Planets & Transits
New Moon in Leo August 12, 2026
The New Moon arrives in Leo August 12 at 8:36 PM UTC, and with it comes a singular...
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- Written by: Margaret Morris, Professor of Pharmacology, Head of Pharmacology, UNSW Australia
We all know that cola and lemonade aren’t great for our waistline or our dental health, but our new study on rats has shed light on just how much damage sugary drinks can also do to our brain. The changes we observed to the region of the brain that controls emotional behaviour and cognitive function were more extensive than those
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- Written by: David Salisbury, Vanderbilt University
"The brain is incredibly complex, so it's reasonable to expect that introducing changes from a different evolutionary path might have negative consequences," says Corinne Simonti.
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- Written by: Christopher Maher, Associate Professor, Urogynaecology Royal Brisbane and Women's and Wesley Hospitals Brisbane , The University of Queensland
A common surgery to treat vaginal prolapse using an artificially grafted mesh has more problems than benefits, our Cohrane review has found. Women who underwent the operation had high rates of needing repeat surgery due to mesh exposure, bladder injury and urinary incontinence.
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- Written by: Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle
Don’t limit yourself to grapefruit – increasing the amount and variety of fruit and vegetables can help you lose weight. Monday – start diet. Tuesday – break diet! Wednesday – plan to start again next Monday.
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- Written by: Bruno Gran, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Nottingham
Multiple sclerosis affects millions of people worldwide. It’s a neurological disease characterised by inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) that cause damage to the myelin sheath – the protective layer around the nerve cells. This causes neurological dysfunction, such as muscle paralysis or loss of sensation.
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- Written by: Rhi Willmot, PhD Researcher in Behavioural and Positive Psychology, Bangor University
Do the same rules that govern human attraction also apply to our choices of fruit and vegetables? Plenty of evidence suggests we do look for similar traits in both people and produce, and our perceptions of food are clearly affected by what
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- Written by: Dominic Ali, University of Toronto
A new study has uncovered a strong link between schizophrenia and the likelihood of attempting suicide. The risk is particularly high for women, people with substance abuse issues, and those who were abused when they were children.
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- Written by: Emily Boynton, University of Rochester
Scientists have discovered a way to make a nasal spray flu vaccine safer for those who are at greatest risk of catching the flu, particularly infants under the age of 2.
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- Written by: Peter Rüegg, ETH Zurich
A new water filter can remove toxic heavy metal ions and radioactive substances in just one pass.
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- Written by: Kate Moore, Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Head of Department of Urogynaecology, UNSW Australia
Urinary incontinence is often seen as a degrading condition and women can feel too ashamed to seek help. Urinary incontinence is urine leakage from a loss of bladder control that mainly affects women
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- Written by: Cameron Webb, Clinical Lecturer and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney
What’s the worst thing you could be burdened with this Valentine’s Day? Unrequited love? Unwanted affection? Unpaid invoice from the local florist? How about an itchy dose of pubic lice? Pubic lice, Phthirus pubis, or “crabs” as more commonly...
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- Written by: Ya-Ling Liou, D.C.
No one says it better than Dick Van Dyke in his new book Keep Moving. The secret to maintaining lasting agility lies in joyful movement. Van Dyke turns a very vibrant 90 years old this year, and he continues to not only hit the gym every day, but to dance every chance he gets -- not for the exercise, but simply because he enjoys it!
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- Written by: Holly Shive-Texas A&M
"For some individuals, this simple nutritional supplement might really help reduce the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder. Any progress on the prevention front would be welcome given the number of people affected," says Zhigang Xie.
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- Written by: Carol Smith, Our World
What do you know about your endocrine system? Possibly not as much as you should, seeing as how almost every organ and cell in the body is affected by it. This under-appreciated collection of glands selects and removes materials from the blood, processes them and secretes the finished chemical products, or hormones, back into the bloodstream.
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- Written by: Lisa Chedekel-Boston University
"The simple step of incorporating weight history clarifies the risks of obesity and shows that they are much higher than appreciated," says Andrew Stokes.
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- Written by: Andrea Rinaldi, SciDev.Net
Farming insects on a large scale is no more of a biological or chemical hazard than other livestock farming, says a report by a European food safety body.- Details
- Written by: Clifton B. Parker-Stanford
People don’t read diet books just to lose weight. They serve as both “myths and manuals” for a better world, a new analysis of contemporary diet books suggests.
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- Written by: Blake Bauer
Everything happens for a reason, including health challenges of the mind and body. Although this may be difficult to accept, my view is that we make ourselves sick and miserable looking for love and attention outside ourselves.
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- Written by: Kitty Gifford-Cornell University
Scientists are taking a closer look at the main breakdown product of aspirin, called salicylic acid, and its potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
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- Written by: Ondrea Levine
Before i was informed that I was “profoundly dyslexic,” I just thought I was stupid and too weird to cultivate friends. In school, I would get an A for creativity over a D for atrocious grammar. I was having considerable difficulty reading anything, much less a map. I had trouble telling my right from my left, I could not comprehend most directions, I was lost much of the time.
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- Written by: Brad Willis aka Bhava Ram
With all the noise of society—busy highways, bustling cities, mass media, and television sets blaring everywhere—our minds can’t help but be highly agitated and polluted. I now avoid all this as much as humanly possible, especially the television. It’s now hard to believe that I was a reporter on television for more than two decades.
