Expert says processed foods are not inherently unhealthy, challenging common misconceptions

Food processing takes many forms, and most foods are processed in one way or another—by grinding, pasteurization or fermentation. People don’t want to eat unprocessed wheat—they want to eat bread. Moreover, bread, yogurt, cheese, and cured sausages such as salami are all fermented using fungal or bacterial cultures.

‘Dual feeding’ strategy helps Mediterranean coral thrive in rising sea temperatures

The stony coral Oculina patagonica is known to feed itself with or without algae. Now, the first direct comparison of algae-hosting cells in O. patagonica and other coral species reveals how this flexibility works at the genetic and cellular level.

The World Wide Web was meant to unite us but is tearing us apart instead. Is there another way?

The hope of the World Wide Web was that it would make communication easier, bring knowledge to all, and strengthen democracy and connection. Instead, it seems to be driving us apart into increasingly small and angry splinter groups. Why?

Two green comets shine bright. How to spot them in the night sky

Two bright green comets are streaming through the skies and are visible to skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere.

Unexpected discovery on Saturn’s moon challenges view on chemistry before life emerged

In its extremely cold environment, normally incompatible substances can still be mixed. This discovery broadens our understanding of chemistry before the emergence of life.

Mysterious glow in Milky Way could be evidence of dark matter

A mysterious diffuse glow of gamma rays near the center of the Milky Way has stumped researchers for decades, as they’ve tried to discern whether the light comes from colliding particles of dark matter or quickly spinning neutron stars.

Climate whiplash effects due to rapidly intensifying El Niño cycles

The study projects an abrupt shift within the next 30–40 years from irregular El Niño-La Niña cycles to highly regular oscillations, characterized by amplified sea surface temperature (SST) fluctuations.

How poisonous glands helped modern toads conquer the world

Modern toads (Bufonidae) are among the most successful amphibians on the planet, a diverse group of more than 600 species that are found on every continent except Antarctica. But just how did they conquer the world?

Maya salt-making compound found preserved underwater in Belize

Cho-ok Ayin was discovered during a flotation survey. The site was around 32 by 27 meters in size and contained 56 preserved hardwood posts and three palmetto-palm posts that barely protrude, if at all, from the peaty sea floor.

Physicists Inadvertently Generated the Shortest X-Ray Pulses Ever Observed

Getting an X-ray laser beam that delivers super short flashes to capture the fastest processes in nature isn’t easy – it’s a whole science in itself.

Why does evolution keep creating ‘imposter crabs’?

Viral social media memes being shared by millions of users gleefully declare that humanity’s final evolutionary destination is not robots nor extinction - but crabs.

New research identifies link between endorsing easily disproven claims and prioritizing symbolic strength

Why do some people endorse claims that can easily be disproved? It’s one thing to believe false information, but another to actively stick with something that’s obviously wrong.

== yjc, perspective I do not have
Why higher tariffs on Canadian lumber may not be enough to stimulate long-term investments in US forestry

Lumber, especially softwood lumber like pine and spruce, is critical to U.S. home construction. Its availability and price directly affect housing costs and broader economic activity in the building sector.

== a weird and wonderful world
Fatal attraction: Electric charge connects jumping worm to aerial prey

A tiny worm that leaps high into the air—up to 25 times its body length—to attach to flying insects uses static electricity to perform this astounding feat, scientists have found.

A rare variety of wheat with three ovaries—gene discovery could triple production

The special trait of growing three ovaries per flower was initially discovered in a spontaneously occurring mutant of common bread wheat.

Ancient lead exposure may have shaped evolution of human brain

An international study changes the view that exposure to the toxic metal lead is largely a post-industrial phenomenon. The research reveals that our human ancestors were periodically exposed to lead for over two million years.

World’s first full-cell dual-cation battery developed in Ireland

This innovative system combines lithium and sodium ions to significantly enhance both battery capacity and stability, marking a new frontier in sustainable energy research.

Study highlights the benefits of mangroves for reducing property damage during hurricanes

Similar to how salt-marsh wetlands from New York to North Carolina reduced damages during Hurricane Sandy, coastal properties in Florida avoided anywhere between 14 to 30% in surge losses during Hurricanes Ian and Irma due to mangroves acting as natural defenses.

== yjc, opinion piece, my apologies to those who don’t agree.
== But continues the image of the current state of affairs given in a couple articles below.
China Has Overtaken America

oday American leadership is once again being challenged by an authoritarian regime. And in terms of economic might, China is a much more serious rival than the Soviet Union ever was.

