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Soil and water around military bases show elevated levels of Pfas pollution due to chemicals used in firefighting foamMany US military veterans have much higher levels of Pfas “forever chemicals” in their blood than non-veterans, new peer-reviewed research finds, raising more questions about health risks the nation’s service members face after serving at polluted bases.Ground water, surface water and soil around military bases show among the highest levels of Pfas pollution in the US because the chemicals are used in firefighting foam deployed during training and emergencies. While the problem has been clear for over a decade, the new Brown University-led study is the first to compare levels in veterans’ blood with those in civilians. Continue reading...

Participants in Pittsburgh may never learn the results of their cognitive tests – and funding cuts that target ‘DEI’ have the potential to delay vital diagnosesRoderick Blair was surprised when scientific researchers appeared on his doorstep in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Here, on a recent summer day, police cars, an ambulance and a TV reporter crowded into a driveway on the edge of the neighborhood. A helicopter swung overhead. Saplings peeked over rooflines from gutters, windows were broken, screens tattered, doors boarded up and rippling sidewalks crumbled. Bedraggled chain link fences held back the season’s tall grass. Continue reading...

• Researchers published a study in Nature Communications finding that the January 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption destroyed methane on an unprecedented scale. • Satellite instruments tracked the chemical destruction continuously for more than ten days following the volcanic event. • Professor Matthew Johnson of the University of Copenhagen noted that this chemical mechanism occurred in the stratosphere, where physical conditions differ from previous observations.

The Trump administration canceled a grant studying two low-income, majority Black neighborhoods in PittsburghScientific funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration may force researchers to close a study on Alzheimer’s disease risk among 600 aging people without sharing the results of cognitive tests with participants – even though researchers have all the data to do so.The Trump administration canceled a federal research grant studying two low-income, majority Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August. Researchers were given 90 days to shut down the study – more than five months earlier than planned. Now, they lack the time and money to assess data collected from trial participants. Continue reading...

• A new study warns that natural climate feedback loops, where warming triggers more emissions from the earth, could increase global warming by 30%. • These loops involve the release of methane and carbon dioxide from natural sources like thawing permafrost and warming oceans. • This acceleration means the planet could reach critical temperature thresholds faster than current human-led emission models predict.

Scientists say global heating was a destabilising factor in collapse of 200,000 sq metre glacier in AugustClimate breakdown probably weakened the glacier that collapsed causing catastrophic floods and killing hundreds of people in Nepal and Tibet last month, the first scientific study of the disaster has found.Researchers identified unusually warm conditions before the glacier’s collapse, which sent an avalanche of 110m cubic metres (3,885 cu ft) of snow and ice into the valley below. This triggered flash floods on an almost unprecedented scale, hitting communities downstream without warning. Continue reading...

• A new industry-commissioned study suggests that implementing a federal film tax credit could increase U.S. production spending by $125 billion. • The report estimates that this tax incentive would create more than 143,000 new jobs across the film and television sectors. • This policy would likely increase the competitiveness of the U.S. market against other regions that offer similar production incentives.

Belgian government unable to agree on evacuation of 13 students to take up scholarships at universitiesStudents who are unable to leave Gaza and take up scholarships at Belgian universities have said they are devastated after Belgium’s government hit deadlock on a plan enabling them to leave the war-torn territory.Ahmed Abujami, a 28-year-old doctor in Gaza, said he was “deeply disappointed” after Belgium’s five-party coalition government last Friday failed to agree on an evacuation plan for 13 students and researchers in the territory. Abujami has a scholarship to do a one-year master’s degree in public health at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. He hopes to gain skills and experience to rebuild Gaza’s shattered health system. Continue reading...

Nearly half of minority ethnic respondents in a poll say they have faced prejudice over the past year Many Britons feel inequality is worsening and that discrimination has become more common, according to a thinktank study.The report by British Future has found that people across ethnic groups believe racial equality is worsening in Britain. One in six people are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Continue reading...

• A new study identifies a blind spot in how science measures breakthroughs, specifically regarding "multiples" where two teams make the same discovery simultaneously. • The research highlights historical examples of shared breakthroughs, such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace both discovering evolution. • This gap in measurement means that credit for major scientific advancements can be lost or misattributed when multiple groups reach the same conclusion at once.

• Scientists analyzed a catalog of nearly 3,000 type Ia supernovas, which occur when white dwarf stars explode after absorbing too much matter from companion stars. • The study found evidence that dark energy may evolve over time rather than remaining fixed, challenging the standard model of cosmology. • This discovery suggests that the fundamental force driving the expansion of the universe is dynamic, which could change how physicists calculate the universe's ultimate fate.

At least 760,000 children in England and Wales missed lessons as more than 1,700 schools closed or finished earlyThe gruelling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to closures during the heatwave – one of five to batter the UK this summer – as temperatures inside some classrooms topped 40C, leaving pupils and staff suffering from heat stress, nausea and headaches. Continue reading...

Emissions of planet-heating methane and CO2 from natural sources are worsening the climate crisis, paper saysRising global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels are transforming the world’s forests, wetlands and tundra to the point they are releasing emissions that could further worsen global heating by as much as 30%, a new study has found.As the world heats up, permafrost in the high latitudes is thawing, fiercer wildfires are burning in drying forests and wetlands and lakes are warming. All of these changes are themselves causing the release of planet-heating methane and carbon dioxide locked in trees and soils, therefore worsening the climate crisis, the paper states. Continue reading...

A continent-wide crisis of confidence is creating fertile ground for far-right narratives of decline, report suggestsEuropeans overwhelmingly want a strong, united and independent Europe but question whether it can get there, according to a study that suggests a continent-wide crisis of confidence is creating fertile ground for far-right narratives of decline.The report, based on 5,800 interviews in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK and analysis of the way Europe is discussed in the politics and media of 15 countries, paints a picture of an ambitious but disillusioned public. Continue reading...

