Even ‘Mild’ COVID Is Linked to Significant Brain Changes, Large Study Reveals

One of the largest COVID-19 brain imaging studies to date has shed some unsettling light on the disease’s impact on our brains. Even in those with a mild or moderate case, a SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with “significant” neurological changes and loss of gray matter.    The study looked at the brain scans of 785 … Read more

Giant Bubbles Expanding From The Milky Way Could Be Explained by a Single Event

Two sets of giant bubbles that extend thousands of light-years above and below the plane of the Milky Way could have been produced by the same event, in spite of their significant difference in size.   They’re called the Fermi bubbles and the eROSITA bubbles, and astronomers believe they were the result of activity by … Read more

Just One Extra Drink a Day Is Linked to Brain Shrinking, Study of 36,000 People Shows

Despite the joys that may come from a boozy Friday night, alcohol is bad for us. And not just in large quantities. Recent studies have been warning that even a moderate amount of drinking is linked to cardiovascular issues and brain damage. A new study looking at over 36,000 adults has now put the boot in as well, finding … Read more

Extremely Hot, Humid Weather Could Kill a Person Far More Easily Than We Thought

The human body might not cope with nearly as much heat and humidity as theory predicts. One of the first studies to directly assess humid heat stress among young people has found that when humidity is at an absolute max, the upper limit of human adaptability is just 31°C (87 °F).   That’s four degrees … Read more

An Asteroid Predicted to Hit Earth in 2023 Has Turned Out to Be Safe

Earlier this year, the discovery of a potentially hazardous asteroid took astronomers on a roller coaster ride. On 6 January 2022, astronomers at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona discovered an asteroid roughly 70-meters (230 ft) across. Based on their initial observations, it appeared this object – called ‘2022 AE1‘ – could potentially hit Earth on its next pass, on … Read more

Predators Have Evolved to Not Overexploit Their Resources. Can Humans Do The Same?

People have been trying to understand how predators and prey are able to stay balanced within our planet’s ecosystems for at least 2,400 years. The Greek author Herodotus even raised the question in his historical treatise Histories, written around 430 BC.   And when Charles Darwin published in 1859 his revolutionary theory of evolution in … Read more

In Mice, a Potential New Treatment Eradicates Ovarian And Colorectal Cancer in Days

An experimental new type of cancer treatment has yielded some impressive results in mice: the eradication of advanced-stage ovarian and colorectal cancer in the animals as little as six days.   The new therapy has only been tested in mice so far, so let’s not get too excited just yet. However, the early signs are … Read more

The ‘Slow And Silent’ Part of The San Andreas Fault May Still Be an Earthquake Threat

California is a land divided by a 1,287-kilometer-long (800 miles) rupture known as the San Andreas Fault. Running north to south through the state close to several major cities, it has been responsible for some of the US’s most devastating earthquakes.   There are regions in the state’s heart that haven’t experienced the fault’s full … Read more

Road Salt’s Harm to Freshwater Ecosystems Could Ripple Out to All of Us

We have a salt problem, and we’re not referring to our diets. As effective as salt is at de-icing our highways in the winter, new research reveals that its extensive use is also causing damage to freshwater ecosystems.   What’s more, saltwater concentrations deemed safe by regulators in the US, Canada, and Europe aren’t doing … Read more

For The First Time, There Has Been an Unplanned Spacecraft Crash With The Moon

Add one more crater to the long list of pockmarks on the lunar surface. According to orbital calculations, a rocket hurtling through space for years crashed into the Moon on Friday, but the strike wasn’t directly observed, and there might be a wait for photographic evidence.   The impact would have taken place at 7:25 … Read more