== would be nice if they knew why
Listening to or playing music over 75 linked to up to 39% reduction in dementia risk

The study found that always listening to music was associated with the greatest reduction in dementia risk.

Gluten sensitivity linked to gut–brain interaction, not gluten itself

People with non-celiac gluten sensitivity experience symptoms after consuming gluten but do not have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten. Common symptoms include bloating, gut pain and fatigue.

Decades-old asthma theory challenged: Newly discovered molecules may be real drivers of disease

For decades, scientists have thought they understood the biochemical machinery that causes asthma—inflammation in the lungs that constricts airways and makes it hard to breathe.

Dinosaurs in New Mexico thrived until the very end, study shows

For decades, many scientists believed dinosaurs were already dwindling in number and variety long before an asteroid strike sealed their fate 66 million years ago.

Hitchhiking DNA picked up by a gene may save a species from extinction

An international research team has solved a genetic mystery and revealed a previously unknown way that DNA can control what cells do.

The island split in two by time: How ancient rifting reshaped Madagascar’s landscape

Madagascar’s landscape tells a story of deep time: ancient rifting and geological tilting sculpted the island’s dramatic topography and steered its rivers, setting the stage for the evolution of its extraordinary biodiversity.

== used to play with garter snakes, even took one to school when I was in grade 3, it was laid over my shoulders and just stayed
== yes I got sent home, I did eventually get bit by one, after which I never handled one again
Snakes’ biting styles revealed in fine detail for the first time

Few actions in nature inspire more fear and fascination than snake bites. And the venomous reptiles have to move fast to sink their fangs into their prey before their victim flinches, which may be as little as 60 ms when hunting rodents.

Humans evolved fastest among the apes, 3D skull study shows

Humans evolved large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace compared to other apes, likely reflecting the evolutionary advantages of these traits.

Antarctic ice reveals two volcanoes erupting simultaneously may have caused 15th-century cooling

Nearly 600 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption sent clouds of sulfurous gas and ash high into the atmosphere. The blast known as the 1458/59 CE event was so huge that it triggered decades of cooling, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.

The key to why the universe exists may lie in an 1800s knot idea science once dismissed

In 1867, Lord Kelvin imagined atoms as knots in the aether. The idea was soon disproven. Atoms turned out to be something else entirely. But his discarded vision may yet hold the key to why the universe exists.

Greenland’s caves preserve an ancient climate archive

In a remote cave in northern Greenland, a research team has discovered evidence of a significantly warmer Arctic. The cave deposits show that the region was free of permafrost millions of years ago and responded sensitively to rising temperatures.

Physical activity raises daily calorie burn without conserving energy used elsewhere, study finds

The effects of physical activity don’t stop when the movement does. Researchers have found that being active adds to the total energy you use every day without causing the body to conserve energy in other ways.

Life in the fast (and slow) lanes for salmon

Life-history variation is fundamental to the long-term persistence of populations and species because it ensures their ability to adapt to changing environments.

New air filter could turn every building into a carbon sink

Despite decades of warnings and increasing efforts to fight climate change, global carbon emissions are still rising. While cutting emissions from the source is a common way we address this problem, another crucial strategy is actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.

Millions Of Red Crabs Have Taken Over This Island In A March Dictated By The Weather

This creepy, crawly migration on Australia’s Christmas Island has nothing to do with Halloween, but everything to do with summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

== a bit old, and a touch lengthy, but…, paywall?
We’ve never understood how hunger works. That might be about to change.

Scientists have spent decades trying to unravel the intricate mysteries of the human appetite.

The Game Theory of How Algorithms Can Drive Up Prices

Recent findings reveal that even simple pricing algorithms can make things more expensive.

New Research Shows Deepfake Harassment Tools Spread on Social Media and Search Engines

A new analysis of synthetic intimate image abuse (SIIA) found that the tools for making non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes are easily discoverable all over social media and through simple searches on Google and Bing.

== paywall?
This startup is about to conduct the biggest real-world test of aluminum as a zero-carbon fuel

Since 2022, the company has worked to develop ways to rapidly release energy from aluminum on a small scale. Now it’s just switched on a much larger version of its aluminum-powered engine.

Google’s Quantum Computer Makes a Big Technical Leap

Google Quantum AI’s 65-qubit processor performed a complex physics simulation 13,000 times faster than the Frontier supercomputer, marking measurable progress toward practical quantum advantage.

Resistant Bacteria Are Advancing Faster Than Antibiotics

One in six laboratory-confirmed bacteria tested in 2023 proved resistant to antibiotic treatment, according to the World Health Organization. All were related to various common diseases.

== yjc
British Columbia to Permanently Ban New Crypto Mining Projects From Grid

The ban is part of an effort to manage electricity demand and ensure industrial development is powered by clean electricity.

Electronic eye implant and AR glasses restore reading vision in people with sight loss

Dry AMD is a slow deterioration of the cells of the macula over many years, as the light-sensitive retinal cells die off. For most people with dry AMD, they can experience a slight loss of central vision.

What fish and birds can teach us about perception

Have you ever looked at two circles of exactly the same size and sworn one was larger?

How a pathogen disables plants’ early warning system and kills crops

The new research describes a family of enzymes produced by a microorganism called Phytophthora infestans, the infamous causative agent of the Irish potato famine and a recurrent threat to potato and tomato crops worldwide.

A once-in-a-generation discovery is transforming a Michigan dairy farm

The hope was that, if included in a cow’s diet, high-oleic soybeans could increase the yields of milk fat and protein—and also a farmer’s profits.

