discoveries

Read the latest news stories about recent scientific discoveries on Newser.com

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It&#39;s a &#39;Milestone&#39; for Cancer Vaccines
Cancer Just Got
a Little Less Scary
NEW STUDY
May 11, 2023 11:00 AM CDT

Cancer Just Got a Little Less Scary

BioNTech's mRNA vaccine appears to prevent pancreatic cancer's return in phase one trial

(Newser) - BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine overshadowed its development of an mRNA vaccine to target cancer , but that vaccine takes center stage in a phase one trial, offering new hope for the treatment of notoriously deadly and stubborn pancreatic cancers. Some 90% of pancreatic cancer patients who have tumors surgically removed see...

Finding Could Shrink Mounds of Plastic

Discovery could be a recycling breakthrough

(Newser) - Scientists have been aware of microorganisms that can digest plastic, but they're of limited help. They mostly need temperatures over 86 degrees Fahrenheit to function; heating the environment for them is impractical and not carbon neutral. But now microbes have been isolated that can do the work at a...

Researcher: Spoilers Don&#39;t Matter
Researcher:
Spoilers
Don't
Matter
May 9, 2023 1:25 PM CDT

Researcher: Spoilers Don't Matter

Psychology study suggests people still enjoy shows if they know the ending

(Newser) - The next time you inadvertently let a spoiler slip about a popular show, just explain to your angry friend that science say it's fine. Yeshiva University psychology professor Anna-Lisa Cohen makes the case in a New York Times essay, one that draws from a study by her and others...

We Got Bigger Noses From Neanderthals
We Got Bigger Noses
From Neanderthals
New Study
May 8, 2023 12:17 PM CDT

We Got Bigger Noses From Neanderthals

Researchers detect a genetic link, suggest the larger noses helped with colder climates

(Newser) - Scientists have made a fascinating discovery revealing more about human and Neanderthal interactions in prehistory: a gene that affects the size of our noses actually comes from our Neanderthal cousins, per Phys.org . One theory is that our predecessors developed larger noses to better adapt to colder climates as...

Dog Walkers Are Ending Up in the ER in Droves
Dog Walkers Are Ending
Up in the ER in Droves
in case you missed it
May 6, 2023 4:50 PM CDT

Dog Walkers Are Ending Up in the ER in Droves

Researchers: Leashed strolls have led to 420K injuries over last 20 years or so

(Newser) - Dogs may be man's best friend, but they're also unintentionally sending a lot of their humans to the ER. That's the upshot of a new study out of Johns Hopkins, where scientists discovered that, over the past 20 years or so, more than 422,000 people in...

Activity in Dying Brains Hints at Moments of Consciousness

Surges of electricity raise intriguing questions about near-death experiences

(Newser) - Activity in dying brains may provide insight into the possibility of brief conscious experiences in the last moments of life, according to research reported by Live Science . The study, published in the journal PNAS , observed electrical activity in the brains of dying patients and found that some individuals exhibited organized-looking...

Keep an Eye Out for These Early Signs of Colon Cancer

Researchers pinpoint the signals to look for in disease seeing a rise among young adults

(Newser) - Colon cancer is on the rise among young adults, and the cases have been much more aggressive than they used to be. That's why scientists hope the public pays attention to info out of a new study from St. Louis' Washington University School of Medicine, which looked for early...

Underwater in National Park, an 'Intriguing Find'

1861 grave of Fort Jefferson laborer is discovered submerged within Dry Tortugas National Park

(Newser) - The graves of dozens of people—including US soldiers—who died at Florida's Fort Jefferson in the late 19th century are now believed to be underwater. In August 2022, divers identified a grave carrying the name John Greer and the year 1861 on a submerged island near Garden Key...

In ChatGPT vs. Actual Doctors, an 'Unexpected' Result

Patients rated AI chatbot more empathetic in its written advice than human doctors

(Newser) - Scriptwriters , lawyers , and telemarketers are all warily eyeing ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot that may soon start horning in on their jobs. Doctors might want to keep tabs on how the AI tool could affect their industry as well, especially after new research found that ChatGPT had a better...

New Tool in Battling Misinformation: 'Pre-Bunking'

Based on inoculation theory, it could act as a psychological barrier against propaganda

(Newser) - Soon after the Russian invasion, the hoaxes began. Ukrainian refugees were supposedly taking jobs, committing crimes, and abusing handouts. The misinformation spread rapidly online throughout Eastern Europe, sometimes pushed by Moscow in an effort to destabilize its neighbors. It's the kind of swift spread of falsehood that has been...

