic book, but BiVACOR is a real, functioning titanium heart. The metal device is ultimately intended as a replacement for human donor organs, but was first utilized last year as a stopgap for hospital...

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Poor sleep can make you susceptible to a wide range of physical and mental health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and anxiety. But new research indicates it may also increase the chances of yet another unwanted...

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A subtype of avian influenza, known as H5N1, continues to spread among wildlife, dairy cows, domestic birds, and some pets in a string of global outbreaks that began in 2020. The highly pathogenic virus was first detected in U.S. wild...

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Despite all the industry hype and genuine advances, generative AI models are still prone to odd, inexplicable, and downright worrisome quirks. There’s also a growing body of research suggesting that the overall performance of many large...

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A trio of Canadians are on track to become the country’s first residents to have their eyesight restored thanks in part to their teeth. Osteo-odonto keratoprosthesis, more commonly known as “tooth-in-eye” surgery, involves harvesting the...

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A tingling sensation in your feet is usually the result of poor blood circulation. But every so often, it’s an indicator of a much more nightmarish scenario: parasites setting up shop in your brain after previously incubating in rodents,...

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A research team at Canada’s Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and the London Health Sciences Center Research Institute (LHSCRI) is readying a two-year Phase I safety trial in which a small group of cancer...

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About one in five people can wiggle their ears—while the rest watch in non-wiggly envy. But what makes this skill possible for some and impossible for others? Ear movement is controlled by the auricular muscles—three muscles that connect...

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Schizophrenia might be among the most intensely studied mental illnesses. However, its causes—and the way those causes manifest in the brain—remain frustratingly elusive. A new study published February 26 in the American Journal of...

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With an eerie, robot-like appearance and an otherworldly glow when worn, those LED masks all over your FYP give off a science-fiction vibe. Fittingly, it was researchers with NASA who discovered the potential for medical light therapy to...

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There was a time when tomatoes were a death sentence—at least, that’s what many Europeans believed between the 16th and 18th centuries. And while they do belong to the nightshade plant family (Solanaceae), those “poison apples” weren’t...

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Almost 28 million people in the U.S. suffer from asthma, according to Kenneth Mendez, president and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). He tells me that asthma can cause inflammation and swelling of the airways,...

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Scan your social media feed, and you’ll probably run across an influencer incorporating a face roller into their daily skincare routine. Touted for their supposed ability to reduce puffiness, improve circulation, and even provide...

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While stress is an unfortunate fact of modern life, scientists are still learning how it affects us. Chronic stress, in particular, has been linked with many negative health outcomes—and a new study published February 11 in PLOS Biology...

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There’s no single method to boil an egg, but a team at the Italian National Research Council’s Institute for Polymers, Composites, and Biomaterials now believe there is a “perfect” way to cook them. In order to make it, however, you’ll...

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Continuous glucose monitors were originally designed to help people with diabetes track and better manage their blood sugar (aka ‘blood glucose’). Nowadays, not everyone you see wearing one actually has diabetes. In fact, nearly 1 in 5...

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Flowers may be small, but their petals often add up to a comparatively massive amount of surface area. The same can be said even at the microscopic level of a “nanoflower,” compound combinations in chemistry that grow to form plantlike...

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Constantly scratching and picking at an itchy rash really does make it worse. But why? According to newly released research using mice as a model, scratching aggravates inflammation and swelling in a type of eczema called allergic contact...

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In the year 2024, nobody in New York City died of cholera. But from the 1830s to 1850s, New York City’s mortality rate doubled amid a string of local cholera epidemics.  Cholera can cause diarrhea so severe and dehydrating that it...

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Even with life-saving vaccines and antibiotics, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases. Now, an international clinical trial has found three sew safe and effective drug regimens to treat...

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Orthopedic researchers have developed a promising new nanoparticle hydrogel that can be injected directly into bones weakened by osteoporosis. In a study recently published in the journal Bone, experts say that their novel solution could...

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PFAS, more commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” are everywhere. Studies have detected the harmful compounds in a plethora of everyday objects, from popular nonstick pans to waterproof clothing and just about anything in between....

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Humans have stared down extinction from pandemics, war, famine, and more during our brief time on Earth. But how do we continue to remain resilient in the face of crises?  A team of archeologists recently used computer simulations to...

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Johnson & Johnson has announced the FDA’s approval of a first-of-its-kind, esketamine nasal spray called Spravato for the standalone treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), PTSD, and similar psychiatric conditions. The decision...

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In the future, oysters might help in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A protein found in the blood–or hemolymph–of the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) appears to kill bacteria, while also increasing the...

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Multiple brain-computer interface (BCI) projects are currently underway, but BrainGate is one of the first aimed at motor restoration in users affected by neurodegenerative disorders and spinal cord injuries. Researchers have spent years...