Tag Archives: ScienceAlert

Energy drinks are big business. Marketed as quick fixes for fatigue and performance dips, energy drinks are especially popular among young people, athletes, sports enthusiasts, and so-called “weekend warriors” – people who pack their workouts into the weekend instead of exercising regularly. Gamers are now a major target too. But as the market grows, so do concerns about what’s actually …

Eighty years ago today, at 5:29 am on the morning of 16 July 1945, in the state of New Mexico, a dreadful slice of history was made. The dawn calm was torn asunder as the United States Army detonated a plutonium implosion device known as the Gadget – the world’s very first test of a nuclear bomb, known as the …

A massive, 24-year-long study of more than 1.2 million children provides reassurance to parents around the world. The research has found no compelling evidence that childhood vaccines lead to autism, asthma, or dozens of other chronic disorders. Researchers in Denmark examined the safety of a specific vaccine ingredient – aluminum salts – which, despite frequent debunking, remains a common talking …

Two black holes have collided in a merger that could revolutionize our understanding of black hole growth. Named GW 231123 after the date it was recorded on 23 November 2023, it’s the most massive black hole collision we’ve seen yet, resulting in an object heavier than 225 Suns. Previously, the most massive black hole collision produced an object 142 times …

Since Galileo first observed them through his telescope in the early 1600s, sunspots have fascinated scientists. These dark patches on the Sun’s surface can persist for days or even months, but until now, researchers couldn’t fully explain why they remained stable for such extended periods. A study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics has finally solved this centuries-old puzzle. An international …

Long walks could both treat and prevent chronic low back pain, according to emerging research. A population-based study in Norway found that people who walked for more than 78 minutes a day on average significantly reduced their risk of developing chronic low back pain, even if it was just a slow stroll. Back pain is one of the leading causes …

For generations, chicken soup has been a go-to remedy for people feeling under the weather. It holds a cherished place in many cultures as a comforting treatment for colds and flu. But is there any real science behind the idea that soup can help us recover from respiratory infections? Alongside colleagues, I conducted a systematic review to explore this question, …

Copper isn’t normally what comes to mind when talking about healthy eating, but a new study links copper in the diets of older adults to better cognitive function – a significant finding for research into healthy aging. Carried out by a team from Hebei Medical University in China, the study looked at diet and health data for 2,420 adults aged …

On 15 July 1965, NASA’s Mariner 4 spacecraft made Solar System history. As it flew by Mars, the spacecraft’s onboard camera snapped 22 pictures of the planet’s surface, sending them back home to Earth – the first-ever close-up photos of Mars obtained by humans, and the very first photos of another planet obtained from a position in deep space. Those …

In spite of having plagued humans for millennia, typhoid fever is rarely considered in developed countries today. But this ancient threat is still very much a danger in our modern world. According to research published in 2022, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever is evolving extensive drug resistance, and is rapidly replacing strains that aren’t resistant. Currently, antibiotics are the …