Fast walking, even just 15 minutes a day, can dramatically reduce the risk of death, especially from heart disease, according to a large study involving nearly 80,000 low-income and predominantly Black Americans in the South. The findings not only affirm the well-known health benefits of walking but also highlight how pace matters and how fast walking offers a powerful, accessible tool for improving health across underserved communities.

A mysterious gut hormone may be behind many cases of chronic diarrhea, especially in people with undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption, a condition often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. Researchers from the University of Cambridge identified that the hormone INSL5 spikes when bile acid reaches the colon, triggering intense diarrhea. Their discovery not only sheds light on the biological cause of symptoms but opens the door to a diagnostic blood test and new treatment options, including a surprising existing drug that blocks this hormone’s effects.

In the quest to understand how and why early humans started walking on two legs, scientists are now looking to chimpanzees living in dry, open savannah-like environments for clues. A new study reveals that these chimpanzees, despite the open terrain, still frequently climb trees to gather fruit and other foods found high in the canopy. Their behavior suggests that bipedalism may not have evolved purely as a response to ground-based travel, but also for safe and efficient movement within trees.

Deep in Serbia's Jadar Valley, scientists discovered a mineral with an uncanny resemblance to Superman's Kryptonite both in composition and name. Dubbed jadarite, this dull white crystal lacks the glowing green menace of its comic book counterpart but packs a punch in the real world. Rich in lithium and boron, jadarite could help supercharge the global transition to green energy.

For the first time ever, scientists have watched electrons perform a bizarre quantum feat: tunneling through atomic barriers by not just slipping through, but doubling back and slamming into the nucleus mid-tunnel. This surprising finding, led by POSTECH and Max Planck physicists, redefines our understanding of quantum tunneling—a process that powers everything from the sun to your smartphone.

Neutrinos, ghostly particles barely interacting with matter, may secretly be reshaping the fates of massive stars. New research suggests that as stars collapse, they form natural "neutrino colliders," allowing scientists to probe these elusive particles in ways never possible on Earth. If neutrinos do interact through yet-undiscovered forces, they could cause stars to collapse into black holes instead of neutron stars, reshaping how we understand cosmic evolution.

Quantum computing may one day outperform classical machines in solving certain complex problems, but when and how this “quantum advantage” emerges has remained unclear. Now, researchers from Kyoto University have linked this advantage to cryptographic puzzles, showing that the same conditions that allow secure quantum cryptography also define when quantum computing outpaces classical methods.

Walking just a bit faster could be the key to aging well. Researchers found that older adults who upped their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute significantly improved their physical abilities—even those who were already frail. A new, user-friendly smartphone app helps measure walking cadence more accurately than typical devices, making this science-backed health strategy easy to adopt. By shifting from a casual stroll to a brisker walk, older adults can stay active, independent, and energized in daily life.

Eggs are finally being vindicated after decades of cholesterol-related blame. New research from the University of South Australia reveals that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, aren't the dietary villains they've long been made out to be. Instead, it's the saturated fats found in foods like bacon and sausage that actually elevate harmful LDL cholesterol levels. In a world-first study, researchers showed that eating two eggs a day, as part of a low saturated fat diet, can even help reduce LDL cholesterol, challenging outdated guidelines and offering heart-healthy news for breakfast lovers everywhere.

Over-the-counter (OTC) products like St John’s Wort and omega-3s have long been touted for helping with depression, but new research reveals that 64 different OTC products have been tested in clinical trials, with varying levels of evidence. Some well-known options like St John’s Wort, saffron, and probiotics showed encouraging results, sometimes comparable to antidepressants. Others like folic acid, lavender, and lemon balm show emerging promise. Although few safety concerns were reported, researchers stress the need for better safety reporting and more studies, especially on commonly used but understudied herbal remedies.

Many people with dementia endure long delays often over 3 years before receiving a diagnosis, with even longer waits for younger patients. A global review of over 30,000 cases reveals that age, dementia type, and systemic healthcare issues like specialist access and cultural barriers contribute to these delays. Researchers call for coordinated strategies to raise public awareness, reduce stigma, and train clinicians to recognize early symptoms and streamline referrals.

