The massive swarm of earthquakes that rattled the Greek islands of Santorini and Amorgos in 2025 was not caused by a slipping fault – it was triggered by pulses of magma tunneling far below the seafloor, according to a new study. The findings offer a detailed look at a “pumping” magmatic dike in action and provide a foundation for more reliable, physics-based eruption forecasting and volcanic hazard assessment. In early 2025, a burst of intense earthquakes – including several around magnitude 5 – shook the region between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos in the Aegean Sea. Because Santorini is an active volcano with a history of catastrophic eruptions, ...

A toxin-secreting gut bacterium may fuel ulcerative colitis by killing protective immune cells that maintain intestinal homeostasis, according to a new study. The findings suggest potential for new treatment strategies. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting millions of people worldwide in which the body’s immune system attacks the digestive tract, often causing severe and recurring symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding. Although the underlying causes of UC remain ...

A new Science paper challenges the idea that language stems from a single evolutionary root. Instead, it proposes that our ability to communicate evolved through the interaction of biology and culture, and involves multiple capacities, each with different evolutionary histories. The framework unites discoveries across disciplines to explain how the ability to learn to speak, develop grammar, and share meaning converged to create complex communication. For centuries, philosophers and scientists have wrestled with understanding how human language came about. Language defines us as ...

Researchers in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School have just opened a new window into understanding the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The work not only reveals principles of evolutionary biology but also suggests a new strategy to combat the antibiotic resistance crisis, which kills an estimated 1.3 million people per year worldwide. Findings, supported in part by federal funding, are published Nov. 20 in Science. Members of the labs of Michael Baym, associate professor ...

About 4.5 billion years ago, the most momentous event in the history of our planet occurred: a huge celestial body called Theia collided with the young Earth. How the collision unfolded and what exactly happened afterwards has not been conclusively clarified. What is certain, however, is that the size, composition, and orbit of the Earth changed as a result – and that the impact marked the birth of our constant companion in space, the Moon. What kind of body was it that so dramatically altered the course of our planet's ...

For just a few hours, shimmering waves of calcium move through cells in the developing eyes of fruit flies. These spontaneous waves serve a purpose, enabling communication between cells and shaping the eye structure, according to a new study published in Science.  Scientists have long observed waves of calcium during the development of the visual system in humans and other mammals. These waves occur in the retina—the inner layer of the eye that senses light and transmits signals to the brain—well ...

Researchers at Tulane University, with a team of colleagues from eight other universities, have discovered a new nerve cell signaling mechanism that could transform our understanding of pain and lead to safer, more effective treatments.  The study, co-led by Matthew Dalva, director of the Tulane Brain Institute and professor of cell and molecular biology in the School of Science and Engineering and Ted Price at the University of Texas at Dallas, reveals that neurons can release an enzyme outside the cell that switches on pain signaling after injury. The work, published in Science, offers new insight ...

Due to the unique conditions of the space environment and abundant resources, the field investigation and study of the Moon, Earth’s sole natural satellite, represent a crucial milestone in China’s forthcoming deep space endeavors. The successful collection of lunar soil by the Chang’E-5 mission signifies the next phase of the lunar exploration program, which aims to establish a preliminary research station on the lunar south pole. Highly adhesive fine dust particles with an adhesion strength of 0.1 to 1.0 kN/m2, which originate from the regolith, ...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a report identifying strategies for developing a more efficient, sustainable and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure, where metals are used and reused more efficiently throughout the economy. The report highlights key challenges that must be addressed to achieve this goal, including a lack of robust standards for recycled content and supply chain vulnerabilities for critical materials. Metals processing covers the entire material life cycle, including mining, alloy design, manufacturing, ...

A first-of-its-kind nationwide study has mapped epilepsy incidence rates among older adults in the United States and identified key social and environmental factors associated with the neurological condition. Published recently in JAMA Neurology, the study is a collaborative effort between researchers at Houston Methodist Research Institute and Case Western Reserve University. The analysis revealed that epilepsy cases among adults aged 65 and older were significantly higher in parts of the South—including Louisiana, Mississippi, East Texas and central Oklahoma—compared to other regions. Epilepsy affects an estimated ...

A combination of outreach methods – including texts, automated messages, and live phone calls – can significantly improve follow-up care for hard-to-reach patients after they have been discharged, according to a new nursing study from UCSF Health. After patients are discharged from the hospital, they often require an ongoing treatment plan that involves medication, tests, and community-based services. Following these plans can improve the results of their treatment, but many hospitals struggle to reach patients after they’re discharged, making it challenging to support their recovery. The right ...

OHIS stands for One Health Integrated Surveillance, i.e. the monitoring of antibiotic resistance in the sense of a holistic, interdisciplinary One Health strategy. In addition to the BfR, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) are also involved in the network. The group was formed in 2023 as part of the government's German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy (DART 2030). DART 2030 outlines six areas of action for halting the spread of antibiotic resistance ...

