Intricate silk helps net-casting spiders ensnare prey in webs

Rufus net-casting spiders can tune the stiffness and elasticity of their webs thanks to loops of silk, scanning electron microscope images reveal.

Florida’s proposed cuts to AIDS drug program threaten patient care and public health

More than 128,000 Floridians are living with HIV. The state has the second-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses after Georgia, with approximately 4,500 new diagnoses in 2023, the most recent…

Ancient mass graves indicates targetted violence towards women and children

A newly published study reports one of Europe’s largest known single-event prehistoric mass graves and concludes the victims were not killed indiscriminately. Instead, researchers argue the ninth-century BC burial at…

Chatbots Can Worsen Delusions and Mania

Summary: For many, AI chatbots are a helpful tool for productivity, but for those with severe mental illness, they may be a dangerous “echo chamber.” A new study warns that…

China’s mysterious Shenlong space plane recently launched on its 4th mission. What is it doing up there?

China’s reusable space plane is circling Earth once again. The Shenlong (“Divine Dragon”) spacecraft launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on Feb. 6, kicking off the…

Picky eating starts in the womb – a nutritional neuroscientist explains how to expand your child’s palate

It’s 5:45 p.m. and you’ve just arrived home after a long day at work. You’d like nothing more than a glass of pinot and to binge old episodes of your…

‘We were lied to’: Will Trump’s order to increase the domestic supply of the weedkiller glyphosate split MAHA?

[T]he executive order Mr. Trump issued February 17 to increase domestic production of glyphosate — a widely used weedkiller and possible carcinogen that has been the target of thousands of lawsuits, including…

Prenatal Lead Exposure Affects the Aging Brain

Summary: The consequences of lead exposure may take six decades to fully manifest. A remarkable study has linked lead exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy to lower cognitive performance…

Could an “Exercise Pill” Help Treat Depression?

Summary: It’s a cruel irony of mental health: exercise is a powerful antidepressant, yet depression often robs people of the motivation and energy required to move. A new paper proposes…

Is time a fundamental part of reality: A quiet revolution in physics suggests not

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Time feels like the most basic feature of reality. Seconds…