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US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy – here’s what the US, and world, will lose
The U.S.-WHO collaboration has been critical in the country’s response to mpox, shown here, as well as Ebola, Marburg, flu and COVID-19. Uma Shankar sharma/Moment via Getty Images – By Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University Published: 2026 Jan …
The pioneering path of Augustus Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the US – born into slavery, he’s now a candidate for sainthood
Attendees at the 1892 Colored Catholic Congress included the nation’s first openly Black priest, Augustus Tolton, who stands in the middle of the front row. Wikimedia Commons By Annie Selak, Director, Women’s Center, Georgetown University Published: 2026 Jan 27 – The first publicly …
Surprising way cancer cells clear problematic proteins in the brain
Amyloid plaques that misfold and form oligomers kill brain cells leading to cognitive decline. Scientists find that a protein in some cancers helps the brain get rid of them. Depositphotos By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 29 – For some time, we’ve known that it’s …
New system turns smartphones into radiation detectors
Ascertaining radiation levels after a leak is a critical step toward providing rapid and accurate treatment for those exposed. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2026 Jan 28 – Researchers at Hiroshima University (HU) in Japan have developed a way to leverage the cameras on …
Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus
Your shoes might not necessarily free your mind. ksana-gribakina/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Atom Sarkar, Professor of Neurosurgery, Drexel University Published: 2026 Jan 27 – Athletic footwear has entered a new era of ambition. No longer content to promise just comfort or …
Artificial metacognition: Giving an AI the ability to ‘think’ about its ‘thinking’
AIs could use some self-reflection. davincidig/iStock via Getty Images – By Ricky J. Sethi, Professor of Computer Science, Fitchburg State University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute Published: 2026 Jan 26 – Have you ever had the experience of rereading a sentence multiple times only to …
Gene editing takes a major step toward ending daily cholesterol pills
New therapy targets the liver’s PCSK9 gene to lower cholesterol. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 25 – A new CRISPR-based one-off procedure that lowers “bad” cholesterol has been approved to enter Phase I human trial. If successful, it could be the first …
Your brain can be trained, much like your muscles – a neurologist explains how to boost your brain health
Research shows that the brain can be exercised, much like our muscles. RapidEye/E+ via Getty Images – By Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Published: 2026 Jan 23 – If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: …
Humans stopped producing our own Vitamin C to fight parasitic infections
Parasites love Vitamin C, and it turns out humans stopped producing it internally as a defense mechanism. Depositphotos – By Jay Kakade 2026 Jan 19 – Most mammals produce their own vitamin C using an enzyme called GULO. Around 60 million years ago, humans …
5-minute cold brew machine grinds and steeps on your tumbler
Ecoldbrew, which makes cold-brew coffee from whole beans in five minutes, is currently on Kickstarter. Ecoldbrew – By Shirl Leigh 2026 Jan 22 – Ecoldbrew, engineered by a team of designers with experience working for brands like Xiaomi, Philips, De’Longhi and Ningbo Borine, is …
Hacking the grid: How digital sabotage turns infrastructure into a weapon
Today’s power grid equipment incorporates internet-connected – and therefore hackable – computers. Joe Raedle/Getty Images – By Saman Zonouz, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity and Privacy and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Published: 2026 Jan 22 – The darkness that swept over …
Antibiotic resistance could undo a century of medical progress – but four advances are changing the story
Scientists are fighting back against antibiotic resistance with new strategies and tools. wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By André O. Hudson, Dean of the College of Science, Professor of Biochemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology Published: 2026 Jan 21 – Imagine going to the …
Raccoons break into liquor stores, scale skyscrapers and pick locks – studying their clever brains can clarify human intelligence, too
The moment you look away from those adorable eyes, these mischievous creatures will sneak out of your lab. Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash, CC BY-SA – By Kelly Lambert, Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Richmond Published: 2026 Jan 16 – When a curious raccoon …
World’s fastest-growing plant is also a surprising superfood
Scientists have reviewed everything we know about eating bamboo. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 20 – You might be more familiar with it as a versatile fibrous material or the staple food of giant pandas, but bamboo has now entered the health-food …
Light successfully retunes the brain’s faulty wiring
The big challenge researchers face is finding ways to safely deliver the technique to human patients. Depositphotos By Chelsea Haney 2026 Jan 16– – Optogenetics has long been a powerful experimental tool, but a growing body of research suggests it may now be approaching …
How mountain terraces have helped Indigenous peoples live with climate uncertainty
Farmers during harvest season in Batad, Ifugao, Philippines. Paul Connor and the Ifugao Archaeological Project, CC BY – By Stephen Acabado, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles Published: 2026 Jan 15 – Indigenous communities have lived with changes to the climate …
Lip-syncing robot watches your face to speak like you
Columbia University’s flexible-faced, lip-syncing EMO robot. Creative Machines Lab – By Ben Coxworth 2026 Jan 16 – When it comes to ultra-humanlike Westworld-style robots, one of their most defining features are lips that move in perfect sync with their spoken words. A new robot …
There’s an intensifying kind of threat to academic freedom – watchful students serving as informants
Approximately 58% of faculty interviewed in a national survey in 2024 reported self-censoring. PM Images/iStock/Getty Images – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College Published: 2026 Jan 14 – Texas A&M University told philosophy professor Martin Peterson …
Could glowing green skin be an alternative to blood sampling?
