US adults eat a meal’s worth of snacks high in fat and sugar every day

American adults are eating 400-500 calories – roughly the same energy intake as a recommended main meal – in snacks every day, and it comes with little nutritional value yet a whole lot of sugar.Continue ReadingCategory: Health & Wellbeing, Lifesty… Continue reading US adults eat a meal’s worth of snacks high in fat and sugar every day

Five key blood markers linked to suicide have been identified

In a finding that could have a significant impact on personalized medicine and treatment, scientists have identified blood compounds linked to suicidal ideation.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, ScienceTags: UC San Diego, Depression, Neuroscience, Gen… Continue reading Five key blood markers linked to suicide have been identified

A single big night of drinking a week ramps up liver-disease risk by 4x

It’s a safe assumption that we all know binge drinking is not good for our general health. But a new study shows that one big night a week is significantly more harmful than spreading that same amount of drinks out over the same period.Continue Reading… Continue reading A single big night of drinking a week ramps up liver-disease risk by 4x

Unbreakable material nearly as tough as diamond, with high energy density

It’s taken more than three decades, but scientists believe they have created a material that’s almost impossible to break and could rival diamond as the hardest substance on the planet.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, ScienceTags: University of Edi… Continue reading Unbreakable material nearly as tough as diamond, with high energy density

Stress triggers a neuron during sleep that upends healthy slumber

We all know that stress can rob you of a good night’s sleep, but it’s more than just racing thoughts behind it. For the first time, scientists have identified how stress fires up brain cells at the wrong time during sleep stages, causing interrupted sl… Continue reading Stress triggers a neuron during sleep that upends healthy slumber

Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL

When it comes to Australian animals, the first that come to mind are generally kangaroos, koalas and maybe a platypus or a killer crocodile. However, there’s a tiny, iridescent group of beetles that turn up every Christmas and hold a special place in t… Continue reading Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL

Fancy a tardigrade emoji? Biologists call for this and more to be added

There may be currently 3,782 emojis in the beloved Unicode library, yet a team of biologists has found its representation of the tree of life is significantly substandard.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Biodiversity, Animals, Animal sci… Continue reading Fancy a tardigrade emoji? Biologists call for this and more to be added

Purr-fect storm: House cats linked to 2x risk of schizophrenia

A comprehensive meta-analysis of 17 studies across 11 countries over 44 years has resoundingly supported the growing evidence that sharing your childhood home with a cat is connected to a significant increase in risk of developing schizophrenia.Continu… Continue reading Purr-fect storm: House cats linked to 2x risk of schizophrenia

MS drug to treat and repair nerve damage is edging closer to reality

Effective targeted treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and even the repair of damaged nerves caused by the disease could soon be within grasp, thanks to yet another breakthrough in the field of small molecule drug research.Continue ReadingCategory: Me… Continue reading MS drug to treat and repair nerve damage is edging closer to reality

Amazing fossil find reveals young dinosaurs only wanted the drumsticks

Scientists have, for the first time, unearthed incredibly well-preserved stomach contents from within a fossilized skeleton of a young tyrannosaur, which has led to a curious discovery about the growing beast’s paleo palate.Continue ReadingCategory: Bi… Continue reading Amazing fossil find reveals young dinosaurs only wanted the drumsticks