Brain organoids are 3D, lab-grown models designed to mimic the human brain. Scientists normally grow them from stem cells, coaxing them into forming a brain-like structure. In the past decade, they have become increasingly sophisticated and can now replicate multiple types of brain cells, which can communicate with one another. This has led some scientists … Read more
By blocking the action of a single protein, scientists have extended the average life span of the mice in their experiment by around 25%. This recent finding has raised the question of whether such a treatment could ever work for people, and so far, there are some promising early hints that it might. In the … Read more
Astronomers are proposing a new definition of a planet, nearly two decades after a previous such change led to Pluto’s demotion. The new definition would add measurable criteria, including considerations of the planet’s mass — and it would still leave Pluto with its dwarf planet status. Currently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defines a planet … Read more
Psilocybin, the compound that makes magic mushrooms trippy, works its magic by desynchronizing the brain network responsible for a person’s sense of self, new research finds. Psilocybin warps people’s sense of time and space, as well as shifts their feelings of connection to the world around them. While most of these subjective effects wane pretty … Read more
Black holes are massive, mostly invisible and so powerful not even light can escape them. So what would happen if one entered our solar system? It depends on a lot of factors, including the size and distance of the black hole, experts told Live Science. But in many scenarios, not much would happen.”They’re not, per … Read more
Over the past decade, virtual assistants powered by artificial intelligence, like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, have become integral to technologies such as smartphones and social media. More recently, a new type of human-like chatbots are on the rise: AI romantic companions. Chatbots are AI-powered programs that engage with humans through text, voice and images. … Read more
Only about 600 people have ever traveled to space. The vast majority of astronauts over the past six decades have been middle-aged men on short-duration missions of fewer than 20 days. Today, with private, commercial and multinational spaceflight providers and flyers entering the market, we are witnessing a new era of human spaceflight. Missions have … Read more
Cancer can sometimes thwart drugs designed to treat it — but now, scientists have developed a way to turn tumor cells against their neighbors, forcing the cancer to cooperate with treatment. A cancer treatment’s success hinges on its capacity to damage cancer cells enough to kill them or stop them from growing. However, some cancer … Read more
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 satellite orbiting Mars has captured the best-ever images of a gigantic “scar” carved across the Red Planet’s surface. The dark ravine, which is accompanied by unusual zebra-like stripes, is likely the result of extreme volcanic activity millions of years ago. The striking surface feature, named Aganippe Fossa, is a graben — a “ditch-like groove … Read more
