Menstruation can be messy and uncomfortable, often due to leaky pads, tampons and cups. A new alginate-based powder may solve that problem. The material, which solidifies menstrual blood by turning it into a gel mixture, could reduce leakage in period products without compromising capacity, researchers report July 10 in Matter. “Our paper is a proof … Read more
For the first time, astronomers have spotted a middleweight black hole in the nearby universe. The discovery could help solve the riddle of how even heftier black holes form and grow up with their host galaxies. The black hole, which sits about 16,000 light-years from Earth in the center of star cluster Omega Centauri, is … Read more
In the quest to build a quantum internet, scientists are putting their memories to the test. Quantum memories, that is. Quantum memories are devices that store fragile information in the realm of the very small. They’re an essential component for scientists’ vision of quantum networks that could allow new types of communication, from ultra-secure messaging to … Read more
A mind-bending parasite may one day deliver drugs to the brain. Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that famously makes mice lose their fear of cats, but also can cause deadly foodborne illnesses (SN: 1/14/20). Now, researchers have engineered the parasite to deliver large therapeutic proteins to the brains of mice and into human brain … Read more
In the science-fiction series Dune, the desert-dwelling Fremen of the arid planet Arrakis recycle their body’s moisture using specially designed outfits called stillsuits. Inspired by such imaginings, a new prototype spacesuit converts astronauts’ urine into drinkable water, researchers report July 12 in Frontiers in Space Technology. “I’ve been a fan of the Dune series for … Read more
In real life, laws are broken all the time. Besides your everyday criminals, there are scammers and fraudsters, politicians and mobsters, corporations and nations that regard laws as suggestions rather than restrictions. It’s not that way in physics. For centuries, physicists have been identifying laws of nature that are invariably unbreakable. Those laws govern matter, … Read more
People with advanced cancers often feel like their bodies are wasting away. That’s because of cachexia, a condition in which impaired metabolism leads to muscle wasting and drastic weight loss (SN: 4/15/15). A new study in mice hints at a way to reverse the condition. Blocking the activity in the brain of an immune protein … Read more
A chemical element that’s not even in H2O — sulfur — is the reason Earth first got its water, a new study finds, bolstering a similar claim made a year ago. The discovery means our planet was born with all it needed to create its own water and so did not have to receive it … Read more
Forever chemicals are everywhere. They’re in school uniforms, food packaging, cosmetics and personal care products (SNE: 11/18/22; SN: 6/4/19; SN: 6/15/21). They seep into our food and drinking water. And now new research suggests that some can move through the skin, posing yet another avenue through which humans are intimately exposed to these chemicals, which … Read more
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tightened rabies regulations for dogs coming into the country. The new regulations, which went into effect August 1, come as the temporary suspension of importing dogs from high-risk rabies areas — instituted by the CDC in 2021 — is lifted. “What it boils down to is that … Read more