Penn State researchers have uncovered a surprising twist in a foundational chemical reaction known as oxidative addition. Typically believed to involve transition metals donating electrons to organic compounds, the team discovered an alternate path—one in which electrons instead move from the organic molecule to the metal. This reversal, demonstrated using platinum and palladium exposed to hydrogen gas, could mean chemists have misunderstood a fundamental step for decades. The discovery opens the door to fresh opportunities in industrial chemistry and pollution control, especially through new reaction designs using electron-deficient metals.

Scientists at OIST have defied a foundational rule in chemistry by creating a stable 20-electron version of ferrocene—an organometallic molecule once thought to be limited to 18 valence electrons. This discovery not only challenges conventional wisdom but unlocks new chemical behaviors and redox states, potentially transforming how catalysts and materials are designed.

A team of scientists has developed a remarkable new approach to modeling how cells behave over time—using a digital "forecast" much like predicting the weather. By combining patient genomics with a groundbreaking plain-language “hypothesis grammar,” the researchers can simulate how cells communicate and evolve within tissues. These simulations allow scientists to digitally test how cancers grow, how immune systems respond, and even how treatments might work in individual patients.

Between 2020 and 2024, COVID-19 vaccines saved 2.5 million lives globally, preventing one death for every 5,400 doses. A groundbreaking worldwide study led by researchers from Università Cattolica and Stanford University reveals that most lives were saved before individuals were exposed to the virus, particularly during the Omicron period and among those aged 60+. The researchers also calculated 14.8 million years of life saved, with the elderly gaining the majority of these benefits.

Mesopelagic fish, long overlooked in ocean chemistry, are now proven to excrete carbonate minerals much like their shallow-water counterparts—despite living in dark, high-pressure depths. Using the deep-dwelling blackbelly rosefish, researchers have demonstrated that carbonate production is consistent across ocean layers, bolstering global carbon cycle models. These findings reveal that these abundant fish play a hidden but crucial role in regulating Earth’s ocean chemistry and could reshape how we understand deep-sea contributions to climate processes.

Scientists at UCSF have uncovered how certain immune cells in the brain, called microglia, can effectively digest toxic amyloid beta plaques that cause Alzheimer’s. They identified a key receptor, ADGRG1, that enables this protective action. When microglia lack this receptor, plaque builds up quickly, causing memory loss and brain damage. But when the receptor is present, it seems to help keep Alzheimer's symptoms mild. Since ADGRG1 belongs to a drug-friendly family of receptors, this opens the door to future therapies that could enhance brain immunity and protect against Alzheimer’s in more people.

A team at KAUST has revealed that the short lifespan of aqueous batteries is primarily due to "free water" molecules triggering harmful chemical reactions at the anode. By adding affordable sulfate salts like zinc sulfate, they significantly reduced this issue—boosting battery life over tenfold. The sulfate acts as a “water glue,” stabilizing the water structure and halting the energy-wasting reactions. Not only is this solution simple and cost-effective, but early results suggest it may be a universal fix for various types of metal-anode aqueous batteries.

For over two decades, satellites have quietly documented a major crisis unfolding beneath our feet: Earth's continents are drying out at unprecedented rates. Fueled by climate change, groundwater overuse, and extreme drought, this trend has carved out four massive "mega-drying" regions across the northern hemisphere, threatening freshwater supplies for billions. Groundwater loss alone now contributes more to sea level rise than melting ice sheets, and unless urgent global water policies are enacted, we could face a catastrophic freshwater bankruptcy.

Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison uncovered a critical flaw in how lunar and Martian rovers are tested on Earth. Simulations revealed that test results have been misleading for decades because researchers only adjusted rover weight to simulate low gravity—but ignored how Earth’s gravity affects the terrain itself. Using a powerful simulation tool called Chrono, the team showed that sandy surfaces behave very differently on the Moon, where they’re fluffier and less supportive.