World’s largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build mental maps of vast oceans

Many marine species are no strangers to the depths of the oceans. Some animals, like certain sharks, tuna, or turtles, routinely perform extreme dives, whereas for other species, such behavior has been observed less frequently.

Record-breaking gamma ray burst seems to be caused by a black hole engulfed by a bloated star

Scientists found that they were dealing with the longest gamma ray burst (GRB) ever recorded. At around 25,000 seconds in duration (around seven hours). Beating out the prior record-holder by 10,000 seconds.

New Alzheimer’s Treatment Clears Plaques From Brains of Mice Within Hours

It’s too early to say if this strategy will work in people. Mice don’t have the same brain vasculature as humans, and the current study only examined a very specific subtype of dementia in a small number of rodents. But the results add to growing evidence that “repairing the blood-brain barrier itself could offer a new way to treat Alzheimer’s.

Focused Sound Energy Holds Promise For Treating Diseases

Sound waves at frequencies above the threshold for human hearing are routinely used in medical care. Also known as ultrasound, these sound waves can help clinicians diagnose and monitor disease, and can also provide first glimpses of your newest family members.

== fup on article in previous list, again a bit of a European perspective
Western executives who visit China are coming back terrified

Robotics has catapulted Beijing into a dominant position in many industries.

== European perspective, but…
Plug-in hybrids emit almost as much pollution as gas cars, report finds

The real-world emissions of PHEVs are 4.9 times higher than their official estimates.

Australia’s rainforests are releasing more carbon than they absorb, warn scientists

Rainforests are usually regarded as so-called “carbon sinks” as they absorb more emissions than they emit with new trees offsetting the carbon released by dead ones.

== yjc, affects Barbara and me, though Barbara able to upgrade to Win 11, me not
The End of Windows 10 Support Is an E-Waste Disaster in the Making

In an example of egregious planned obsolescence, as many as 400 million computers will soon hit the waste stream.

== yjc, don’t if available in NAmerica
Space Live: the new TV channel streaming footage of Earth

But even though it’s hard to watch for long, it’s a humbling reminder of who we are.

Haunting hyena wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest

A hyena prowling an abandoned mining town and a beetle perched to witness the destruction of its forest habitat are the winners of the year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

CO2 in the atmosphere has reached highest level in 800,000 years: WMO report

Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, soaring to a level not seen in human civilization.

== yjc
The historic origins of witch iconography

Whether they’re knocking at your door trick or treating, or hung as decorations in shop windows, witches are rife at this time of year. They’re easy to recognize, wearing tall, pointed hats, carrying broomsticks, or peering into a cauldron—but where did these stereotypes associated with witches come from?

Study finds hidden blood mutations spark obesity, diabetes and liver disease

As people age, stem cells in the bone marrow that produce blood cells gradually accumulate mutations in their DNA. Most mutations don’t cause any issues, but sometimes blood stem cells with a mutation can start crowding out their peers.

Famous monkey-face ‘Dracula’ orchids are vanishing in the wild

They look like tiny monkeys peering out from the mist. Known to scientists as Dracula, the so-called “monkey-face orchids” have become online celebrities.

International team exposes weakness in bridges worldwide—North American and African bridges most at risk

The grim bridge news correlates with the age of the bridges, as there was a peak in North American bridge construction in the 1960s, meaning many of these bridges are near or beyond their design lives.

Weak lightning in developing thunderstorms can trigger deadly wildfire

Lightning-induced wildfires are severe natural disasters. However, because of the regionality and random nature of lightning, there is still an incomplete understanding within the scientific community regarding the characteristics of lightning that cause fires.

== yjc, connects to article below
Traditional Okinawan songs rich with indigenous knowledge of climate and geology

The lyrics of traditional Okinawan songs were found to record past climate and geological history of the Ryukyu Islands (21st-century Okinawa Prefecture, Japan).

Greenland is shrinking slightly and drifting slowly toward the northwest

Greenland is being twisted, compressed, and stretched. This happens due to plate tectonics and movements in the bedrock, caused by the large ice sheets on top melting and reducing pressure on the subsurface.

Precise gene editing technique changes one DNA base to correct heart disease

Faulty versions of the LMNA gene can cause a wide range of health problems, including heart muscle disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) and muscle weakness (muscular dystrophies). Many of these diseases are caused by single-point mutations, which are changes to one DNA “letter” (base).

Geologists discover the first evidence of 4.5-billion-year-old ‘proto Earth’

In its earliest phase, Earth was likely rocky and bubbling with lava. Then, less than 100 million years later, a Mars-sized meteorite slammed into the infant planet in a singular “giant impact” event that completely scrambled and melted the planet’s interior, effectively resetting its chemistry.

