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For the first time, a much younger version of the Sun has been caught red-handed blowing bubbles in the galaxy, by astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The bubble – called an “astrosphere” – completely surrounds the juvenile star. Winds from the star’s surface are blowing up the bubble and filling it with hot gas […]

The Astronomy Activation Ambassadors (AAA) project, part of the NASA Science Activation program, aims to measurably enhance student STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) engagement via middle school, high school, and community college science teacher professional development.

Description NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover discovered these bumpy, pea-sized nodules while exploring a region filled with boxwork formations — low ridges standing roughly 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) tall with sandy hollows in-between. This mosaic is made up of 50 individual images taken by Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on […]

Description NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this panorama of boxwork formations — the low ridges seen here with hollows in between them — using its Mastcam on Sept. 26, 2025, the 4,671st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. These boxwork formations were created billions of years ago when water leaked through rock cracks. Minerals […]

For about six months, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has been exploring a region full of geologic formations called boxwork, low ridges standing roughly 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters) tall with sandy hollows in between. Crisscrossing the surface for miles, the formations suggest ancient groundwater flowed on this part of the Red Planet […]

Science held in outdoor classroom continues to evolve St. Petersburg Science Festival 2026, School Day (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries) Download Image February 20, 2026 NOAA participates in the 14th Annual St. Petersburg Science Festival school day event. Education 0 Off

NASA’s Perseverance Rover approaches Mars in this Feb. 18, 2020, top-down still image captured by a camera on the rover’s descent stage. Perseverance is searching for signs of ancient microbial life, to advance NASA’s quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. NASA chose Jezero Crater as the landing because scientists believe the area was once […]

A century after Erwin Schrödinger sketched out a bold vision for how we perceive color, scientists have finally filled in the missing pieces. A Los Alamos team used advanced geometry to show that hue, saturation, and lightness aren’t shaped by culture or experience — they’re built directly into the mathematical structure of how we see color. By defining a crucial missing element known as the “neutral axis,” the researchers repaired a long-standing flaw in Schrödinger’s model and even corrected tricky visual quirks like the way brightness can subtly shift perceived hue.

Forty million years ago, a star in a nearby galaxy exploded, spewing material across space and generating a brilliant beacon of light. That light traveled across the cosmos, reaching Earth June 29, 2025, where it was detected by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae. Astronomers immediately turned their resources to this new supernova, designated 2025pht, […]

Have you seen the price of gold recently? In the Japanese city of Osaka, one man obviously did, and decided to cash in for the sake of his community. The mayor and his staff were staggered when they discovered an anonymous resident had presented 21 kilograms of gold bars to the city as a contribution […] The post Osaka Stunned by Anonymous Gift of Gold Bars to Fix Aging Water Pipes appeared first on Good News Network.

A grassroots regenerative agriculture initiative is helping Kenyan smallholders cut crop failure, reduce chemical reliance and dramatically improve yields The post Regenerative agriculture sows success in Kenya appeared first on Positive News.

Far beyond Neptune, in the frozen depths of the Kuiper Belt, many ancient objects oddly resemble giant snowmen made of ice and rock. For years, scientists wondered how these delicate two-lobed shapes could form without violent collisions tearing them apart. Now researchers at Michigan State University have recreated the process in a powerful new simulation, showing that simple gravitational collapse can naturally produce these cosmic “snowmen.”

A Martian volcano once thought to be the result of a single eruption turns out to have a much more complex past. Orbital imaging and mineral data show it developed through multiple eruptive phases, all powered by the same evolving magma system underground. Shifts in mineral composition reveal the magma changed over time, hinting at different depths and storage histories. Mars’ interior was far more active than previously believed.

Deep in the heart of the Sahara, scientists have uncovered Spinosaurus mirabilis — a spectacular new predator crowned with a massive, scimitar-shaped crest that may once have blazed with color under the desert sun. Discovered in remote inland river deposits in Niger, the fossil rewrites what we thought we knew about spinosaur dinosaurs, suggesting they weren’t fully aquatic hunters but powerful waders stalking fish in forested waterways hundreds of miles from the sea.

Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash It’s nighttime and you’re exhausted. But the hotel bed feels wrong. The mini fridge won’t stop making that low, irritating hum. The power outlet lights feel brighter than the sun. Outside, random car honks and noises make sleep feel like a distant possibility. Many of us struggle to sleep in new environments, even when we’re physically tired. But why? The short answer: a mix of biology and psychology. Broken routines and missing sleep cues Your brain is wired for predictability, especially at night, during our most vulnerable behaviour: sleep. A combination of internal and external cues work together to create the right conditions for rest. Internally, your body signals that it’s time to sleep by decreasing core body temperature and increasing the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. This makes you less alert. Externally, your environment needs to support these signals, not compete with it. At home, your typical pre-sleep wind-down habits and familiar surroundings tell your body it is safe to sleep. But sleeping somewhere new often disrupts these sights, sounds and sensations your body relies on. There may be different light levels (for example, from hotel room clocks or street lights), unfamiliar noises (such as elevators, traffic and neighbours) and different bedding (for instance, a firmer mattress or softer pillows). And you may be doing different activities, such as eating out late or working on a laptop on your bed. An alert brain in a new place From an evolutionary perspective, lighter sleep or more frequent awakenings when we’re somewhere new may be protective, allowing us to detect potential threats more quickly and respond to danger. This is known as the “first-night effect”. It means when we sleep somewhere new, our brains don’t fully switch off. Brain activity recordings have shown that during the first night in a new environment, the left side of the brain remains more responsive to unfamiliar sounds, even during deep sleep, compared to the second night. Once we become familiar with the space, this vigilance usually fades. But even when we start to get used to a new environment, other factors can still interfere with our sleep. Stress, travel and emotions Sleeping in a new environment can also be stressful. Your brain may be running through logistics and to-do lists, thinking about your early flight, or scenarios where you forget important belongings. Maybe you’re also experiencing jet lag. Emotions such as homesickness, excitement, anticipation or anxiety can disrupt sleep as well. Even positive stress – for example, feeling excited about a big trip – activates the same arousal systems in the brain as negative stress. The brain doesn’t distinguish why those systems are switched on. Unfortunately, a heightened arousal system and sleep are competitors. When your stress response is active, it directly interferes with the brain’s ability to disengage and transition into sleep, even when you’re physically exhausted. But some people actually sleep better away from home For some of us, being away from home can actually remove everyday distractions: there are no household responsibilities, no unfinished tasks competing for attention, and clearer boundaries between “work time” and “rest time”. The change of environment may also reduce bedtime rumination, which is often triggered by familiar home environments tied to stress, deadlines or to-do lists. Better sleep when we are away may be to do with the amount of sleep we usually get at home. Research shows that individuals who are not getting enough sleep at home are likely to get better sleep when travelling. If your sleep improves when you’re away, it might be an opportunity to consider how stimulating or busy your usual sleep environment has become – and what you can do to make it calmer. Tips for sweet dreams at home or away Reassure yourself. If you have a rough night of sleep in a new place it doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you. It’s a normal, protective response from a brain that’s tuned to safety and familiarity. You might need a night or two to settle in. Choose sleep-friendly accommodation when you can. Many hotels are deliberately designed to support good sleep and these features, such as pillow menus, melatonin-rich foods on the room-service menu, or even a personal sleep butler, can make a real difference. Plan for a slower first day. If you know you’re sleeping somewhere new, expect that the first night might not be your best. Where possible, avoid scheduling demanding tasks the next morning and give yourself time to adjust. Pack your sleep routine in your suitcase. Just as parents might do for their small child, pack your sleep routine with you. If you have a particular pillow case or a sleep mask, or a certain scent that helps you sleep at home, try bringing these with you so your brain has some familiar cues in an unfamiliar environment. If you notice you sleep better away from home, take a look at your home sleep routine and environment. Keep your room cool and dark and make your bed comfortable with supportive pillows and fresh bedding. Establish a relaxing wind-down routine: dim lights and limit screens in the evening, and stick to consistent bed and wake times, even on weekends. