Science
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Intermittent fasting linked to a higher risk of heart disease death
Eating within an 8-hour window, commonly known as the 16:8 diet, is a popular form of fasting CRISTINA PEDRAZZINI/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Restricting your eating window to just 8 hours a day, a popular type of intermittent fasting, has been linked to a higher risk of dying from heart disease. But some scientists argue that people with pre-existing health conditions…
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Babies with bilingual mothers have distinct brainwaves at 1 day old
Newborns whose mothers speak two languages appear to have distinct brain responses to speech compared with those born to monolingual mothers, supporting the idea that language acquisition begins in the uterus Source link
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Europa may have less oxygen to fuel life in its seas than we thought
Jupiter’s moon Europa is covered by an icy shell NASA/JPL-Caltech Jupiter’s moon Europa may be less ripe for life than we thought. Although it has an ocean of water beneath its icy shell, the frigid moon may be short of the oxygen necessary to sustain life as we know it. Oxygen is produced on Europa when radiation hits its surface…
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We finally know why live music makes us so emotional
Elton John performing at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023 Matt Crossick/Alamy Hearing live music may be more stirring than listening to a recording of the same tune because it triggers greater activity in the part of the brain linked to processing emotions. Sascha Frühholz at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and his colleagues composed 12 pieces of music, each…
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Why the brain’s microbiome could hold the key to curing Alzheimer’s
RUSSELL KIGHTLEY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY IT SEEMED like a classic case of Alzheimer’s disease. For three years, a man in his 70s had experienced serious cognitive decline: he frequently forgot the names of family members and was no longer able to drive or leave home by himself. Further deterioration seemed inevitable. But then his doctors checked a sample of his cerebrospinal…
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Most newborn black holes spew gas so hard they almost stop spinning
Jets of plasma may slow down the spins of black holes NASA/JPL-Caltech Most black holes may spin far more slowly than expected. When black holes form from collapsing stars, they emit powerful jets of energy, and these jets slow down the black holes’ spin to nearly nothing within minutes. The spin of a newborn black hole is governed by two…
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Nuclear fusion reaction releases almost twice the energy put in
Fusion experiments at the US National Ignition Facility have achieved a significant milestone Philip Saltonstall Scientists have confirmed that a fusion reaction in 2022 reached a historic milestone by unleashing more energy than was put into it – and subsequent trials have produced even better results, they say. The findings, now published in a series of papers, give encouragement that…
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Contaminated hormone injections may have given five people Alzheimer’s
Some recipients of human growth hormone showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease on their brain scans Teek Image/SPL/Alamy Five people appear to have developed Alzheimer’s disease after receiving growth hormones from deceased donors’ brains as children. Although based on a small group of people, this suggests that the condition could theoretically be transmitted during medical procedures. However, measures are in place…
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How measles can do long-lasting damage to children’s immune systems
Measles is resurgent in several countries Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo This is an extract from Health Check, our newsletter about the most essential health and fitness news. Sign up to receive it in your inbox for free every week. Measles is in the news again, with outbreaks being reported in the UK, US and elsewhere, due to declining rates…
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Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Is clearing all that plastic worth the effort?
Fish caught up in discarded nets in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Ocean Voyages Institute/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock IT WAS a glorious sunny day in September 2023. Excitement filled the air and a rainbow stretched across the horizon as the team slowly hauled a giant net out of the glistening sea. The Ocean Cleanup project was in the North Pacific, trialling its…
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