Sleep deprivation leads to buildup of danger molecules in the gut

Fruit fly experiments show personality emerges, in part, from genetic factors

A 2025 study revealed that fruit flies exhibit unique behavioral preferences, akin to personalities, which could be artificially selected for when breeding to modify behavioral variability. This variability can be adaptive in unpredictable environments.

In 2017, researchers won a Nobel Prize for their work controlling fruit fly circadian rhythms

This detailed circadian rhythm infographic breaks down a day in the biological life of a fly, providing a peek at some of the groundbreaking work that elicited a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The brain will attempt to rest itself in periods of chronic sleep deprivation

Skimping on sleep lengthens reaction times and blunts decision-making skills. At a certain point, the brain will try to sneak sleep where it can, shifting sections offline even as you remain awake. Going without sleep raises blood pressure, undermines the immune system, and increases one's risk of dementia.

Multiple new research paths may lead to slowing (or even reversing) aging

Aging has always been inevitable, but fasting, epigenetic reprogramming, and parabiosis seem to help people stay young. By studying centenarians, memory, and even the humble roundworm, scientists are looking for the genetic basis to live not just a long life, but a healthy one.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Genetics play a role in the reliability of the body's biological clocks

Growing evidence suggests genetics influence when, how long, and how well one sleeps, meaning insomnia may have a genetic component. While exact insomnia biomarkers have yet to be determined, some genes, including those related to psychiatric disorders, have been implicated.

Artificial lighting and modern practices like working late are linked with sleep shifts

An analysis of five adults participating in a German reality program that tasked them with living in a Stone-Age-like settlement for 2.5 months, provided some insights into how modern conditions may have shifted our circadian rhythms. The participants slept about 90 minutes more under these conditions, and went to bed earlier and rose earlier, raising questions about how circadian rhythms, sleep, and sleep quality are affected by modern lifestyles.

Billions of flies are being dropped from the sky

The US is dropping billions of sterile flies to stop a deadly parasite. Screwworm maggots eat animals alive, so scientists are collapsing the population by ensuring females can’t reproduce.

The deadly genetic disease that steals shut-eye

Few are haunted by fatal familial insomnia. This neurodegenerative disease is typically carried through bloodlines via genetic mutation of the prion protein gene, forcing the body to create abnormal and pathological protein variations that can corrupt normal versions. This article follows a musician as they attempt to come to terms with the FFI plaguing their family (and, possibly, their future).

Model organisms like yeast, mice, and flies help scientists decode the human body

Some species are used to quickly study the effects of human diseases and treatments because they are short-lived and have similar systems to those found in humans. Bacteria, like E. coli, have been used as human proxies given their rapid growth and ease of genetic manipulability.

Research advances suggest death takes much longer than we realized

Recent research indicates that organs, including the brain, are better at handling a lack of oxygen after the heart stops beating than previously known. Such findings may open up possibilities that include someday reversing certain death processes and expanding the availability of organs available for organ donations. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Ticks survived 27 years in a lab, including eight without food

Research published in 2022 set a new record for tick longevity. A group of adult African ticks that are normally found in eastern and southern Africa lived in a laboratory for 27 years, including eight without food. What's more, one of the females laid eggs at least four years after the last male died. Most ticks, on average, reportedly live for six months to three years.

Dangers of a record-breaking, sleep-skipping stunt

In 1963, 17-year-old Randy Gardner decided to stay awake for as long as it took to break the current world record. He managed to stay awake for 11 days. In 2017, the then-71-year-old Gardner told NPR that his experience had come back to haunt him as insomnia. The challenge has since been removed from the Guinness Book of World Records due to its dangerous consequences.

Bacteria have been genetically engineered to bioluminesce when wine has spoiled

Developed by researchers at Hebrew University, the method involves the firefly enzyme luciferase, which emits light from within bacteria expressing when they are in the presence of acetic acid vapors produced by wine. The process provides affordable, on-site, real-time monitoring of fermentation quality.

Fireflies light up to provide mating signals and warnings to predators

Variations in the illumination patterns and flight paths while emitting light have been observed across firefly species. Some species instead rely on pheromones if they are primarily active during the day or have lost the ability to illuminate.