== may have seen something on this before, but this article provides more detail and images
How a huge dinosaur trackway was uncovered in the UK

They were the colossal animals that roamed the Earth 166 million years ago. Now a window into their prehistoric past is being revealed in an Oxfordshire quarry.

== yjc
The Surveillance Empire That Tracked World Leaders, a Vatican Enemy, and Maybe You

Inside the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.

Mysterious deer fossil unearthed near TTC station identified after almost 50 years

Trent University study links ancient fossil to 2 species still common across North America.

== yjc, lengthy opinion piece, but perhaps worth a read
Holes in the web

Huge swathes of human knowledge are missing from the internet. By definition, generative AI is shockingly ignorant too.

How a 400,000-year-old elephant skeleton solved a tantalizing puzzle of early human behavior

One spring, after a long winter, an aged elephant lay dying at the bank of a small stream near the coast of what is now northern Italy. Soon after, some scavengers arrived to dine on this huge stockpile of food.

‘Super antibiotic’ keeps dangerous gut bacterium under control with a low dose

C. difficile is a persistent intestinal bacterium that can cause severe illness, particularly in older people and those with weakened health. The bacterium produces a toxin that leads to severe diarrhea.

Unusual red rocks in Australia are rewriting the rules on exceptional fossil sites

Hidden beneath farmland in the central tablelands of New South Wales lies one of Australia’s most extraordinary fossil sites—McGraths Flat. It dates back between 11 million and 16 million years into the Miocene epoch, a time when many of today’s familiar plants and animals evolved.

Island spider sheds half its genome, defying evolutionary expectations

Dark matter might leave a ‘fingerprint’ on light, scientists say

Dark matter, the substance that makes up about 27% of the universe, could potentially be detected as a red or blue light “fingerprint,” new research shows.

== yjc
Toxic pollution builds up in snake scales: What we learned from black mambas

Black mambas (Dendroaspis polylepis) are Africa’s longest, most famous venomous snakes. Despite their fearsome reputation, these misunderstood snakes are vital players in their ecosystems.

Earth’s continents stabilized due to furnace-like heat, study reveals

For billions of years, Earth’s continents have remained remarkably stable, forming the foundation for mountains, ecosystems and civilizations. But the secret to their stability has mystified scientists for more than a century.

Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups

Satellite images have revealed an ancient system of elaborate, funnel-shaped mega traps likely built by hunters and pastoralists to catch prey in the high altitudes of northern Chile.

Swarm reveals growing weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field

Earth’s magnetic field is vital to life on our planet. It is a complex and dynamic force that protects us from cosmic radiation and charged particles from the sun.

Tracking down the hidden pollutants that make wildlife sick

A new technique for detecting unknown and unlooked-for chemicals is revealing dozens of contaminants in alligators, sea lions and condors.

== yjc, opinion piece, but…
The Great Software Quality Collapse

We’ve normalized software catastrophes to the point where a Calculator leaking 32GB of RAM barely makes the news. This isn’t about AI. The quality crisis started years before ChatGPT existed. AI just weaponized existing incompetence.

== in case anyone is interested
NVIDIA starts selling its $3,999 DGX Spark AI developer PC

It gives developers NVIDIA’s full AI software stack into a system small enough for an office.

How one company is making money – and jewelry – from abandoned mine sites

Re-mined Yukon gold appears in newly released jewelry line from Mejuri.

China Is Shipping More Open AI Models Than US Rivals as Tech Competition Shifts

The artificial intelligence boom started in the United States, but companies from China are quietly outcompeting their U.S. rivals when it comes to AI technology that anyone can freely use and build upon.

Earth’s Climate Has Passed Its First Irreversible Tipping Point and Entered a ‘New Reality’

The second Global Tipping Points Report warns that the world has crossed a key threshold as ocean heat devastates warm-water reefs.

When mathematics meets aesthetics: Tessellations as a precise tool for solving complex problems

Consisting of a surface covered by one or more geometric shapes with no gaps and no overlaps, tessellations can also be used as a precise tool for solving complex mathematical problems.

Researchers elucidate aging mechanisms and identify a biomarker for aging and overall health status

Aging is a systemic process that affects the entire body. Visible external signs of aging usually correspond to evidence of equivalent aging in the functioning of the internal organs.

Don’t toss those veggie scraps—they might be healthier than you think

A series of recent studies reveal how scientists are transforming food waste—from sugar beets to coconut fibers—into valuable materials for farming and nutrition.

