As wildfires grip France and Spain, what are the risks from the smoke?
What dangers does smoke from wildfires pose? Who is most at risk? Here are some answers to health questions often asked, especially now with fires in France and Spain.
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A hidden Alzheimer’s tipping point may decide who gets dementia
Scientists have identified a possible tipping point that helps determine whether Alzheimer’s-related brain changes lead to dementia. The key may lie in how the brain’s immune cells respond to plaques and tau, offering a promising new target for treatments designed to extend
550 years later, scientists claim to have solved what killed Botticelli’s muse
Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli painted Simonetta Vespucci as Venus rising from the waves. Now, scientists think they’ve solved how she died
Scotland declares 'major' wildfire in Cairngorms national park
Scottish firefighters fought a wildfire Saturday that was burning through Cairngorms National Park in the north, with authorities advising residents to evacuate.
Thousands crowd shelters as wildfires force exodus in France, Spain
Thousands crowded into emergency shelters in France and Spain on Sunday after wildfires drove more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and vacation accommodations.
Inside the Backrooms: The internet’s creepiest place is becoming a tourist attraction
The Backrooms began as a single eerie image of empty yellow rooms, but internet users transformed it into a vast fictional world that feels disturbingly real. Through videos, games, maps, survival guides and social media stories, audiences do more than watch the horror unfold.
Hidden genetic diversity helped inbred brown tree snakes conquer guam
A notorious snake invasion that devastated Guam’s native birds may have succeeded because the reptiles carried hidden genetic advantages. Using advanced long-read DNA sequencing, researchers uncovered more than 19,000 large genetic differences in brown tree snakes, many
Scientists trace the shocking origin of human eyes to an ancient “cyclops”
Researchers say a tiny one-eyed ancestor that lived nearly 600 million years ago may have shaped the evolution of every vertebrate eye, including our own. They also found that its ancient median eye lives on today as the pineal gland, which helps synchronize our sleep with
'I can't work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore': Why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
In the words of a former Antarctic tour guide we interviewed: "You'd see massive glacier calvings, and you'd just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you'd be like … 'can you not put two and two together?'"
New research shows how language experience shapes human communication
A Taiwan–led study of Mandarin-speaking learners shows that the sounds we hear and produce are deeply shaped by our prior language experience, offering new insights into how humans learn and use language.
'I get caught up in the numbers game': Why useful social media content gets lost online
When Amy posts a photograph of herself on Instagram, she knows what will attract attention. A picture of her in a bikini may receive thousands of views. A post explaining the realities of living with a stoma (an opening in her abdomen that directs waste to a bag attached to it)
Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable
Swidden agriculture—often called "slash-and-burn"—has been practiced on every inhabited continent throughout human history, and for decades it has been blamed for the destruction of the world's rainforests. However, a new study of more than 18,000 forest patches around the
Syria's ancient sites face widespread looting and systematic bulldozing, satellite images reveal
Dozens of archaeological sites were destroyed by looting during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 and lasted until 2024. Because the last comprehensive analysis was published in 2017, the extent of more recent damage to cultural heritage sites since 2016—including at
New model maps how social media users repeatedly spread misinformation
People who receive information on social media play a greater role in the spread of misinformation than research has acknowledged, according to research published in the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management. The researchers argue that efforts to tackle "fake
Cameras attached to whale sharks capture krill chases never witnessed before
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)—the world's biggest fish—are one of the most charismatic marine species. They connect with the hearts of anyone lucky enough to encounter them, making people deeply curious about their lives and invested in their conservation.
China evacuates 340,000 people as Typhoon Noul approaches
Authorities have evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and rail services as Typhoon Noul approaches southern China, with flight cancellations announced in Hong Kong.
Spain fights to 'save lives' as wildfire evacuees shelter in Madrid
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday firefighters were working to "save lives" in the blazes raging west of Madrid, as authorities said a separate fire in the east killed one person.
SpaceX launches Starship on another test flight, this time with the most advanced Starlinks
SpaceX's mammoth Starship rocket blasted off Friday on another test flight stretching halfway around the world, this time releasing 20 of the most advanced Starlinks.
The hunt for a natural molecule that can release cellular energy
All cells in the human body—and the motions they enable, from our beating hearts to our wiggling toes—use energy generated by a molecule called ATP. Its energy is thought to be released to fuel cellular processes in only one way: when ATP's decomposition is initiated by an
Ancient bones from smaller Maya communities reveal heavy reliance on maize and local subsistence patterns
Historians and archaeologists know that maize was a central food source and cultural symbol across the ancient Maya world, but much of what is known has come from studies focused on large Maya cities and elite burials.
A single dose reversed autism-like symptoms in adult mice within hours
Even mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity, sensory sensitivity, repetitive behaviors, and increased seizure risk. Remarkably, one dose of rapamycin improved nearly all of these problems within about two hours. The
Herbivore species dynamics is key to grassland food web stability
Ecologists have long understood that biodiversity is paramount to ecosystem stability. Until now, however, most ecological research has focused on a single layer of ecological life at a time—for example, plant or animal communities. In reality, ecological systems have multiple
Superagers keep youthful memories but their DNA does not explain why
Scientists expected SuperAgers might simply inherit fewer Alzheimer’s-related risks, but their genes looked much like those of typical older adults. Their extraordinary memories may instead come from still-unknown protective forces involving the brain, body, lifestyle, and
Scientists put the “recycling is a distraction” claim to the test
Recycling, greener diets, and other personal climate choices do not seem to distract people from supporting major environmental reforms. A four-year study of nearly 2,800 Australians found that these habits neither increased nor reduced later political engagement.
The Universe can outrun light without breaking Einstein’s rules
Cosmic expansion allows distant galaxies to move away faster than light, while still letting us see ancient light they emitted when they were much closer. Eventually, accelerating expansion will push nearly every galaxy beyond our Local Group out of sight, making the Universe
Rare blue optical transient points to possible new class of cosmic explosion
Chinese astronomers report the detection of a peculiar optical transient event that occurred in the center of a dwarf galaxy. The newly discovered event, designated AT2019ijn, is a fast-rising, slow-decaying blue optical transient with exceptionally bright radio emission. The
Coffee may help shield the liver from fat, scarring, and cancer
A major long-term study linked coffee consumption with lower risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death from liver disease. Coffee drinkers also showed healthier liver scans and blood protein patterns, with less fat, inflammation, and scarring. Benefits appeared even at one or