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Steven Conaway, Greenwich Land Trust, Bugwood.org, CC BY What do coffee, sugar, wheat, soy, eucalypts and paperbarks all have in common? They are all susceptible to parasitic rust diseases caused by fungi. Plant rust disease can easily be spotted by the characteristic orange or yellow spores that cover plant leaves, making them look rusty. The spores are easily transferred to your skin by touch or carried by the wind to other host plants. Despite their symptomatic similarities, each species of rust fungus is restricted to a single type of plant host. Farmers and nursery managers often use fungicide to tackle plant rust disease, but we need to find ways to decrease our reliance on fungicide treatment. Otherwise, we risk fuelling fungicide resistance. Could treating with natural beneficial fungi be a viable alternative? What we did and what we found To find out, we grew 143 species of fungi that were living in association with the leaves of the Australian native scrub turpentine tree, a species now considered critically endangered due to the effects of myrtle rust disease. Myrtle rust disease, cause by the exotic fungus Austropuccinia psidii is a type of plant rust disease, and it’s a huge problem. At least 380 Australian native plants are susceptible to it. Myrtle rust threatens trees and shrubs in the Myrtaceae family of plants. This is Australia’s largest plant family in Australia, and includes tea tree and eucalypts. It also threatens several rainforest tree species. The recent arrival of this disease into Australia, in 2010, means little is known about how we may feasibly control it within natural ecosystems. Our research found that of the 143 species of fungi we grew, nine of them naturally stopped the germination of the myrtle rust spores in the lab. This suggests native plants may already harbour beneficial fungi that could protect them from this deadly disease. How? Our research shows one way beneficial fungi can protect the plant from the rust disease is by producing chemicals that attack the disease and prevent it from infecting the plant. It’s like a biological machine, producing microscopic amounts of fungicide directly onto the rust as it grows. Other ways these fungi can protect the plant are through competition for nutrients or by stimulating the plant’s immune system to protect itself. One advantage over fungicides may be that if the fungi establishes a symbiotic relationship with the plant, repeated applications may not be necessary. So far, we’ve only shown this in the lab. More research is clearly needed. Now, we need to make sure the fungi can effectively do their job in the environment on our most susceptible plants. We may even one day be able to incorporate these fungi into our plant conservation breeding programs. A growing body of research A similar study of myrtle rust disease in Hawaii found that adding multiple beneficial fungi to the leaves of the native Hawaiian Koʻolau eugenia or nioi plant increased the effectiveness of the beneficial fungi over using a single strain alone. This highlights that we have a lot to learn about how beneficial fungi can protect plants. Our previous research also identified that fungi can protect crop plants such as wheat, barley and oats from rust disease. Similar studies around the world have found fungi can also protect against coffee rust and soybean rust, among others. Despite many successful lab studies, there remains a gap between lab studies and field applications. And even if it could be proven to work in the field, then we’d need to find efficient ways to get the beneficial fungi onto the plants that need it. That said, it’s worth persevering. If we want strategies to reduce fungicide usage on farms and in the environment we must continue to learn more about beneficial fungi and how we can best use them to our advantage. Michelle Moffitt receives funding from the Hermon Slade Foundation.

