Study finds that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can force the immune system to recognize and kill cancer.
An mRNA-based vaccine for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has saved 2.5 million lives worldwide during the pandemic could help revitalize the immune system to fight cancer. This is a surprising finding from new research that we and our colleagues published in Nature. While developing an mRNA vaccine for brain tumor patients in 2016, our team […]
This week in science news: Comets light up the sky and hurtle toward the sun, our galaxy’s mysterious glow is explained, and scientists say why time moves faster as we get older
This week’s science news continues with reports of three dusty cosmic snowballs hurtling through our cosmic backyard, with comets gaining momentum. The first are Comets Lemmon and Comet Swan, which peaked in brightness in Earth’s skies this week, allowing skywatchers to easily catch a glimpse of them. This led to some surprising observations, as Lemon […]
Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning than humans, but this helped humans gain an advantage over their cousins, scientists say
Humans and our ancestors have been exposed to lead for up to two million years, researchers have discovered, overturning the idea that lead poisoning is a relatively modern phenomenon. Additionally, widespread exposure to toxic metals may have influenced the evolution of our species’ ability to communicate. This would have given Homo sapiens an important advantage […]
Americans living in cities eat more meat than the entire UK, but there are simple ways to reduce it.
Meat consumed in U.S. cities is equivalent to 363 million metric tons (329 million tons) of carbon emissions per year, a new study finds. This is more than the UK’s total annual carbon emissions of 336 million tonnes (305 million tonnes). Although city dwellers are estimated to eat about the same amount of meat per […]
Why does poop feel so good?
When you finish drinking strong coffee, you immediately feel the urge to defecate. I feel relieved after finishing my errands. So why does defecation feel so satisfying? “Despite being one of the most common things humans do, I think we still lack a complete understanding of how defecation works and why it relieves symptoms,” Dr. […]
Neanderthals could come back within 20 years, but is that a good idea?
When scientists sequenced the Neanderthal genome in 2010, they found that Neanderthals interbred with human ancestors and then mysteriously went extinct. As a result, many people alive today share up to 4% of their DNA with Neanderthals. This genetic advance has provided powerful new information about the evolutionary history of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, but […]
Eternal Flame Falls: A small waterfall in New York that hides a cave filled with immortal fire
simple facts Name: Chestnut Ridge Falls, or “Falls of Eternal Flame” Location: Chestnut Ridge Park, Erie County, New York Coordinates: 42.70158, -78.75113 Why it’s unbelievable: The waterfall is filled with natural gas, which allows it to burn uninterrupted. Eternal Flame Falls is one of the few waterfalls in New York state with a natural “eternal” […]
Research reveals that the strange half-comet “Chiron”, a half-asteroid that has surpassed Saturn, is currently growing its own ring system
In a universe where change typically unfolds over many years, astronomers have a rare front-row seat to watch a small icy world beyond Saturn build a brand new set of rings in real time. A team of Brazil-based astronomers has discovered that the band of material orbiting Chiron (2060), a 125-mile-wide (200-kilometer-wide) object that orbits […]
New image of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows giant ‘jet’ shooting towards the sun
Newly released images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS show the alien body spewing giant jets of gas and dust toward the sun, just as comets are expected to do. The comet, discovered in late June and confirmed by NASA in early July, originates from an unknown star system far beyond our own. 3I/ATLAS is only the […]
Rare fossils from New Mexico reveal that dinosaurs were thriving before an asteroid wiped them out
Alamosaurus was one of the last dinosaurs in southern North America when the asteroid struck. (Image credit: Natalia Jagielska) Some of the world’s last dinosaurs were healthy and thriving until the day they were wiped out by asteroid Armageddon, a new study of fossils in New Mexico has found. Scientists have debated for decades whether […]