A common parasite can decapitate human sperm − with implications for male fertility

If you’ve handled cat litter or eaten raw meat or unwashed produce, there’s a chance you might have a permanent toxoplasmosis infection spread throughout your body.

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University • conversation
May 28, 2025 ~9 min

Too much sitting increases risk of future health problems in chest pain patients – new research

Patients with chest pain who have a sedentary lifestyle are at higher risk for more heart problems and death within the year following hospitalization.

Keith Diaz, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University • conversation
May 21, 2025 ~5 min


Teens of any age who drink alcohol with their parents’ permission drink more as young adults, new research shows

Many parents think that drinking at home is a safe way to teach teenagers about alcohol, but research suggests this is not true.

Bernard Pereda, Doctoral Student in Psychoolgy, University at Buffalo • conversation
May 20, 2025 ~5 min

Researchers uncovered hundreds of genes linked to OCD, providing clues about how it changes the brain − new research

Researchers examined the DNA of over 53,000 people with OCD and over 2 million people without OCD, gathering data that could one day improve treatment.

Carol Mathews, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Florida • conversation
May 13, 2025 ~9 min

Calorie counts on menus and food labels may not help consumers choose healthier foods, new research shows

Knowing how many calories a food contains has become a familiar part of eating. But it may muddy rather than clarify a person’s understanding of how healthy that food is.

Deidre Popovich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas Tech University • conversation
May 12, 2025 ~5 min

Recycling asphalt pavement can help the environment − now scientists are putting the safety of recycled pavement to the test

Engineers came up with a set of tests to make sure reclaimed asphalt pavement resists skidding and sliding when wet.

Baoshan Huang, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee • conversation
May 8, 2025 ~6 min

Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life

NASA’s Curiosity rover has spotted carbon-containing minerals that can tell scientists more about what ancient Mars’ atmosphere may have looked like.

Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Professor of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas • conversation
May 6, 2025 ~8 min

Granular systems, such as sandpiles or rockslides, are all around you − new research will help scientists describe how they work

It’s extremely difficult to see how forces in a pile of sand are distributed between individual grains – a new experimental approach fixes that.

Jacqueline Reber, Associate Professor of Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate, Iowa State University • conversation
April 28, 2025 ~8 min


Hotter and drier climate in Colorado’s San Luis Valley contributes to kidney disease in agriculture workers, new study shows

A prolonged drought in the San Luis Valley has contributed to kidney issues in agricultural workers.

Katherine Ann James, Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
April 25, 2025 ~6 min

How does your brain create new memories? Neuroscientists discover ‘rules’ for how neurons encode new information

As you experience or encounter new things, your brain must encode this information via the right neural networks at the right time.

Takaki Komiyama, Professor of Neurobiology, University of California, San Diego • conversation
April 17, 2025 ~7 min

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