Tag Archives: ScienceAlert

We’re learning more and more about how parts of our bodies are linked and working together – and now a new study reveals connections between gut bacteria and the risk of insomnia. The research, from scientists in China and the US, suggests that being unable to sleep at night could be at least partly down to the mix of microbes …

Weight loss continues to dominate public discourse – often framed as a matter of personal responsibility. But after nearly 15 years working in and around health and nutrition research, I’ve seen how weight is treated differently from almost every other health issue. People are routinely blamed for their body size, even though robust evidence shows that weight is shaped by …

You might expect that with age comes a natural progression of brain degeneration, but new research shows that this might not be the case for all regions of the brain. A new analysis of mouse and human brains suggests that some parts of the somatosensory cortex – the part of the brain that processes sensory information – aren’t just exempt …

From warming winter teas to zesty stir-fries, ginger (Zingiber officinale) has long been a kitchen staple. But beyond its culinary charm, this spicy root has a rich history in traditional medicine – and modern science is catching up. Studies now show that ginger may offer a wide range of health benefits, from easing nausea and relieving colds to reducing inflammation …

A new discovery has just brought the total number of Uranus’s known moons to 29. In the space close to the icy planet, outside its ephemeral rings, JWST snapped a tiny object that no one had ever seen before, not even in data from the Voyager 2 probe that flew past Uranus at a close distance in 1986. It’s probably …

Our ancestors are known to have gotten frisky with other, now-extinct species of humans, leaving traces in our DNA to this day. A new analysis has found that a certain genetic variant inherited from the Denisovans may have given modern humans (Homo sapiens) an edge in populating the American continents. “Typically, genetic novelty is generated through a very slow process,” …

Velociraptor has a new cousin, which may have been even more deadly. The new species has been named Shri rapax, and unlike its famous relative it appears to have brandished killer claws on its oversized hands. The movies may have vastly exaggerated Velociraptor‘s size – it was closer to a turkey than a human – but one thing they did …

Antarctica has long been seen as a remote, unchanging environment. Not any more. The ice-covered continent and the surrounding Southern Ocean are undergoing abrupt and alarming changes. Sea ice is shrinking rapidly, the floating glaciers known as ice shelves are melting faster, the ice sheets carpeting the continent are approaching tipping points and vital ocean currents show signs of slowing …

More Americans are receiving computed tomography (CT) scans than ever before, and while this technology can save lives, some scientists are concerned that low doses of ionizing radiation could increase cancer risk. Importantly, at an individual level, the theoretical risk of developing cancer from a CT scan is thought to be very low, if it exists at all. Patients should …

A beaming patch of turquoise amidst the Southern Ocean’s blue-grey waters that’s baffled scientists ever since it was first spotted in satellite images in the early 2000s may have finally been deciphered by oceanographers. Mapping concentrations of phytoplankton and biogeochemical compounds has revealed a curious combination of microorganisms that challenges assumptions about the way the frigid waters of the world’s …