The Sun Has Erupted Non-Stop All Month, And There Are More Giant Flares Coming

The past few weeks or so have been a very busy time for the Sun. Our star has undergone a series of giant eruptions that have sent plasma hurtling through space. Perhaps the most dramatic was a powerful coronal mass ejection and solar flare that erupted from the far side of the Sun on February … Read more

Mountain-Sized Rock Hidden Underneath Japan Could Be a Magnet For Megaquakes

A mountain-sized mass of igneous rock beneath the coast of southern Japan could be acting as a sort of magnet or lightning rod for huge earthquakes. According to a new 3D visualization of the feature, known as the Kumano Pluton, the tectonic energy from megaquakes seems to be diverted to several points along its side. … Read more

Wild New Paper Suggests Earth’s Tectonic Activity Has an Unseen Source

Earth is far from a solid mass of rock. The outer layer of our planet – known as the lithosphere – is made up of more than 20 tectonic plates; as these gargantuan slates glide about the face of the planet, we get the movement of continents, and interaction at the boundaries, not least of which is … Read more

Landmark Poverty Experiment Shows Extra Money Changes Babies’ Brains

Putting cash in the hands of mothers can help shape the brains of their babies, according to a rigorous randomized study in the United States. Family income has been linked to child development numerous times in the past in observational studies, but this is the first time researchers have found direct experimental evidence of how … Read more

Lots of People Die Every Year During or After Having Sex. A Pathologist Explains Why

Sex has many beneficial physical and psychological effects, including reducing high blood pressure, improving the immune system and aiding better sleep. The physical act of sex and orgasm releases the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which is important in building trust and bonding between people.   But there’s a dark side: people sometimes die … Read more

Brain development: Giving low-income US families $4000 a year boosts child brain activity

Poverty has been linked with changes in child brain development, and a scheme to give $333 a month to low-income families improved brain activity in a child’s first year Health 24 January 2022 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Improvements in brain activity related to increased family income can be seen in children as young as 1 … Read more

Two Solar Flares Just Erupted on The Sun, Bringing Coronal Mass Ejections

After a series of eruptions on the Sun, Earth may be in for auroras over the next few days. A sunspot called AR2929 has emitted two solar flares, accompanied by coronal mass ejections. Although neither was directed at Earth, the ejections that are currently blasting through space may deliver glancing blows to our planet’s atmosphere that … Read more

Sleep: Unknown voices spark more activity in sleeping brain than familiar ones

Unfamiliar voices seem to put the sleeping brain on alert in a way that familiar voices don’t Humans 17 January 2022 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Electroencephalography (EEG) is used to monitor brain activity Shutterstock / NPS_87 The sleeping brain is more active if it hears unfamiliar voices rather than familiar ones. The finding suggests that … Read more

Scientists Found a Healthier Way to Cook Broccoli, But There’s a Catch

In recent years, broccoli has gained a reputation as an excellent vegetable due to its high levels of a particularly beneficial compound called sulforaphane. With some early-stage studies showing how this compound plays a role in blood sugar control and potentially even has anti-cancer benefits, it’s no wonder that broccoli pills are on the rise. … Read more

Genetics: Fungi that live on eucalyptus roots can control trees’ gene activity

Eucalyptus trees rely on root fungi to source nutrients and water – but the fungi actually control the genetic development of the tree roots by releasing tiny chunks of RNA Life 10 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Pisolithus microcarpus mycorrhizal root tips on Eucalyptus grandis Jonathan Plett A root fungus that helps eucalyptus trees … Read more