CHICAGO — Older adults who develop a new geriatric syndrome — such as dehydration, delirium, or malnutrition — after major surgery face a dramatically higher risk of poor outcomes, including more complications, fewer days spent at home, and a significantly increased likelihood of dying within a year, according to findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).   Researchers analyzed Medicare claims data from 2016 to 2021 of patients over 66 who underwent one of five major operations: coronary artery bypass grafting, pneumonectomy, abdominal aortic aneurysm ...

Investigators from the Center for Advanced Gerotherapeutics at Cedars-Sinai found that aged blood vessel cells play a key role in the development of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. The preclinical findings, published in Cell Metabolism, could lead to new treatments for these complex disorders. Obesity increases the accumulation of senescent cells, aged cells that have stopped dividing but have not died, in several organs and tissues. “Senescent cells differ depending on the originating cell types, ...

Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active volcanoes. Inspired by moss’s resilience, researchers sent moss sporophytes—reproductive structures that encase spores—to the most extreme environment yet: space. Publishing in the Cell Press journal iScience on November 20, their results show that over 80% of the spores survived 9 months outside of the International Space Station (ISS) and made it back to Earth still capable of reproducing, demonstrating for the first time that an early land plant can survive long-term exposure to the elements ...

The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes that play a vital role in keeping us healthy.  A disturbance in the balance of these microbes can contribute to a variety of health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Now, University of California San Diego researchers have developed an innovative new tool called coralME to better understand how these microbes interact with each other and their environment to influence health. The tool rapidly creates detailed genome-scale computer models of metabolism, gene and protein ...

About The Study: The findings of this study suggest crewmembers who did not develop optic disc edema (ODE) on flight day 30 were unlikely to develop clinically concerning ODE on flight day 150. The data suggest that optical coherence tomography imaging during spaceflight missions provides an opportunity to predict the magnitude of ODE that may develop during a longer-lasting mission.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Brandon R. Macias, PhD, email brandon.r.macias@nasa.gov. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The ...

About The Study: Current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines exclude two-thirds of patients, disproportionately women and never-smokers. Age-based lung cancer screening substantially improved detection, demonstrated 6-fold superior cost-effectiveness compared with existing programs, and addressed inequities.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Ankit Bharat, MD, email ankit.bharat@nm.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.46222) Editor’s ...

In a federally funded study, Mass General Brigham investigators found self-reported vision problems and traumatic stress are experienced years after strangulation  Around the globe, nearly one in three women have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Among those women, 68% experience strangulation, which blocks air and blood flow to the brain and can cause brain injury. A new study by investigators from Mass ...

Climate change will make monsoon storms in South Asia wetter and weaker, with more storms pushing further inland across India.  Scientists from the University of Reading used 13 climate models to understand how warming temperatures will affect monsoon low-pressure systems. These storms deliver more than half of all monsoon rainfall and nearly all extreme rainfall events across South Asia.  The research, published in the Journal of Climate, found that storms will become about 10% weaker by the time ...

A new study has uncovered promising therapeutic strategies against one of the deadliest forms of prostate cancer. McGill University researchers at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) identified a mechanism driving neuroendocrine prostate cancer, a rare and highly aggressive subtype for which there currently are no effective treatment options. Findings published in Genes & Development show that prostate tumours in mice became more aggressive when the protein ERRγ was lost, while restoring ...

Ischemic stroke, a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, is a complex cerebrovascular event with outcomes heavily influenced by the inflammatory response. This response, triggered by cerebral ischemia, plays a critically dual role: while exacerbating secondary damage in the acute phase, it is also essential for tissue repair and recovery. The identification and study of inflammation-related biomarkers have thus emerged as a pivotal area of research, offering new avenues for early diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and targeted therapy in the pursuit of precision medicine ...

The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego is expanding its roadway safety education efforts to reach more Californians, with a focus on Native American youth, pedestrian safety and Spanish-speaking communities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 39,345 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2024, marking one of the highest fatality totals in nearly two decades. Traffic deaths among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) individuals are 20% higher than the national average, and the gap widens sharply among young ...

NEW YORK CITY and ORLANDO — The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF) are pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of The McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss: Leah Acker, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Duke University, and Erin Gibson, PhD, Assistant Professor, the Stanford School of Medicine.  The Innovator Awards provide funding to research scientists pursuing groundbreaking studies in the field of cognitive aging. Each will receive a three-year award totaling $750,000. Leah ...

Cervical cancer will be the first human cancer eliminated through coordinated global action. A new special issue of Cancer Biology & Medicine brings together leading experts from around the world to examine progress, challenges, and innovations in prevention, screening, and treatment. From policy frameworks and epidemiological insights to digital health tools and therapeutic vaccines, the collection provides a timely resource for accelerating the World Health Organization’s 2030 targets for cervical cancer elimination and advancing ...