Greenland's PM reminded Trump of its free healthcare, after Trump said he was sending a boat to aid people who were allegedly "not being taken care of".

Triceratops’ massive head may have been doing more than just showing off those famous horns. Using CT scans and 3D reconstructions of fossil skulls, researchers uncovered a surprisingly complex nasal system hidden inside its enormous snout. Instead of being just a supersized nose for smelling, it likely housed intricate networks of nerves and blood vessels—and even special structures that helped regulate heat and moisture.

Living at high altitude appears to protect against diabetes, and scientists have finally discovered the reason. When oxygen levels drop, red blood cells switch into a new metabolic mode and absorb large amounts of glucose from the blood. This helps the body cope with thin air while also reducing blood sugar levels. A drug that recreates this effect reversed diabetes in mice, hinting at a powerful new treatment strategy.

Scientists may have spotted a long-sought triplet superconductor — a material that can transmit both electricity and electron spin with zero resistance. That ability could dramatically stabilize quantum computers while slashing their energy use. Early experiments suggest the alloy NbRe behaves unlike any conventional superconductor. If verified, it could become a cornerstone of next-generation quantum and spintronic technology.

Researchers tested whether generative AI could handle complex medical datasets as well as human experts. In some cases, the AI matched or outperformed teams that had spent months building prediction models. By generating usable analytical code from precise prompts, the systems dramatically reduced the time needed to process health data. The findings hint at a future where AI helps scientists move faster from data to discovery.

Astronomers have uncovered one of the most mysterious galaxies ever found — a dim, ghostly object called CDG-2 that is almost entirely made of dark matter. Located 300 million light-years away in the Perseus galaxy cluster, it was discovered in an unusual way: not by its stars, but by four tightly packed globular clusters acting like cosmic breadcrumbs.

Exercise may sharpen the mind by repairing the brain’s protective shield. Researchers found that physical activity prompts the liver to release an enzyme that removes a harmful protein causing the blood-brain barrier to become leaky with age. In older mice, dialing down this protein reduced inflammation and improved memory. The discovery points to a surprising body-to-brain pathway that could inspire new Alzheimer’s therapies.

Human language may seem messy and inefficient compared to the ultra-compact strings of ones and zeros used by computers—but our brains actually prefer it that way. New research reveals that while digital-style encoding could theoretically compress information more tightly, it would demand far more mental effort from both speaker and listener. Instead, language is built around familiar words and predictable patterns that reflect our real-world experiences, allowing the brain to constantly anticipate what comes next and narrow down meaning step by step.

Scientists at Stanford have unveiled the first-ever global map of rare earthquakes that rumble deep within Earth’s mantle rather than its crust. Long debated and notoriously difficult to confirm, these elusive quakes turn out to cluster in regions like the Himalayas and near the Bering Strait. By developing a breakthrough method that distinguishes mantle quakes using subtle differences in seismic waves, researchers identified hundreds of these hidden tremors worldwide.

A groundbreaking clinical trial is testing whether specially engineered stem cells can help the brain restore its own dopamine production in people with Parkinson’s disease. Because the condition is driven by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing cells—leading to tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement—researchers are implanting lab-grown cells directly into the brain’s movement center to replace what’s been lost.

For decades, scientists have believed that complex life began when two very different microbes joined forces, eventually giving rise to plants, animals, and fungi. But one major puzzle remained: how could these organisms have met if one depended on oxygen and the other supposedly lived without it? New research suggests the answer lies in ancient microbes called Asgard archaea.

A new human study has uncovered how the body naturally turns off inflammation. Researchers found that fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins rein in immune cells that can otherwise drive chronic disease. Using a drug to boost these molecules reduced pain faster and lowered harmful inflammatory cells. The discovery could pave the way for safer treatments for arthritis, heart disease, and other inflammation-related conditions.

A major breakthrough could help save the world’s bananas from a devastating disease. Scientists have discovered the exact genetic region in a wild banana that provides resistance to Fusarium wilt Subtropical Race 4 — a destructive strain that threatens Cavendish bananas worldwide. While this wild banana isn’t edible, the discovery gives breeders a powerful genetic roadmap to develop future bananas that are both delicious and naturally protected from this deadly pathogen.

Myopia is skyrocketing around the world, often blamed on endless screen time — but new research suggests the real culprit may be something more subtle. Scientists at SUNY College of Optometry propose that it’s not just devices, but the combination of prolonged close-up focus and dim indoor lighting that may quietly strain the eyes. When we concentrate on nearby objects in low light, our pupils constrict in a way that may reduce how much light reaches the retina, potentially triggering changes that lead to nearsightedness.

Ancient DNA from a Stone Age burial site in Sweden shows that families 5,500 years ago were more complex than expected. Many individuals buried together were not immediate family, but second- or third-degree relatives. One grave held a young woman alongside two children who were siblings—yet she wasn’t their mother. The discoveries hint at tight-knit communities where extended kin mattered deeply.

