In George R.R. Martin’s fantastical land of Westeros in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the spectacle of dragons breathing fire captivates his audience through a blend of myth and fantasy. For me at least, there’s also scientific curiosity. The images of dragons unleashing torrents of flames on the new series of House … Read more
A pioneering surgical procedure provides amputees with bionic limbs that are directly controlled by the nervous system, enabling patients to sense the limb’s position in space. Scientists demonstrated the success of this technique in a new study of seven people who received bionic legs, which was published Monday (July 1) in the journal Nature Medicine. … Read more
Low-temperature hydrothermal vents could survive on the dark ocean floors of moons like Jupiter’s Europa for potentially billions of years, new computer simulations have shown, as astrobiologists strive to figure out whether these alien oceans could be habitable. Hydrothermal vents are both a source of chemical energy and heat, and are one of the possible … Read more
A single, small molecule can restore muscle strength, fuel brain cell growth and reduce inflammation in old mice, new research shows. So far, the anti-aging molecule has only been tested in rodents and in human cells in lab dishes. But the researchers say the results are compelling enough to move the compound toward human trials, … Read more
Some memories last a lifetime — and now, scientists have revealed a type of molecular “glue” that helps those memories stick around. Memories form when collections of neurons in a region of the brain called the hippocampus activate in response to a particular experience. Each time you recall that experience, the same set of cells … Read more
Proteins found in tiny, indestructible tardigrades could potentially be a key ingredient in slowing the aging process in humans, scientists claim. However, it will take more work to show these proteins are a veritable fountain of youth — for now, the researchers have only early hints from lab-dish experiments.. Also known as water bears, tardigrades … Read more
Scientists have identified a vulnerability in virtual reality (VR) headsets that could let hackers access private information without the wearers’ knowledge. A hacker can insert a new “layer” between the user and the device’s normal image source. Hackers can then deploy a fake app in the VR headset that might trick the wearer into behaving … Read more
Scientists reversed some signs of immune aging in mice with a new treatment that could one day potentially be used in humans. The new immunotherapy works by disrupting a natural process by which the immune system becomes biased towards making one type of cell as it ages. The mouse study is an “important” proof-of-concept, but … Read more
Microplastics may hang around in the body longer than scientists previously thought and may contribute to the spread of cancer when inside tumors, a lab-dish study suggests. The research has several limitations, however. For instance, the scientists used cancer cells grown in lab dishes, so it remains to be seen how the results apply to … Read more
Scientists have created a new biocomputing chip that makes calculations using a DNA substrate, including mathematical operations essential to artificial intelligence (AI) training and big data processing. Researchers described the new biocomputing platform Oct. 19, 2023, in the journal PLOS One. DNA is known as the blueprint for life and encodes genetic information, like data … Read more
