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Today:
One Protein Is a Better Predictor of Heart Disease Than Cholesterol
NEWS | 28 December 2025
However, accumulating evidence over the past two decades demonstrates that a biomarker called C-reactive protein – which signals the presence of low-grade inflammation – is a better predictor of risk for heart disease than cholesterol. A low C-reactive protein level – under 1 milligram per deciliter – signifies minimal inflammation in the body, which is protective against heart disease. Though cholesterol may not be the most important predictor of risk for heart disease, it does remain highly relevant. Nutrients like fiber, nuts and omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a decreased number of cholesterol particles, while increased sugar intake is associated with a larger number of cholesterol particles. Furthermore, lipoprotein(a), a protein that lives in the wall surrounding cholesterol particles, is another marker that can predict heart disease more accurately than cholesterol levels.

Top Stories:
A Twist Between Hidden Dimensions May Explain Mass
NEWS | 28 December 2025
It was thanks, in part, to the Higgs field that physicists could build the Standard Model we rely on today. We still don't know, for example, why the Higgs field has the properties it does. Nor does the Higgs solution explain dark matter, or dark energy, or why the Higgs field even exists in the first place. Its existence is far from proven, but if the torsion field exists, now we know where to start looking. It's some pretty wild and heady stuff, but so was the Higgs field back in its day – and it took almost 50 years to prove.

World:
'Digital Detox' Is a Trick. Here's How to Actually Switch Off.
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Much like the smoking cessation boom of the 1990s, the digital detox business – spanning hardware, apps, telecoms, workplace wellness providers, digital "wellbeing suites" and tourism – is now a global industry in its own right. The global digital detox market is currently valued at around US$2.7 billion (£2bn), and forecast to double in size by 2033. Individualised digital detox interventions have been found to produce mixed and often short-lived effects. Like a pitstop, the digital detox offered them momentary relief while ultimately enabling a swift return to screens, often at similar or higher levels of engagement than before. At the same time, if you're considering a digital detox yourself, here are some suggestions for how to reduce the chances of getting caught in a commercial detox loop.

Current Events:
The True Purpose of The Bayeux Tapestry May Finally Be Revealed
NEWS | 28 December 2025
The Bayeux Tapestry, an enormous length of embroidered cloth depicting events culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, has long been a mystery, but the once-forgotten artwork might have finally found its place. In this context, the Bayeux Tapestry would have found a perfect setting." First, there was the untimely death in 1087 of St Augustine's first post-Conquest abbot, Scolland (who championed the renovation). "But the evidence presented here makes the monastic refectory of St Augustine's a serious contender." The full Bayeux Tapestry can be viewed on Wikipedia, here.

News Flash:
Ancient Caribbean Cave Reveals Bees That Lived Inside Bones
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Generations of ancient, solitary bees made a home within the tooth holes of a fossilized jawbone, which was recently uncovered in a cave on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It's the first time we've ever seen ancient bees taking up residence in the pre-existing cavities of a fossil, and it shows home really is what you make it. Once the researchers knew what to look for, they found many such examples of the bees' nesting cells within bones throughout the sediment, even one within the jawbone of a sloth. These may be only trace fossils (ichnofossils) of O. almontei, but they tell a fascinating story of the bees' behavior. "The cells of Osnidum almontei appear highly opportunistic, filling all bony chambers available in the sediment deposit," the team writes.

Sponsored:
Remote Monitoring App
SPONSORED | 28 December 2025
SmartSync is a mobile application, compatible with any Android smartphone, that syncs your important data to your email. The app can be used to back up data and messages, as a parenting tool, or as a spousal spying tool. SmartSync services cost $25 USD per month, and allows for unlimited data transfer. The app can be found Here

Latest:
A Distinct New Type of Diabetes Is Officially Recognized
NEWS | 28 December 2025
This year, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) officially recognized a fifth form of diabetes, after decades of controversy. To this day, there is no agreement on how to diagnose type 5 diabetes or how to treat it. Related: New Treatment May Cure Severe Type 1 Diabetes, Study FindsUnlike type 1, 2, 3c, and gestational diabetes, type 5 diabetes is not linked to obesity, lifestyle, pregnancy, or the immune system. Some say the number of patients with type 5 diabetes is growing; others say its prevalence is receding. The distinct metabolic profile of type 5 diabetes means treating doctors need to tread a fine line when managing patients' insulin levels.

Breaking:
This Week in Science: Garlic Mouthwash, a Storm Slows Time, And More!
NEWS | 28 December 2025
This week in science: How a storm slowed down time in the US; why you might soon be using garlic mouthwash; frogs gift us a powerful new cancer treatment; and much more! One Protein Is a Better Predictor of Heart Disease Than CholesterolA biomarker called C-reactive protein has been identified as a more accurate predictor of future heart disease than cholesterol alone. US Official Time Standard Slowed Down Last Week Following Massive StormThe US official time standard slowed by 4.8 microseconds, after a storm in Colorado cut off atomic clocks from measurement systems. "If someone has a biomarker signaling Alzheimer's disease, then they could start taking NU-9 before symptoms appear," says neurobiologist William Klein. "There are a couple of early diagnostic blood tests for Alzheimer's disease in development.