Summary pending review - more hopeful updates soon.

Summary pending review - more hopeful updates soon.

Steve Lindfield, CC BY-ND The Western Australian government recently announced the controversial closure of commercial and recreation fishing to prevent a collapse in the populations of under-threat species, such as popular dhufish and pink snapper. Fishing for these demersal (bottom dwelling) species has been closed along a 900-kilometre stretch of coastline in south-west WA. There are plans to reopen the area in spring 2027, but for recreational fishing only. One additional measure stands out: once the fishery opens, large “no-take” demersal recovery zones are proposed where all bottom fishing will be banned. While no-take zones are a key part of Australia’s conservation strategy, they are more often used to create marine parks, rather than to improve fisheries. Proposed no-take zones have been historically unpopular with fishers. But perhaps we can have our cake and eat it too. Does closing areas of ocean to fishing result in a boost to fish numbers inside the protected areas and in surrounding fishing grounds? Our recent research suggests the answer is yes. Setting aside no-take areas of the ocean, combined with standard fisheries management in the areas still open to fishing, can increase overall numbers of spawning fish. This means greater catch rates for fishers in surrounding areas. Building a digital reef We focused on the population of spangled emperor fish – a golden-coloured fish prized by anglers – in the iconic Ningaloo World Heritage Area. Currently, 34% of Ningaloo is covered by no-take zones, the largest percentage for any region in Australia. These zones were created to protect the diversity of species and create natural areas for tourism, education and science. Understanding if no-take areas actually benefit fisheries is a challenging task. To compare the effects of protection and closures with standard fisheries management, we built a computer model for the spangled emperor population at Ningaloo. We divided the reef into more than 1,800 spatial “cells” and included information about habitat distribution, fish movement, reproduction, mortality rates and how much and where fishing was occurring. The resulting model is a digital “twin” of the spangled emperor population at Ningaloo. It helped us try to answer the question: how best to conserve and manage this vital resource? A spangled emperor fish at the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia. Steve Lindfield, CC BY Exploring the possibilities We explored several scenarios: what would happen with only standard fisheries management in place, compared with the addition of no-take zones or closing the area to fishing for five months. We also looked at what might have been achieved by combining all approaches. The no-take zones delivered clear benefits, particularly by boosting the number of large mature fish and the number of offspring they produced. Closing the area for a five-month period was similarly effective for increasing fish abundance, but less so for large mature fish. Combining the two approaches resulted in a greater increase in large mature fish and replenishment of young fish. Interestingly, our model predicted the addition of no-take zones resulted in recreational fishing catch rates doubling in open areas near where the fishers accessed the ocean (for example, within 10 kilometres of a boat ramp). Bigger, older fish matter Female fish of many species produce far more eggs as they grow larger. One big, older female can produce as many eggs as a dozen or more smaller adults. No‑take zones protect these large individuals, allowing them to survive longer and build up inside protected areas. Their offspring drift into surrounding waters, replenishing stocks and ultimately boosting catches for fishers. These benefits are greatest for species that remain relatively local. Highly mobile species may require larger or connected no-take zones to achieve the same effect. In this way, no‑take zones help sustain healthy fish populations and fisheries. Some in the fishing community have historically opposed protected areas, seeing the loss of access as negative. But when we talked to fishers at boat ramps around Australia, many supported protected areas and sensed what our model confirms: setting aside no-take zones can improve environmental outcomes. Our research suggests strategic no-take zones – like those in the WA government’s announcement – along with effective management of fishing in other areas could replenish fish populations and increase catches. We have consistently found that studying no-take zones provides a cost-effective way to understand fish habitat preference, their home-range size and how they spawn. This information will be key to designing no-take zones to protect fish spawning, recover populations and make fishing more sustainable. Tim Langlois receives funding from the Australian government under the Our Marine Parks grant program, the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) marine and coastal hub, and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC). From the West Australian government he also receives funding from the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions. Charlotte Aston received funding from the the Keiran McNamara World Heritage PhD Top-Up Scholarship and the University of Western Australia. Matt Navarro receives funding from National Environmental Sciences Program marine and coastal hub, Parks Australia, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions.