Scientists have developed engineered skin grafts that fluoresce green when certain biomarker chemicals are present in the bloodstream. Depositphotos – By Ben Coxworth 2026 Jan 14 – Blood sampling is painful and invasive, plus it only tells you what’s going on in the patient’s …
When smell is lost, our sense of touch may replace it
If we lose one sense maybe we can retrain other sensory pathways to pick up the lost information. Depositphotos – By Chelsea Haney 2026 Jan 12 – For millions of people, losing their sense of smell quietly reshapes daily life. Meals lose nuance, familiar …
What is below Earth, since space is present in every direction?
Our solar system is mostly arranged along one plane in space, as in this not-to-scale artist’s diagram. NASA/JPL, CC BY – By Jeff Moersch, Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee Published: 2026 Jan 12 Curious Kids is a series for …
Target-seeking toothpaste goes after bacteria that cause gum disease
A schematic illustration of Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteria (orange), the active compound in the toothpaste (blue) and a healthy microbiome at the transition between gum and tooth. PerioTrap – By Ben Coxworth 2026 Jan 09 – There could be new hope in the fight against …
Damn the torpedoes! Trump ditches a crucial climate treaty as he moves to dismantle America’s climate protections
Severe storms triggered flooding across the central and eastern U.S. in April 2025, including in Kentucky’s capital, Frankfort. Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images – By Gary W. Yohe, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Wesleyan University Published: 2026 Jan 10 – On 2026 Jan …
The 17th-century Pueblo leader who fought for independence from colonial rule – long before the American Revolution
Po’pay’s statue in the U.S. Capitol, representing the state of New Mexico, was dedicated in 2005. Chris Maddaloni/Roll Call/Getty Images – By Peter C. Mancall, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Published: 2026 Jan …
Congress takes up health care again − and impatient voters shouldn’t hold their breath for a cure
Congress has long been unable to come to an agreement on how to help constituents pay for health care. iStock/Getty Images Plus – By SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia Published: 2026 Jan 07 – As the …
Experimental molecule may be a potent weapon against Alzheimer’s
The NU-9 molecule may one day delay or even prevent the destruction of neurons that begins decades before the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear. Depositphotos – By Malcolm Azania 2026 Jan 07 – You think you’re fine. Your family and friends think you’re …
LG’s housekeeper robot designed to automate your daily chores
“LG CLOiD is a robot that uses AI and vision-based technology to perform household tasks like cooking and laundry, connecting seamlessly with LG’s ThinQ ecosystem to automate home life.” LG View 4 Images – By Omar Kardoudi 2026 Jan 06 – LG has …
Deadly flu strain grips the US for the first time and has killed 5,000 to date
The H3N2 subclade K virus has genetically drifted from earlier J.2.4 influenza A strains, and is better at evading our immune system. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Dec 05 – Americans are being urged to be extra vigilant this winter, as a suite …
The key to the cure for aging may lie in extracellular vesicles
A new study explores how extracellular vesicles from embryonic stem cells can protect other cells from oxidative stress, potentially slowing the aging process. Depositphotos – By Malcolm Azania 2026 Jan 04 – Senescence. It’s a beautiful-sounding word whose tones suggest it should be a …
The surprise architects of Japan’s intricate underwater ‘crop circles’
These circles take up to nine days to build. Kawase, Okata & Ito/Scientific Reports/(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) View 7 Images – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 03 – In 1995, divers first noticed a group of bizarre sandy “crop circles” on the seabed around Amami Oshima Island, southwest …
These three discoveries change how we understand coffee and the heart
More than two billion cups of coffee are drunk each day – but we’re still learning about its health benefits. Jonas Jacobsson/Unsplash – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 02 – Coffee is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances on the planet, yet …
PFAS in pregnant women’s drinking water puts their babies at higher risk, study finds
Studies show PFAS can be harmful to human health, including pregnant women and their fetuses. Olga Rolenko/Moment via Getty Images – By Derek Lemoine, Professor of Economics, University of Arizona And by Ashley Langer, Professor of Economics, University of Arizona And by Bo Guo, Associate …
‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment
The demographic data collected at doctor’s visits is useful to medical researchers. MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images – By Jill Inderstrodt, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Indiana University Published: 2025 Dec 11 – It’s a rare occasion when my worlds of …
Zombie bugs, singing seals and rule-breaking bears: Animals in 2025
These animals shared their lullaby A-game with the world this year. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2025 Dec 30 – It’s that time of year again – and my personal favorite corner of science to look back on – when we recap the many …
The strange thing your eyes do when thinking gets hard