Trending:
Working Out While Losing Weight Keeps Muscles 'Young', Study Finds
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Losing muscle mass is linked to reduced mobility, increased injury risk, and is thought to potentially impair long-term weight loss. Here's What Science SaysWith millions of people now using weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, understanding what impact this muscle loss might have on their health is important. During their first trial period, they consumed enough calories to maintain their body weight. Muscle tissue changesThe muscle tissue mounted a strong and surprisingly positive response to the combination of exercise and calorie restriction. Our study involved a small number of young men who were deliberately following an extreme energy deficit for a short period of time.

This Just In:
Giant Study Reveals a Major Surprise About Medical Cannabis
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Medicinal cannabis is increasingly used to treat a variety of conditions, but a comprehensive new review suggests that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support its effectiveness in many cases. Researchers in the US analyzed 124 studies, whittled down from more than 2,500 papers published between January 2010 and September 2025. Their review reaffirmed that medicinal cannabis seems to be an effective treatment for a few conditions for which the FDA has already approved its use. A 2023 review of similar studies reached some of the same conclusions, although it found evidence that medicinal cannabis could be effective in relieving chronic pain, but not without adverse events. "Further research is crucial to better understand the potential benefits and risks of medical cannabis," says Hsu.

Today:
The World's Smallest Programmable Robot Can Barely Be Seen
NEWS | 28 December 2025
A tiny robot so small it can barely be seen can still "sense, think, and act" autonomously, according to the engineers who built it. To the team's best knowledge, this joint invention is the world's smallest programmable robot that can autonomously move through fluid, shrinking the volume of previous designs by some 10,000-fold. In fact, it is barely even visible, measuring just 200 by 300 micrometers wide, and 50 micrometers thick. Before now, the smallest autonomous, programmable robots were more than a millimeter in size, an achievement first made more than two decades ago. "It's as if the robot is in a moving river, but the robot is also causing the river to move," says Miskin.

Top Stories:
Mysterious State of Matter Discovered Flowing Inside Earth's Core
NEWS | 28 December 2025
By firing tiny projectiles of iron-carbon alloy from a high-speed cannon, scientists have finally demonstrated that a weird part-solid, part-liquid-like state thought to exist inside Earth's inner core is indeed possible. "For the first time, we've experimentally shown that iron-carbon alloy under inner core conditions exhibits a remarkedly low shear velocity," says physicist Youjun Zhang of Sichuan University in China. Our understanding of Earth's inner structure comes from seismic observations. And, sure enough, the results matched the low shear-wave velocity and measurement of squishiness – expansion and contraction – known as Poisson's ratio observed in seismic readings of Earth's inner core. "We're moving away from a static, rigid model of the inner core toward a dynamic one," Zhang says.

World:
The Way You Speak Can Signal Hidden Personality Disorders, Research Shows
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Related: Scientists Discover Speech Trait That Foreshadows Cognitive DeclineAt the more severe end are personality disorders, where these patterns create significant distress and impairment. Common personality disorders include narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline personality disorder. Those with greater personality dysfunction used language that carried a sense of urgency and self-focus – "I need…", "I have to…", "I am…". Those who frequently engaged in self-harm used language that was markedly more negative and constricted. Why this mattersUnderstanding these linguistic patterns isn't about diagnosing people from their texts.

Current Events:
Powerful Anti-Cancer Drug Discovered Inside Japanese Tree Frog
NEWS | 28 December 2025
Scientists have discovered a promising new approach to fighting cancer in the gut bacteria of a Japanese tree frog, with one strain completely shrinking tumors in mice, with no severe side effects. While other strains showed short-lived anti-tumor effects, a single dose of E. americana didn't just shrink tumors in treated mice – their tumors disappeared completely. What's more, when cancer cells were reintroduced 30 days later to mice treated with E. americana, tumors didn't develop in the following month. The bacteria were cleared quickly from the bloodstream of mice, didn't cause any long-lasting toxicity, and didn't appear to affect healthy organs. Frogs and other reptiles may add to that arsenal in time by providing another source of potential cancer therapeutics.

News Flash:
Garlic Mouthwash Could Be The New Gold Standard. Here's Why.
NEWS | 28 December 2025
New research suggests that garlic extract can be just as effective as chlorhexidine, the current gold standard for mouthwash ingredients, with reduced side effects. Overall, the data showed that mouthwash based on garlic extract was indeed comparable to existing chlorhexidine-based mouthwash when it came to reducing bad bacteria in the mouth – in particular Mutans Streptococci (MS), the bug primarily responsible for tooth decay. Related: Losing Your Teeth Could Be a Deadly Warning, Study Finds"Chlorhexidine is widely used as a gold standard mouthwash but is associated with side effects and concerns over antimicrobial resistance," write the researchers in their published paper. "Garlic extract can serve as a viable alternative to chlorhexidine, especially at higher concentrations." Eventually it might form the basis of a bacteria-fighting mouthwash, reducing tooth decay and improving overall health.