Apes Love to Spin, and the Reason May Surprise You
Apes Love to Spin, and
the Reason May Surprise You
new study
Apr 29, 2023 9:00 AM CDT

Apes Love to Spin, and the Reason May Surprise You

Research suggests that, like humans, they like the feeling of getting dizzy

(Newser) - Researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered that, just like kids with too much sugar and free space to play, great apes—including gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans—intentionally spin in circles to get dizzy. By analyzing videos of these apes in action, scientists concluded that it's possible this trait...

70% of New Type 2 Diabetes Cases Are Linked to This
70% of New Type 2 Diabetes
Cases Are Linked to This
in case you missed it
Apr 23, 2023 4:30 PM CDT

70% of New Type 2 Diabetes Cases Are Linked to This

Poor diet, including those made up of refined carbs and red meat, largely to blame

(Newser) - The CDC expects to see a 700% increase in the number of young Americans diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes by 2060. It's both a national and global problem and, according to new research, poor diet is largely to blame. Researchers from Tufts University created a model based on dietary...

Health Studies on Ice Cream Are &#39;Pretty Bonkers&#39;
Health Studies on Ice Cream
Are 'Pretty Bonkers'
longform
Apr 23, 2023 11:05 AM CDT

Health Studies on Ice Cream Are 'Pretty Bonkers'

'Atlantic' explores how researchers keep finding health benefits but don't believe it

(Newser) - The headline of David Merritt Johns' story in the Atlantic refers to it as "nutrition science's most preposterous result." And in the story itself, Merritt Johns calls it "pretty bonkers." It seems that nutritional studies over the years keep suggesting an unexpected result: Eating ice...

These Guys Get by on 2 Hours of Sleep a Day
These Guys Get by on
2 Hours of Sleep a Day
New Study
Apr 21, 2023 10:39 AM CDT

These Guys Get by on 2 Hours of Sleep a Day

Researchers matched northern elephant seal brain waves with diving patterns to monitor how they sleep

(Newser) - If you're still drinking coffee and blinking sleep out of your eyes, you might feel sympathy for the northern elephant seal. NPR reports that in a newly-published study, researchers found the huge mammals—known for the way the males' noses resemble elephant trunks—sleep less than just about any...

Factor in Water Problems: Rich Peoples&#39; Pools
Factor in Water Problems:
Rich Peoples' Pools
New Study
Apr 16, 2023 12:55 PM CDT

Factor in Water Problems: Rich Peoples' Pools

Researchers found the wealthy use up to 12 times more water than people with lower incomes

(Newser) - Socioeconomic disparity is a major factor in water crises plaguing cities, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability . NPR reports that the study, conducted by an international research team, found that wealthy city dwellers who can afford swimming pools, flower gardens, and fountains use more...

Video Captures Rare Wolverine Sighting in Oregon

Luckily, it made it across the highway ahead of a passing truck

(Newser) - Wildlife officials in western Oregon are pretty enthused —it appears that at least one wolverine is attempting to settle in the area for the first time in 30 years, reports the Salem Statesman Journal . At least five sightings have been reported since March 20 in the Central Cascades region,...

It Was Something Mankind Had Never Seen. Now It's Clearer

The first-ever image of a black hole gets sharpened with help from AI

(Newser) - It was something mankind had never seen before—and now we're seeing it like never before. The first-ever image of a black hole captured in 2019 revealed a fuzzy, fiery doughnut-shaped object. Now, researchers have used artificial intelligence to give that cosmic beauty shot a touch-up. The updated picture,...

True Masterpiece Hung in Family&#39;s TV Room as a Joke
True Masterpiece Hung in
Family's TV Room as a Joke
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Apr 8, 2023 6:00 AM CDT

True Masterpiece Hung in Family's TV Room as a Joke

400-year-old work by Pieter Bruegel the Younger surfaces, sells for $845K

(Newser) - An auctioneer was assessing the value of art and artifacts at a home in northern France last fall when a canvas caked in dust caught his eye. Partially concealed by a door in a darkened TV room, the painting looked to be a masterpiece but was in fact a fake,...

Injection Restores COVID Patient&#39;s Loss of Smell
Coffee Aroma
Made Her Cry,
for Good
Reason
video
Apr 6, 2023 2:11 PM CDT

Coffee Aroma Made Her Cry, for Good Reason

Ohio woman who had COVID has sense of smell restored at Cleveland Clinic

(Newser) - Lots of people love the smell of coffee. Few have been as overjoyed with it as Ohio's Jennifer Henderson, and for good reason. A video released by the Cleveland Clinic shows the 54-year-old bursting into tears as she is handed a cup and is able to detect the aroma,...

One Hip Bone Differed From the Other Shipwreck Victims'

DNA shows a woman went down with Swedish warship the Vasa in 1628

(Newser) - A US military lab has helped Swedes confirm what was suspected for years: A woman was among those who died on a 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage, the museum that displays the ship said Tuesday. The wreck of the royal warship Vasa was raised in 1961 and...

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