Science

A Common Blood Pressure Medication Prolongs Lifespan and Delays Aging in Animals

Credit: PixabayThe blood pressure medication rilmenidine has shown potential to slow aging and extend lifespan in animal studies, raising the possibility of similar benefits for humans. If effective, it could promote longer, healthier lives without the challenges of extreme calorie restriction.Previous research revealed that rilmenidine mimics the effects of caloric restriction at a cellular...

Mosquito Bites Successfully Used to Deliver Vaccines

Credit: PixabayMosquitoes, notorious for spreading diseases like malaria, have been repurposed by researchers as vaccine carriers. In groundbreaking human trials, these mosquito-borne vaccines showed up to 90% effectiveness, offering a surprising twist on these pests’ role in human health.Instead of viewing mosquitoes solely as disease vectors, scientists at the London School of Hygiene and...

Previously Unknown Chemical Discovered in Drinking Water

Credit: PixabayDrinking water in developed countries is generally clean, yet invisible contaminants can still pose risks. For decades, scientists have puzzled over a mysterious “phantom chemical” in treated water. Now, researchers have identified this elusive compound, revealing it as entirely new to science.The Mystery of Chloramine By-ProductsChlorination is a common method for disinfecting drinking...

A Robot Designed to Enhance Structural Strength Leaves its Imprint in Wet Concrete

The Conit Runner robot has been nominated for a CES 2025 innovation awardItoneWhen we imagine freshly poured concrete, we usually think of leaving it to dry smoothly. However, a new robot, the Conit Runner, rolls over wet concrete, carving grooves to strengthen structures while reducing costs.Deep layers of wet concrete can crack as they...

This Meteorite Has Uncovered an Ancient Traces of Water on Mars

Most of the Lafayette meteorite is kept at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. (NMNH)There is increasing evidence that Mars was once a wet and watery world, with lakes and oceans shaping its surface, leaving behind sediments that are now being carefully analyzed by rovers exploring the planet’s dry, dusty landscape. We know water...

A Robotic Model Equipped with Real Pigeon Feathers Mimics Bird Flight

A view of PigeonBot II without covering, showing the feathers and some of the mechanics. Credit: Eric Chang, Lentink LabEver wondered why airplanes have a vertical tailfin? It stabilizes their flight. While flying without one would be more energy-efficient, efforts to achieve this in aviation have yet to succeed. Interestingly, birds manage just fine...

Spinal Cord Stimulation May Help Treat Chronic Pain

Credit: PixabayA review published on Nov. 14 in JAMA Network Open suggests that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for treating chronic back and/or lower extremity pain leads to greater pain relief compared to conventional medical management (CMM).Frank J. P. M. Huygen, Ph.D., M.D., from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and his team conducted a...

SpaceX Starship Flight 6: No catch, But a Banana was Involved

Starship in orbitSpaceXSpaceX's Starship Flight 6 launched today, missing a second capture landing for the Super Heavy first stage. However, it featured a dramatic daylight soft landing of the Starship second stage in the Indian Ocean—along with a banana.Today's mission experienced an unusually smooth countdown for an experimental development flight, with the final hold...

Scientists Alarmed by Unprecedented Coral Death in the Great Barrier Reef

Credit: PixabayAustralian research revealed on Tuesday that certain areas of the Great Barrier Reef have experienced the highest recorded coral mortality, with scientists concerned that other parts of the reef may have been affected in the same way.Coral Mortality and Environmental Stressors on the Great Barrier ReefHowever, the Australian Institute of Marine Science reported...

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness May Indicate Early Signs of Dementia

Credit: PixabayOlder adults experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness or reduced motivation for daily tasks may be at higher risk of developing motoric cognitive risk (MCR), a pre-dementia condition that can lead to dementia.Daytime Sleepiness Linked to Early Signs of MCRThese findings, from a new study by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in...