Scientists have successfully generated electricity with a hydrogen turbine that produces its own pressure through detonation waves instead of relying on a mechanical compressor. The breakthrough could unlock dramatically more efficient power systems for clean energy and future aviation.

A specially engineered chewing gum reduced HPV by up to 93% and nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer. The treatment preserved beneficial mouth bacteria, raising hopes for a safer and more affordable therapy.

A tiny 518-million-year-old sea creature has revealed the earliest known evidence of the structures that eventually became spiders’ fangs. Hidden inside the fossil were pincerlike limbs and preserved soft tissues that help explain how the ancestors of spiders and scorpions evolved into formidable hunters.

Photons traveling through a cloud of atoms can emerge so early that they appear to have spent a negative amount of time inside. Researchers tested whether this was merely a misleading feature of the light pulse by making extremely weak measurements of the atoms. Surprisingly, the atoms confirmed the same negative dwell time. The finding does not break standard physics, but it reveals that one of quantum mechanics’ strangest effects is physically measurable.

DNA traces in the Shroud of Turin reveal a remarkable mixture of human lineages, microbes, plants, animals, and coral accumulated through centuries of handling and travel. The findings do not prove its age or authenticity, but they expose a hidden biological history preserved in the famous cloth.

Animal bones preserved in South Australia’s underwater caves reveal distinctive clues shaped by darkness, algae, bacteria, and other environmental conditions. The findings give scientists a powerful new way to reconstruct how ancient megafauna remains entered and survived in submerged cave systems.

Chemotherapy-surviving ovarian cancer cells may release fructose to help neighboring tumor cells loosen, escape, and spread. The discovery suggests that sugary diets and cholesterol-lowering drugs could influence cancer progression, though the effects have not yet been confirmed in patients.

A new 3D printing technique can produce exceptionally hard tungsten carbide cobalt while using less of its expensive raw materials. By softening rather than fully melting the material, researchers created defect-free samples with industrial-grade hardness and opened the door to more efficient manufacturing.

You’ve driven past cornfields. You’ve eaten corn. But did you know corn is older than the pyramids and is grown on every continent except Antarctica? 

Join Farm Foundation for Inside Food & Ag: Corn – from Ancient Grass to Global Powerhouse and discover the fascinating story behind the crop that’s all around us. Through living demonstrations, surprising facts, and an interactive food demonstration, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most important crops. 

Thursday, September 24 | 2–6 p.m. 
Farm Foundation Campus, Libertyville, IL 

Registration is $25 per person and includes an engaging educational program, interactive demonstrations, and light appetizers and beverages. 

You’ll never look at your dinner plate the same again. 

Register today: https://farmfoundation.swoogo.com/aglab2026

The post Inside Food & Ag: Corn – from Ancient Grass to Global Powerhouse appeared first on Farm Foundation.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, issued the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision on six small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Specifically, EPA granted one full exemption (100%) and two partial exemptions (50%) for the 2024 compliance year, and then deemed one petition for 2024 and two for 2023 ineligible.

“Small refineries should only be granted exemptions when they can demonstrate that the RFS has caused them true disproportionate economic harm,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We continue to closely evaluate these decisions to ensure they do not undermine investments made in biofuels, agriculture, and our rural economy because of the RFS. Today’s decision highlights the critical importance of SRE reallocation in any future RVOs.”

The post Growth Energy Statement on EPA 2023-2024 SRE Decisions appeared first on Growth Energy.

Weight loss is not simply a test of willpower. The human brain evolved to protect body fat during times of scarcity, and it can treat a previously higher weight as the new normal, triggering stronger hunger, cravings, and lower energy use after weight loss. This biological “memory” helps explain why many people regain weight after dieting and why medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro can help by reducing appetite signals, although their effects may fade when treatment ends.

Vanderbilt researchers created the first selective compound designed to inhibit TAOK-1, a poorly understood protein connected to Alzheimer’s disease. They also discovered a second compound that activates the entire TAOK protein family, offering scientists an unexpected new research tool. Together, the compounds could reveal hidden disease mechanisms and point toward new treatment strategies.

Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may help explain why aging makes the brain more vulnerable to diseases such as ALS and Huntington’s. In worms, the protein EPS8 builds up with age and triggers signaling that encourages toxic proteins to clump together, damaging neurons and shortening lifespan. Reducing EPS8 activity prevented these harmful aggregates and preserved nerve function.

Taiwan’s steep, remote mountains have sheltered extraordinary forests containing hundreds of giant Taiwania firs. After years of difficult expeditions, LiDAR mapping, and citizen-science detective work, researchers discovered an 84.1-meter (276-foot) tree, the tallest known in East Asia. They also found dense “temples of giants” where dozens of enormous trees grow together. These ancient forests rank among the world’s most carbon-rich ecosystems.

Scientists have named a newly discovered beetle genus Luffy, inspired by the stretchy hero of the manga and anime One Piece. The insects have unusually long, slender mandibles, antennae, and mouthparts that resemble Luffy’s rubber-like ability to extend his body.

Thawing Arctic permafrost is releasing ancient carbon into the ocean, raising fears that microbes could turn it into greenhouse gases and accelerate climate change. But sediment cores collected near Canada’s Herschel Island reveal a more reassuring twist: most of this land-based carbon becomes buried in the seafloor, while only about 10 percent is converted into gases.

When atomic nuclei smash together at nearly the speed of light, they create the hottest fluid in the universe, but scientists may have overlooked one of its most important forces. New simulations reveal that extreme acceleration builds up along the edges of quark-gluon plasma, helping drive its explosive expansion. This acceleration may do far more than move the fluid, potentially changing its temperature-like behavior, influencing particle spins, and even reshaping how matter transitions between fundamental states.

Hidden moon ice may reveal itself through the way it bends and reflects vibrations from moonquakes. The technique could help astronauts locate vital water supplies and uncover clues about the origins of Earth’s oceans.

Low arginine levels may allow cancer cells and viruses to slip past the immune system by reducing production of a crucial cellular warning protein. In mice, arginine-rich diets led to fewer colon tumors and milder viral infections, suggesting a simple supplement could have powerful therapeutic potential.

An AI analysis of 1.2 million satellite images shows that floating algae blooms are spreading across the global ocean. The rapid growth of massive seaweed mats could reshape marine habitats while bringing foul-smelling decay, ecological damage, and economic losses to coastlines.