Research

A new study has found that coffee may help protect against common gut health problems like gallstones, as well as supporting beneficial gut bacteria that confer a variety of protective effects. The study was published by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee; it builds upon a large body of existing research into the beverage's potential health benefits, others of which include improved blood sugar, decreased Alzheimer's risk, and more.

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Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have learned how to noninvasively track in real-time over many days living cells inside a living organism. The technique they developed uses magnetic core-shell iron nanowire as non-toxic contrast agents that can be implanted in the living cells. They can determine those cells' locations inside a living organism when scanned by an MRI.

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The research team from Thomas Jefferson University has completed the first 3D map of neurons in the human heart. The group says that the information reveals foundational insight into the role of neurons and heart attacks and other cardiac conditions. The team says that while the brain is the primary controller of the heart, the heart has its own "little brain," called the intra-cardiac nervous system (ICN). The ICN supports heart health and can protect cardiac muscle during a heart attack, but it's not clear exactly how it accomplishes these roles.

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A new study warns that it only takes a few months of vaping to pave the way for oral diseases and potentially even cancer. This effect was found in vapers who were otherwise young and healthy regardless of whether they vaped liquids with or without nicotine. Changes in bacteria in a vaper's mouth were found to have occurred within months of use, allowing harmful microbes to get a foothold.

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Today NASA's Commercial Crew Program will launch NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on a SpaceX Crew Dragon to the ISS. The International Space Station will receive the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft after the 4:33 EDT launch today on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. To participate and watch live, you'll want to take a few steps.

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Astronomers have found a pair of objects that have been added to a strange object discovered in 2018 that combined to constitute a new class of cosmic explosions. The new type of explosion shares some of the characteristics with supernova explosions of massive stars and with the explosions that generate gamma-ray bursts. Despite the similarities, the new class of explosion has distinctive differences from each of the other classes.

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New computer simulations from Imperial College London have looked at the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs. The simulations reveal that the asteroid that struck the Earth hit at the "deadliest possible" angle. Scientists say that the new computer simulations show that the asteroid hit the Earth at an angle of about 60 degrees, maximizing the amount of climate-changing gases thrown into the upper atmosphere.

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It's no secret that aerobic exercise can help protect and even improve brain health, and now a new study can potentially explain why. According to researchers with UT Southwestern Medical Center, aerobic exercise may improve blood flow in two key parts of the brain. This may be particularly beneficial for older adults who are risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

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Researchers at MIT have created a new chemical process called ELAST that is used to make tissue used in a laboratory setting stretchable, compressible, and nearly indestructible. It's been a challenge in biomedical research labs around the world to make imaging cells and molecules in the brain and other large tissues easier while making the samples tough enough to last for years of handling in the lab. The team's new chemical ELAST process is an answer to that challenge.

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Another study has found that artificial intelligence is able to beat humans -- this time it involves judging selfies to determine the subject's personality traits. The machine was best able to identify one particular trait, at least compared to humans, but it was ultimately able to determine five different personality qualities based on nothing more than a picture of a face.

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We've seen the Internet groan (metaphorically, of course) under the weight of a sudden increase in users and usage in the past months. The global situation proved how ill-prepared our technologies are to support such a scenario, especially if and when it actually becomes the "new normal". Various companies like SpaceX and Amazon are looking to the stars to augment our Internet capabilities but a cross-university team of Australian researchers was able to reach a whopping 44 Tbps data speed with existing optic fiber networks and a new optical chip.

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Antarctica's iconic white terrain is turning green, and the problem is only going to get worse, scientists warn, as climate change wreaks havoc on some of the most distant areas of the Earth. Green snow algae is proving a stubborn addition to the Antarctic Peninsula coast, a new study has shown, and rising temperatures suggest greater spread is likely.

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