Credit: PixabayA DNA test designed to screen for fetal abnormalities can sometimes uncover unexpected findings, including hidden cancer in the pregnant individual.A recent analysis revealed that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening, commonly used to detect chromosomal disorders, has the potential to identify undiagnosed cancers. Among patients whose cfDNA test results were ambiguous, nearly half were...
Credit: PixabayIf you've ever had a blood test ordered by a doctor, chances are it included a complete blood count (CBC). As one of the most common medical tests worldwide, CBCs are performed billions of times each year to diagnose conditions and monitor overall health.Despite their widespread use, the way clinicians interpret CBC results...
A moderate solar flare that erupted on 2 October 2014. The flare is the flash of light. (NASA/SDO)The Sun is far from tranquil. Its surface churns with convection, its magnetic field continuously snaps and reconnects, and it releases energy through violent flares and plasma bursts known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).Most solar activity poses little...
Credit: PixabayIn 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) unveiled the first image of a black hole, showcasing the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. Now, this cosmic giant is surprising scientists with an intense teraelectronvolt gamma-ray flare, the strongest observed in over a decade. Emitting photons billions of times more energetic...
A recent study has revealed that brain volume changes, particularly in the amygdala and its subregions, correlate with social behavior variations in psychiatric disorders like autism and schizophrenia, with a focus on the effects of Tbx1 gene deletion in mice.Copy number variants (CNVs) are genetic changes where segments of chromosomes differ from the usual...
Elliptical galaxies NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 colliding. (NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team/AURA/B. Whitmore et al.)It’s both humbling and inspiring to consider how much remains to be discovered about the Universe. My collaborators and I recently addressed one of astrophysics’ longstanding mysteries: how massive elliptical galaxies form.For the first time, we now have strong observational evidence to...
Credit: PixabayWhen you bake a loaf of bread or a batch of muffins, you place the dough in a pan. As it bakes, the dough expands into the pan, causing any chocolate chips or blueberries to spread farther apart.In some ways, the Universe’s expansion is similar. However, there’s a key difference: while dough expands...
Credit: PixabayAs the season of workplace Christmas parties and family gatherings kicks off, many people indulge in heavier-than-usual drinking. After such occasions, you might notice your heart racing or beating irregularly, feel a fluttering in your chest or neck, experience dizziness, or struggle to catch your breath. Concerned, you might head to the emergency...
Credit: PixabayYou’ve likely heard the advice: “Don’t go outside with wet hair or without a coat in the winter—you’ll catch a cold.” While this isn’t entirely accurate, there’s some truth behind it. Cold weather itself doesn’t cause colds, but it does create conditions that make it easier for respiratory viruses like the cold, flu,...
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/YouTube)Even in its final moments, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter continues to contribute to our understanding of Mars.The groundbreaking aircraft, designed for just five flights over 31 days, exceeded expectations by completing an astonishing 72 missions over nearly three years. Ingenuity’s extraordinary journey ended on January 18, 2024, during a routine flight in the thin Martian...
