Tabby's star may be orbited by a planetary-mass companion
By analyzing data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and conducting new radial velocity measurements, U.K. and French astronomers have found evidence that the mysterious Tabby's star may be orbited by an object about nine times more massive than Jupiter. The new findings are published on the preprint server arXiv.
Matcha is under threat from climate change – can genomics save it? | New Scientist
Mount Fuji surrounded by green tea plantations in Shizuoka, Japan tawatchai prakobkit/Alamy
Climate change is wreaking havoc on matcha, traditional Japanese tea that has become a popular addition to iced lattes and even doughnuts around the world. Japan’s hotter nights and erratic spring temperatures are reducing yields and impacting the plant’s distinct umami flavour. But tea growers are starting to use genomic selection to overcome this, by identifying markers of heat tolerance in the plant’s seedlings.
'Dead stars' may have surprisingly healthy appetites
"Dead stars" known as white dwarfs have already shown the potential to help us better understand how planetary systems, including our own solar system, take shape and evolve. Now, research from the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that potential could be even greater than anticipated.
Peptides are the latest wellness trend – but do they work? | New Scientist
Spas and clinics are offering peptides to combat many conditions Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images
Peptides are everywhere, so much so that wellness spas, massage parlours, chiropractor offices and rehabilitation clinics, particularly in the US but also in countries like the UK, are offering peptide injections.
Industrial poultry farming is accelerating the spread of a major foodborne disease
A new study by the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research at the University of Oxford reveals that industrial poultry farming has led to a more than 100-fold increase in the movement of Campylobacter, allowing strains that once circulated in wild birds to mix extensively in commercial poultry populations.
Hidden DNA copying may give bacteria a faster route to antibiotic resistance
The dangers of antibiotic overuse have become increasingly clear in recent decades. Excessive use accelerates the evolution of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, raising the alarming prospect of infections that no longer respond to existing drugs and pose a serious threat to public health.
New research turns the Dunning-Kruger effect on its head: Rethinking the confident incompetent
Researchers at the University of Bath and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) suggest that the celebrated Dunning-Kruger effect, often taken to mean the least competent people are the most overconfident, may actually be the wrong way around.
New research reveals mass shootings and suicide deaths share summer peaks
A new study has found that mass shootings and deaths by suicide in the United States share seasonal patterns, reaching their highest levels during summer months. Analyzing national data spanning 2014–2021, researchers observed consistent summertime peaks in both mass shootings and suicide deaths, suggesting that common environmental, behavioral or biological factors may contribute to seasonal fluctuations in these forms of violence.
Why Jupiter has several giant moons but Saturn has only Titan
Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the Solar System, and both are surrounded by enormous families of moons. Jupiter currently has more than 100 reported moons, while Saturn, which is also encircled by an extensive ring system, has more than 280.
After 241 days in orbit this NASA astronaut is finally home
NASA astronaut Chris Williams returned to Earth on Sunday after completing an eight month science mission aboard the International Space Station. He traveled home with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.