Autonomous robot glider to circle the globe in historic ocean mission

Redwing, a next-generation Slocum Sentinel Glider, will collect data, dodge fishing nets and surf powerful ocean currents. It will do all of this without a human being onboard.

LED light blasts cancer cells and spares healthy ones

A new cancer treatment combines LED light and tiny tin flakes to neutralize cancer cells while shielding healthy cells and avoiding the painful side effects associated with chemotherapy and other treatments.

Enhanced multi-omics tool illuminates cancer progression

The technology, which can now use diverse types of pathology samples and quickly process large numbers of cells, has enabled the investigators to glean new insights into how cancers evolve toward greater aggressiveness and therapy resistance.

Fire provides long-lasting benefits to bird populations in Sierra Nevada National Parks

In addition to a handful of bird species already known to be “post-fire specialists,” a broad variety of other more generalist species, like Dark-eyed Juncos and Mountain Chickadees, clearly benefited from wildfire.

‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell

Using this “disease in a dish” approach, the team observed that a subset of the cultured brain cells was somehow reverting to an earlier developmental stage, transforming into an unusual cell type known as radial glia-like (RG-like) cells.

Biohybrid leaf mimics photosynthesis to turn CO2 and sunlight into useful chemicals

Researchers have developed a hybrid device that combines light-harvesting organic polymers with bacterial enzymes to convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into formate, a fuel that can drive further chemical transformations.

A new method to build more energy-efficient memory devices could lead to a sustainable data future

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is an important technology that can potentially help with this problem. It is a method of memory storage that uses electricity, as opposed to magnets, to control the orientation of microscopic magnets on a thin film of material in a device.

Freely levitating rotor spins out ultraprecise sensors for classical and quantum physics

Levitation has long been pursued by stage magicians and physicists alike. For audiences, the sight of objects floating midair is wondrous. For scientists, it’s a powerful way of isolating objects from external disturbances.

‘Chinese lantern’ structure shifts into more than a dozen shapes for various applications

This rapid shape-shifting behavior can be controlled remotely using a magnetic field, allowing the structure to be used for a variety of applications.

Unified model explains extreme jet streams on all giant planets

One of the most notable properties of the giant planets in our solar system—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—are the extreme winds observed around their equators. While some of these planets have eastward equatorial winds, others have a westward jet stream.

Event Horizon Telescope images reveal new dark matter detection method

The shadowy regions in black hole images captured by the Event Horizon Telescope can act as ultra-sensitive detectors for the invisible material that makes up most of the universe’s matter.

Astronomers discover ultra-luminous infrared galaxy lurking behind quasar

An international team of astronomers has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe a well-known quasar known as the Cloverleaf.

Hollywood Demands Copyright Guardrails from Sora 2 - While Users Complain That’s Less Fun

Turns out a lot of people’s creativity is limited to what someone else has already made.

Why GPS Fails In Cities. And What Researchers Think Could Fix It

Our everyday GPS struggles in “urban canyons,” where skyscrapers bounce satellite signals, confusing even advanced navigation systems.

DDoS Botnet Aisuru Blankets US ISPs In Record DDoS

Since its debut more than a year ago, the Aisuru botnet has steadily outcompeted virtually all other IoT-based botnets in the wild, with recent attacks siphoning Internet bandwidth from an estimated 300,000 compromised hosts worldwide.

New Large Coral Reef Discovered Off Naples Containing Rare Ancient Corals

A significant and rare discovery has been made in the Gulf of Naples, where a vast white coral reef, containing important species and fossil traces, has been found at a depth exceeding 500 metres.

Superior Shoal under the microscope: Is it key to understanding the Great Lakes ecosystem?

Imagine a huge mountain of volcanic rock, completely submerged by water and laying in the middle of an inland sea.

How Canadian steelmakers are ‘greening’ their steel amid tariffs, global challenges

Ontario steel plants moving toward electric furnaces and hydrogen

== seen something on this before
Why ‘organ chips’ could transform cancer treatment and drug testing

Cancer treatments don’t always work as expected, leaving patients to suffer side effects of chemotherapy without gaining benefits.

Climate Goals Go Up in Smoke as US Datacenters Turn To Coal

High gas prices and surging AI demand send operators back to the dirtiest fuel in the stack.

How Plastic Goods Took Over the World, Creating a Throwaway Culture

A new book, by Wall Street Journal reporter Saabira Chaudhuri, traces how disposability became a deliberate business strategy rather than an accidental consequence of modern commerce.