Northwestern researchers have shown that when it comes to cancer vaccines, arrangement can be just as important as ingredients. By repositioning a small fragment of an HPV protein on a DNA-based nanovaccine, the team dramatically strengthened the immune system’s attack on HPV-driven tumors. One specific design slowed tumor growth, extended survival in animal models, and unleashed far more cancer-killing T cells than other versions made with the exact same components.

Researchers have uncovered more than a thousand previously unknown tectonic ridges across the Moon’s dark plains, showing the Moon is still contracting and reshaping itself. These features are among the youngest geological structures on the lunar surface. Because they form through the same forces linked to past moonquakes, they could signal new seismic hotspots.

A major new study has spotlighted three familiar medicines that could take on an unexpected new role in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease — with a shingles vaccine emerging as the front-runner. After reviewing 80 existing drugs, an international panel of experts identified Zostavax, Viagra (sildenafil), and riluzole as the most promising candidates for repurposing.

Artificial intelligence solutions that transform the way food assistance reaches people facing hunger were on display during an exhibition at an AI meeting this week in New Delhi, India.

Life on Earth may have learned to breathe oxygen long before oxygen filled the skies. MIT researchers traced a key oxygen-processing enzyme back hundreds of millions of years before the Great Oxidation Event. Early microbes living near oxygen-producing cyanobacteria may have quickly used up the gas as it formed, slowing its rise in the atmosphere. The results suggest life was adapting to oxygen far earlier — and far more creatively — than once thought.

Antibiotic resistance is racing toward a global crisis, with “superbugs” projected to cause over 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Now, scientists at UC San Diego have unveiled a powerful new CRISPR-based tool that doesn’t just fight resistant bacteria—it can actively strip away their drug resistance. Inspired by gene drives used in insects, the technology spreads a genetic “fix” through bacterial populations, even inside stubborn biofilms that shield microbes from antibiotics.

A 125-million-year-old dinosaur just rewrote what we thought we knew about prehistoric life. Scientists in China have uncovered an exceptionally preserved juvenile iguanodontian with fossilized skin so detailed that individual cells are still visible. Even more astonishing, the plant-eating dinosaur was covered in hollow, porcupine-like spikes—structures never before documented in any dinosaur.

A new University at Buffalo study suggests cannabis-infused beverages could help some people cut back on alcohol. In a survey of cannabis users, those who drank cannabis beverages reported cutting their weekly alcohol intake roughly in half and binge drinking less often. Nearly two-thirds said they reduced or stopped drinking alcohol after starting cannabis drinks.

Scientists in China have unveiled a breakthrough way to mass-produce powerful cancer-fighting immune cells in the lab. By engineering early-stage stem cells from cord blood—rather than trying to modify mature natural killer (NK) cells—they created a streamlined process that generates enormous numbers of highly potent NK cells, including CAR-equipped versions designed to hunt specific cancers.

Summary pending review - more hopeful updates soon.

Summary pending review - more hopeful updates soon.

Summary pending review - more hopeful updates soon.