Key regions of the brain linked to movement, learning and emotions were affected and may lead to cognitive problems Babies born to mothers with anaemia have smaller brains, particularly in key regions linked to movement, learning and the regulation of emotion, according to a study.Researchers said the differences, first detected at the age of one, could lead to cognitive problems when children started school. Continue reading...

Microbats and wombats among the most common species found in buildings, with some discovered in letter boxes or air conditioning systemsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPossums in the roof, bats in the curtains and ducks on the balcony: new research has revealed how native animals are making themselves at home in our houses.Researchers have analysed a decade of wildlife rescue reports and found brushtail and ringtail possums make up half of all cases of animals in buildings, followed by microbats and bare-nosed wombats. Continue reading...

• For the first time, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has surpassed North America and Europe to become the world's largest market for streaming series orders. • Driven by record commissioning activity from giants like Netflix and Amazon, growth is centered in India, South Korea, and Japan, with emerging activity in Taiwan and the Philippines. • This shift is fueled by the region's high potential for subscriber growth and the increasing global popularity of Asian-produced content.

Helen Paterson’s work on advancing how police and courts understand memory is recognised in prestigious Eureka prizesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMemory is an imperfect thing: research shows that recollections of single events – a purse being snatched, say – differ to those about repeated or ongoing events, such as incidents of domestic and family violence.“What our research shows is that compared to a single-event witness, a repeated-event witness tends to report more gist-like details, the overall details of what typically would happen, and the things that remain constant between the episodes,” said Helen Paterson, an associate professor in forensic psychology at the University of Sydney. Continue reading...

• A new study reveals that nearly 70% of new drugs approved by the FDA between 2016 and 2024 were granted approval based on a single clinical trial. • Researchers analyzed FDA records and the ClinicalTrials.gov database to track the number of supporting studies, funding sources, and the speed of public result releases. • This shift is attributed to a rise in oncology and rare-disease treatments, evolving trial norms, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nationwide research also shows average 14% premium for housing in national landscapes of England and WalesHousebuyers are paying a premium of almost a quarter to own a property located within a UK national park, with the New Forest the most expensive national park to live in, according to Britain’s biggest building society.Nationwide found that a property located within a national park cost 24% more on average than a similar property elsewhere, while buyers were also stumping up a 6% premium for homes within three miles of a national park. Continue reading...

• A recent study reveals that major U.S. newspapers prioritized political spectacle, strategy, and legal battles over substantive policy debates during the 2024 presidential race. • Coverage of election frames surged during pivotal moments, including President Biden's withdrawal from the race and the Democratic National Convention. • Reporting on Donald Trump’s legal challenges grew steadily, reaching a peak in late December and early January as court cases progressed.

• A new analysis reveals that more than two-thirds of new drugs approved by the FDA in 2024 were sanctioned based on the findings of a single study. • The report indicates a steady decline in the number of studies required for drug approval since 2016, raising concerns about the rigor of the process. • Researchers argue that this trend necessitates stronger post-market surveillance and more comprehensive trial reporting to maintain the integrity of drug approvals.

‘Godzilla’ event currently brewing could push 50 million people into acute hunger before the end of next yearA series of strong El Niño climatic patterns in recent decades, such as the “Godzilla” event currently brewing that is set to warp weather around the world, have been supercharged by the broader overheating of the planet caused by the burning of fossil fuels, a major new study has found.El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon, taking place every two to seven years, when the waters of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean heat up, causing a cascade of impacts around the world. The latest developing El Niño, set to peak later this year, is set to be the strongest in living memory and has been informally dubbed a “Godzilla” event. Continue reading...

Experts say findings mean breast screenings for cancer could also flag cardiovascular problems in womenDoctors have discovered a way to use routine mammograms that screen for breast cancer to spot heart disease, the world’s leading and frequently underdiagnosed and cause of death in women.Researchers analysed the scans using artificial intelligence and were able to successfully identify women with coronary heart disease, high blood pressure or who had suffered a stroke. Continue reading...

Scientists found those who had used hormone replacement therapy were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with dementiaHormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of dementia, a study has found.Scientists tracked more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK in the largest study of its kind. They found that those who had used HRT were 10% less likely to develop any type of dementia and 16% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the most common form, compared with those who had never used it. Continue reading...

• A multinational study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases reveals that drug-resistant hospital infections in Asia are substantial and likely underestimated, especially in low- and middle-income countries. • The report highlights a critical public health crisis where antimicrobial resistance complicates treatment and increases mortality rates across the region. • Other recent health data indicates varying vaccination rates based on race and education, while a separate analysis of 1.4 million records links vaccination to a lower risk of head and neck tumors.

Many tools fail to help victims find hidden cameras, microphones and trackers, leaving them at risk of ongoing surveillanceCommercial detectors intended to help domestic abuse victims find hidden spying devices may actually give them a false sense of security, a study has found.The consumer detection tools claim to identify hidden cameras, microphones or trackers through methods such as signal-strength readings, infrared lens detection and scanning for wifi or Bluetooth devices. Continue reading...

Even products labeled ‘eco’, ‘green’ or ‘natural’ can contain dangerous compounds including PfasCommon personal care products widely contain unlabeled toxic chemicals, results from a new peer-reviewed study suggest. The testing of more than 110 items ranging from shampoo to baby lotions found evidence of unlabeled toxic chemicals in about 85%.Many contained multiple ingredients known to be carcinogens or health hazards, and even 26% of products labeled “eco”, “green” or “natural” contained at least one dangerous compound. The products averaged more than three times as many chemicals than were listed on labels. Continue reading...