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During and after pregnancy, hormones drive profound changes in the brain’s structure and function.

Pregnancy Changes Mothers’ Brains. These Recent Discoveries Are Showing Us How

“Baby brain” isn’t the deficit it’s stereotyped to be, research suggests. Neural adaptations during pregnancy can prime soon-to-be-moms to become more attuned to their children and enhance social cognition

An illustration of lymphocytes, or white blood cells in the immune system, which include T cells and other disease-fighting cells

You’ve Been Told to ‘Feed a Cold.’ Turns Out, Eating May Truly Boost Your Immune System Cells, According to a New Study

T cells, which target infection and disease, can become more effective after a meal. The finding might help improve cancer-fighting therapies and optimize our response to vaccines

The new Smart Cinema theater collects biometric data to track in-the-moment reactions to on-screen action.

Why Do We Love Movies? This New ‘Smart’ Movie Theater Tracks Viewers’ Brain Waves and Heart Rates to Find Out

Researchers at the University of Bristol are studying the appeal of the cinema-watching experience by turning one theater into a biometric laboratory

Astronauts struggle to adapt to weightlessness, even after months on the International Space Station, a study suggests.

Astronauts’ Memories of Earth’s Gravity May Influence How They Move and Hold Objects, Even After Months in Space

Examining the fine motor skills of space travelers can help improve safety for future missions, scientists say

Rats and other rodents have front teeth that grow continuously, so they gnaw to keep them healthy and in shape. 

Rodents Don’t Gnaw Just to Trim Their Teeth—It Also Feels Good, According to a New Study

The findings could help humans who grind their teeth or clench their jaws

Researchers studied data from nearly 125,000 pre- and post-menopausal women.

How Do Menopause and a Treatment to Manage Its Symptoms Affect the Brain and Mental Health?

New research suggests an association between menopause and anxiety, depression and shrinkage in certain brain regions—which hormone replacement therapy might not mitigate

The Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver in 1978. Lisa Pantages, second from the left, will complete her 64th annual plunge this New Year’s.

‘Excitement With a Little Dash of Fear’: Polar Plunges Ring in the New Year With a Splash. But What Actually Happens to Your Body?

Three experts share the science behind taking a dip in cold water—and offer safety tips that any potential plungers should bear in mind

Students learn anatomy from an Asclepius AI Table, which merges interactive elements and artificial intelligence.

Medical Students Are Learning Anatomy From Digital Cadavers. Can Technology Ever Replace Real Human Bodies?

From interactive diagrams to A.I. assistants, virtual tools are beginning to supplant physical dissections in some classrooms

New research strives to understand what happens in the brain at the transitions between sleeping and being awake.

At the Mysterious Boundary Between Waking Life and Sleep, What Happens in the Brain?

Neuroscientists studying the shifts between sleep and awareness are finding many liminal states, which could help explain the disorders that can result when sleep transitions go wrong

The daily pills are designed for use among those whose high cholesterol is not reaching healthy targets despite taking other medications.

New Daily Pill Could Potentially Be Life-Saving for Americans With High Cholesterol Levels, Researchers Say

The medication, which significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks, could be a promising alternative to expensive and unpopular injectables

Researchers found an association between moderate step counts and slower cognitive decline among people at risk of developing Alzheimer's. 

A Short Walk in the Park Might Slow Cognitive Decline in People at Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s

New research indicates that even moderate step counts, as low as 3,000 steps daily, were linked with delayed symptom onset

Researchers have developed a promising new antivenom effective against more than a dozen venemous snake species, according to trials in mice.

Researchers Create a New Antivenom That Can Combat Bites From 17 Snake Species, Trials in Mice Suggest

Snakebites are among the deadliest neglected tropical diseases, and scientists have long been searching for more effective ways to prevent their devastating effects

Tim Andrews and his wife leave the hospital after he received the pig kidney transplant about nine months ago.

Pig Kidney Transplant Removed From Patient After a Record-Breaking 271 Days

Tim Andrews was the fourth patient in the United States to receive a pig kidney transplant. He will now return to dialysis and wait for a kidney from a human donor

A mother breastfeeds a baby at home

Breastfeeding Has Long Been Linked to Reducing Cancer Risk. Scientists May Have Just Discovered Why

Patients with a history of breastfeeding showed higher levels of specialized immune cells in their breasts that may protect against malignant cancers

Of the 14 athletes studied in this research, ten competed in ultramarathons and ran up to about 7,000 miles over the course of the year.

How Far Is Too Far for Ultra-Endurance Athletes? This Study of Metabolism Found Out

Individual athletes ran an average of 4,000 miles over a year to help define the human body’s limit for energy expenditure

Participants received retinal implants that restored some of their vision. 

Electronic Eye Implant Restored Vision in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The device could be a boon for millions with vision loss from advancing age

Hematoids can shed light on blood formation during early human development.

Researchers Created Structures That Produced Blood Cells in the Lab—With a Process That Mimics Real Human Embryos

The advance could carry significant implications for studying blood diseases and early human development

The liver came from a genetically modified cloned pig with ten gene edits.

Surgeons in China Perform First Pig Liver Transplant in Human Patient

The patient lived with part of a pig liver for 38 days before surgeons removed it, surviving 171 total days after the procedure

Scientists converted a Type A kidney to a Type O kidney, then transplanted it into a brain-dead patient.

New Research

Scientists Converted a Kidney’s Blood Type, Then Implanted It Into a Brain-Dead Patient for the First Time

This area of research is still in the early stages, but it could someday help reduce wait times for patients needing kidney transplants

The researchers found that tango is especially good at slowing brain aging. 

Creative Hobbies Like Tango Dancing or Playing Musical Instruments May Help Keep Your Brain Young, Study Finds

Scientists discovered that talented experts had “younger” brains than those of their less experienced counterparts, and even those who only dabbled in creativity reaped benefits

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