FG Trade/Getty Images Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease that causes pain, stiffness and swelling, and reduces your range of motion. It often affects the knees, hips and hands, although it can also occur in other joints throughout the body. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, your doctor has probably recommended exercise. This has become standard treatment advice in recent years. However, a new review suggests exercise might not be as beneficial as first thought. But when you take a closer look at the study, there are reasons to be cautious. So it shouldn’t prompt you to ditch your exercise regimen. What the review did The research team conducted an “umbrella review” – an overview of systematic reviews, which collate and analyse the findings from individual studies to answer a specific question. Reviewing previously published systematic reviews provides an even bigger snapshot of a given research topic. After searching thousands of studies, they included five major systematic reviews (comprised of 100 individual studies, with 8,631 patients) before adding another 28 recent trials (involving another 4,360 patients). Using this data, they looked at the effect of exercise on knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis, and compared it to several alternatives, including doing nothing, placebo (fake) treatments, education, manual therapy, painkillers, injections and surgery. What’s the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis? What did they find? Compared to doing nothing and placebos, they found that exercise resulted in small reductions in pain in the hip, knee and hand: between 6 and 12 points on a 100-point scale. However, exercise did not seem to improve function any more than either of these comparisons. For knee and hip osteoarthritis, there was evidence that exercise was just as effective at reducing pain and improving function as medicines such as ibuprofen and corticosteroids, which are injected into the joint to reduce inflammation. These also reduced pain by around 5–10%. The researchers concluded exercise was less effective at improving pain and function than a total joint replacement in people with knee and hip osteoarthritis. What were the limitations? First, the authors lumped all types of exercise together. This means strength training, aerobic exercise, stretching, aquatic exercise and tai chi were all considered to be the same. This is crucial, because we know not all exercise is created equal. Previous reviews have shown, for example, that aerobic exercise might be best for reducing pain and function in people with knee osteoarthritis, while stretching was least effective. Similarly, the authors didn’t consider the clinical status of the patients. Evidence has shown people with more severe pain and worse function at the start of an intervention see better responses to exercise than those with less pain and good function. Second, the review treated both supervised and unsupervised exercise the same. However, research shows supervised training results in much better outcomes than unsupervised – likely because a trainer is there to help push the patient along. Third, the authors didn’t account for the duration of the exercise, and most study periods were quite short: around 12 weeks. It’s likely that sticking to an exercise regime over the long term will have better results, leading to a larger scope for improvement than if you just did something for a few weeks. As such, the results of this review may not accurately reflect the benefits of exercise in people with osteoarthritis who commit to consistent exercise as an ongoing part of their weekly routine (which is often recommended). Finally, the review didn’t account for the dose of exercise the studies used. Improvements in pain and function seem to increase with total weekly exercise in people with osteoarthritis. One review, for example, found the optimal benefits occurred at around 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. These limitations suggest this new review likely undersells the benefits of exercise for osteoarthritis. Less pain and better physical and mental health Putting aside the limitations of the review, the small reductions in pain the review reports might still have a positive impact on someone’s life. A 10% reduction in pain could make a meaningful difference to your ability to move around, work, socialise and care for others. The review also found exercise can reduce pain to the same extent as non-steriodal anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroids – without the side-effects or the costs. Exercise can also improve heart health, enhance your mood, help with weight management and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. These factors can have a huge impact on your health and happiness. What should you do now? Based on the findings of this new review, you should be confident that any type of exercise will lead to some degree of pain relief. However, based on prior evidence, it’s likely you can get even greater overall health benefits from exercising if you stick with it. The best type of exercise is the one that gets done. If you enjoy being outdoors and walking, then this is going to be a great choice as it will improve all aspects of your health as well as reduce pain. And if pain permits, don’t be afraid to occasionally challenge yourself by upping the intensity to the point where holding a conversation starts to become difficult. If going to the gym is more your thing, lifting weights will also bring significant overall health benefits – especially if you stick to it long term. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The large-scale disclosure of materials known as the “Epstein Files” has revealed “disturbing and credible evidence” of what independent human rights experts describe as a possible global criminal enterprise involving systematic sexual abuse, trafficking and exploitation of women and girls.

An Ice Age double burial in Italy has yielded a stunning genetic revelation. DNA from a mother and daughter who lived over 12,000 years ago shows that the younger had a rare inherited growth disorder, confirmed through mutations in a key bone-growth gene. Her mother carried a milder version of the same mutation. The finding not only solves a long-standing mystery but also proves that rare genetic diseases stretch far back into prehistory.

Scientists scanning the heart of the Milky Way have spotted a tantalizing signal: a possible ultra-fast pulsar spinning every 8.19 milliseconds near Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s core. Pulsars act like incredibly precise cosmic clocks, and finding one in this extreme environment could open a rare window into how space-time behaves under intense gravity.