Why physiology and genetics prevent king bees from existing

The mating process is fatal to male honey bees, as their endophallus detaches from their bodies and remains temporarily within the queen. Because fertilized honey bee eggs develop into female bees, if a male somehow did survive and become king, his line of succession would also abruptly end.

Heatstroke can reprogram your DNA, putting survivors at risk of future health problems

Severe illness from extreme heat exposure can alter DNA through epigenetics—turning genes "on" or "off" to shape disease risk. These changes can place an organism at greater risk of future health complications—unlike the epigenetic changes produced by moderate, repeated heat exposures.

Symptoms of DNA loss may mimic those seen in mushroom poisoning or chemotherapy

Although no organism has ever lost all its DNA, the destroying angel mushroom contains amatoxin, which disrupts DNA transcription and is known to cause death via liver and kidney failure in three days. Doxorubicin, which tangles DNA to disrupt cellular replication, compromises a person's immune system.

Long-term memory issues among West Nile survivors may be from immune response, not virus

Rodent research suggests that long-term neurological complications such as fatigue, weakness, difficulty walking, and memory loss, may be due to the immune system systematically destroying parts of neurons in the brain in response to the infection, rather than due to viral infection itself.

Tardigrades’ intrinsically disordered proteins may help preserve biological matter

Researchers have attempted to create more drought-resistant crops by introducing proteins that help protect tardigrades in their dehydrated tun state. The proteins’ ability to stabilize molecular degradation may allow scientists to develop refrigeration-free storage for vaccines, insulin, and blood.

During the first Biosphere 2 mission, crew members lost 16% of their body weight

Food and oxygen shortages drove the “Biospherians” to split into two factions—one seeking to bring in outside resources and another aiming to maintain isolation for the experiment’s integrity. Psychological stress was exacerbated further by the increasing prevalence of insect pests.

Testing five common beliefs about bedbugs

Bedbugs are one of the most stigmatized pest infestations due to their resilience and tendency to dwell where humans are most unconscious for long periods of time: beds. A bedbug problem can lead to horror stories and intensive interventions to...

The stages of fasting

What happens to the body when it goes without caloric intake? This article overviews the immediate physical effects of fasting. Within a day of going without food, the body will have used up its glucose stores and ordered the liver and muscles to convert their glycogen (glucose storage) into usable glucose. By the second day, glycogen stores will run out, forcing the body to use fat as energy. This process is known as ketosis.

Brain studies suggest some animals do dream (sort of)

Studies on sleeping cats, rats, fish, and finches show that their brains fire as if performing actions from waking life. Spiders and insects also have REM-like sleep. Whether these findings indicate that animals dream depends on one's definition of dreaming.

Microgravity can alter the evolution of viruses and bacteria

Experiments conducted on the International Space Station have shown that microgravity environments can delay viral and bacterial infections and induce mutations not seen on Earth. These mutations could have implications for long-term space missions and human health and suggest space can serve as a testing ground for developing new therapeutic approaches.

Stress evolved as a survival mechanism to keep humans alive

Stress activates the “fight-or-flight” response when we face threats. It’s triggered by the hypothalamus, which signals the release of adrenaline and cortisol, heightening awareness and energy. While acute stress helps in short bursts, chronic stress—persistent over time—can harm both physical and mental health, leading to conditions like hypertension, anxiety, or depression.

Astronauts have repaired genetic damage in space using CRISPR—a molecular tool that can make precise changes to DNA and is used in single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

Apeirophobia is an overwhelming fear of living forever, perhaps stemming from the brain's inability to conceptualize an infinite life.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

Scientists testing how climate change affects plants found, in a years-long simulation study, that poison ivy grew 70% faster with the resulting extra carbon dioxide.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

The American cockroach is actually from Africa, an apparent hitchhiker aboard ships carrying enslaved people, with evidence suggesting the bug may have arrived in the New World as early as the 1600s.

Learn how your body is, scientifically, like a firework with its own slow, controlled burn.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Scientists have struggled to pin down Ebola's natural reservoir species for decades, but the available evidence suggests that it's very likely fruit and insect-eating bats found in Africa.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

While atoms are normally made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, exotic ones have been built with antimatter—alternate versions of normal matter that live for fractions of a second and are about a billion times as rare.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

In 1945, Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and legendary animator Walt Disney began collaborating on a short film that was not completed until 2003, years after both men had died.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.