Sodium-ion battery breakthrough could power greener energy—and even make seawater drinkable

Unlike lithium-ion technology, which currently dominates the energy storage market and relies on expensive, environmentally damaging materials, sodium is far more abundant and widely available. However, developing sodium-ion batteries that can compete on performance has remained a challenge.

Laser method can detect chemical weapons and bacteria in seconds

Hazardous chemicals can appear in many forms. They can be pollutants in waterways, pesticides in our food, or synthetic substances designed to cause harm.

Tiny droplets that bounce for minutes without bursting might be able to do so indefinitely

If you’ve ever added liquid to a hot frying pan, maybe you noticed how the droplets bubbled up and skittered across the sizzling surface, rather than immediately flattening and wetting.

The quantum door mystery: Electrons that can’t find the exit

What happens when electrons leave a solid material? This seemingly simple phenomenon has, until now, eluded accurate theoretical description.

Milky Way shows gamma ray excess due to dark matter annihilation, study suggests

New research shows that dark matter has a different distribution in our galaxy than previously thought, and that advances dark matter’s status as a potential source of the observed gamma ray excess in the Milky Way’s center.

Scientists create a novel hydrogel for unclonable security tags

While cutting-edge encryption has been developed for data, sophisticated protection for physical objects such as high-value products, access cards and documents has lagged behind until now.

New chemical treatment turns deadly arsenic contaminant into a valuable raw material

Arsenic is a natural component of Earth’s crust and highly toxic in its inorganic form. The element is a cause of a global public health crisis, as it is present in groundwater and the drinking water consumed daily by millions of people.

== US perspective, but likely globally true
US drug supply deeply dependent on Chinese ingredients

Nearly 700 medicines used in the U.S. contain at least one chemical sourced only in China, according to U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit that monitors the drug supply.

Why high levels of lead are found in plant-based protein powders and many brands of cinnamon

Recent tests by Consumer Reports found so much lead in plant-based nutritional supplements that some products weren’t considered fit for consumption even occasionally.

Blocking a key protein halts lung scarring in mouse model of fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a deadly disease in which the lungs become thickened and scarred, gradually losing their ability to deliver oxygen to the body. Scientists have identified a key cellular switch that drives this process—and found a way to block it in mice.

Sulfated yeast rises to the challenge facing rare earth metals

Electronics, optical fibers, and superconducting materials heavily rely on rare earth metals, but such limited resources lack innovative recycling solutions.

Bird-mediated plant colonization overturns long-held assumptions about how plants spread to islands

When the volcanic island of Surtsey rose from the North Atlantic Ocean in 1963, it offered scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how life takes hold on brand-new and barren land.

Planet formation depends on when it happens: New model shows why

A new study sheds light on how planets, including Earth, formed in our galaxy—and why the life and death of nearby stars are an important piece of the puzzle.

== yjc
Brazil woman sails solo through Arctic

Brazilian navigator Tamara Klink sailed solo through the Northwest Passage—a rare feat that would have been impossible without an icebreaker ship three decades ago.

Promising medium can capture and convert carbon dioxide, while regenerating itself for reuse

Some recently introduced solutions for converting CO2 into compounds that can be used as fuels or in industrial settings have achieved promising results. However, most of these devices only work if CO2 is purified.

Sony Applies to Establish National Crypto Bank, Issue Stablecoin for US Dollar

Sony is moving to federally charter Connectia Trust so it can mint a U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin under OCC oversight, putting the tech giant in direct regulatory lanes alongside Circle and Paxos.

== lengthy, but for a few likely interesting
Why Signal’s Post-Quantum Makeover Is An Amazing Engineering Achievement

The encryption protecting communications against criminal and nation-state snooping is under threat. As private industry and governments get closer to building useful quantum computers, the algorithms protecting Bitcoin wallets, encrypted web visits, and other sensitive secrets will be useless.

== more opinion than science at this point
Are Supershear Earthquakes Even More Dangerous Than We Thought?

A specific type of earthquake that can cause particularly intense shaking is more common than previously believed, some scientists say.

ou Only Need $750 of Equipment to Pilfer Data From Satellites, Researchers Say

They just really didn’t think anyone would look up.”

Should Scientists Be Allowed to Edit Genes of Wild Animals? Top Conservation Groups Just Voted Yes

At a meeting of top conservation groups this week, a bioethics question took center stage: Should scientists be allowed to tinker with the genes of wild plants and animals?

== wrong, not free for everyone
Perplexity’s Comet browser is now available to everyone for free

Comet puts AI at the heart of the browsing experience.

Researchers Build Complex 3D-Printed, Carbon-Absorbing Bridge Inspired by Bones

Affordable, versatile, incredibly strong and locally available, concrete is the world’s most used manmade material. But it also has a huge carbon footprint, accounting for around 8% of global greenhouse emissions.

How We Sharpened the James Webb Telescope’s Vision From a Million Kilometers Away

En route to its deployment, Webb had to successfully navigate 344 potential points of failure. Thankfully, the launch went better than expected.

Rare ‘septopus’ believed to have been found on shore of B.C.’s Pender Island

Creature, known as the seven-arm octopus, has been historically found in Atlantic waters.

== British perspective
Mystery heatwave warms Pacific Ocean to new record

While climate change is known to make marine heatwaves more likely, scientists are struggling to explain why the north Pacific has been so hot for so long.

== may have had article on this before
Exciting results from blood test for 50 cancers

Results of a trial in North America show that the test was able to identify a wide range of cancers, of which three-quarters don’t have any form of screening programme.