The eyes have it: Our blinking gives away how interested we are in an exchange. Depositphotos – By Pranjal Malewar 2025 Dec 28 – The rhythmic action of blinking helps keep our vision sharp. Initially studied only in vision science, blinking is now also recognized as …
Tea or coffee: One leaves a stronger imprint on your bones
Coffee versus tea: One ranks higher for bone health. Depositphotos – By Pranjal Malewar 2025 Dec 28 – Tea and coffee are two of the most popular drinks in the world – daily rituals linked to culture, comfort, and productivity. Now scientists have new insights …
How C-reactive protein outpaced ‘bad’ cholesterol as leading heart disease risk marker
Blood vessel damage from fatty and high-sugar diets leads to inflammation, which can be detected by measuring C-reactive protein. – By Mary J. Scourboutakos, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Family and Community Medicine, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Published: …
Long-term aspartame intake sabotages brain and heart function
Aspartame can be found in an estimated 6,000 foods and drinks worldwide. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2025 Dec 21 – In the first long-term and real-world reflective study of its kind, scientists have uncovered new detrimental health impacts of the artificial sweetener aspartame that …
The best everyday health advice we learned from science in 2025
You’ll be happy to know that hot cocoa is part of your health plan in 2026, especially if you sit a lot. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2025 Dec 25 – We certainly saw some major health-related breakthroughs in 2025, including a universal cancer vaccine …
Where the wild things thrive: Finding and protecting nature’s climate change safe havens
Much wildlife relies on cool streams and lush meadows in the Sierra Nevada. By Toni Lyn Morelli, Adjunct Full Professor of Environmental Conservation, UMass Amherst; U.S. Geological Survey And by Diana Stralberg, Adjunct professor, Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta Published: 2025 Dec 17 …
US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy – here’s what the US, and world, will lose
The U.S.-WHO collaboration has been critical in the country’s response to mpox, shown here, as well as Ebola, Marburg, flu and COVID-19. Uma Shankar sharma/Moment via Getty Images – By Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University Published: 2026 Jan …
The pioneering path of Augustus Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the US – born into slavery, he’s now a candidate for sainthood
Attendees at the 1892 Colored Catholic Congress included the nation’s first openly Black priest, Augustus Tolton, who stands in the middle of the front row. Wikimedia Commons By Annie Selak, Director, Women’s Center, Georgetown University Published: 2026 Jan 27 – The first publicly …
Surprising way cancer cells clear problematic proteins in the brain
Amyloid plaques that misfold and form oligomers kill brain cells leading to cognitive decline. Scientists find that a protein in some cancers helps the brain get rid of them. Depositphotos By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 29 – For some time, we’ve known that it’s …
New system turns smartphones into radiation detectors
Ascertaining radiation levels after a leak is a critical step toward providing rapid and accurate treatment for those exposed. Depositphotos – By Michael Franco 2026 Jan 28 – Researchers at Hiroshima University (HU) in Japan have developed a way to leverage the cameras on …
Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus
Your shoes might not necessarily free your mind. ksana-gribakina/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Atom Sarkar, Professor of Neurosurgery, Drexel University Published: 2026 Jan 27 – Athletic footwear has entered a new era of ambition. No longer content to promise just comfort or …
Artificial metacognition: Giving an AI the ability to ‘think’ about its ‘thinking’
AIs could use some self-reflection. davincidig/iStock via Getty Images – By Ricky J. Sethi, Professor of Computer Science, Fitchburg State University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute Published: 2026 Jan 26 – Have you ever had the experience of rereading a sentence multiple times only to …
Gene editing takes a major step toward ending daily cholesterol pills
New therapy targets the liver’s PCSK9 gene to lower cholesterol. Depositphotos – By Bronwyn Thompson 2026 Jan 25 – A new CRISPR-based one-off procedure that lowers “bad” cholesterol has been approved to enter Phase I human trial. If successful, it could be the first …
Your brain can be trained, much like your muscles – a neurologist explains how to boost your brain health
Research shows that the brain can be exercised, much like our muscles. RapidEye/E+ via Getty Images – By Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Published: 2026 Jan 23 – If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: …
Humans stopped producing our own Vitamin C to fight parasitic infections
Parasites love Vitamin C, and it turns out humans stopped producing it internally as a defense mechanism. Depositphotos – By Jay Kakade 2026 Jan 19 – Most mammals produce their own vitamin C using an enzyme called GULO. Around 60 million years ago, humans …
5-minute cold brew machine grinds and steeps on your tumbler
Ecoldbrew, which makes cold-brew coffee from whole beans in five minutes, is currently on Kickstarter. Ecoldbrew – By Shirl Leigh 2026 Jan 22 – Ecoldbrew, engineered by a team of designers with experience working for brands like Xiaomi, Philips, De’Longhi and Ningbo Borine, is …