Tag Archives: ScienceAlert

COVID-19 could lead to a protein build-up similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s patients – not just in the brain, but also in the eyes, according to a new study. This may explain why ‘brain fog’, an umbrella term for issues with memory or cognition, is often reported as a symptom of COVID-19. In a new study led by Yale …

A bizarre reptile once scurried through the Triassic treetops with an extravagant crest on its back, one made from neither scale, nor bone, nor feather. The extinct creature’s 247-million-year-old fossils immediately stood out to paleontologists. The impressive appendage on its back looks like a frill of overlapping feathers at first glance, but it’s much older than the earliest fossilized feather, …

According to new research, communication between the gut and the brain is sophisticated enough to be classed as a new and distinct sense – one capable of affecting our appetite and even our mood. This two-way link has previously been associated with a variety of health issues, though the physical processes at work have never been clearly identified. Building on …

When NASA’s upcoming Dragonfly probe skims the lakes of Saturn‘s moon Titan, it may encounter a froth akin to Earth’s first signs of life, a new study suggests. Titan is strikingly similar to Earth in some respects. Like the planet we call home, its surface is covered with large lakes and seas of liquid. And, much like the water cycle …

Two of Arizona’s most famous landmarks may be linked by cosmic violence: the asteroid that gouged out Meteor Crater may have also caused the formation of an ancient lake in the Grand Canyon. This surprising connection between Arizona’s world-renowned geological features stretches back 56,000 years, to when a 300,000 ton nickel-iron asteroid slammed into the Colorado Plateau with the force …

Astronomers have spotted a variety of weirdly blinking phenomena out there in the big wide Milky Way through history, but a newly discovered pulsating object truly appears to be one of a kind. Located several thousand light-years away, the object named CHIME J1634+44 is a rare case of a cosmic light that brightens and fades over inexplicably long timescales. A …

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday a major chikungunya virus epidemic risks sweeping around the globe, calling for urgent action to prevent it. The WHO said it was picking up exactly the same early warning signs as in a major outbreak two decades ago and wanted to prevent a repeat. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever …

An Australian lizard in the same genus as the komodo dragon has been found harboring secret bone chainmail under their scaly skin. Goannas – a name that encompasses several Australian species – are not the only monitor lizards with this fascinating adaptation, either. A wild new study has found tens of monitor lizard species sporting hidden osteoderms; tiny bones that …

The special brains of spiders may have started to evolve in the oceans, long before their ancestors crawled onto land. A fresh look at a 500-million-year-old fossil by researchers from the University of Arizona and Lycoming College in the US and King’s College London has revealed remarkable similarities between the brains of extinct marine arthropods and modern-day arachnids. The discovery …

Most of us want to enjoy later life feeling strong, connected, and mentally sharp. But how often do we stop to think about whether the things we’re doing right now are helping us get there? A new quiz – which we have developed as part of the Take Five to Age Well project, a free, expert-led, month-long challenge from The …