Physicists have detected the biggest ever merger of colliding black holes. The discovery has major implications for researchers’ understanding of how such bodies grow in the Universe. “It’s super exciting,” says Priyamvada Natarajan, a theoretical astrophysicist at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, who was not involved in the research. The merger was between black…
Alien worlds found in the “habitable zone” of their star may still not be right for life PandorumBS/Alamy The number of planets capable of hosting alien life may be smaller than we thought, thanks to a new understanding of how water levels drive a planet’s climate. Below a certain level, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere…
A large-scale study of proteins in blood and cerebrospinal fluid could pave the way for improved blood tests to diagnose multiple brain diseases — and potential early warning signs of disease risk — researchers report July 15 in several papers in Nature Medicine and Nature Aging. Proteins do much of the work to keep cells…
The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. In a routine blood test that turned extraordinary, French scientists have identified the world’s newest and rarest blood group. The sole known carrier is a woman from Guadeloupe whose blood is so unique that doctors couldn’t find a…
A knotty problem for mathematicians finally has a solution Pinkybird/Getty Images Why is untangling two small knots more difficult than unravelling one big one? Surprisingly, mathematicians have found that larger and seemingly more complex knots created by joining two simpler ones together can sometimes be easier to undo, invalidating a conjecture posed almost 90 years…
Sulphate pollution, which has a cooling effect, can come from coal power plants Frank Herrmann/Getty Images Clouds have been getting darker and reflecting less sunlight as a result of falling sulphate air pollution, and this may be responsible for a lot of recent warming beyond that caused by greenhouse gases. “Two-thirds of the global warming…
Carbon dioxide measurements at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii could be halted by US spending cuts NOAA Scientific agencies in other countries must prepare to take over as much of the key carbon dioxide monitoring services currently carried out by the US as possible, climate scientists are warning. This monitoring could end next year under…
Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. While the use of weight-loss drugs is on the rise, they join a suite of already-common interventions known as bariatric surgeries. The procedures used vary, but generally, bariatric surgeries involve removing, restricting or rerouting parts of the gastrointestinal tract to change the amount of food…
Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs may not need to be taken as frequently as they’re prescribed Associated Press / Alamy People who take GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can lose weight even if they face disruptions in accessing the medications, which may reassure users when the therapies are in short supply. Drugs like semaglutide, also known…
George Slavich recalls the final hours he spent with his father. It was a laughter-packed day. His father even broke into the song ‘You Are My Sunshine’ over dinner. “His deep, booming, joyful voice filled the entire restaurant,” says Slavich. “I was semi-mortified, as always, while my daughter relished the serenade.” Then, about 45 minutes…
