Scientists linked aspartame to anxiety-like behavior in mice in new research. Aspartame is a common artificial sweetener used in many foods and drinks, such as diet soda. Florida State University College of Medicine researchers have linked aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in nearly 5,000 diet foods and drinks, to anxiety-like behavior in mice. Along with … Read more
The extinction event is believed to have wiped out 90% of species in the ocean. Ancient mass extinction was preceded by a drop in a crucial trace element. According to a recent study from Florida State University, a major extinction event around 183 million years ago was preceded by a fall in the element molybdenum … Read more
NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several samples onto the Martian surface on December 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS The sample tube, which is filled with rock, will be one of 10 forming a depot of tubes that the Mars Sample Return campaign could consider for … Read more
The researchers revealed how long-distance pull may overcome energy barriers and bring together otherwise unreactive molecules, potentially paving the way for a new approach to organic molecule synthesis. Pulse radiolysis experiments demonstrate how unpaired electrons at one end of a molecule can initiate chemistry at ‘distant’ locations. Researchers at the Brookhaven National Laboratory of the U.S. … Read more
Michigan State University doctoral student Kyle Jaynes shines a light on a harlequin frog rediscoveries in Ecuador. Credit: Alex Achig-Vega Through literature review and fieldwork, Michigan State University researchers and partners in Ecuador have discovered that up to 32 harlequin frog species that were thought to be possibly extinct are still alive in the wild. … Read more
The studies have implications for certain human conditions characterized by touch dysfunction. According to recent research, the brainstem and spinal cord play a crucial role in processing touch signals as they travel to the brain. Almost everything we do relies on our sense of touch, from simple household chores to navigating potentially dangerous terrain. Scientists have … Read more
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a condition that causes dry, itchy, and inflamed skin. New research says yes. The most common chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disorder in children is atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, and it affects 5–30% of children globally. Most AD subjects suffer from persistent skin dryness, pruritus, eczematous … Read more
Astrophysicists have devised a new way to verify the existence of the supermassive black hole Leo I*. A behemoth black hole, as massive as the one at the center of the Milky Way, is hosted by a dwarf galaxy less than 1 million light-years away. Invisible so far — maybe not for long. A way … Read more
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba use an optoelectronic resonator to increase the sensitivity of an electron pulse detector, which may lead to ultrafast electronic characterization of proteins or materials. Credit: University of Tsukuba. Researchers use an optoelectronic resonator to increase the sensitivity of an electron pulse detector, which may lead to ultrafast electronic characterization … Read more
A new study of seashore paspalum, the type of grass used for the 2022 World Cup, may soon assist another goal: growing crops that yield more food with less of the fertilizer that imposes costs on farmers, ecosystems, and drinking water. Experiments show grass’s resilience-building tricks work for corn, too. Grass is famously resilient. But … Read more