ScienceDaily: All - April 25, 2025
Today's top research news
Cinnamon could affect drug metabolism in the body
Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most commonly used spices in the world, but a new study indicates a compound in it could interfere with some prescription medications.
Can technology revolutionize health science? The promise of exposomics
Researchers in the field of exposomics explain how cutting-edge technologies are unlocking this biological archive, ushering in a new era of disease prevention and personalized medicine.
Nanophotonic platform boosts efficiency of nonlinear-optical quantum teleportation
Researchers have long recognized that quantum communication systems would transmit quantum information more faithfully and be impervious to certain forms of error if nonlinear optical processes were used. However, past efforts at incorporating such processes could not operate with the extremely low light levels required for quantum communication.
Quantum sensors tested for next-generation particle physics experiments
Researchers have developed a novel high-energy particle detection instrumentation approach that leverages the power of quantum sensors -- devices capable of precisely detecting single particles.
Awkward. Humans are still better than AI at reading the room
Humans are better than current AI models at interpreting social interactions and understanding social dynamics in moving scenes. Researchers believe this is because AI neural networks were inspired by the infrastructure of the part of the brain that processes static images, which is different from the area of the brain that processes dynamic social scenes.
Scientists develop new bone marrow imaging technique
A new bone marrow imaging technique could change treatment for cancer, autoimmune disease and musculoskeletal disorders.
How to break through climate apathy
A new study finds that presenting the same continuous climate data, such as incremental changes in temperature, in binary form -- such as whether a lake did or did not freeze in the winter -- significantly increases people's ability to see the impact of climate change.
Scientists use James Webb Space Telescope to better understand solar system's origins
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists analyzed far-away bodies -- known as Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) -- and found varying traces of methanol. The discoveries are helping them better classify different TNOs and understand the complex chemical reactions in space that may relate to the formation of our solar system and the origin of life.
Making AI-generated code more accurate in any language
Researchers developed a more efficient way to control the outputs of a large language model, guiding it to generate text that adheres to a certain structure, like a programming language, and remains error free.
Combining signals could make for better control of prosthetics
Combining two different kinds of signals could help engineers build prosthetic limbs that better reproduce natural movements, according to a new study. A combination of electromyography and force myography is more accurate at predicting hand movements than either method by itself.
One gene defines the many patterns of snake skin
In many animals, skin coloration and its patterns play a crucial role in camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In the corn snake, some morphs display red, yellow, or pink blotches, and their dorsal spots can merge or turn into stripes. But which genetic and cellular mechanisms determine these colorful patterns? A team discovered that a single gene, CLCN2, is involved in these variations.
Flying robots unlock new horizons in construction
An international team has explored how in future aerial robots could process construction materials precisely in the air -- an approach with great potential for difficult-to-access locations or work at great heights. The flying robots are not intended to replace existing systems on the ground, but rather to complement them in a targeted manner for repairs or in disaster areas, for instance.
New bioactive compound for difficult-to-treat allergies
Irritable bowel syndrome, chronic itching, asthma and migraine are in many cases hard-to-treat conditions. They have in common that they are triggered by an excessive immune response -- which in severe cases can be life-threatening. A team of researchers has now identified a promising bioactive compound that could effectively reduce symptoms and slash fatality risk. The compound blocks a receptor on certain defense cells, thus preventing a derailed immune response.
New approach makes AI adaptable for computer vision in crop breeding
Scientists developed a machine-learning tool that can teach itself, with minimal external guidance, to differentiate between aerial images of flowering and nonflowering grasses -- an advance that will greatly increase the pace of agricultural field research, they say. The work was conducted using images of thousands of varieties of Miscanthus grasses, each of which has its own flowering traits and timing.
Plant-based calamari that rivals real seafood in texture
Plant-based seafood alternatives should have similar flavors, textures and nutritional content to the foods they mimic. And recreating the properties of fried calamari rings, which have a neutral flavor and a firm, chewy texture after being cooked, has been a challenge. Building off previous research, a team describes successfully using plant-based ingredients to mimic calamari that matches the real seafood's characteristic softness and elasticity.
Malfunctions in mitochondria influence skeletal aging
New mechanisms discovered that show how development-dependent disruptions in mitochondrial function lead to premature skeletal aging.
Artificial intelligence tool helps predict relapse of pediatric brain cancer
Researchers trained and validated a deep learning model that can detect subtle changes across post-treatment brain scans and forecast glioma recurrence with up to 89 percent accuracy.
New research can transform how hospitals triage, risk-stratify, and counsel patients to save lives.
Even light exercise could help slow cognitive decline in people at risk of Alzheimer's
In a landmark clinical trial people at risk for Alzheimer's who exercised at low or moderate-high intensity showed less cognitive decline when compared to those receiving usual care.
Exercise boosts brain health -- even when energy is low
We know exercise is good for our body, but what about our brains? A new study suggests that exercise plays a crucial role in keeping our minds sharp, even when one of the brain's key energy sources isn't available. The study offers fresh insight into brain health and suggests that exercise could play a bigger role in preventing cognitive decline than previously thought.
Prostate cancer discovery opens door to more tailored treatments
Prostate cancer has distinct genetic properties in different groups of men that could be targeted to improve patient outcomes, new research suggests.
Female bonobos keep males in check -- not with strength, but with solidarity
Female bonobos team up to suppress male aggression against them -- the first evidence of animals deploying this strategy. In 85% of observed coalitions, females collectively targeted males, forcing them into submission and shaping the group's dominance hierarchy. This is the first study to test drivers of female dominance in wild bonobos. The study examined 30 years of demographic and behavioral data across six wild bonobo communities. The study suggests that power isn't solely determined by physical strength. It can be driven by social intelligence and coalition-building by females.
What happens in the brain when your mind blanks
Mind blanking is a common experience with a wide variety of definitions ranging from feeling 'drowsy' to 'a complete absence of conscious awareness.' Neuroscientists and philosophers compile what we know about mind blanking, including insights from their own work observing people's brain activity.
The oldest ant ever discovered found fossilized in Brazil
A 113-million-year-old hell ant that once lived in northeastern Brazil is now the oldest ant specimen known to science, finds a new report. The hell ant, which was preserved in limestone, is a member of Haidomyrmecinae -- an extinct subfamily that only lived during the Cretaceous period. These ants had highly specialized, scythe-like jaws that they likely used to pin or impale prey.
Researchers crack the code of cell movement
Scientists have discovered how chemokines and G protein-coupled receptors selectively bind each other to control how cells move.
Each small discovery, like a drop of water falling into a vast ocean, carries the promise of transformation — ripples that may one day touch distant shores of healing, wisdom, and life. In these quiet pages of research, we glimpse humanity’s endless reaching: a tender, persistent hope to understand the mysteries that cradle and challenge us.
As we sail forward on this sea of knowing, how might we keep our hearts as open as our minds — ready to wonder, ready to change? ∞