ScienceDaily

A traditional Chinese medicinal root used for over a thousand years is attracting new scientific attention for its potential to combat hair loss. Studies suggest Polygonum multiflorum can block harmful hormones, activate hair-growth signals, protect follicles, and boost blood flow to the scalp. Researchers say the herb’s effects align remarkably well with both ancient descriptions and modern hair…

Researchers have finally resolved a key problem in a 100-year-old theory of color, showing that the qualities we perceive in colors are intrinsic to the mathematics of color space itself. The discovery sharpens our understanding of human vision and could lead to more precise color technologies and visualizations.

A team at the University of Chicago has discovered a surprisingly simple way to create powerful quantum states that are normally difficult to produce. By making small adjustments to the energy levels of atoms inside an optical cavity, researchers can generate a wide variety of highly entangled states without adding complicated hardware.

A lightweight new X-ray telescope could finally give scientists something they’ve never had before: a complete chemical map of the Moon. Researchers used detailed mission simulations to show that a compact telescope orbiting the Moon could identify key elements across the entire lunar surface, helping reveal how the Moon formed and evolved.

Scientists warn that free-living amoebae may be an underappreciated public health threat, capable of causing deadly infections and shielding other dangerous microbes from water treatment. Climate change and aging infrastructure could help these resilient organisms spread more widely in the years ahead.

A team at the University of Minnesota discovered that changing a metal film's thickness by just a few nanometers can dramatically alter how it behaves electronically. The finding reveals a surprising new way to control metals and could help power future advances in electronics, catalysis, and quantum technology.

Supplements are often marketed as shortcuts to better health, but for many older adults, the real issue is whether they have a specific deficiency. Vitamins like B12 and D can play an important role when levels are low, while protein may be one of the most overlooked nutrients for maintaining strength and independence. More isn’t always better, though—some supplements can cause harm or interact w…

NASA’s PExT terminal has shown that spacecraft can seamlessly communicate through multiple government and commercial networks, a major step beyond traditional single-network systems. The mission is now expanding to test new capabilities that could help create a more flexible, reliable communications infrastructure for future space missions.

A large study found that women taking GLP-1 drugs, the medication class behind Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, were about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer. Researchers say the findings are promising but not yet proof, and clinical trials are now being planned to test whether these drugs could help prevent breast cancer.

Researchers have shown that controlled fire whirls can clean up oil spills faster and more cleanly than traditional burning methods. The spinning flames consumed up to 95% of the oil, cut soot emissions by 40%, and could help prevent spills from reaching sensitive marine habitats.

Scientists have proposed a new method for finding tightly bound supermassive black hole pairs by searching for stars that flash repeatedly as their light is magnified by the black holes’ gravity. The timing and brightness of these bursts could provide a unique fingerprint of black holes slowly spiraling toward a future collision.

Scientists have identified genetic variants that may make some people less responsive to GLP-1 drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Roughly 10% of the population carries these variants, which appear to cause a mysterious form of "GLP-1 resistance." In several clinical trials, carriers were significantly less likely to reach healthy blood sugar targets while taking GLP-1 medications.

Octopuses may be even smarter than we thought. Researchers at Dartmouth found that octopuses can learn to use mirrors to locate food hidden behind them—a skill previously seen only in vertebrates like mammals and birds. After training, the animals correctly identified the food’s location about 73% of the time, showing they could use a mirror as a tool rather than simply reacting to a reflection.

Scientists have successfully tested an AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine in humans for the first time, finding it to be safe and well tolerated. The vaccine generated immune responses against multiple coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS, and related bat viruses with pandemic potential. By targeting features shared across an entire virus family, it aims to provide protection even as …

Scientists have uncovered a surprising force that may help explain how binary star systems form so quickly. New supercomputer simulations show that magnetic fields surrounding newborn stars can act like a cosmic brake, stripping away angular momentum and allowing two still-forming protostars to spiral closer together instead of drifting apart.