Scientific American – January 2024 Preview
Tag Archives: Research
Research Preview: Science Magazine – Dec 15, 2023
Obesity meets its match
Blockbuster weight loss drugs show promise for a wider range of health benefits
Obesity plays out as a private struggle and a public health crisis. In the United States, about 70% of adults are affected by excess weight, and in Europe that number is more than half. The stigma against fat can be crushing; its risks, life-threatening. Defined as a body mass index of at least 30, obesity is thought to power type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, fatty liver disease, and certain cancers.
At last, modest headway against Alzheimer’s
Medicine has had little to offer the tens of millions of people worldwide with Alzheimer’s disease, and the few approved treatments have only targeted symptoms. But in January, U.S. regulators greenlit the first drug that clearly, if modestly, slows cognitive decline by tackling the disease’s underlying biology; a second, related treatment is close behind. Neither comes close to a cure, and both have serious risks, but they offer new hope to patients and families.
Research Preview: Nature Magazine Dec 14, 2023
BICCN: The first complete cell census and atlas of a mammalian brain
Generating a complete multimodal cell census and atlas of the mouse brain through collaborative data collection, tool development and analysis.
How immense mountains create one of the rainiest places on Earth
The western coast of Colombia can get more than 26 metres of rain a year, thanks to the influence of air jets hitting the Andes range.
This bird escaped extinction — but its genes hint at an ominous future
The extravagantly feathered Seychelles paradise flycatcher lacks genetic diversity, which might hamper its resilience to climate change and other threats.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – Dec 8, 2023
What are farm animals thinking?
New research is revealing surprising complexity in the minds of goats, pigs, and other livestock
Delivering drugs with microrobots
Biomedical microrobots could overcome current challenges in targeted therapies
The unsustainable harvest of coastal sands
Sustainable management approaches are needed to protect coastal environments
Research Preview: Nature Magazine Dec 7, 2023
A 27,000-year-old pyramid? Controversy hits an extraordinary archaeological claim
The massive buried structures at Gunung Padang in Indonesia would be much older than Egypt’s great pyramids — if they’re even human constructions at all.
Humanity’s oldest art is flaking away. Can scientists save it?
Ancient humans painted scenes in Indonesian caves more than 45,000 years ago, but their art is disappearing rapidly. Researchers are trying to discover what’s causing the damage and how to stop it — before the murals are gone forever.
Tinkering with immune cells gives cancer treatment a boost
Tumours respond more readily to radiation and other therapies in mice without a specific protein in their dendritic cells.
Analysis: U.S. Builds Drone Fleet To Counter China
Video timeline: 0:00 Autonomous systems 0:40 The need for next-generation drones 1:49 Scaling up 4:07 Keeping up with China
It’s a race against the clock, as Beijing has militarized islands in the South China Sea, and President Xi Jinping has ordered his military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Some experts are skeptical the U.S. military can work fast enough to meet its goals.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – Dec 1, 2023
Oldest forts challenge views of hunter-gatherers
8000 years ago—long before farming arrived—people in Siberia built defensive structures
DeepMind predicts millions of new materials
AI-powered discovery could lead to revolutions in electronics, batteries, and solar cells
Penguins snatch seconds-long microsleeps
Chinstrap penguins fall asleep thousands of times per day in the wild
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Nov 30, 2023
‘Early dark energy’ fails to solve mystery of cosmic expansion
The extra ingredient would explain why the Universe is expanding so fast now — but conflicts with data from ancient quasars.
Huge California wildfires seeded cirrus clouds half a world away
Smoke from record-breaking fires in 2020 travelled all the way to Cyprus, where it helped to trigger cloud formation.
These falcons excel at problem-solving — and outdo some of the world’s smartest birds
A bird of prey called the striated caracara can figure out puzzles that are a struggle for Goffin’s cockatoos, which are known for their intelligence.
Research Preview: Science Magazine – Nov 24, 2023
Rude awakening
The appearance of a “tropical” mosquito-borne illness in southeastern Australia has unsettled researchers
Giving birth gives birth to neurons
In mice, pregnancy results in new neurons that support recognition of pups
Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Nov 23, 2023
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Earth just had its hottest year on record — climate change is to blame
Around 7.3 billion people faced temperatures strongly influenced by global warming over the past year.
UK first to approve CRISPR treatment for diseases: what you need to know
The landmark decision could transform the treatment of sickle-cell disease and β-thalassaemia — but the technology is expensive.
How AI is expanding art history
From identifying disputed artworks to reconstructing lost masterpieces, artificial intelligence is enriching how we interpret our cultural heritage.
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